How Lainey Wilson Scored Her Biggest Year Yet: ‘She Keeps Reaching Higher Levels’

It’s a good time to be Lainey Wilson. In the span of a few weeks in November, the country troubadour nabbed two Grammy nominations, hosted the CMA Awards and won three trophies that night, including the coveted entertainer of the year award. And this week, she earned her fifth No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for her wistful, mid-tempo ballad, “Somewhere Over Laredo.”

The past five years have marked an incredible run for Wilson, who toiled away in Nashville for 10 years before achieving any measurable success. But now she’s unstoppable and is, undeniably, one of the biggest acts in country music. 

Wilson has smartly built her career at radio by alternating solo songs — such as “Things a Man Oughta Know” and “Watermelon Moonshine” — with savvy collaborations, including “Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell and “Save Me” with Jelly Roll, all four of which have gone to No. 1 on Country Airplay. But she always stays authentic. “At the heart of every song she writes and sings is the heart of Lainey,” says Lee Adams, vp of promotion at Broken Bow Records (BBR), who began working at BBR in 2001 and has been in her current position since 2007 (BMG acquired BBR in 2017). “All the elements of what Lainey does best is in each of her songs.” And Wilson’s latest success earns Adams the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.

Here, Adams discusses why “Somewhere Over Laredo” resonated so quickly with fans and radio programmers, what it meant to land Wilson’s first No. 1 on Country Airplay since 2023, and why 2026 could be her biggest year yet. 

What did you think the first time you heard the song from the deluxe edition of Whirlwind and the “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” interpolation?

The first time I heard “Somewhere Over Laredo,” the one word that came to mind was “powerful.” Some songs are fun, some are serious, and some contain power. It evoked nostalgic emotions from “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” but took it to another level by making it personal. When you hear it, it’s not about someone else. You feel yourself flying high in the sky, heading towards your home, your state, with memories of loved ones from the past. Only an incredible team of songwriters paired with the perfect artist creates that power and emotion. And Lainey, Trannie Anderson, Andy Albert and Dallas Wilson did just that.

The song is a bit of a departure for Lainey. How did it show a different side of her?

Lainey is multi-faceted in her style and sound. Her voice is strong and pure, and it allows her to stretch boundaries and showcase her vocals. This song, paired with a dynamic video, showed her ability to pair a heartfelt song with a fun visual, which is who she is. She loves to laugh and have fun, and perfectly blends it with her ability to show emotion.

The song was most added at radio, receiving play on 129 stations in its first week. Was that a high for her?  

“Somewhere Over Laredo” was the No. 1 most-added first-week single for Lainey, and it also served as her highest debut to date. Consequently, it moved quickly. It was world premiered on nearly every country station, putting it immediately in higher rotations. It was her highest debut in streaming as well, making it fast-moving from the start. 

“Somewhere Over Laredo” is her first No. 1 from Whirlwind and the deluxe version, and her first solo No. 1 since “Watermelon Moonshine” two years ago. How important was it to land another No. 1 after three intervening songs had done very well, but not reached the pinnacle? 

No. 1 singles on the country radio charts are always important for an artist, songwriters, label and promotion team. It’s our job in promotion to secure the most radio airplay, and the status of saying “No. 1” is invaluable. Lainey is a superstar, and her songs are wildly successful, with or without that number, but it remains very important. Radio is the premier way we reach our audience in country music. Having the most-played song at radio is never taken for granted and is always the goal. The song is strong, Lainey is country music’s reigning female superstar, and both earned the top spot. It was also important for Broken Bow Records.

How much did her hosting the CMA Awards and winning three awards, including entertainer of the year, push the song over the top? 

It continues to add to the many accolades and achievements Lainey has had in her career. It’s all a part of what makes her, and her songs, continue to succeed. She keeps reaching higher levels and new milestones. “Somewhere Over Laredo” was well on its way to No. 1, but we can never underestimate how success begets more success. When we get a No. 1 at BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, we honor every facet of what made it work: the artist, songwriters, label, management, touring, but also the individual teams — promotion, marketing, digital, streaming, publicity, socials, creative and so much more go into every song we release. It’s hard to say that one thing pushes it over the top when it requires all of it combined to garner a No. 1.

What kind of bump did you see, if any, after the song received two Grammy nominations? 

The Grammy nominations were song-specific to “Somewhere Over Laredo” and were a huge nod to what an amazing song it is. It’s not easy to get one Grammy nomination for a song, much less two. It speaks volumes. Any statistic, metric, or attention brought to a song helps propel it. And the Grammys are a big one.

Were there any other key decisions you made that helped propel it to the top? 

We rely heavily on programmers when making our decisions for a No. 1 run. So much thought and planning go into the week where we are maximizing airplay, and we start planning for it months in advance. Research on “Somewhere Over Laredo” was strong in many major markets, causing the conversions to power, which further solidified it had No. 1 potential. The timing coming off Lainey hosting the CMA Awards, the Grammy nominations, the powerful research and where she was on the charts came together to create the right timing with the right song.

The song also reached No. 1 in the U.K., No. 2 in Australia and No. 3 in Canada. Is this her biggest international song? How has she been building her international audience? 

The success of “Somewhere Over Laredo” has only continued her expansion into the international market. Lainey was an early adopter of embracing the international audience in her career and has built her global groundswell through repeat touring in those markets. There was even a time when Lainey herself stated that she had more fans internationally than she did domestically. We’re all excited to see her impact soar with each new single and tour. 

What’s coming up for Lainey in 2026? 

Lainey’s 2026 starts with a tour of Australia and New Zealand, continuing her strong international brand. She’ll bring it home to the U.S. with another major headlining tour and exciting, chart-topping new music. Lainey will continue to be a force and a “whirlwind” in country music in 2026 and far into the future. We’ll also get to see her make her feature film acting debut in next year’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him.