After winning over the mainstream with 2021's Sayin' What I'm Thinkin', Lainey Wilson focused her retro twang on its follow-up, Bell Bottom Country. This album crossed over onto the pop charts and earned her a Grammy Award for Best Country Album. Wilson's fifth LP, Whirlwind, sees her continuing her upward trajectory and tendency to mix rock, pop, and funk with her distinct brand of fun, unabashed, Louisiana-bred country. She worked with producer Jay Joyce again and co-wrote the material during a busy period touring her previous album. The process yielded a leaner, more concise batch of songs. She's clearly got the momentum on her side, and she brings a refreshing sense of energy to songs like "Keep Up with Jones" and "Hang Tight Honey," which are two unstoppable, fizzy country-rockers. Miranda Lambert joins Lainey Wilson on the uninhibited anthem "Good Horses," but at this point Wilson has become a star in her own right and can carry an album just fine. In fact, Whirlwind made it into the Top Ten on the Billboard 200 the week of its release.
