Lainey Wilson Gets Candid About Country Music’s Future

Actor and country music star Lainey Wilson put on a stellar performance at the 2025 AMAs, but she wasn’t just there to share her musical talents. While speaking to CMT on the event’s red carpet, the “Somewhere Over Laredo” singer shared her thoughts on where country music is headed in the future.

“What’s happening with it right now, I don’t see that slowing down,” Wilson said in a video from the event, referring to the direction country music has taken in recent years. “And honestly, it kind of blows my mind to think about where it might be in ten years, but in the best kind of way.”

The Singer Called Country Music “A Hidden Gem”

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Wilson clearly thinks country music has a bright future ahead, and part of that optimism is because of the genre’s seemingly ever-growing fan base. “It’s like a hidden gem,” the singer said. “And I’m proud to be a part of that.” In 2023 alone, Billboard reported that country music consumption was up 20.3% versus the year before, and that trend has only continued since.

After admitting that no one can really be sure what the next ten years will look like, the singer shared her plans for staying firmly planted in the country world. “I’m gonna still be playing and singing if [fans] keep showing up,” she said.

Wilson Has a Busy Year Ahead of Her

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Country music isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and neither is Wilson. Among her many accomplishments in the first half of 2025, the country singer has already taken home the Entertainer of the Year award at the ACMs and has released new music. As if that weren’t enough, she’s even planning to star in her first feature film. As Variety shared, the film, “Reminders of Him,” is currently slated for theatrical release right before Valentine’s Day in 2026.

Even Wilson’s personal life is buzzing with activity this year. The singer is in the planning phase of her future wedding to Devlin “Duck” Hodges. Although she hasn’t announced an official wedding date as of this publication, Taste of Country shared that, surprisingly, the singer won’t be featuring country music on the day she ties the knot. Instead, she plans to step outside her genre and hire a jazz band for the event.