Chris Stapleton Reveals Surprise Dua Lipa ACM Awards Duet Was 'Her Idea'

Dua Lipa surprised country music fans by teaming up with Chris Stapleton for a duet of his song “Think I’m in Love With You” during the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards.

When it was Stapleton’s time to perform in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday, May 16, the audience at The Ford Center was shocked to hear another voice. Lipa, 28, kicked off the performance before Stapleton, 46, joined her on stage.

“It was her idea, as far as I know,” Stapleton told Entertainment Tonight on Thursday. “They kind of called us up and said, ‘Hey, she would like to do this.’ I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah!’ So, we got on the phone and talked about it and worked on it a little bit.”

“Think I’m in Love With You” was initially released as a solo song on Stapleton’s 2023 album, Higher. With Lipa, the song had more of a stripped-down and sultry vibe.

“We really only kind of put together what we did, like, two days ago,” Stapleton continued. “So, it was kind of a whirlwind of a thing to do — but it was awesome.”

Lipa told ET after the performance that it was “a big dream” of hers to work with the country star.

“I’m a big, big Chris Stapleton fan, that’s for sure, and I love country music,” she gushed. “I love the storytelling, I love the passion, and it was just so beautiful to be able to dive into that world a little bit just kind of see it first-hand. It was really special.”

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As for how they kept the performance under wraps, Lipa joked in a separate interview with Billboard that there was a lot of “zip-up hoodies and running in and out of the arena.”

“I think we were all so in on making sure that this stayed a surprise to make the moment even more special,” she continued. “I don’t know how we did it, I’m glad we did it.”

Stapleton was nominated for four awards during last night’s ceremony, winning three. The singer took home Artist/Songwriter of the Year, Album of the Year for Higher and Male Artist of the Year.

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“What an honor, thank you,” Stapleton said during his acceptance speech for Album of the Year, thanking his producers, including his wife, Morgane Stapleton. “We do our best to make an album that’s a complete body of work all the time, and hopefully that’s what this means.”

The awards show won’t be the only time Stapleton and Lipa cross paths this year. Both are set to headline the 2024 Austin City Limits music festival this fall.