Country music singer  Brett Eldredge is the first to admit that he's a very private man – but after two years, he has finally addressed thoseKelly Clarkson dating rumors.

The Songs About You singer – who releases his seventh studio album of the same name on June 17 – was first linked to Kelly following their Christmas duet, Under The Mistletoe, in 2020, shortly after her divorce from Brandon Blackstock. Now, in an exclusive interview with  HELLO! US, Brett has opened up about his admiration for the Whole Lotta Woman hitmaker.

Admitting he has been a fan of Kelly's since her breakthrough on American Idol, Brett said of their duet: "Kelly reached out about doing Under The Mistletoe and I'm a huge fan of hers.

I remember seeing her in concert when she was on the American Idol tour after she had just won and  I was so in awe of the power of her voice and just the person she was."

He added: "I couldn't believe I got to sing with her. The fact that [she] reached out was so cool." Addressing the dating rumors that followed their duet, Brett said: " Yeah, those always come. It's crazy but it's just people I love to make music with."

He added: "I've been very fortunate to get to work with incredible women, and just powerful human beings and great people too, and to get to share the stage with them, it's a dream.

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Of course, Kelly isn't the only female Brett has enjoyed a successful collaboration with. Back in 2016, he duetted with Meghan Trainor on another Christmas track, Baby It's Cold Outside.

"I love powerful female vocalists that just move me," he said of working with both Kelly and Meghan. "Meghan I knew, she was a songwriter at one point in Nashville, and she and I were part of People magazine's 'One to Watch', and we had an event together so we met and became friends," he added.

"I loved her style - she loves that throwback kind of 50s sound, and she loves [Frank] Sinatra and we bonded over that - and so we did Baby It's Cold Outside and it became a big hit.

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Brett is currently on a UK tour and has two more dates playing Manchester O2 Ritz on Sunday, May 8, and London's O2 Forum, Kentish Town, on Tuesday, May 10. Tickets are available from Live Nation. His new single, Songs About You, is available now, and his new album, also titled Songs About You, is out June 17 and available to pre-order from Amazon.