Lainey Wilson’s 3rd studio album, Whirlwind, has arrived and the singer-songwriter is taking fans into the chaos with Audacy’s On The Record special. Listen in as Lainey takes us behind the scenes of the 14-tracks revealing the stories, inspiration, and meaning behind them all.

“I wanted to name this record 'Whirlwind' because that’s what my life has been,” she shared. “My life has been changing, but I feel like I have tried my best to keep one foot on the ground. It’s important to me to make sure that I’m Lainey the sister, the friend, the daughter, the dog mom, the girlfriend, so I can be the best version of Lainey the artist.”

The best version of her artistry is exactly what Lainey brought to the table with this project, which includes a little something for everyone. From a “tip of the hat to George Jones,” on the opening track, “Keeping up with Jones,” to songs about heartbreak, love, and everything in-between, Lainey is proving Country is in fact, "Cool Again.”

“It fires me up to see people lean into and love the Western way of life,” she said of previously released track, “Country’s Cool Again.” “Riding horses, getting mud on the tires, crankin’ up a Country song — those are the things that make me feel at home, so I hope everybody gets to experience that feeling.”

Another song that taps into the nostalgia of her Country upbringing is her duet with Miranda Lambert, “Good Horses.”

“Miranda has become my Country big sister and she’s the person that I call when I need advice,” Wilson said of her admiration and gratitude for having Lambert on the record. “I can call her at any point in time and she’s there for me. We both have a lot in common, we love the Western way of life, but we also know that we have these gypsy souls. We love runnin’ the roads, we love all those things that make life on the road so much fun, but we also know the importance of ‘home is where the heart is,’ and that’s why we wrote ‘Good Horses.’”

Continuing around the farm, the chickens got their moment too on the fun-loving, “Counting Chickens,” a playful ode to falling head over heels that even pokes fun at Wilson’s long-time boyfriend, Devlin “Duck” Hodges.

“'Counting Chickens' feels like a classic Country love song,” she said of the tune before sharing there’s also a song on the complete end of the spectrum just two tracks away. “‘Ring Finger,’ it shows my crazy side,” Wilson said of the track centered around a broken engagement.

The subject matter clearly lives up to the Whirlwind title and while it might sound like chaos, it’s all tied together beautifully by Lainey’s pure Country sound, rock-solid songwriting, and fun-loving personality.

“This record, it kept me grounded, and made me feel at home at a time when I was nowhere near it and I hope people can hear this record and it will bring peace to their Whirlwind.”

Hear Lainey Wilson’s full episode of On the Record with Audacy above and be sure to check out Whirlwind, available now.

Words by Monica Rivera