CMTCMT Crossroads has done it again.
In just a few short hours, the iconic and long-running music program will present its 70th episode, teaming up global superstars Halsey and Kelsea Ballerini for a concert of epic proportions where they will perform one another's hits and hopefully deliver the first live performance of their new duet "the other girl," featured on Kelsea's just-released self-titled third studio album.
Since its premiere in 2002, the show has made a point of teaming up the biggest names in country music with artists from other genres for a night music fans of all kinds will never forget. And along the way, as the musicians join each other on their biggest hits and collaborate on covers of other classic tracks, Crossroads has given us some truly incredible music moments. In honor of Halsey and Kelsea coming together, we thought we'd take a look back at some of our favorite collaborations over the years.
Maren Morris & Alicia Keys: The country princess and R&B's reigning pianist came together for a late 2016 episode of the series that saw them team up on a handful of each other's hits, including "Girl on Fire" and "80s Mercedes." And watching Alicia watch Maren tackle her classic track "If I Ain't Got You" is what this franchise is all about. The pairing was such a success the two even joined forces at the Grammys the following year for a once-in-a-lifetime performance of Maren's "Once."
Kacey Musgraves & Katy Perry: While it was a real treat seeing these two perform each other's hits like "Teenage Dream" and "Follow Your Arrow" during their 2014 episode, our favorite moment in the whole thing just might be their performance of the Dolly Parton classic "Here You Come Again." Fun fact: Katy enjoyed her time with Kacey so much, she invited her to open for her on her Prismatic World Tour that same year.
Lady Antebellum & Stevie Nicks: If you don't get chills listening to Lady A join the legendary Fleetwood Mac frontwoman on "Landslide" during their 90-minute episode from 2013, then something is wrong with you.
Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson: This 2007 episode created a true lasting bond between the two powerhouses, with Kelly even going on to eventually marry Reba's stepson Brandon Blackstock. The two had so much fun together, as evidenced during their show-stopping performance of "Fancy," they even embarked on a joint tour entitled 2 World 2 Voices that sold out all the stops on its initial 15-stop leg.
Taylor Swift & Def Leppard: Some pairings on Crossroads make perfect sense, like the few above. And some you never see coming. Why did Taylor get paired up with the iconic '80s rock band? Who knows. Was it all worth it to see 2008 Tay perform "Pour Some Sugar on Me" with them? You bet.
Zac Brown Band & Shawn Mendes: While much of the fun of Crossroads lies in seeing the artists join one another on songs from their own discographies, there are moments where they take someone else's track and make magic. In this 2018 episode, Zac and Shawn did just that with a performance of Michael Jackson's classic "Man in the Mirror." Listen closely for Shawn's falsetto on the chorus and prepare to swoon.
CMT Crossroads: Halsey & Kelsea Ballerini airs Wednesday, Mar. 25 at 10 p.m. on CMT.