One year ago, I used this space to explain why Lainey Wilson won the ACM for Entertainer of the Year in 2024.
Not much has changed.
Maybe it’d be worth it to — again — detail the hard work she’s put into touring and recording exceptional albums (award-winning, in this case). Her accessibility and willingness to engage in meaningful conversations with all types of media are best-of-class.
Jelly Roll isn’t wrong when he says she’s going to end up a legend.
She’s a friend to every voter in ways some of the other nominees simply aren’t, and that goes a long way in securing votes. But there’s something bigger happening around her. Lainey Wilson embodies the American experience in subtle, but significant ways.
What the heck does that mean? It’s a fair question — I’ll do my best to explain why she’s a zeitgeist for this generation of country music adults by using a highway as a metaphor. Bear with me, because I think it’ll pay off.
Most of us live on a (metaphorical) city road filled with attention-seeking billboards. Everyone and everything is working overtime to grab our attention, and sometimes that’s a lot of fun. If you spend your last 20 minutes before bed scrolling TikTok or Instagram and call it “me time,” you embrace that pleasure with appropriate boundaries.
If you can’t stand X (formerly Twitter) during the workday because it’s nothing but drama, violence and controversy, you understand the frustration.
The ACMs have never published demographic info for people who actually cast votes, but if they did, I’d bet the largest segment would be people who worry that their kids won’t be able to navigate this distinction between good and bad social media. This is moms, dads and adults who don’t want to talk politics because they’ve got too much crap to do, not because they’re afraid.
More than any other artist, Wilson represents what’s at the very end of that busy highway. I’m talking about the final fun mile that spills into open road and beautiful country terrain. It’s the stretch between reality and where you want to be.
Just ahead are dreams that are out of reach today, but tomorrow?
She sings about love, loss and freedom with power, but not provocation. She’s pragmatic but hopeful. Every one of her singles is an exhale and an invitation to reset with cleaner air. I’ve never cried listening to a Lainey Wilson song, but I have found space to think when she’s finished, and sometimes that leads to unexpected emotion.
ACM Awards Reba, Miranda and Lainey Wilson
Miranda Lambert used to do this better than anyone, and Reba McEntire did it before her. These women are — like Wilson — conservative and rarely flashy. They are steady and strong and never need a publicist to tidy up something they said. The espouse family values without necessarily being familial.
It’s fitting that Wilson helped write “Trailblazer,” the song this trio performed at the ACMs, because she is continuing down a trail blazed by McEntire and Lambert.
Others blazed other trails, and perhaps those are good roads, too, but this group has always stood for the thoughtful fan who’s caught between today’s problems and tomorrow’s dreams, with maybe 20 minutes a day to chase impulses.
That wins in our current social-political climate. Sure, we want a little provocation late at night, but for the most part we just want someone who reminds of that good clean air waiting past the noise. Wilson is the leader of that in 2025.
PICTURES: Country Music’s Biggest Stars Shine on ACM Awards Red Carpet
The biggest stars in country music turned up to walk the red carpet at the 2025 ACM Awards, and they were looking good!
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker