90's country legend Chely Wright has revealed that she originally wanted to record ‘I Can Love You Better’ before The Chicks took it, but her label didn't think it would be a hit.

‘I Can Love You Better’ is now one of the staples of the country canon, with The Chicks releasing their version in 1997 as the lead single from their seminal Wide Open Spaces album. That project has been certified a staggering 13-times Platinum.

Penned by Pamela Brown Hayes and Kostas Lazarides, ‘I Can Love You Better’ follows a protagonist who is trying to convince their love interest to leave their current partner (“She's got you wrapped up in her satin and lace / Tied around her little finger / She's got you thinking, you can never escape / Don't you know your heart's in danger”).

In the comments section of a new post from Hoot Country - Holler's sibling page on Instagram - Wright has shared that she almost recorded ‘I Can Love You Better’ instead.

The post features up-and-comer Mae Estes doing a (very difficult) bracket of 90's hits from ‘Country Queens’, and one of the match-ups is - in a strange coincidence - The Chicks’ ‘I Can Love You Better’ vs Chely Wright's ‘Single White Female’. Estes struggles to choose due to loving both songs a great deal, but ultimately sides with ‘I Can Love You Better’. Spoiler alert: The Chicks’ 1997 hit goes all the way.

In the comments, Wright shares that she has a fun tale about the victorious song, “I have a cool story about @thechicks song, “I Can Love You Better.” I tried to record it before The Chicks did, but I couldn’t convince anyone at my label that it was a hit. I still have the demo of the demo Pam Hayes and Kostas gave me”.

Wright warmly adds that she supports Estes’ choice to crown ‘I Can Love You Better’ as the best of the bunch in this bracket, ‘So, all in all, I feel comfortable with your decision on this, @maeestes. Sincerely, a card-carrying @thechicks fan from the jump”.

Estes replies, “@chelywright CHELY MY QUEEN...can I plz hear this story over coffee”, with Wright sharing the fast-emerging ‘Mr. Fix It’ singer-songwriter's enthusiasm for a meet-up, commenting, “@maeestes, next time you’re in NYC, send up a flare”.

Wright remains one of the most highly respected and influential figures from the 90’s and 00’s country scene, with the ‘Shut Up and Drive’ hitmaker amassing an array of colossal hits and an ACM Award for Top New Female Vocalist in 1995.

Wright also became one of the first major country stars to come out as gay in 2010. She documented her experience in her popular memoir Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer that same year, and remains a key LGBTQ+ activist.

Particularly given how, as well as being two ‘90's trailblazers, The Chicks and Wright also share passion for speaking out against conservative-leaning factions of the country industry, we'd love to see a reimagined duet version of ‘I Can Love You Better’.