Lainey + Kelly = MAGIC!
Kelly Clarkson teams up with Lainey Wilson to perform a special Kellyoke duet of the new twang-fueled honky tonk anthem, “Country’s Cool Again.”
Donning a faded brown denim vest and matching bell-bottom jeans, Wilson opens the tune with her Louisiana-raised vocals on full display as a string of lively instruments come to life in the band behind her. The first set of lyrics finds the highly accredited artist depicting her journey to stardom that began when she moved away from her small-town lifestyle to further her career in the bustling city of Nashville, TN.
“I was born in boots on humble ground/ These kinda roots, yeah, they sure don’t grow out/ Yeah, even in a guitar town/ My crooked drawl, the way I sung/ My mama’s genes sure stuck out like a thumb/ In a Metro City crowd,” she sings, putting her thick Louisiana drawl on full display.
Kelly Clarkson Enters With Her Own Set Of Impressive Vocals
Coming in with her all denim-ensemble and chunky floral heels, Clarkson joins in on the chorus, boasting a run of seamless harmonies between the female singer/songwriters. Together, they celebrate the Western way of life while making note of the fact that it’s become a trend for people to embrace the charms of small-town living, even if, they don’t have any true country in their roots.
“Everybody wanna be a cowboy/ Drive a John boat, whip a John Deere/ Everybody want a backroads front porch/ With a tub full of iced down beer/ Must be something in the water flowing out of the holler / Blue collar musta caught a new wind/ Doggone daggummit didn’t see that coming/ Country’s cool again,” the artists deliver on the chorus.
Paying Homage To Country Icons
Clarkson takes over on the next verse, which lists out some of the most prominent reasons why it’s so easy to become addicted to the simplicity of rural living. Among these lyrics, she pays homage to country icons who have had a tremendous impact on country music like Garth Brooks and Brooks & Dunn.
The three-time GRAMMY winner leads the upbeat verse as she sings, “Once you get a taste, you’ll lick the spoon/ Learn every word to The Dance and Neon Moon/ And next thing you know/ You’ll hang a swing on a piece of land/Start sayin’ things like hell naw, hot damn/ Yeah, and if you dip your toe/ You’ll get bit by the bug and wanna wait in line/ And that’s the kind of trend, oh, that I could get behind.”
Watch Lainey Wilson and Kelly Clarkson Perform “Country’s Cool Again”
Both powerhouse artists, who are known for their lively performances, appeared to put their all into this moment on The Kelly Clarkson Show. As the tune came to an end, they received a standing ovation from the audience, cementing a job well done.
Clarkson Fangirls Over Wilson
Once Clarkson stepped down from the stage, she gushed about Wilson to no end, claiming she just can’t get enough of her powerhouse vocals and epic songwriting skills.
“She’s going to hire someone to keep me away from her, like security,” the “My Life Would Suck Without You” singer joked before adding, “It’s an honor to sing with you, I’m so stoked for your whole career. I’m just a big fan, y’all. She’s so rad.”
“Country’s Cool Again” was co-written by Wilson with her longtime collaborators Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson as well as band leader Aslan Freeman. It was produced by GRAMMY-award-winning producer, Jay Joyce.
“Country’s been havin’ the comeback of a lifetime and all I gotta say is, I’m here for it. It’s always been cool in our book, but welcome to the party y’all,” Wilson wrote on Instagram upon the release of the highly-anticipated new track.
The Country’s Cool Again Tour Launches This May
The new song arrived on February 16, 2024, and marks the first taste of new music since her GRAMMY winning album of 2022, Bell Bottom Country, which includes her current single, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”
In honor of the new release, Wilson will launch her Country’s Cool Again Tour on May 31 at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater and run through November 15. Prior to that, she will also spend some time in Australia and the UK, bringing her show to an abundance of fans overseas.