Lainey Wilson, who graces the cover of this year’s Billboard Country Power Players issue, has solidified her status as a top-tier performer, singer, songwriter and all-around entertainer.
She’s the reigning entertainer of the year at both the CMA Awards and the ACM Awards; in the process of winning the ACM’s entertainer of the year accolade, Wilson also won the ACM’s coveted triple crown for her career –she’s previously won the new female artist of the year honor in 2022, followed by female artist of the year last year (repeating her win in the category this year).
Over the past few years, Wilson has earned four No. 1 Country Airplay hits, including “Things a Man Oughta Know” and the three-week No. 1 “Watermelon Moonshine.”
In addition to her solo efforts, Wilson has become a coveted collaborator, who has released duets with artists including Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Keith Urban, Terri Clark, Lauren Alaina, Charlie Worsham and CCM-country artist Anne Wilson. Her collaboration with Jelly Roll, “Save Me,” not only spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart, but earned a Grammy nomination for best country duo/group performance.
Wilson has steadily piled up the career wins. She’s had a recurring role on Yellowstone, picked up the Grammy for best country album (for her project Bell Bottom Country) in February, and is slated to launch her headlining Country’s Cool Again tour on May 31 in Nashville — the same day her new Nashville establishment, Bell Bottoms Up Bar, opens. She was also just invited by none other than Country Music Hall of Famer Reba McEntire to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry (she’ll be inducted June 7).
Here, we look at 10 of Wilson’s top collaborations.
-
“Never Say Never” (With Cole Swindell)
Wilson and Swindell earned a two-week Country Airplay No. 1 hit in 2022 with this song which depicts the push-and-pull of a stormy relationship wherein two lovers recognize they aren’t the best for each other, but they can’t quite let go of their relational chemistry, either. Swindell wrote the song with Jessi Alexander and Chase McGill.
He previously told Billboard of asking Wilson to be on the song, “She happened to be on vacation somewhere and she was sipping on a piña colada. That was the longest three-and-a-half minutes of my life, waiting on her to respond. She’s such a great songwriter herself, I knew she was going to be a tough critic. But immediately she texted me back. She’s like, ‘This is so huge. I’m in.’”
-
“Praying Woman” (With Anne Wilson)
Lainey Wilson and CCM-country artist Anne Wilson (no relation) teamed up for this powerful ode to praying mothers, which is featured on Anne Wilson’s new album Rebel.
Anne Wilson previously told Billboard of the collaboration, “I loved working with her. I met Lainey on Instagram in 2020. Then we met [in person] last year, and we wrote the song the same day … We were talking about our moms, and we both remember our moms praying a lot when we were kids, getting on their knees and praying for things, and we got to write a song to honor our moms and talk about what it means to be a woman who prays and faith.”
-
“Pieces” (With Muscadine Bloodline)
Stellar collabs have been an essential piece of Wilson’s career since the beginning, judging from this collaboration with Muscadine Bloodline, from the duo’s 2020 EP Turn Back Time. Wilson is a co-writer on the song, and also offers up background vocals on this track, offering support to singer Charlie Muncaster’s lead vocal.
-
“Mama, He’s Crazy” (With Dolly Parton)
Wilson partnered with Dolly Parton to pay tribute to Country Music Hall of Fame duo The Judds, by collaborating on the duo’s 1984 classic “Mama, He’s Crazy,” written by Kenny O’Dell. The song was included on the 2023 album A Tribute to the Judds.
-
“Save Me” (With Jelly Roll)
This ballad blends dramatic soul-rock, a timeless redemption story of pain and confession, and the charismatic voices of Wilson and Jelly Roll. “Save Me” spent two weeks atop Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart last year, and earned a Grammy nomination for best country duo/group performance.
Wilson previously told Billboard of recording her portion of the song, “I did a few takes and after each one, Jelly stood up behind the glass, all hype, talking about how much he loved it and pumping me up before the next take. He has this way about him where he can encourage vulnerability and feeling just through his genuine excitement and the way he lifts you up.”
-
“Refugee” (With Wynonna Judd)
Wilson joined forces with Wynonna Judd to cover the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers classic “Refugee” as part of the upcoming Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty.
In a statement about the recording, Wilson said, “That was one of the coolest experiences of my life. My gosh, every time I tried to use that growl in my voice, I was trying to channel my inner Wynonna. Everybody wants an inner Wynonna.”
-
“More Than Friends” (With Lukas Nelson)
This Wilson/Lukas Nelson collab was the lead single from Nelson’s 2023 album Sticks and Stones.
“I thought from the beginning that the song could be a duet, a la ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,’” Nelson previously said. “And Lainey is the perfect voice. I mean, she just is so good and so talented. I was grateful that I got her because when I called her and asked her to do it, she was sitting in her dressing room at the CMA Awards. I got so lucky because later that night she won all these awards, and if I had called her the next day, she might have been too busy! We had been fans of each other, and it worked out perfectly. Lainey is one of my favorite new artists because she can do it all.”
-
“Wait in the Truck” (With HARDY)
This Wilson/HARDY collaboration was released as the lead single from HARDY’s album The Mockingbird & The Crow. This intense murder ballad touched on topics of abuse, revenge and freedom, and reached No. 2 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart. “Wait in the Truck” was certified twice platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song also won musical event and visual media of the year from the Academy of Country Music, as well as musical event of the year and video of the year by the Country Music Association.
-
“Would If I Could” (With ERNEST)
This stone-cold country collaboration was three decades in the making. Featured on ERNEST’s new album Nashville, Tennessee, “Would If I Could” was written by Dean Dillon and Skip Ewing.
ERNEST previously told Billboard of their collaboration, “Ironically, I guess within the same few days, Lainey put that song on hold. She found it in the Sony catalog, and cut it for an Apple Music session. I texted Lainey and said I planned on cutting the song. She called me and was like, ‘I’ll just sing on your record. I’ll do that song with you.’ So it worked out so naturally and beautifully, and it wasn’t written as a duet, but it turns out it’s a great duet.”
-
“Handful of Dust” (With Charlie Worsham)
Wilson and triple-threat singer-songwriter-guitarist Charlie Worsham teamed up on this Tony Arata-written, poetic ballad, which was featured on Worsham’s 2023 album Compadres.
“True love makes priceless the worthless/ Whenever it’s added to these handfuls of dust,” they sing, musing about the life-changing power of love.
Related Images: