Lainey Wilson has a Top 20 hit with “Hang Tight Honey,” the debut single from her forthcoming Whirlwind album. The song, written by Wilson along with Jason Nix, Driver Williams and Paul Sikes, is an ode to those in her life who stick with her, in spite of her incredibly busy career.
“‘Hang Tight Honey’ is about working hard and coming home to the ones that you love,” Wilson explains to iHeartCountry. “When you’re not just working for yourself, it makes working hard a lot easier.”
It was her other songwriters who had the idea for “Hang Tight Honey,” hoping that Wilson would love it as much as they did. Fortunately, their instincts were correct.
“Jason Nix sent me what he, Driver Williams and Paul Sikes started together, to see if it was something that I was interested in finishing, and it was an immediate ‘Heck yeah,’ from me,” Wilson remembers. “They had started it with me and my story in mind, and I felt like it was coming from an interesting angle that I haven’t heard in a while, or really at all.
“‘Hang tight’ is something that my folks have always said to me growing up,” she adds. “So whether that meant hang tight while sitting on the back of a truck, or hang tight on the back of a horse, those words, they made me feel at home.”
The opening line in the song perfectly sums up Wilson’s life, who is finally getting her moment after years and years of patience and hard work.
“‘I got a bus before I got a house / ’cause that’s what dreams make you do,’ has got to be my favorite line in ‘Hang Tight Honey,'” Wilson shares. “It’s the first line in the song, and the truth is, dreams will make you do some crazy stuff.”
Wilson was likely thinking of her boyfriend, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, whom she began dating in 2021, when she penned “Hang Tight Honey,” since she has publicly praised the former professional football player for his support during her soaring career.
“He knew getting into this, this is what I’ve been doing my whole life, this is what I’m gonna do, and so he knew what he was getting himself into,” the 32-year-old recently shared on Audacy’s Rob + Holly. “He is a supportive cheerleader and he’s got his own things going too, and I support him and I cheer him on. He high-fives me in the door and on the way out.”
Wilson invited Hodges and her family members to join her on stage when she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, praising them all for their support of her since the very beginning.
“They worked so hard for me to have opportunities. I want them to stand in the circle with me too,” Wilson said through tears. “Nine years old, I was sitting right back there, and I’ll be honest, as a little girl, I didn’t dream about my wedding day. I didn’t dream about what song I’d play at my wedding. I dreamed about this right here. I dreamed about what song would I play in this circle, if I got the opportunity. ”
Whirlwind will be out on August 23. Wilson is currently headlining her own Country’s Cool Again Tour. Find “Hang Tight Honey” and all of Wilson’s music and upcoming shows at LaineyWilson.com.
Read ‘Lainey Wilson: 11 Things to Know About Her Extraordinary Life and Career’ here.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the CMA