Lainey Wilson Opens Up About Her Whirlwind Year and Love for 'Mentor' Miranda Lambert on CMT's 'On the Road'

Lainey Wilson knows to "Never Say Never," considering what a whirlwind her career has been in the past year.

The country music star, 31, appears on the latest episode of CMT's digital interview and documentary series On the Road, which offers fans behind-the-scenes access to the biggest names in country. With the episode's release on CMT's YouTube, Instagram and Facebook channels Wednesday, the candid installment follows Wilson over the course of several days in December 2023 as she plays a four-night residency at Las Vegas' Virgin Theater.

Running just under 18 minutes, the On the Road finds the Grammy-nominated artist reflecting on her rapid ascension since the release of 2022's Bell Bottom Country — which she compares to like being "on a rocket" — and how she stays grounded by surrounding herself with supporters and always believing in herself.

"I always think back to a time of my life where I wish I was busy, I wish people were noticing me or my music and I was praying for opportunities," she says at one point in the episode, which documents her busy schedule, ranging from meet-and-greets to brand initiatives to interviews. "Anytime I do feel like, 'Man, how much more do I actually have to give?' I have to make time to actually fill my cup so I can give more."

She also points to having a good team and support system. (Her boyfriend Devlin "Duck" Hodges gives her a sweet kiss on the cheek before a show during the episode.)

One of Wilson's mentors even makes an appearance, as Miranda Lambert surprised fans by coming out on stage during one of her Vegas concerts. In addition to showing footage of the two stars practicing together and performing Lambert's hit "Kerosene," the "Heart Like a Truck" singer opens up about how much the country icon, 40, means to her.

"She's awesome — I mean she's become one of my mentors," Wilson says. "She's there for me. When I feel like, man, as a female in this industry, who can I go to, who can I call and be like, 'What would you do in this situation,' or, 'How would you handle this?' or 'Hey, when you're feeling under the weather and you're losing your voice and this is happening, what do you do?' She's that person I call."

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The clip also features unseen footage of the "Watermelon Moonshine" artist horseback riding, sharing old family photos, sharing a heartfelt message to her young, female fans and more.

Wilson's On the Road premieres just days before she will make her Grammys debut, as this year she is up for her first-ever nominations at the award show. The singer-songwriter is received nods for both best country album for Bell Bottom Country and best country duo/group performance for her team-up with Jelly Roll, "Save Me."

Last year, the country artist received the coveted entertainer of the year award at the 2023 CMA Awards.

During her acceptance speech, the "Hold My Halo" singer shared how much it meant to her to be received by the country music community. "This is all I've ever wanted to do, it’s the only thing I know how to do," she said while teary-eyed. "We have played... I think at the end of the year we’ll have played about 186 shows this year and we‘ve worked our butts off this year and so many years in between. I've been in this town for 12-and-a-half years and it finally feels like country music is starting to love me back."

This year, Wilson will continue her run of live performances with the Country’s Cool Again Tour, which features over 35 dates in major cities and kicks off in May.