“The Voice” Alum Grace West Joins Forces with Pam Tillis for Debut Single '90's Country Song' (Exclusive)

West first turned chairs on the reality show with Tillis' '90s track "Maybe It Was Memphis"

Grace West’s debut single is a full-circle moment, to say the least.

The Voice season 23 runner up first turned chairs (and earned a spot on Team Blake!) with a memorable cover of one of her “favorite songs of all time,” Pam Tillis’ 1991 track “Maybe It Was Memphis.”

So when it came time to find a collaborator for her first-ever single “90’s Country Song” — a nod to ‘90s country hits including Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” and The Chicks’ “Wide Open Spaces” — West and her team kept coming back to the same artist: Tillis.

The 20-year-old singer took a leap of faith and messaged the country veteran to join her on the track and, which PEOPLE is exclusively premiering. “It was a shot in the dark, but to my surprise, Pam not only read my message but responded!” West tells PEOPLE.

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“Waking up to that notification was unreal. Before I knew it, we were sharing ideas for the vocals back and forth!” West says, adding, “Reaching out to her was definitely nerve-wracking, but I'm so glad I took the chance."

Why did Tillis, now 66, agree to the collaboration? “First of all, I love supporting young artists,” she tells PEOPLE. “But I especially love supporting young female artists because it seems to be an uphill battle for them these days.”

“Plus,” Tillis adds, “I really love singing harmonies.”

Getting to know the singer behind the song that “opened so many doors” for West was, in her own words, “a surreal and unforgettable experience.”

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“Pam has been incredibly gracious and kind to me,” she tells PEOPLE. “She is such a genuine, incredible person I never thought I’d get the chance to meet, let alone work with! I have been a fan and have looked up to her for such a long time [and] getting the opportunity to make music with her is something I couldn’t have dreamed of.”

The Voice alum also says that being in the studio as the ‘90s country singer lended her voice to “90’s Country Song” was “an absolute treat.”

"Pam is truly a class act,” West tells PEOPLE. “She has this amazing ability to come up with ideas on the fly, and her professionalism and grace are incredibly inspiring. The whole thing was a once-in-a-lifetime learning moment, being able to see how someone with so much experience and success works and goes through the process of creating.”

For Tillis, working on the song — which was produced by Seth Mosley and co-written by Mosley, Jenn Schott and J. T. Harding — was also an enjoyable experience. “Everybody was great!” she tells PEOPLE.

“The producers were a pleasure to work with, and I loved the track," Tillis says, adding that 'it was a wonderful experience!”

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Though it recaps an entire decade of country music and marks an already full-circle moment for West, “90’s Country Song” is also just the beginning for the artist.

“I am so excited for the release of my first single and so grateful for all the opportunities I’ve been given,” she tells PEOPLE. “Being a part of the country music family is a dream come true, and I’m looking forward to continuing on this amazing journey.”

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