Lainey Wilson’s ‘Whirlwind’: All 14 Tracks Ranked

A lot has happened in Lainey Wilson’s world since she released her last album, 2022’s Bell Bottom Country. She has grown into a leading country star and has the awards to prove it.

Bell Bottom Country took home ACM and CMA awards for album of the year, as well as the Grammy for best country album. She swept entertainer of the year, winning at both the CMAs and ACMs, making her the first woman to win the CMA honor since Taylor Swift in 2011. In June, she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

The confidence from receiving such support on peer-voted awards really shows on her new album. To listen to Whirlwind, out now, is to hear an artist who has come into herself. The album is bold and fun, with Wilson clearly feeling her own strength, delivering songs that are sassy, clever, occasionally emotional and thoroughly country, which is no small feat at a time when the genre is blurring lines with pop and rock. 

She pokes fun at those who have jumped on the country bandwagon on “Country’s Cool Again” and looks to settle down on “Counting Chickens,” but quickly banishes a bad boy with no regrets on the spoken-word, fiery “Ring Finger.” She stretches out musically with electrifying guitar pyrotechnics and pushes the boundaries with “Bar in Baton Rouge,” which extends past the five-minute mark. Though she’s made her mark with duets with artists like Cole Swindell, HARDY and Jelly Roll, here her sole companion is Miranda Lambert on the wistful “Good Horses.”

Below, we rank the tracks on Wilson’s new set.