Lainey Wilson reveals candid talk with Beyoncé after Grammys loss
Lainey Wilson reveals candid talk with Beyoncé after Grammys loss
Caché McClay, USA TODAY NETWORKThu, April 23, 2026 at 3:52 PM UTC
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Lainey Wilson reveals candid talk with Beyoncé after Grammys loss
Lainey Wilson is now sharing more insight into her candid conversation with Beyoncé at the 2025 Grammy Awards after losing best country album to the "Cowboy Carter" creator.
In the "Watermelon Moonshine" singer's new Netflix documentary, "Lainey Wilson: Keepin' Country Cool," released April 22, Wilson opened up about the exchange that took place shortly after Beyoncé's historic win at the 67th annual award show. The 80-minute Netflix program follows the country superstar for more than a year, from shows in Nashville to the final stop of her tour in Monroe, Louisiana.
"I didn't win, but it was time for us to lose something," Wilson said in the Netflix documentary. "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."
Wilson said Beyoncé appreciated the gesture, telling the Nashville-based singer from Louisiana that it meant a lot for her to come over after "Cowboy Carter" won the award.
Wilson added that her decision to approach Beyoncé reflects both her own upbringing and her view of country music as an inclusive space.
"I'm not one of the artists that's like, 'Hey, you go stay over there on your side.' 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."
In an interview with People, Wilson shared that she asked Beyoncé's "7-foot-tall" bodyguard for permission before approaching her.
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"I was loving on her, she was loving on me," Wilson said. "And yeah, I think she was kind of shocked that I came over there and talked to her."
1 / 0See Lainey Wilson's journey from small town girl to global star
Her 2022 breakout hit, "Things A Man Oughta Know" got Wilson a songwriting nomination at the ACM Awards that year.
Beyoncé first released "Cowboy Carter" on March 29, 2024, after announcing two new singles during a Super Bowl commercial in February 2024.
As Beyoncé's first country album, she deliberately included country legends such as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Linda Martell. Beyoncé also collaborated with crossover artists such as Miley Cyrus and Post Malone, as well as emerging Black country artists such as Shaboozey, Willie Jones, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Reyna Roberts and Tiera Kennedy. In addition to best country album, Beyoncé also won album of the year for the project, breaking numerous records in the process. The album became a catalyst for the renewed spotlight on Black country artists and the genre's Black roots.
Wilson has long been an outspoken fan of the "Cowboy Carter" album. At the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards – shortly after Beyoncé announced the album – Wilson told USA TODAY, "There's nothing that that girl can't do. You can tell she gives 199% with everything she does. I think it's awesome. I'm excited to see the fans that didn't know they liked country music, find out that maybe they do."
"Cowboy Carter" has challenged music industry norms and sparked important conversations pertaining to the intersection of race and country music. It earned both critical praise and some initial backlash. Beyoncé's corresponding 2025 "Cowboy Carter and Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour" made history as the highest-grossing country tour, as she surpassed $400 million in earnings.
Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Lainey Wilson shares what Beyoncé told her at 2025 Grammys
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
