Lainey Wilson Marks Her Ninth No. 1 Hit and Hints at New 2026 Music: “Feeling More Creative Than Ever”
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Following a busy year, Wilson is now turning her focus toward new ambitions and upcoming projects.
Lainey Wilson Celebrates Ninth No. 1 Hit and Looks Ahead to New Music in 2026
Lainey Wilson was enjoying some rare downtime at home with her dog, Hippie, and fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, when she learned that her single “Somewhere Over Laredo” had climbed to No. 1 at country radio, marking the ninth chart-topper of her career. Later that evening, she celebrated the milestone with more than 300 Nashville fans, reflecting on the song’s journey and sharing her goals for 2026.
The inspiration for the track came from Nashville songwriter Andy Albert, who was grilling on his back porch when he thought of reimagining “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Albert explained, “My mom used to sing that to me as a baby, and I sang it at my grandpa’s funeral. It was his favorite song. I just started thinking about it and wondered if there was a way to put a new twist on it.”
Albert brought the idea to frequent collaborator Trannie Anderson while they were waiting in line for a ride at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. That brainstorming session eventually led to the creation of “Somewhere Over Laredo.” Anderson recalls, “Andy threw out the hook, and we started discussing storylines and ways to write it. A week later, we continued in Nashville, and then it came to Lainey.”
Wilson first heard the song during a trip to Montana. She remembers seeing the scenic landscape as Anderson sang the melody while tapping on the side of a vinyl chair. “I knew right then that what they started sounded that good,” she said, realizing they had something special.
The songwriting team expanded the track with Dallas Wilson, Edgar Yipsel Harburg, and Harold Arlen, drawing inspiration from Judy Garland’s iconic performance of “Over the Rainbow” in The Wizard of Oz (1939). Wilson’s version tells the bittersweet story of a rodeo romance destined to drift apart, while also paying homage to small towns across Texas and the country.
Though now in a happy, committed relationship, Wilson tapped into past experiences to authentically convey the song’s emotions. “As a songwriter, you have to step back into shoes you wore long ago,” she said. “I’m in a healthy relationship now, so I’m not singing about him—but to connect with fans, I need to believe in the story, and they need to feel it too.”
The song quickly became Wilson’s biggest streaming debut, earning over 1.16 million streams in its first 24 hours and becoming the most added song at country radio. It also served as the lead single from the deluxe edition of her 2024 album, Whirlwind.
Wilson credited her team for the single’s success: “We were watching it closely, and my radio team really rolled up their sleeves and got it across the finish line. I’ve got a great team.”
The song has now garnered two of three 2026 GRAMMY nominations for Wilson: Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song for “Somewhere Over Laredo”, with a third nomination for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Trailblazer” alongside Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert. “It means so much that the industry loves it as much as we did the day we finished it,” Wilson said, jokingly crediting Albert’s backyard inspiration.
Despite the huge success of 2025, Wilson is already looking ahead. She revealed that new music has been in the works for over a year, even before Whirlwind was released. “I feel like I’m always writing because that’s how I stay myself,” she explained. “It keeps me grounded through all the busyness, and I think people are really going to love what we’ve been working on.”