Lainey Wilson, Beyoncé. Getty Images (2)
Lainey Wilson is welcoming Beyoncé to the country music world with open arms.
“I love it. The more the merrier,” Wilson, 31, told Extra in an interview published on Monday, February 19. “[Country music] is about that storytelling, it’s about making people feel at home. And everybody wants to feel at home.”
Beyoncé announced her shift in genres with a commercial that aired during Super Bowl LVIII earlier this month, revealing that her eighth studio album, Renaissance: Act II, will drop on March 29. She subsequently released two songs alongside news of the record, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” both of which had a distinctive twang. The record serves as a follow-up to Renaissance, which hit shelves in July 2022, and spawned a worldwide tour and feature concert film.
While the new sound had most people celebrating, some country music fans have criticized the genre shift — but that’s something Wilson pays no mind. “Everybody is going to have something to say about everything,” she explained. “I love Beyoncé.”
For Wilson, the country resurgence has only brought good things. Last month, the musician exclusively told Us Weekly that while the genre has “never not been cool,” there’s been an increased desire to feel “grounded” and “at home” since the 2020 pandemic, which country does well.
Wilson added that it’s the storytelling, in particular, that draws people in. “I think we’re getting back to a little bit more of that, just like it was in the ’90s,” she told Us. (Country saw a huge spike in popularity before Y2K, with acts like Faith Hill, Garth Brooks and The Chicks making names for themselves in mainstream pop culture.)
Wilson has been a vocal proponent of bringing country music center stage, and that message is clear in her own music. Her new single, “Country’s Cool Again,” hit streaming services on Friday, February 16, and serves as “an ode” to her “upbringing” and “journey” in the entertainment industry.
Lainey Wilson. Mark Von Holden/NBC
The new song shares its title with the singer’s upcoming Country’s Cool Again tour, which kicks off on Friday, May 31, in Nashville. The tour, which was announced in October 2023, consists of 35-plus performance dates and will feature Zach Top, Jackson Dean and Ian Munsick appearing as Wilson’s opening acts.
Wilson’s own star has been skyrocketing since the release of her album Bell Bottom Country, which hit shelves in 2022. Earlier this month, she won the award for Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance at the 66th annual Grammys. She also took home Entertainer of the Year at the 2023 CMAs, breaking a record by scoring a total of nine nominations, and has made guest appearances on season 5 of Yellowstone as Abby, performing a few of her songs.
Whether or not Wilson will play a role in the final installments of Yellowstone is not yet known, but she told Us that she has no plans to prioritize acting over music anytime soon.
“I will never not make songwriting my priority,” she said, “because the songwriting is what has given me all the rest of these opportunities.”