In 1999, Texas trio The Chicks released the definitive version of “Goodbye Earl.” The cheerfully macabre track tells the story of two childhood friends seeking the ultimate revenge on an abusive husband. Although not without controversy, “Goodbye Earl” sparked difficult but necessary conversations about domestic violence. Also, it’s just fun to hear Natalie Maines unapologetically belt, And they don’t lose any sleep at night / ‘Cause Earl had to die. Twenty-five years later, Lainey Wilson is giving a cheeky nod to The Chicks’ smash hit in a song from her forthcoming album.
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Lainey Wilson Previews New Song
Lainey Wilson is certainly a force of nature in country music. Therefore, Whirlwind seems an apt title for her upcoming fifth studio album. The hotly anticipated follow-up to 2022’s GRAMMY-winning Bell Bottom Country drops this Friday (Aug. 23.)
[RELATED: Behind the Meaning of Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert’s Duet, “Good Horses”]
The Entertainer of the Year, 32, has been whetting fans’ appetites by releasing tantalizing snippets of Whirlwind tracks to social media. On Tuesday (Aug. 20) the “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” singer previewed a fiery new breakup anthem titled “Ring Finger.”
With her trademark sass, Wilson shouts out “all the girls who had the balls to walk away from Earl.” The lyrics only get more colorful from there: Bigger nuts than a redneck squirrel / Let me hear it if you know what I mean, sings the Louisiana native wryly.
Wilson flashed her own jewelry as she sang the next line: You lost your man but you took the bling bling. The tempo then speeds up for what is presumably the first line of the chorus: I got the ring / He got the finger.
“New Theme Song:” Fans Respond To Latest ‘Whirlwind’ Track
If the “Country’s Cool Again” hitmaker was trying to ramp up excitement for her new record—well, mission accomplished. “IMA BE JAMMIN THIS ONE,” commented country star Bailey Zimmerman.
“Okayyy, new theme song,” another fan responded. “Thank you for your service, ma’am.”
Lainey Wilson reflected on her winding road to country music stardom in a recent interview with the Associated Press.
“I should have had moments where I should have packed it up and went home. I should have went back to Louisiana. But I never had those feelings,” she said. “I think there’s something really beautiful about being naive. And, since I was a little girl, I’ve always had stars in my eyes.”
Featured image by AFF-USA/Shutterstock
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