We Don't Fight Anymore

Carly Pearce first found commercial success with her 2017 single "Every Little Thing". Her career further elevated with the 2021 studio album 29: Written in Stone. The project was considered a more personal and reflective effort.[3] In the wake of its success came the release of the song "We Don't Fight Anymore".[1] Pearce co-wrote the song with Pete Good and Shane McAnally. Although none of the writers were experiencing any relationship problems, they all drew from experiences with past relationships to write "We Don't Fight Anymore".[4] The song's lyrics center on a relationship whose communication is failing between both partners.[5]

Pearce and her team at Big Machine Records believed the song to be a commercial success. This led to the instrumentation tracks being recorded on November 15, 2022, at the Sound Emporium studio, located in Nashville, Tennessee.[4] The song was produced by Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Pearce herself. "We Don't Fight Anymore" was the first song featuring production credits from Pearce herself.[6]

Pearce was finishing up her vocals for the song when she thought of including Chris Stapleton on the track.[4] Stapleton was a professional Nashville songwriter before critical acclaim brought him to the attention of record buyers with 2015's Traveller. From there, his commercial success was elevated by several more albums and chart-topping country singles like 2017's "Broken Halos".[7] Pearce sent a message to Stapleton's wife Morgane via Instagram about the song. Morgane brought the song to her husband who liked the track enough to agree to record it.[8]

"We Don't Fight Anymore" has received positive reception from critics. Jon Freeman of Rolling Stone called the lyrics "devastating" and "laden with sadness".[5] Billy Dukes from Taste of Country found the vocals to be alluring but especially believed the songwriting to be the driving force behind the song.[1] Lydia Farthing of Holler Country commented that "it feels like a stronger breath of confidence and strength from the Kentucky-born entertainer."[9] Tom Roland of Billboard predicted that the song could be a potential "contender" for a Grammy award, highlighting its emotion: "If a song could make bones ache, 'We Don’t Fight Anymore' would do it.[4]

"We Don't Fight Anymore" was officially released on June 16, 2023, via Big Machine Records.[2] It impacted country music radio on June 20, receiving 95 ads from stations within its first week. The song became Pearce's highest add date in her career.[10] "Thank you for this, I’m so grateful & honestly blown away," Pearce wrote on her Instagram.[11]

The music video for the track was released on September 6, 2023 and stars Lucy Hale and Shiloh Fernandez. The project is a reunion for Pearce and Hale, as Pearce had worked as her backing singer while she was promoting her 2014 debut album Road Between. Directed by Alexa Campbell, it depicts Hale and Fernandez as a couple who are trapped in a state of emotional disconnection, interspersed with clips of Pearce singing the song on the floor of a room surrounded by candles. Their house later sets on fire, paralleling their crumbling relationship. Fernandez leaves without Hale, who has to escape on her own by climbing out of the window, and the video concludes with them standing outside together watching as their house burns.[12]