What you need to know
Carly Pearce has been candid about her relationship with religion.
In Pierce’s new single, “Church Girl,” released on Friday, January 23, the country singer took a bold stance and opened up about her ever-changing relationship with her faith in hopes of making her fans feel accepted.
“I’m a girl who grew up in the church. I grew up feeling like faith was a very big part of my life. Faith is still a very big part of my life, but I think there’s a lot of double standards in faith,” Pearce, 35, exclusively tells PEOPLE.
“There have been a lot of not-so-beautiful events in my life. None of us are perfect, and I had to live that in public,” she continues. “And as a Christian woman, I’ve felt a lot of shame and guilt and judgment and confusion.”
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After all, “Church Girl” is the song she needed to hear while growing up and practicing Christian values like sexual purity.
“I needed that when I was going through a very public relationship breakup, like, ‘Oh my God, I feel like I’ve let God down with my marriage,'” Pierce says. “There were so many things going on in my life that I was like, ‘What, does this mean I’m not a Christian? Does that mean God hates me?’
“What I found for myself is, I wish I could go back and say to her, ‘You’re okay, you’re okay, and we’re all on a journey. We all understand that. And no matter where you are on your journey, Jesus loves you. I know that,'” she continued.
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However, this song is not completely for her. The “What He Didn’t Do” singer also had his fans in mind during the songwriting sessions. And her hope is that music can provide a sense of solace.
“I wanted them to know, I’m not judging you, I don’t want you to feel shame, I don’t want you to feel guilty,” she says. “We want them to know that we are all human beings and that we are all welcome here.”
‘Church Girl’ follows the release of November’s single ‘Dream Come True’, an introspective reflection on the price of success.
“I don’t want people to think that the whole project is just heavy and intense, but I will tell you that these two songs are a very bold indication of what’s to come,” she said, adding that they “dig deep” and “didn’t hold back.”
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In the process of writing her fifth studio album, due out in 2026, the Every Little Thing singer revealed parts of herself that most people didn’t know existed. This time, Pearce is no longer writing from a place of wonder, but from experience.
“It’s about being more aware of who you are and reflecting on the different experiences in your life,” she says. “I’m in an emotional place where I can talk about this and I feel confident enough to share this. I’m just in a really good place to put out a song like this. I don’t think I would be making this music right now if I hadn’t lived in the spotlight for the past 10 years.”
She added, “So I think these two songs are a little glimpse into the personal growth that I’ve gone through as a person and as an artist.”
“Church Girl” is in theaters now.
