Country with a Flare: Lainey Wilson

Lainey Wilson is exactly what Country music needs.

The current landscape of women in Country music is changing, and the next biggest and brightest stars are carving out their lanes. In the early 2000s, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood were really the only two female Country artists that were holding their own with the men and becoming absolute power houses. They would win every female award (and almost still do) in the genre and dominated as the two leading ladies in Country for about 15 years. Carrie Underwood and Miranda lambert, as said before, kept the female Country perspective alive when “bro-country” took over. Shout out to them for dominated and keeping the trail blazed for future females in the genre. These two women are still at the top of their game (I even think that they both put out the best two albums of their careers with their last two records), but I would say that in the past few years, more quality female artists have made it into the spotlight and have gotten the recognition they deserve.

I think that right now is a great time to be a female in Country. The 90s brought us some of the best women to ever exist in the genre, but between 2000 and 2015, women were struggling to get a chance (referring to the famous “tomato gate”, google it); however, we are now blessed with countless women like Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, Kelsea Ballerini, Lauren Alaina, and of course Lainey Wilson.

Each of these women have an immense amount of talent and bring a different perspective and vibe to the genre, which is awesome. This array of women shows how different “country” can look and how there is a place for each of them. I would also like to point out the number of females the Grand Ole Opry has inducted in the past few years…..they know what’s up. With all of this being said, I think that Lainey Wilson specifically is perfect for the genre and deserves an immense amount of credit for how hard she has worked to get to where she is.

She has been in Nashville trying to “make it” for around 12 years now, and it definitely was not easy for her. When she first moved to town, she was living in a camper trailer and writing songs trying to get her foot in the door. Since then, she has taken the world by storm, and has capitalized on every opportunity she has gotten. Its crazy to think it took so long for the industry/world to recognize the talent she could bring to Country music.

Her biggest attribute has to be the brand she has created. Lainey Wilson is not just a singer, a song writer, or a guitar player. She is a brand. She created “Bell Bottom Country” which is described as “country with a flare” and has ran with it (never being seen without her signature bell bottoms). Her brand also encompasses her genuine “tell it like it is” personality and thick Louisiana accent. Lainey Wilson’s music is fresh, new, honest, fun, and impactful. She is a phenomenal songwriter who is able to put a fun new twist on classic Country topics while also bringing a modern and fresh female perspective to the genre. She keeps her music “country” while also putting her own flare on her songs (just like her brand suggests). I would say she separates herself from other women in Country by never being a victim in her songs, telling stories that we all have experienced in a genuinely believable way, almost always having a positive outlook in her songs’ point of view, and by being someone who clearly loves to have fun but also knows how to work hard and remember what is important. I think she represents countless women who know who they are and are just trying to make it in this crazy world, and this is shown in her music. Basically, you listen to her music because its relatable, and it makes you feel good. She is the type of person we all want to be friends with.  

Every female in the genre has their own tone that they roll with their entire careers. This could be anything from being an absolute powerhouse vocalist, phenomenal storyteller, or the version of Taylor Swift if she never left Country (take a guess at who those all are). Lainey Wilson brings the truest and most genuine form of herself in all her music, and I think that is what Country music truly is at the end of the day. She speaks her mind and doesn’t take shit from anyone, but she does it all with such class, grace, and grit. Her songs remind you that its ok to be Country, and its ok to be yourself. Just do it with some grace and grit. If this all sounds familiar, I’d say its because it is. Dolly Parton definitely also did this, and as showcased by her song WWDD, Lainey Wilson seems to have taken inspiration from her.

In the end, Lainey Wilson is exactly the female in Country we need right now. She rounds out an impeccable group of females in the genre and is someone who can sing, write, and perform (which is not as common as one might think). She represents the genre well and reminds me that the future of Country is in good hands. So, please Lainey Wilson, never stop making Country music.

My favorite Lainey Wilson Songs:

• Heart Like a Truck

• WWDD

• Smell Like Smoke

• Hold My Halo

• Atta Girl

• Dirty Looks

• Rolling Stone

• Waste of Good Whiskey

• Middle Finger

I guess making a list was pointless if I was just going to list all of them….

Also, can anyone confirm that she’s dating Duck Hodges?

#country #countrymusic #nashville #laineywilson #heartlikeatruck #yellowstone