Chris Stapleton’s Fury Drives ‘Watch You Burn’ at 2022 ACM Awards

Chris Stapleton wowed the crowd with a powerhouse performance of "Watch You Burn" at the 2022 ACM Awards on Monday night (March 7).

The track, which Stapleton recorded for his 2020 album Starting Over, was written in the wake of the 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas.

Jason Aldean introduced the performance, talking briefly about a horrific shooting that he was on stage to witness. The singer and multi-time Entertainer of the Year only spoke for a few seconds before handing it off to Stapleton.

The theme of the song threatened to bring down the mood of a thus-far rowdy ACMs, but instead the country-rocker fired the crowd up. A 16-person choir joined Stapleton as he worked toward the final choruses. They lined the catwalk in front of him, and his wife, Morgane Stapleton joined. As the group finished, their angelic harmonies contrasted the hitmaker's furious guitar work. It was a mood.

This year, Stapleton was up for Entertainer of the Year, Male Artist of the Year, Single of the Year for "You Should Probably Leave," and Video of the Year for "I Bet You Think About Me," his collaboration with Taylor Swift. The country star already has nine ACM Awards to his name, including his 2021 Album of the Year win for his critically acclaimed record Starting Over.

The 2022 ACM Awards were held at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium and streamed live exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. This year's event marked the first time that the ceremony was aired over a streaming platform instead of a major broadcast network. Dolly Parton hosted the show with the 2021 New Male and Female Artists of the Year, Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett.

Remember: The best way to watch the 2022 ACMs is on Amazon Prime, with ToC on your phone!