‘She’s a legend already’: Miranda Lambert’s TIME100 Next tribute to Lainey Wilson

Lainey Wilson‘s the only country artist chosen to be on the 2025 TIME100 Next list. 

The magazine’s annual rundown honors “100 emerging leaders from around the world,” like actor Jonathan Bailey, pop star Tate McRae, and Spring Health co-founder and CEO April Koh, who each appear on their own covers of the issue. 

TIME chose Miranda Lambert to pay tribute to Lainey. 

“She is such a light. She’s funny and she’s fun, and she has a spirit about her that brings joy to any room she walks in,” Miranda says. “Knowing her off the stage and on, I feel like I’m looking at the same person all the time. That’s pretty rare. What she does doesn’t define her. Who she is defines her, and that’s real authenticity.”

Having recently collaborated with Lainey on “Trailblazer,” Miranda knows what Lainey’s priorities are.

“She lives and breathes songs, and you can see that passion in her eyes; it’s all about the music for her, and she lets the music lead,” Miranda adds. “She’s a legend already. … I’m really proud of how she represents the lifestyle we both love and the music we both love. She’s out of the gate going 100 miles an hour.”