MacKenzie Porter Makes Her Solo TV Debut on The Kelly Clarkson Show

Canadian singer MacKenzie Porter made her solo TV debut this week, bringing Albertan country music to The Kelly Clarkson Show. (She previously duetted as a featured artist with Dustin Lynch on Good Morning America.)

The rising star performed the broken-hearted ballad "Pay Me Back In Change" in a lush gazebo setting, surrounded by plants and flowers, as well as a six-piece band. The performance shows off her pristine voice, as Porter urges a lover to make good on his debts. "I'm so damn broke on love / you better cough it up," Porter sings, accompanied by a tasteful countermelody on the violin.

The song comes from Porter's brand new sophomore record, Nobody's Born With a Broken Heart, her first full-length release on American country label Big Loud. Porter is the first woman this century to have six No. 1 songs on Canadian country radio, and in 2022 she had a major U.S. hit with Dustin Lynch duet Thinking 'Bout You," which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. This fall, she'll co-host the 2024 CCMAs in Edmonton alongside American star Thomas Rhett.

As country music continues to gain popularity in both Canada and the U.S., Porter could be a contender for crossover stardom.

Watch "Pay Me Back In Change" below.