Lainey Wilson Puts a Surreal Spin on ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in Her Dreamlike ‘Somewhere Over Laredo’ Video: ‘Our Way of Paying Tribute’
By Website Content Manager
In an exclusive chat with PEOPLE, Wilson — who’s set to release the deluxe edition of Whirlwind this August — also shares her dream collaboration
In her latest music video for “Somewhere Over Laredo,” Lainey Wilson takes fans on a whimsical journey — from soaring through cotton candy-colored skies to relaxing in a bed placed in the middle of a field, and trekking across the desert alongside her real-life French Bulldog, Hippie.
The video marks a bold creative shift for the country artist, offering her a chance to experiment and break away from her usual style.
“I had an absolute blast making it,” says Wilson, 33, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. “I was pretending to fall through the sky, doing all sorts of wild things I’ve never tried before. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone.”
Lainey Wilson’s track “Somewhere Over Laredo,” set to appear on the deluxe edition of Whirlwind, has become her most successful streaming debut to date — a milestone the Grammy winner doesn’t take lightly.
“Sometimes you just throw ideas out there and see what lands,” Wilson shares. “But this one feels special — like the kind of song I’ll still be proud to sing decades from now.”
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Wilson opened up about the creation of the music video, where she currently stands in her songwriting journey, and which artists she hopes to collaborate with in the future.
On the visual inspiration behind the video:
“I’d never really had the chance to make a music video that embraced that kind of dreamlike, surreal vibe,” Wilson says. “Naturally, when you think of The Wizard of Oz, you think of the ‘Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’ Since this song borrows from that theme, it was our way of paying tribute to such a timeless piece of music. I wanted to show the connection between the two in a way that felt meaningful.”
On creating the video concept:
“We definitely wanted to explore that magical, trippy element,” Wilson explains. “So we let the director know early on that we wanted to tap into that vibe — but still keep it rooted in the western aesthetic that’s true to who I am. It turned into this fun blend of psychedelic and western imagery, and it was such a collaborative experience. The end result is a music video that really bridges both worlds.”
On her growth through the Whirlwind era:
“Writing and recording the original album — and even starting to perform those songs live — happened during a time when my world felt like it was constantly shifting,” she reflects. “Even now, things are still changing, but I feel more grounded. I’ve come up for air a little bit.”
The songs written for the deluxe version, she says, come from that space of transition. “They were written as the whirlwind was starting to settle. Of course, life has its seasons and the chaos can kick up again, but I finally felt like I had both feet on the ground.”
She adds, “‘Somewhere Over Laredo’ reflects that feeling. It’s a song about heartbreak, sure — but it carries a peaceful, nostalgic tone that felt really true to where I was at when I wrote it.”