Photo: Getty Images
Lainey Wilson ignited the stage with the debut live performance of “Hang Tight Honey” at the 59th ACM Awards on Thursday evening (May 16). The powerful performance followed a rendition of “God Blessed Texas” to kick off festivities on stage at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
Wilson, who wore a vibrant red look on the 59th ACM Awards red carpet, released the second track from her forthcoming album to kick off the week on Monday (May 13). The anthem for “hard working men and women” follows “Country’s Cool Again,” which inspired the title of the Bell Bottom Country star’s 2024 headlining tour.
“I’ve been runnin’ the roads nonstop for a few years now and I ain’t gonna lie to y’all, sometimes it can be tough being away from home that much. At the same time, remembering what ‘home’ is and the things that I get to do for the ones I love because of the work I put in, is what keeps me going and makes it all worthwhile,” Wilson said as she debuted “Hang Tight Honey” earlier this week. “This one’s an anthem for the hard working men and women that get up every dang day and put in long hours to make a life worth living for the ones they love most.”
The new single — which Wilson wrote with Driver Williams, Jason Nix and Paul Sikes — appears on her upcoming album, Whirlwind. The 14-track collection will follow her award-winning 2022 project, Bell Bottom Country. It arrives on August 23. Wilson said in a recent Q&A with iHeartCountry that she finds inspiration for her music “everywhere in all honesty. I find ideas from my fans, from the stories I hear in meet and greet lines, from things I see on the news, from my friends and family. The beauty of songwriting is that you can hear or see something, whether it’s good or bad and turn those emotions into a song for people to hear and connect with.”
“I am so excited to finally announce Whirlwind. This album has been a long time coming and I can’t wait for the world to have this body of work in their hands soon,” Wilson said in a statement. “This new chapter of music is the most cathartic and personal piece of art I’ve ever made. I hope this record brings some peace to your whirlwind and wraps its arms around you like it did for me.”
Wilson was one of several artists to take the stage during the star-studded show, along with Post Malone, Parker McCollum, Kelsea Ballerini and Noah Kahan; Nate Smith and Avril Lavigne; husband-and-wife duo Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani; Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton and 17-time host Reba McEntire. Keep up with iHeartCountry's live-updated list of winners throughout the evening here.
5/31 – Nashville, TN (Ascend Amphitheater) *^
6/1 – Nashville, TN (Ascend Amphitheater) *^
6/14 – Camden, NJ (Freedom Mortgage Pavilion) *^
6/15 – Gilford, NH (Bank NH Pavilion) *^
6/20 – Saratoga Springs, NY (Broadview Stage at SPAC) *^
6/21 – Syracuse, NY (Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview) *^
6/26 – New York, NY (Radio City Music Hall) *^
6/28 – Bridgeport, CT (Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater) *^
6/29 – Bangor, ME (Maine Savings Amphitheater) *^
8/8 – Huntsville, AL (The Orion Amphitheater) *^
8/9 – Southaven, MS (BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove) *^
8/10 – Rogers, AR (Walmart AMP) *^
8/22 – Prescott Valley, AZ (Findlay Toyota Center) +^
8/23 – Chula Vista, CA (North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre) +^
8/24 – Concord, CA (Toyota Pavilion at Concord) +^
9/1 – Los Angeles, CA (The Greek Theatre) +^
9/13 - Salt Lake City, UT (USANA Amphitheatre) +^
9/14 - Boise, ID (Ford Idaho Center) +^
9/15 - Missoula, MT (University of Montana - Adams Center) +^
9/19 – Fresno, CA (Save Mart Center) +% ON SALE NOV 3
9/20 – Lake Tahoe/Stateline, NV (Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys) + ^
9/26 – Vancouver, BC (Rogers Arena) + ^
9/27 – Auburn, WA (White River Amphitheatre) + ^ ON SALE DEC 1
9/28 – Ridgefield, WA (RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater) + ^ ON SALE NOV 17
10/10 – Lubbock, TX (United Supermarkets Arena) + ^
10/18 – Raleigh, NC (Red Hat Amphitheater) *^
10/19 – Alpharetta, GA (Ameris Bank Amphitheatre) *^
10/20 – Wilmington, NC (Live Oak Bank Pavilion) *^
10/24 – London, ON (Budweiser Gardens) *^
10/25 – Oshawa, ON (Tribute Communities Centre) *^
10/26 – Pittsburgh, PA (Petersen Events Center) *^
11/1 – Little Rock, AR (Simmons Bank Arena) + ^
11/2 – Evansville, IN (Ford Center) *^
11/3 – Charleston, WV (Charleston Coliseum) *^
11/7 – Oklahoma City, OK (Paycom Center) + ^
11/8 – Omaha, NE (CHI Health Center) + ^
11/9 – Sioux Falls, SD (Denny Sanford Premier Center) + ^ ON SALE NOV 17
11/15- Monroe, LA (Monroe Civic Center) *^
11/16 Monroe, LA (Monroe Civic Center) *^
* - Ian Munsick
^ - Zach Top
+ - Jackson Dean
% - To Be Announced