“I Hope You're Happy Now” — and yes, Carly Pearce is, as she turns 31

It’s a weekend to celebrate for Carly Pearce, as the “I Hope You’re Happy Now” hitmaker turns 31 on Saturday.

Though she’s on a high from winning two Academy of Country Music awards for Single and Music Event of the Year, the Kentucky native admits she’s not quite where she thought she’d be.  

“It’s funny. I think I thought I would be married at 22, that I would have like three kids, and thought I would be Reba,” she laughs. “That did not happen. But I would say I’m really happy with where I’m at at 30.”

“Obviously, there are things that I want career-wise that I have not attained yet,” she reflects, “but I do feel really settled and confident and okay with where I’m at.”

That’s quite an impressive accomplishment, considering it was only last June that Carly revealed that she and fellow country star Michael Ray were divorcing, then subsequently released her 29 collection chronicling her year of heartbreak.

It’s understandable Carly wants a do-over — and she’s ready to retroactively kick off her thirties with a bang.

“So much has happened in the last year,” she says candidly. “And just to think about everything that’s changed in a year, I certainly was not very happy last year when I turned 30. And so in a lot of ways, I feel like I’m starting my thirties this year.”

“It feels like a new beginning for me in so many ways,” she continues. “And so I’ll be with my closest friends and we’ll just celebrate what’s been a really amazing year. Through a lot of hard things, I’ve gotten to a really awesome place.”

Just days ago, Carly revealed she’s working on expanding 29, as its debut single, “Next Girl,” continues its climb in country’s top 25. 

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