After snagging her first Grammy Award last February, Lainey Wilson wasn’t content to rest on her laurels. Six months later, the Louisiana-born artist, 32, dropped her fourth studio album, Whirlwind. The follow-up to 2022’s Bell Bottom Country saw Wilson “stepping into a confidence I lacked on the first or second record.” That confidence earned Whirlwind a nod for Best Country Album, opening up the possibility of a repeat for the “Hang Tight Honey” singer. Wilson performed one of the album’s standout tracks during Sunday’s (Feb. 2) 67th annual GRAMMY Awards.
Lainey Wilson Lights Up the Stage
Taking the stage at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Lainey Wilson again showed the world why she is a country music mainstay. The “Watermelon Moonshine” singer paid tribute to the late Quincy Jones with a performance of “Let the Good Times Roll.”
Consequently, Wilson co-wrote all 14 tracks on Whirlwind, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. However, the incredible success of its predecessor, Bell Bottom Country, came with a price. Thanks to a packed touring schedule, the seven-time CMA Award winner had to be very intentional about the songs she created for Whirlwind.
“I like to be able to pick from 200 [songs] to have my 12. That didn’t happen this year,” she told Billboard. “So I had to really focus on quality over quantity, which we did.”
Women Ran the Show in 2024
Lainey Wilson returns to the Grammy Awards this year to defend her Best Country Album trophy. Indeed, the “4x4xU” singer is in good company, as three of the five spots went to women country artists.
For a repeat, Wilson must defeat Kacey Musgraves and Beyoncé. Musgrave is seeking her third Country Album of the Year trophy with the minimalist masterpiece Deeper Well. Previously, the “Cardinal” singer won in 2014 for Same Trailer Different Park, and again in 2019 for the dance-inspired Golden Hour.
Likewise, Beyoncé scored her first country music nomination for Cowboy Carter. With the most-nominated album of the night, the “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” singer is up for 11 awards this year.
