Gwen Stefani leaves fans divided after 'butchering' performance at CMT Awards

People have been left divided over Gwen Stefani's recent performance at the Country Music Television's 2023 Awards ceremony.

The 57th edition of the Country Music Television (CMT) Awards - held in Austin, Texas yesterday (Monday, 3 April) - featured a star-studded line-up of performances.

However, despite Gwen Stefani's pop-princess status and the continued popularity and playing of her songs - 'Rich Girl' and 'The Sweet Escape' staples on my 'Feel Good' playlist - her performance at the awards ceremony has received a mix response from viewers.

As well as performing alongside husband Blake Shelton, Stefani teamed up with Carly Pearce to sing 'Just a Girl' from album 'Tragic Kingdom' originally performed by rock band No Doubt.

However, the song surprised the awards' live audience and viewers at home as a result of Stefani and Pearce performing a genre-bending remix of it.

And sadly not all viewers vibed with it.

Flocking to CMT's Instagram clip of the performance, some viewers and creatures of habits weren't so keen on the rendition.

One said: "I absolutely love Gwen. This was a disgrace. It was butchered, and it did not belong on Country Music Television Awards."

"Wtf is going on here. Sorry, but this is terrible. She sounds like she's trying so hard to change her voice, I don't understand why," another wrote.

A third commented: "This would have NEVER happened if it weren't for the fact she is married to Blake."

A fourth echoed: "They're both beautiful and talented but this is not country. Just bc she married a country music artist? No, no, please no."

However, other die-hard Stefani fans were much more open to the remix and flooded to social media in support of the singer.

A user wrote: "Y'all need to get a life... Gwen is great and country will always be country but they're trying to make it fun... it's a show."

"Y'all are so bothered over anything! Gwen sounds exactly like she did 20 years ago!!! She is a legend. Not like Kacey Musgraves is the countriest thing either yet we eat that up and no one's bothered it's pop. Y'all always gotta whine about something."

A final resolved: "Don't understand any of you! They all go back and forth from pop to country or country to pop. BACK OFF! I loved it. They had other acts on there that wasn't country I don't see you going off on them! Why the hate on Gwen she's done nothing to anyone."