Ashley McBryde Brings Vengeful ‘Martha Divine’ to 2021 ACM Awards Stage
Ashley McBryde wasn't playing around at the 2021 ACM Awards on Sunday night (April 18). The country singer-songwriter gave an energetic performance of "Martha Divine" — a song that's a modern-day take on the old classic country murder ballad.
The narrator in the song is considering the various ways in which she might kill her father's lover to avenge her wronged mother: "Martha Divine, Martha Divine / You put your hands on the wrong damn man this time / Jezebel, you're bound for Hell / But evidently, the devil was busy so I moved you up in line, Martha Divine," McBryde sang in one of the darker performances the ACM Awards has seen in recent years.
What truly made the performance of the song shine bright was the fact that McBryde chose to give it from Nashville's Bridge Building, allowing the lights of downtown Music City to glisten behind her. In a way, the performance of the addictive hit in the making paid homage to just how far McBryde has come and how far she seems destined to go.
McBryde included "Martha Divine" on her acclaimed Never Will album, which she released in 2020. The album is nominated for Album of the Year at the 2021 ACM Awards, and McBryde is also nominated for Female Artist of the Year, as well as Song of the Year for "One Night Standards."
The 2021 ACM Awards air live on CBS and stream live on Paramount+. Sign up for Paramount+ here.
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