As her career continues to reach new heights, Lainey Wilson is gearing up to enter the next chapter of her career, following the extraordinary amounts of success she earned with her fifth studio album, Whirlwind. She is ready to show fans another side of her artistry with her forthcoming new music.
Ahead of celebrating her ninth No. 1 hit at Country Radio during an industry-only party, the 33-year-old country superstar sat down for a press conference on Tuesday (Jan. 13) at the BMI offices in the heart of Music Row, where she opened up about new music, her plans for 2026, and reflected on her whirlwind success in 2025.
“We are already cooking some stuff up,” Wilson told Music Mayhem and other media outlets while seated beside her “Somewhere Over Laredo” co-writers Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, and Andy Albert, teasing her next chapter following the release of the deluxe edition of her 2024 project, Whirlwind.
She continued, “To tell you the truth, we were already in the kitchen, cooking it up before Whirlwind was even out, which was a year and a half ago now. I feel like we’re always writing, because I don’t feel like I’m myself if I’m not creating and writing. I feel like that’s what gets me through all the busyness, and all the other parts of the job that exist.”
Lainey Wilson shared that her next era of music will reveal a new side of her artistry to fans. “And so, I think people are really going to love what we’ve been working on. Of course, I’m partial,” Wilson added. “I think it definitely is going to show another side of my artistry. Always staying true to myself, but the more life I live, the more experience I have, where I realize I’ve got more to say and share, and it’s got to be good.”
The Baskin, Louisiana, native gave fans a taste of her forthcoming music during a performance at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum earlier that day. Wilson, along with Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson of the self-proclaimed songwriting trio The Heart Wranglers, performed an unreleased song they wrote together, titled “People Need Jesus.”
“Preacher got caught with a trifling woman/ And wouldn’t his sweet, little wife/ Tear into town and probably hold a camera/ Just for a Facebook fight/ An ‘ol boy named Paul he was running from the law/ Yelled, ‘Hey y’all, watch this’/ When the sun went down, mobile took a swim/ Right where the alligator sits,” Wilson sang on the track’s chorus, which was inspired by small-town gossip spreading.
Wilson then went on to the chorus, “People need Jesus/ People need Jesus/ People need Jesus/ Ain’t that the gospel truth?/ People need Jesus/ People need Jesus/ And I need Jesus as much as they all do.”
She then took a moment to reflect on the past year, which saw Wilson win CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year for the second consecutive time, sell out her Whirlwind Arena Tour, make history as the third solo female host of the CMA Awards, following Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, perform on major televised shows, and so much more.
“It’s crazy because I feel like all these goals we wrote down every single year we try to write our goals down, and it feels like every single year we knock those off the list plus some more. And then honestly, it seemed like it just gets more and more fun because we really get the chance to be creative and start thinking like, okay, never in a million years did I think I’d get to do this, but let’s put it on the list and see what happens,” Wilson added. “And then, man, I feel so blessed. It seems like it just gets better and better and sweeter and sweeter, and I mean, it’s a crazy ride. We’ve talked about that a lot, about it being the whirlwind, but it’s true. But I feel like I’m also right where I’m supposed to be and feeling more creative than ever.”
And the chart-topping country hitmaker is not slowing down anytime soon. “Now, I feel like I’m in a stage in my career where I can slow it down a little bit. I can tap the brakes a little, but y’all know me. When I say tap the brakes, I mean, you know, just a little, and then we’re going to gas it back up,” Wilson explained.
In the meantime, Lainey Wilson is currently taking a brief holiday break and is in the midst of planning her and Devlin “Duck” Hodges wedding, writing and recording new music and getting ready to take on 2026.
“2026, it’s going to be an exciting year,” Wilson promised.
