Photo: Adrianna Hall for iHeartRadio
Lainey Wilson’s electrifying Whirlwind celebration kicked off with a performance of “Hang Tight Honey” on Monday evening (August 26) in Los Angeles, California.
The reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year took the stage days after releasing her highly-anticipated album. The iHeartCountry Album Release Party with Lainey Wilson included performances of the singer-songwriter’s newest songs — and a few highlights from previous albums — with brief Q&As hosted by iHeartRadio’s Wayne D.
“It’s been wild, and I’ll tell ya, we were trying to find a title for this record… It just seemed like the world ‘whirlwind’ was making its way into every conversation,” the former iHeartCountry On The Verge Artist said when asked about the title of her 14-track album. “I had to live it to write it.”
Wilson described Whirlwind as the “Western sister” of Bell Bottom Country, her Grammy-winning album that released in October 2022. The new record holds true to Wilson’s signature genre-blending style — including elements of 70s rock and soul — while remaining unmistakably country to its core. Whirlwind displays the Louisiana-born hitmaker’s increasingly sharp songwriting expertise, whether it’s an upbeat anthem or a softer ballad.
Wilson said she penned more love songs on Whirlwind amid her relationship with former quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges. She told Wayne D, “it feels nice to be able to share this side of me with everybody else,” and acknowledged that it “takes a special person,” to stick around in a romance with a touring artist (Wilson wrote about half of Whirlwind at home in Nashville, and the other half while she was on tour, she told Wayne D). Wilson delivered renditions of heartfelt songs during her intimate album release event, including “4x4xU” and “Whirlwind.” She also included a solo performance of “Good Horses,” the duet she wrote with Miranda Lambert.
1. Keep Up With Jones (Lainey Wilson, Josh Kear, Wyatt McCubbin)
2. Country’s Cool Again (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Aslan Freeman)
3. Good Horses (feat. Miranda Lambert) (Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick)
4. Broken Hearts Still Beat (Lainey Wilson, Dallas Wilson, Josh Thompson, Blake Pendergrass)
5. Whirlwind (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson)
6. Call A Cowboy (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson)
7. Hang Tight Honey (Lainey Wilson, Driver Williams, Jason Nix, Paul Sikes)
8. Bar In Baton Rouge (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Kasey Tyndall, Jason Nix)
9. Counting Chickens (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Josh Kear, Dallas Wilson, Jon Decious)
10. 4x4xU (Lainey Wilson, Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere)
11. Ring Finger (Lainey Wilson, Aaron Raitiere, Marti Dodson, Jon Decious)
12. Middle Of It (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson)
13. Devil Don’t Go There (Lainey Wilson, Abram Dean, Lance Miller, Joe Fox)
14. Whiskey Colored Crayon (Lainey Wilson, Josh Kear, Wyatt McCubbin)
“I’ve been trying to sit down for a while now and talk about what this record means to me but the truth is I feel like this record says it all. I’ve grown so much in the past few years and I have such a different view of love and life and loss,” Wilson said when she released Whirlwind on Friday (August 23). “The highs and lows of the whirlwind have taught me a lot about what’s important and how to never give up on trying to find your inner peace. I think you’ll hear what I mean when you listen. Hope it means something to you, too.” She added: “Ironically, I found my path within all the craziness—and that’s the whirlwind.”
The set list for Wilson’s iHeartCountry Album Release Party kicked off with “Hang Tight Honey,” and included “Heart Like A Truck,” “4x4xU,” “Watermelon Moonshine,” “Whirlwind,” “Good Horses,” “Middle Of It,” “Country’s Cool Again,” “Bar In Baton Rouge,” a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” “Ring Finger,” and “Wildflowers and Wild Horses,” (plus, a rendition of “Lucky Me,” the first song Wilson wrote when she was 9 years old). Wilson is in the midst of her ongoing “Country’s Cool Again” headlining tour. See the list of stops below.
An encore broadcast of the iHeartCountry Album Release Party with Lainey Wilson will kick off on Tuesday (August 27) at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Fans can tune in on iHeartRadio's iHeartCountry Radio station.
Photo: Adrianna Hall for iHeartRadio
Photo: Adrianna Hall for iHeartRadio
LAINEY WILSON CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
September 1—Los Angeles, CA—The Greek Theatre (SOLD OUT)
September 13—West Valley City, UT—Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)
September 14—Nampa, ID—Ford Idaho Center Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)
September 15—Missoula, MT—University of Montana – Adams Center (SOLD OUT)
September 19—Fresno, CA—Save Mart Center (SOLD OUT)
September 20—Stateline, NV—Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys (SOLD OUT)
September 21—Stateline, NV—Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys (SOLD OUT)
September 26—Vancouver, BC—Rogers Arena (SOLD OUT)
September 27—Auburn, WA—White River Amphitheatre
September 28—Ridgefield, WA—RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater (SOLD OUT)
October 4—Winnsboro, SC—Field & Stream Fest
October 5—Ocean City, MD—Country Calling Festival (SOLD OUT)
October 10—Lubbock, TX—United Supermarkets Arena
October 11—Durant, OK—Choctaw Casino (SOLD OUT)
October 18—Raleigh, NC—Red Hat Amphitheater (SOLD OUT)
October 19—Alpharetta, GA—Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (SOLD OUT)
October 20—Wilmington, NC—Live Oak Bank Pavilion (SOLD OUT)
October 24—London, ON—Budweiser Gardens (SOLD OUT)
October 25—Oshawa, ON—Tribute Communities Centre (SOLD OUT)
October 26—Pittsburgh, PA—Petersen Events Center (SOLD OUT)
November 1—Little Rock, AR—Simmons Bank Arena
November 2—Evansville, IN—Ford Center (SOLD OUT)
November 3—Charleson, WV—Charleston Coliseum (SOLD OUT)
November 7—Oklahoma City, OK—Paycom Center (SOLD OUT)
November 8—Ohama, NE—CHI Health Center (SOLD OUT)
November 9—Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford Premier Center (SOLD OUT)
November 15—Monroe, LA—Monroe Civic Center (SOLD OUT)
November 16—Monroe, LA—Monroe Civic Center (SOLD OUT)
December 14—Las Vegas, NV—MGM Grand Arena
May 30, 2025—Panama City Beach, FL—Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam
June 27, 2025—Cadott, WI—Country Fest
July 12, 2025—Cavendish, PEI—Cavendish Beach Music Festival