LAS VEGAS — Maren Morris has a fresh start in more ways than one going into Sunday's 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards.
Morris recently updated her look. The "My Church" singer recently chopped several inches off of her hair, opting for a textured chin-length style that is far more comfortable than the heavy extensions she wore during her Grammy performance with Alicia Keys.
"There's not a whole lot of girls that do it and rock it," Morris said of her short haircut. "I just felt like I'm not attached to my hair. It doesn't make me feel more like a woman. I just wanted to change it up. I feel so myself, too. I feel sassy."
Professionally, Morris has two new songs on country radio – her ballad "I Could Use a Love Song" from her debut album "Hero" and her duet with Thomas Rhett called "Craving You" that is the lead single from Rhett's highly anticipated third album.
Morris said she's already added "I Could Use a Love Song" to her set and that it's one of the songs that people "really react to."
"I'm not quite used to being so vulnerable with my audience so this is a really different facet of my personality and being a woman," she said. "I feel like people are going to see a different side of me and my music."
During rehearsal, Morris strummed through the chords on her large, white acoustic guitar and tweaked sound levels to get the monitor mix just right. Next she joined Rhett to sing through "Craving You," which was just released Friday. Morris describes the song as a "push and pull of leaving someone the day after and always thinking about them … having an addiction to a person."
"I think T.R. and I share this boundary-pushing mentality with our music," she said. "He's got this really soulful pop edge, and I feel like I do, too, in a different way. It was really natural that we came together to do this song."
Morris will be presented with her trophy for New Female Vocalist of the Year – an award that was announced in March – following her performance. Other new artist of the year winners include Jon Pardi who won New Male Vocalist of the Year and Brothers Osborne who won New Duo or Group of the Year.
The 42nd ACM Awards will air live from Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena 7 p.m. Sunday on CBS.
Reach Cindy Watts at 615-664-2227, ciwatts@tennessean.com or on Twitter @CindyNWatts.
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