Pearce first gained major recognition in 2017 when her self-penned "Every Little Thing" found an audience on satellite radio.

[3] Pearce developed interest in country music from her grandparents, who regularly played it at home during her childhood.

[4] In a home video saved by her family, Pearce declared that one day she would perform on the Grand Ole Opry.

[5] At age 16, Pearce auditioned for the "Country Crossroads" show, a program part of the Dollywood theme park.

After being offered the job, she convinced her parents to move to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (the location of Dollywood), and to let her drop out of high school.

In a 2017 interview with Nash Country Daily, Pearce commented, "Of course there were moments that I wanted to quit music.

[10] While working part-time jobs, Pearce began networking with other performers and executives in the country music industry.

Around this time, she met Pete Fisher, who was the vice president and general manager of the Grand Ole Opry.

From their professional relationship, Fisher informed record producer Busbee about her musical abilities and interests.

[11] In 2016, Pearce was featured on the track "Wasn't That Drunk" by the country group Josh Abbott Band.

In an interview with Forbes, she recalled being told by several industry professionals to move home or pursue other interests.

Released independently, it was picked up for radio airplay on Sirius XM's The Highway channel, where it received widespread recognition.

[14] "Every Little Thing" sold over 500,000 copies in the United States, receiving a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the release four of five stars calling "polished professionalism", but also contrasting it to the bluegrass musical style of earlier career work.

In his concluding statement Erlewine commented, "her showbiz and country roots are inextricably entangled, a singer with a feel for the past but an eye for the present.

"[17] Jewly Hight of NPR also praised the album, drawing similarities between her vocals and that of artists such as Alison Krauss and Trisha Yearwood.

[24] After taking time to marry singer Michael Ray,[25] her self-titled second studio album was issued in February 2020.

[27] Jason Scott of American Songwriter gave it three of five stars and called the album an example that "illustrates an artist learning, growing, and embracing the good, the bad, and ugly.

These events included her divorce from singer, Michael Ray, and the death of her long-time producer, Busbee.

[33] In June 2021, Pearce was invited by Dolly Parton to become a cast member of the Grand Ole Opry.

[38] The disc received positive reviews from critics, including AllMusic, which praised her "vulnerability"[39] and Variety which highlighted its traditional musical sound.

[49] Its lead single "We Don't Fight Anymore" (featuring harmony vocals from Chris Stapleton),[50] reached the US country top ten in 2024.

When reviewing her 2017 studio album, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted that it "still bears all the hallmarks of contemporary country production.

She has credited "late 1990s" female artists as major influences, notably Shania Twain and Trisha Yearwood.

[53] Pearce was also inspired by the career decisions of female country artists, including Faith Hill.

I love country music so much, and I wanted to do a little bit of that retro, cowhide, kind of throwback to the '90s ... but, like, a new spin on it.