Lainey Wilson has been on quite the whirlwind this year, and her recent CMA hosting gig was no exception. In the days leading up to the awards, she focused on finding her zone, spending quiet moments meditating and centering herself so she could fully be in the moment when the cameras started rolling. She admits that her biggest fear wasn’t messing up, but missing the experience itself, or not being fully present on stage.
Originally, she thought performing solo would be exciting, but as the show approached, the pressure of doing it alone, without Luke Bryan or Peyton Manning, started to sink in. “No pressure,” she laughs, reflecting on the moment, but it’s clear she handled it like a pro. Even when small stumbles happened, Lainey stayed focused, moving forward without letting the little mistakes shake her. Hosting, she says, demanded total attention, especially since she was also closing out the show. Beyond the hosting duties, winning awards was almost secondary. Lainey explains that she was so wrapped up in executing her medley and monologue that the awards themselves weren’t even on her mind. Between the performances, wardrobe changes, seven in total, and behind-the-scenes logistics, she barely had time to breathe. Some of her designer outfits had to be returned, while others she got to keep.
After a few days of sitting back and decompressing, Lainey is already looking ahead. She’ll be performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, staying on the ground rather than on a moving float, and even dipping her toes into voiceover work with a Family Guy Christmas special out this Friday. Acting has also become part of her repertoire, with a film role in Reminders of Him that challenged her to play someone entirely different from herself, a step away from the familiar versions of herself she’s portrayed in shows like Yellowstone.
For Lainey, staying grounded amid fame is important. While she has been open with her life and her relationship with her husband, Duck, she’s mindful about keeping certain aspects of her personal life sacred. Fame, she notes, can make it easy for people to overstep boundaries, and preserving those private moments matters to her. Looking back on her career, Lainey still cherishes the milestones that shaped her journey. She recalls being invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, a moment she will never forget, and she continues to embrace the stage with energy and passion. Dance lessons from her childhood, jazz, tap, and ballet, may not make her a professional dancer, but they contribute to the movement and rhythm she brings to every performance.
From quiet meditations to high-energy performances, Lainey Wilson continues to balance the pressures of fame, the joy of performing, and the importance of staying true to herself. Whether on stage, on screen, or in the studio, she’s proving that country music’s entertainer of the year knows how to keep her feet firmly planted, even when the spotlight is blinding.
