Brett Eldredge and Kelly Clarkson recently made musical magic with the release of their holiday duet "Under the Mistletoe." But although the two artists sound perfectly in sync in the studio recording of the song, they'd actually never met in person before signing on to sing it together -- a first for both duet partners.

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While they may not have met "Under the Mistletoe," Eldredge and Clarkson recently finally did meet in person during an episode of Clarkson's The Kelly Clarkson Show. There, they traded notes on how strange it was to cut a song together despite never having gotten the chance to get to know each other in real life.

"I've never done it like this," Eldredge confessed, clarifying that although he had once recorded a duet with Meghan Trainor from separate locations, he'd never done so without at least meeting his partner at some point prior to recording.

"But you had at least met!" Clarkson interjects. "I don't know if I've ever not met the person."

However, the two singers quickly established that they'd long been mutual fans. "When I heard your voice, I was like, 'Ahhh,'" Eldredge goes on to say, as a compliment to Clarkson. She adds, "Oh, man, same."

Eldredge and Clarkson got a chance to do more than meet during that episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show: They also gave their first-ever live performance of "Under the Mistletoe" from the show's stage, backed by Clarkson's house band, Y'all. With Clarkson in a glittering, floor-length black-and-gold-trimmed gown and Eldredge wearing a festive burgundy blazer, the pair were decked out in their Christmas best as they performed, offering pitch-perfect harmonies that proved that the studio magic of "Under the Mistletoe" might have taken place long-distance, but it was no fluke.

During Eldredge's appearance on Clarkson's couch, he also discussed his 2020 album, Sunday Drive, and shared some of his favorite musical Christmas memories.

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