Brett Young + Boyz II Men Reunite for ‘Here Tonight’ at 2019 CMT Music Awards [WATCH]
Brett Young and Boyz II Men took the stage together at the 2019 CMT Music Awards for an electric and soul-filled rendition of Young's hit song "Here Tonight." By the time they hit the Bridgestone Arena stage on Wednesday night (June 5), they were old pros at harmonizing on the song.
Both Young and Boyz II Men's member's traded lead vocals on "Here Tonight." The '90s R&B hitmakers added in a few lines from their own song "Water Runs Dry" during the song's bridge.
Wednesday night wasn't the first time the two acts had come together for a cross-genre live performance: Earlier in 2019, Young and Boyz II Men collaborated on an episode of CMT's Crossroads, a show that pairs artists from different genres together for an unlikely -- but awesome -- performance.
In fact, Young has more in common with the iconic R&B group than fans might realize at first glance. The country star has long been open about his love for soul music, and in fact, has even said that his first-ever concert, back in the '90s, was a Boyz II Men show.
"I loved soul music," he shared, "but they were the first one that did it and made it current." Young has long counted the R&B music he grew up with as an influence; he reconnected with the soulful sounds that helped shape his musical identity while making his second album, Ticket to L.A.
"I'm working with the same producer on this record as I did on the first record, Dann Huff," he explained at the time. "He knows that I have a huge R&B background, and that I grew up listening to Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. The popular music when I was younger was Boyz II Men, and then, of course, Gavin DeGraw is the most blue-eyed-soul white boy on the planet. Dan said, 'I don't wanna change your sound too much, but I do want to incorporate a little more soul and R&B.' Because of that, I started listening to a lot of that music again."
The 2019 CMT Music Awards kicked off Nashville's annual CMA Fest with an evening of performances and awards. The ceremony took place at Bridgestone Arena, and also aired on CMT. Little Big Town hosted the event for the second consecutive year.
See All the Action at the 2019 CMT Music Awards