Lainey Wilson Premieres “New Friends” During ‘Yellowstone’ Episode

Lainey Wilson is fully immersed in the world of Yellowstone, so much so that she continues to share new songs throughout the show.

During the fourth episode of season five, which aired on Paramount+ on Sunday night (Nov. 27), viewers could hear her original song, “New Friends.” “Who tuned in for @yellowstone episode 4?? Surprise! I had another new song hiding in tonight’s episode when Jamie and Sarah were flirting at the bar,” Wilson expresses on Instagram.

In last week’s episode, Wilson performed another new track, “Smell Like Smoke.” Both tunes are now incorporated into her previously released sophomore album, Bell Bottom Country, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart in October. The album also features her current single, “Heart Like a Truck,” which is top 15 and rising on the country charts.

Wilson made her acting debut in the season five premiere of Yellowstone playing the character of Abby, a local country music singer who becomes friends with Ryan, a ranch hand at Yellowstone Ranch. Series co-creator Taylor Sheridan wrote the character for her, and she will be a recurring guest star throughout the season.

The “Things a Man Oughta Know” singer got the gig after meeting Sheridan when he invited her to perform at a horse riding competition in Las Vegas. “He said, ‘I want to create a character specifically for you. I want you to wear your bell bottoms, I want you to sing your own songs. I pretty much want you to be yourself,’” Wilson told ET Canada about the acting opportunity.

The hitmaker will launch 2023 with her first headlining tour, the Country With a Flare Tour, which begins on January 4 in Spokane, Washington, and continues through March 31, where it wraps in Columbus, Ohio. She’ll also join Luke Combs’ World Tour as an opening act for all North American dates, beginning on March 25.

Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen; Courtesy BBR