Lainey Wilson is on top of the world. The Baskin, Louisiana native just celebrated the release of her fifth studio album Whirlwind, the follow-up to 2022’s GRAMMY-winning Bell Bottom Country. Since her 2020 breakout hit “Things A Man Oughta Know,” Wilson, 32 has become Nashville’s latest “It Girl.” But what gives the “Country’s Cool Again” star staying power is her penchant for collaboration over competition. Wilson has been very intentional about cultivating a “sisterhood” among her fellow ladies in country music. Recently, the Entertainer of the Year opened up about the fellow country star who has become like a “big sister.”
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The Advice Lainey Wilson Learned From Miranda Lambert
The word “trailblazer” can seem trite, but there is truly no better way to describe Miranda Lambert. The “Gunpowder and Lead” firebrand exploded onto the Nashville scene with 2005’s Kerosene. Nearly 20 years later, Lambert arguably ranks among the best country artists of all time—regardless of gender. Now, the 40-year-old hitmaker has taken fellow Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson under her wing.
“She’s kinda just become my country music big sister,” Wilson said during a recent appearance on Taste of Country’s podcast. “She tells me what to do and what not to do. She checks on me, cares for me, she’s like, ‘Where you at? How’s your head? How’s your heart?’”
The “Hang Tight Honey” singer then shared an invaluable bit of wisdom that Lambert passed along to her. “She definitely tells me that you gotta take care of the racehorse, meaning yourself,” Wilson said. “If it’s not fed and watered and taken care of, the rest of the team loses. So I gotta be able to show up my best self and be rested, feel good, be mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally okay.”
[RELATED: Behind the Meaning of Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert’s Duet, “Good Horses”]
Bright Days Ahead for Wilson
Lainey Wilson’s road to country stardom was a bumpy one. Thirteen years ago, she left behind her tiny Louisiana hometown (population 200) to shoot her shot in Nashville. The “Watermelon Moonshine” singer endured harsh winter conditions while living in a camper trailer in her mentor’s studio parking lot.
“There were a lot of dark days for me,” Wilson told Good Morning America in 2022. “I was very lonely. I didn’t know hardly anybody in town.”
She continued, “It has been hard, but this is my only option.”
Featured image by Tammie Arroyo/Shutterstock
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