Singer Says Faith Upbringing Came with ‘Sex Shame’ and Judgement

Country star Carly Pearce is getting candid about something that rarely gets honest airtime in mainstream country music: the complicated mix of faith, identity, and judgment that can come with growing up in a deeply religious Southern culture.

In a recent interview, Pearce reflected on her upbringing in Kentucky and how it shaped both her spirituality and her sense of self — including what she describes as lingering “sex shame” and guilt tied to religious expectations.

“As a woman of faith, especially in the South, it comes with a lot of things from your childhood — around sex shame or the judgment and guilt that a lot of us feel,” she said.

Pearce’s comments tap into a broader cultural conversation that has been gaining traction in recent years, particularly among women raised in conservative religious environments. The tension she describes — between belief and personal freedom — is one many listeners will recognize.

Her song “Church Girl” leans directly into that conflict. It tells the story of a young woman who believes in God but feels judged for not fitting neatly into traditional expectations. Rather than rejecting faith outright, the song pushes back against the idea that spirituality must come with shame.

That nuance matters. Pearce isn’t abandoning religion — she’s interrogating how it’s often taught.

And she’s doing it in a genre that hasn’t always been welcoming to that kind of introspection.

Pearce has also been open about how those internalized beliefs showed up during one of the hardest periods of her life: her 2020 divorce from fellow country singer Michael Ray.

She’s spoken previously about feeling not just heartbreak, but embarrassment and spiritual guilt — questioning whether her failed marriage meant she had somehow let God down.

That kind of thinking, while deeply personal, reflects a wider pattern: the way some religious communities tie moral worth to life milestones like marriage, often leaving little room for complexity or failure.

Pearce now says she wishes she could go back and reassure her younger self:

“You’re OK… we’re all on a journey.”

If “Church Girl” is about confronting shame, her new duet with Riley Green — “If I Don’t Leave, I’m Gonna Stay” — explores another kind of emotional tension: the push-and-pull of a relationship you know isn’t right but can’t quite walk away from.

It’s a sultry, messy, very human theme — and one that stands in contrast to the rigid moral frameworks Pearce grew up with.

That contrast feels intentional.

Where earlier messages may have emphasized rules, Pearce’s newer work leans into empathy — for herself and for others navigating imperfect lives.

Pearce’s willingness to talk openly about topics like shame, divorce, and faith places her among a growing group of country artists nudging the genre forward.

Country music has long been intertwined with tradition — including religious tradition — but artists like Pearce are helping expand what those conversations can look like.

Not by rejecting faith outright, but by insisting it can coexist with honesty, doubt, and personal growth.

Despite her critiques, Pearce hasn’t turned her back on her roots. She still describes her faith as grounding and credits her Kentucky upbringing — and early years playing bluegrass — with shaping her love of music.

But the difference now is perspective.

Instead of accepting inherited beliefs without question, she’s reshaping them on her own terms — and inviting listeners to do the same.

In a cultural moment where many are reexamining the institutions they grew up in, Pearce’s message lands clearly:

You don’t have to choose between faith and authenticity — but you may have to rethink what you were taught they look like.