These are dark times as the world combats the global coronavirus pandemic, but Thomas Rhett brightened the mood a little bit when he performed his new song, “Be a Light,” during the ACM Presents: Our Country special on Sunday (April 5).
“I think with everything going on in the world right now, it’s really, really cool that the ACM still decided to put together some sort of package for you guys to be able to see,” said the musician from his Nashville home. The ACM Awards, originally scheduled for Sunday, are postponed until Sept. 16 due to shelter-in-place orders around much of the country to curb the spread of the virus.
“Just know that we’re all in this together, we’re all doing our part, we’re all doing the same thing,” he continued before beginning his performance. “It’s weird navigating waters that are uncharted, and I think that’s what these are. So with this song, I really felt it was fitting to play for you guys.”
The encouraging lyrics do fit the dark times, kicking off: “In a time full of war, be peace/ In a time full of doubt, just believe/ Yeah, there ain’t that much difference between you and me/ In a time full of war, be peace.”
Rhett explained on March 30, the day he released the song — which also features Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, and Chris Tomlin — that his team had urged him to release the song early. “This song was really just about being a light in a dark place; being an encouragement to people,” he explained on Instagram Live at the time. “We weren’t supposed to release this now, but I really felt like the song needed to come out today. I hope it puts a smile on your face in this crazy, crazy time.”
He also revealed then that the proceeds from his new song would go to MusiCares’ COVID-19 Relief Fund to aid members of the music industry in need of financial aid due to losing jobs because of the pandemic, and those who have been diagnosed.
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