Country stars Mitchell Tenpenny and wife Meghan Patrick share that one of their secrets to "keeping the spark alive" has involved a little healthy competition and a long-running rivalry, they revealed in an exclusive interview with Us Weekly.
Tenpenny, 35, is fresh off releasing his latest music video "Same Moon," a song that was inspired by the time he spent away from Patrick, 38.
"When I wrote the song title down, it was a year or so ago," Tenpenny told Us. "I was on the West Coast, she was on the East Coast somewhere, and as cliché as it sounds I was like, 'Look at the moon. It's like we're even closer than we are. And I wrote down that title and ended up writing that song."
"Could be a thousand miles apart / Yeah, but it feels like our hearts are in the same room," Tenpenny sings in the track, bearing his heart to his significant other. His wife stars in the music video, in which they act as lovers.
The pair have been together since 2017 and tied the knot in October 2022. When they first got together, Patrick said Tenpenny took her to play frisbee golf on their very first date. "He really won me over because I am someone who loves sports, the outdoors and being competitive. So we have that in common," she shared with Us.
However, their competitive nature goes beyond their love for sports. The couple joked about their difference in truck preferences -- Tenpenny opts for Ford while Patrick said she favors Chevy. "We have a big rivalry in the house," Tenpenny admitted.
"It is all friendly competition you got to have. It keeps the spark alive," Patrick added.
As musicians, Tenpenny admitted that juggling both their marriage and work can be quite the challenge, but they've managed to strike a balance over the years. When asked their secrets to a happy marriage, Patrick said it requires "a lot of communication and giving each other a lot of grace."
The couple have both been active in the country music scene since the 2010s, with Tenpenny making his solo debut in 2015 and Patrick releasing her debut album one year later. "We both understand the sacrifice that comes with the dreams that we're chasing, and that's a big part of the foundation of our relationship and why we work," Patrick told Us.
When it comes to spending time together, Tenpenny said the two often make time to enjoy things like date night dinners and running errands together. "The little chances you get, try to take advantage of it."