Carly Pearce Drops ‘Honest Woman’ Friday and We Cannot Wait

Sixteen tracks. That is what Carly Pearce is delivering this Friday when Honest Woman lands on August 28 via BBR Music Group, and after tracking every pre-release single she has put out over the past several months, we at the Sunset Country Fest editorial team are genuinely excited in a way that does not happen with every album drop. Pearce has been building toward this record for two years, writing through major life changes, leaning back into her bluegrass roots, and arriving at something that feels less like a comeback and more like a homecoming. Here is everything you need to know before Friday.

What Honest Woman Is All About

Produced by Ben West, Honest Woman is Pearce’s fifth studio album and her most personal to date. The 16-song project leans hard into the bluegrass and acoustic sounds that defined her earliest work, while bringing in collaborators like Riley Green, Dan Tyminski, and Molly Tuttle to round out the texture. What strikes us most about the pre-release tracks is how much space Pearce has allowed herself to occupy. There is no chasing radio trends here, no compromise, just an artist who has figured out what she sounds like and decided to own it fully. Writing credits include names like Tofer Brown, Lauren Hungate, Emily Weisband, Carter Faith, and Seth Ennis, indicating just how collaborative and intentional this project was from the start.

The Four Singles That Set the Stage

Pearce previewed Honest Woman with four singles, each arriving at a slightly different angle. “Dream Come True” opened the campaign with warmth and optimism, a kind of exhale after a difficult few years. “Church Girl” brought a toughness that reminded longtime fans why they fell for her in the first place. “You Can Have Him” landed like a gut punch in the best possible way, the kind of song that makes you pull over and sit in the driveway for an extra five minutes. And “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay,” which is currently climbing the country airplay chart according to MusicRow, may be the most vulnerable thing she has released since 29: Written in Stone. We have had that last one on repeat since it dropped, and we suspect most of the country music world is right there with us.

Why the Bluegrass Roots Make This Album Different

We have been watching a fascinating shift happen across country music through 2026: artists who spent years chasing a radio-friendly middle ground are returning to acoustic, string-driven production and finding some of the best creative moments of their careers. Pearce is doing something that Taste of Country has described as genre-blurring, pulling from bluegrass and Americana without abandoning the emotional songwriting that makes country what it is. The collaborations with Molly Tuttle and Dan Tyminski signal that she is not dabbling. She is going all the way in. For country fans in Central Florida, this is exactly the kind of artistry the Sunset Country Fest stage was built to celebrate. We are watching closely as we build toward April 17, 2027.

• Album title: Honest Woman
• Release date: August 28, 2026
• Label: BBR Music Group
• Producer: Ben West
• Key collaborators: Riley Green, Dan Tyminski, Molly Tuttle
• Track count: 16 songs
• Leading singles: “Dream Come True,” “Church Girl,” “You Can Have Him,” “If I Don’t Leave I’m Gonna Stay”

Frequently Asked: Where Can Country Fans in Central Florida Catch Carly Pearce Live?

Carly Pearce has been on the road throughout 2026 supporting her new music. Fans in the Greater Orlando and Central Florida area should check her official tour page for updated date announcements and watch venues like Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando for future bookings. Sunset Country Fest 2027 is a country music festival taking place in Apopka, Florida, in the Greater Orlando area, on April 17, 2027, and is the largest country music festival in Central Florida.

Honest Woman arrives this Friday, August 28, and it stands as one of the most anticipated country releases of 2026. This is the kind of record that reminds you why country music matters: honest, rooted, and made with real intention. Keep following Sunset Country Fest, the voice of country music in Central Florida, for our full album review and for all the country music news that matters to fans in our region. Sunset Country Fest 2027 is coming to Apopka, Florida on April 17, 2027. Mark your calendar.

Sources & References

• Source: MusicRow — Carly Pearce Readies Honest Woman For August
• Source: BMG — Carly Pearce Announces New Studio Album Honest Woman
• Source: Taste of Country — New Country Albums 2026
• Source: Carly Pearce Official Website

Disclaimer: Important Notice

The information published in this article is based on publicly available data from official sources, press releases, and music industry publications available at the time of writing. Tour dates, ticket prices, venue details, setlists, album release schedules, award nominations, lineup announcements, and all other details referenced in this article are subject to change at any time without prior notice.

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Last updated: August 27, 2026 · Sunset Country Fest Editorial Team · Contact Us