Lainey Wilson has already achieved a lot more than she once ever thought conceived for herself, but it’s thanks in large part to one of her musical heroes. The “Country’s Cool Again” singer credits Reba McEntire with showing her that anything is possible for those who are fearless, and willing to work hard.
“It seems like there are so many blessings that have all come at once,” Wilson admitted on Audacy’s Rob + Holly show. “I’ve been in Nashville for 13 years, but I feel like my dreams just keep adding on. I have dreams now that I didn’t even know that I had. Even when it comes to the acting stuff, I want to dabble in that a little bit more. There is so much that I want to do.
“When I think about the kind of career I want to have, I think of Reba, and she’s not scared to do all of it,” she continues. “At the end of the day, awards are nice and you love that recognition. I accept it, it’s a gift. but I can’t let that be the thing that drives me.”
It was McEntire who had the successful sitcom, Reba, and has an extensive list of acting credits, in both movies and TV, to her name. Wilson has appeared in Yellowstone, which she says she is open to doing in the future as well. But for now, her main focus is her music career, one she vows to work harder at than ever before, especially after winning the Entertainer of the Year trophy at the 2023 CMA Awards.
“It was huge that the people I look up to and respect voted for me,” Wilson shared with Everything Nash and other outlets at a recent media event. “It’s really cool to be recognized. And the truth is, I’ve been working on my relationships in this town for 13 years, ’cause I knew at the end of the day, I could be a decent singer, and be a decent songwriter. But if I was a good person, people would remember that more than they would remember my songs.
“And I think in situations like that, that has come in handy,” she continued. “I will say, now that we won, I’m not the type of person that’s like, ‘All right, we did it. That’s it. We’ve just won the biggest award you can possibly win.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, well, they crowned me Entertainer of the Year, so it’s about time that I show them that I am,’ for the ones who thought that I deserved it, and for the ones that didn’t. That’s just who I am, and part of my DNA too.”
The Louisiana native just added another trophy to her growing collection, which also includes aGrammy Award, a People’s Choice Award, and more. Wilson just took home the CMT Music Award for Female Video of the Year, for “Watermelon Moonshine” video, from her sophomore Bell Bottom Country album.
“‘Watermelon Moonshine’ is about that young, wild, crazy love, a time in your life when nothing else mattered,” Wilson explained. “It takes you back to that certain time, that place, that smell, that sound. That’s what country music is right there, and it’s just about telling a story. Thank y’all so much for letting me do that with this video.”
Wilson will spend part of the year headlining her own Country’s Cool Again Tour. She currently has a Top 10 hit with “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.” Find all of Wilson’s music and upcoming shows at LaineyWilson.com.