“It Just Felt Classic”: Lainey Wilson Opens up About Recording “I Would if I Could”

Over the last few years, Lainey Wilson’s presence in country music has grown a great deal. In 2021, she won New Female Artist of the Year and Song of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. Her winning streak continued in 2022 and 2023 with the singer taking home several awards like the Entertainer of the Year award at the Country Music Association Awards. While hoping to eventually add a Grammy to the mix, Wilson recently partnered with Apple Music to bring new life to songs often forgotten like “I Would If I Could.” 

Part of the Lost and Found program, Apple Music hopes to share forgotten music with listeners of a new generation. And what better way to do that than by getting some of the biggest artists in Nashville to help out? That is where Wilson comes in. Originally written in 1996 by Dean Dillon and Skip Ewing, Wilson shared her thoughts when she first listened to it. “It is classic. And it feels like a song that should already be a song. Two of the most incredible songwriters that have ever existed.”

Wilson Hopes To Shine A Light On Lost Songs

Although Wilson was just a toddler when the song was written, she explained how she “looked up” to the writers. “I look up to them a whole lot. And I wanted to record something that was done a long time ago, that still stood the test of time, is timeless; this melody.”

While Wilson takes her songwriting ability seriously, she saw an opportunity when it came to the Lost and Found program. “I’m a songwriter first and foremost, and I want to be known as a songwriter, and I want to shine light on songs that for some crazy reason, didn’t see the light of day. Let’s bring it to the light.”

[RELATED: Lainey Wilson Receives Patsy Montana Entertainer Award from the Cowgirl Hall of Fame]

Given the number of songs often forgotten with each passing year, Wilson searched through numerous song options from Apple Music. But in the end, she picked “I Would If I Could”, suggesting, “I just knew, I was like, this is it. It just felt classic.” Fans of Wilson can listen to her recording of the lost song now on Apple Music.  

(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)