7 essential Brandi Carlile collaborations that fans still talk about

Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile, a lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan originally from near Seattle, will perform “America the Beautiful” before the Super Bowl this Sunday. She’s one of several artists—including Charlie Puth, Coco Jones, and Green Day—who will be performing before the game and leading up to the highly anticipated halftime show featuring Bad Bunny.

For the past two decades, Carlile has established herself as a highly respected singer-songwriter and sought-after producer in Americana, folk rock, and alt-country music. She’s won eleven Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards.

Collaboration has always been a key part of Brandi Carlile’s career. She’s worked with a wide range of popular artists, both performing alongside them and helping to create their music – including legends like Tanya Tucker and Willie Nelson, as well as contemporary stars like Hozier and Miley Cyrus. To celebrate her upcoming performance at the Super Bowl, here’s a list of seven of her most memorable collaborations, presented in chronological order.

Brandi Carlile – 7 sensational collaborations

“Angel From Montgomery” with Kacey Musrgaves (2017)

Carlile recently released a beautiful cover of John Prine’s classic song with Buddy Miller and The Lone Bellow, recorded at the Cayamo concerts in 2016. However, I personally prefer a different, unreleased recording of the song she did with Kacey Musgraves at the same concert a year later – it’s truly exceptional.

The natural connection between these two incredibly talented singers creates a touching moment when Kacey Musgraves momentarily forgets the lyrics. Brandi Carlile’s strong vocals in the third verse are particularly captivating. You can find several recordings of the performance on YouTube.

“Travelin’ Light” with Dierks Bentley (2018)

Carlile easily shifts between energetic country rock and traditional bluegrass sounds. While she’s happy to let Dierks Bentley take the lead, her vocals add a bright and lively energy whenever she sings along.

“If She Ever Leaves Me” with the Highwomen (2019)

In 2019, Brandi Carlile and Amanda Shires formed a group of talented female country singers called The Highwomen, inspired by the successful supergroup The Highwaymen from the 1980s. Their album is filled with strong songs from Carlile, Shires, and fellow members Maren Morris and Natalie Hemby, with additional contributions from artists Yola and Sheryl Crow.

Brandi Carlile sings the lead on this touching love song, co-written by Amanda Shires and her then-husband, Jason Isbell. The other artists provide backing vocals on the chorus, and Carlile playfully refers to it as the first country song about lesbian love.

“You’re Not Alone” with Allison Russell (2022)

This song was first released in 2019 on an album by the group Our Native Daughters, which included Rhiannon Giddens. In this version, Brandi Carlile joins Russell for a beautiful and encouraging duet. With the powerful accompaniment of Sista Strings, the song builds to a soaring and inspiring climax, sung in both English and French.

“Dear Insecurity” with Brandy Clark (2023)

Brandi Carlile both produced and performed on Clark’s 2023 album, a beautiful and moving song about overcoming self-doubt that feels like a classic American ballad. Clark is already a celebrated country songwriter, and in this collaboration, Carlile intentionally steps back to highlight Clark’s vocal performance. Their performance together earned them a Grammy Award.

“Carey” with Joni Mitchell (2023)

Brandi Carlile is a phenomenal performer, but her true talent lies in bringing artists together. Throughout her career, she’s excelled at fostering collaboration, and this was especially clear in her work with Joni Mitchell, one of her musical heroes, over the last few years.

Brandi Carlile started holding rehearsals with Joni Mitchell, and eventually encouraged her to perform again at the Newport Folk Festival. The resulting concert, released as Joni Mitchell at Newport in 2023, is both a wonderful performance and an important recording showcasing one of North America’s most talented songwriters. A highlight of the show is Carlile singing lead vocals on Mitchell’s classic song “Carey,” originally from the 1971 album Blue.

“The Rose of Laura Nyro” with Elton John (2025)

It’s a testament to Brandi Carlile’s talent that so many legendary musicians, like Joni Mitchell and Elton John, want to record with her. This song is the first release from an album Carlile and John worked on together last year.

They collaborated on both the lyrics and music. This impressive song starts with an extended instrumental introduction and is as good as John’s best songs from the early 1970s.

2026-02-06 14:00