The country singer got ready for the CMA Awards with ET and previewed her role on season 5 of the series.
Country singer Lainey Wilson has a lot to celebrate! Nominated for six CMA Awards, only the fourth artist in the awards show's history to do so in her first year, Wilson is also gearing up for her anticipated acting debut on the No. 1 TV show, Yellowstone.
ET was with the 30-year-old singer as she got ready for the CMA Awards at Andrew Clancy's Any Old Iron in Nashville, Tennessee. Wilson will perform "Wait in the Truck" with three-time CMA Awards nominee Hardy.
"I'm such a huge Hardy fan. He's like a brother to me. And he sent me the song this summer. He said, 'This is the best song that I've ever written.' And I was like, 'That's hard to believe,' because in my opinion, everything that Hardy writes, it's just gold. But I listened to it and it took me right back to the '90s," Wilson shared. "That storytelling is a song about a pretty rough subject, but I think we're gonna be shining a little bit of light on it. And I'm so glad that we're getting to perform it live on TV for the very first time. I mean, it's gonna be a really special moment."
Wilson also celebrated the recent Oct. 28 release of her album, Bell Bottom Country. "We've been working on this thing for a long time... It's about leaning into whatever it is that makes you you and different and unique. It could be where you're from, how you were raised, the way that you look, the way that you talk, your story, whatever it is, it's just about being unapologetically yourself," she said.
The album, she said, is a culmination of what she's experienced and what she's learned in the last few years.
"I do feel like [I] kind of pulled back those layers. For this record, I feel like I just dug a little deeper," Wilson said. "The last few years, I've really done some soul-searching. And I have found myself and I'm still finding myself every single day. But I feel like I've just grown a whole lot as a person as a singer and a songwriter, too. But I have songs on the record, like 'Heart Like a Truck,' to show that triumph, to show that... Don't be ashamed of those scratches... and the bumps along the way because at the end of the day, that's what makes you you. And that's what gives you a story to tell the stories."
She noted that "it's really important to me to make sure that all the songs are personal" to what she's gone through.
"I feel like when I'm listening to other artists, when I feel like they are being very personal with their own stories, even though they might use specific names and specific towns, there's ways that I can put myself into the shoes of whatever that story is. So I hope people will be able to do the same thing," Wilson said. "But I think at the end of the day, fans can read through things that are not true to you. So it's important for me to share that part of me."
Wilson acknowledged landing her six CMA Awards nominations is "crazy" and the reality of the accomplishment still hasn't hit her yet.
"I used to stand outside of the Bridgestone Arena for hours, in this long line, like a mile long, waiting to get a wristband so I could be down in the pit at the CMAs and I'd go buy me a dress and act like I was cordially invited," she reflected. "I'm so honored to be recognized. I mean, not just once but six times, and I'm getting to perform. This is what we've been working for! I've been in Nashville for 11 years and the hard work is really just beginning. But we're here, we're ready."
Her father, she revealed, will be walking the CMA Awards carpet with her Wednesday -- making it a true family affair.
"This is a big moment for me and my family. He went through some medical issues this year and we thought we were gonna lose him. And he's been working really hard so he could get back up on his feet and do this with me. Because crazy thing is, this was actually his dream when he was a little boy," Wilson revealed, sharing that he'd "pretend he was Glenn Campbell for the cars passing by." "So he's been living a little bit vicariously through me and it's gonna be an exciting moment for me to be able to share that with him and my family. We've got tons of things to celebrate."
And she'll be taking her talents to the small screen as Wilson makes her acting debut on Paramount Network's Yellowstone. She'll play a country singer named Abby.
"I'm so excited to see it. Yellowstone, in my opinion, is one of the best shows out there and I'm so excited that I'm getting to join this season," Wilson teased. "You're gonna see me throughout the entire season. I'm going to be playing a musician, Abby. I'm pretty much gonna be myself! I'm getting to wear what I wear, I'm getting to sing my songs and be me."
"I'm so excited for this opportunity and dang right I'm gonna be tuning in. I know all my friends and family are too," she said. "We just got to figure out how we can all celebrate together."
The CMA Awards air Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Yellowstone premieres Nov. 13 on Paramount Network.
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