Ed Sheeran has officially released his duet version of "Life Goes On" with country superstar Luke Combs following their performance at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards.

After the two sang the song -- inspired by the death of Sheeran's best friend Jamal Edwards -- during the May 11 awards show, the British singer told ACM Awards host Garth Brooks that he'd first heard Combs' music through a friend, and they ended up meeting in 2018.

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"We've just been friends for like five years now," Sheeran said. "It's been great."

PHOTO: Ed Sheeran and Luke Combs perform onstage during the 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star, on May 11, 2023, in Frisco, Texas.
Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Ed Sheeran and Luke Combs perform onstage during the 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star, on May 11, 2023, in Frisco, Texas.

The version that's been officially released is a studio recording of the duet. The original appears on Sheeran's new album, "-," pronounced "Subtract."

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Ahead of the ACM Awards, Sheeran told Billboard he would love to "transition to country," praising the genre's focus on great songwriting.

Meanwhile, Combs is having his first pop success with his cover of Tracy Chapman's 1988 hit "Fast Car."