Derek Hough broke down the thought and care that went into choosing the song for him and his wife Hayley Erbert'S Dancing with the stars Perfomance.

“It's funny because when I tried to think of a song, I actually had trouble to be honest. Then I heard this rendition,” Hough, 39, exclusively said Us weekly on Tuesday, October 15, about the election Benson Booneis the track “Beautiful Things”. “It was a very stripped down version.”

Recalling his first reaction to the song, Hough added, “I thought, 'Wait, I feel like I'm hearing this song for the first time.' I've heard this song so many times – it's almost over the top. But it's a great song and then I heard that. I thought, 'Wait, I'm actually hearing the lyrics and the lyrics tell the story so beautifully.' Then I added strings, violins and cellos to give it a little more emotion.”

The music “really helped tell the story” as Hough and Erbert, 29, performed for the first time since her brain surgery.

Related: Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert's relationship timeline

Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert mesmerized audiences with their chemistry long before they met. Hough first came into contact with Erbert after she was cast as a dancer on his and his sister Julianne Hough's Move Live Tour in 2014. They were a couple in July 2015. The couple appeared together as part of Derek's Fall 2021 (…)

“It’s always special to be back in the ballroom, but especially tonight after such a crazy year,” Erbert noted. “Being here at the finale last year and everything happening the day after, it really feels like a full circle moment. It was just nice to feel the energy. And a lot of people have supported us throughout the journey, so I’m just always grateful.”

In a video played before her performance, Hough recalled how Erbert “had complete seizures and basically died” backstage on his Symphony of Dance tour in December 2023. She was taken to hospital where she underwent surgery.

“It was quite a crazy moment when I looked back at the package and looked at some of the footage we shared tonight. We have never really shared these photos or images before. So it was the beginning of telling the whole story,” Hough shared with us. “There is still so much to tell. But when I saw these pictures, I thought to myself, 'Oh wow, we're here in the ballroom about to do a dance performance.'”

He continued: “In those moments we didn’t think it would be possible. So fast forward to the present here, and it was just incredible. The journey it took to get to this point is incredible. The struggles, the highs, the lows and seeing her go through it with such grace was remarkable.”

After their emotional dance, the couple reflected on how the health crisis has changed “so many things” in their relationship.

“I would say one of the biggest things throughout the entire recovery process was just being grateful for everything in our lives. Even in such a difficult time, you can be grateful for so many beautiful things we have. And we really focused on that,” Erbert explained. “All of this has made us stronger as a couple. It was so nice to see him in a caring role and he was truly the reason I got through it all. He was my rock the entire time. I'm grateful and it made me love him even more. It made me appreciate him even more and I’m just grateful for him.”

Meanwhile, Hough revealed his new outlook on life, adding: “Don't wait for things (that's something I've leaned into doing). It was her 30th birthday recently and she always wanted to go somewhere. We are in the process of creating a brand new tour and we are in the middle of one DWTS Season. You couldn't choose a worse time to try to take her on a trip and surprise her. … (But) we're going away (for) four days to celebrate her 30th birthday and celebrate life because we're really not promised tomorrow. That was a big moment for me because I always thought, “Oh, we'll do that another time.” It's like, 'No, if we're going to do that, we're going to do it now because you just never know.' “

Dancing with the stars airs simultaneously on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Episodes are available to stream the next day on Hulu and Disney+.

With reporting by Carly Konsker