Lainey Wilson has weighed in on the debate over Beyoncé winning the Country Album of the Year at the 2025 Grammy Awards. As usual, Lainey kept things classy. Her comments came during a segment on her new Netflix documentary Keepin' Country Cool.
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"I didn't win, but it was time for us to lose something," Lainey said. "I walked over to Beyoncé, and she was so kind. We had a lot of great things to say to each other. You could tell that we both had a respect for each other; it was like a 'I see you, you see me, kind of thing. She said, 'It means a lot that you walked over here and did that.'"
Lainey then explained that the way she views country music is as a welcoming genre, where everybody can have a seat at the table.
"I'm not one of the artists that's like, 'Hey, you go stay over there on your side," Lainey continued. "That's not the way that I was raised. Also, when I think of country music, it's always been: welcome everybody with open arms."
Lainey's stance is the logical one to take. Beyoncé stepping into the country music world undoubtedly brought new fans into the genre. Nevertheless, it's clear that not everyone shares Lainey's welcoming mindset.
Lainey Wilson Knows What It's Like To Step Into Something New
When she was growing up, Lainey Wilson would often cosplay as Hannah Montana. You see multiple clips of her impersonations throughout her new Netflix documentary. And while they may be embarrasing, they did setup a cool interaction with Miley Cyrus at the Hannah-versary.
"I told her impersonating Hannah really showed me, like, 'Okay, if you want this, if you want to do this not as Hannah Montana but as yourself, you're going to have to go get it,'" Lainey said in an interview with PEOPLE. "I wasn't really even old enough to be driving, but I was going to Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana trying to play in front of whoever I possibly could."
In a way, Lainey's mindset from her years of cosplaying likely plays a role in her welcoming persona. After all, she knows what it takes to crack into the country music industry. If her time cosplaying as Miley Cyrus' character helped form her welcoming view, then maybe we should all spend a little more time embracing opportunities, rather than judging others for taking them.
