Kane Brown's emotional performance of Ray Charles' "Georgia on My Mind" at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards drew accolades. Brown covered the tune last month.
Brown told Billboard on the ACM red carpet that he covered the song for the Masters golf tournament and "got this huge reaction" after adding it to his live show.
Brown said it "didn't feel right" to perform his new track with Marshmello at the ACMs because it hadn't been released yet.
Brown performed approximately an hour into the ceremony in a black suit and white button-down T-shirt.
The 30-year-old began singing the first lyrics to shouts and ovation from supporters until the spotlight fell on him.
Several followers applauded Brown's performance on X, formerly Twitter, with one saying "Ray Charles, himself, would be proud" after never hearing him sing.
Brown's performance "was so good," tweeted an admirer. Another called it a "huge" song to "take on" but was "so proud of him he did good on it."
Another admirer remarked, "Best performance of the night if you ask me!"