Chase Matthew surprised the audience with Waka Flocka Flame during the final night of the Country Music Association’s CMA Fest on Sunday (June 7).

The country star performed on the free Riverfront Stage in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, and joined forces with Waka Flocka during his set. The pair will deliver a genre-blending collaboration at the end of this month. Matthew, 28, has been teasing “Hard Liquor” on his social media accounts, dropping hints at his collab parter before he revealed Waka Flocka joined him on the song. Matthew hinted that “it’s a rap artist,” and “NODODY in country has a song with this guy,” until now. He confirmed in time for CMA Fest that “Hard Liquor” with Waka Flocka Flame, 40, will arrive on June 26.

CMA Fest kicked off on Thursday (June 4) and ran through Sunday. The longest-running country festival in the world features hundreds of artists on several free stages set up throughout downtown Nashville, plus nightly shows on the mains stage at Nissan Stadium. Artists on the main stage this year included Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, Deana Carter, Ella Langley, Gretchen Wilson, HARDY, Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, The Red Clay Strays, Riley Green, Russell Dickerson, Shaboozey, Tim McGraw, Tucker Wetmore and Zach Top, and more. Riley Green and Lara Spencer will host the televised special, which will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on Thursday, June 25. The show will be available to stream the following day on Hulu.

CK & Carmen