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Lainey Wilson performed a heartfelt rendition of “4x4xU,” a love song from her latest full-length record, when she took the Bridgestone Arena stage on Wednesday night (November 20) at the 58th CMA Awards. Wilson and the band performed the hit single around a campfire on stage with a pickup truck parked in the background.
The first-time CMA Awards host and 2023 Entertainer of the Year debuted “4x4xU” in July, ahead of Whirlwind’s full release in August. Wilson wrote the ballad with Jon Decious and Aaron Raitiere, and brought it to life with a music video directed by Dano Cerny. She’s since shared audio clips of the track along with glimpses of her life with longtime boyfriend, former football quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
“This song is about finding that someone that gives you the comfort and peace of home anywhere in the world as long as you’re by their side,” Wilson previously said of the Whirlwind hit. The Baskin, Louisiana-born artist’s latest studio record also includes “Country’s Cool Again,” “Good Horses” with Miranda Lambert, “Whirlwind,” “Call A Cowboy,” “Hang Tight Honey,” and more. The album follows her Grammy Award-winning record, Bell Bottom Country.
“I’ve been trying to sit down for a while now and talk about what this record means to me but the truth is I feel like this record says it all. I’ve grown so much in the past few years and I have such a different view of love and life and loss,” Wilson said in a statement when Whirlwind arrived earlier this year. “The highs and lows of the whirlwind have taught me a lot about what’s important and how to never give up on trying to find your inner peace. I think you’ll hear what I mean when you listen. Hope it means something to you, too.
“Whirlwind is kind of the Western sister of Bell Bottom Country,” she added. “Since that album, I have gotten to experience so many new things and meet folks from different walks of life. Because of that, I’ve become a better songwriter, and I have more understanding. I feel like I’ve truly stepped into what it is that I’m called to be doing. Ironically, I found my path within all the craziness—and that’s the whirlwind.”
The star-studded lineup of performers at the CMA Awards also includes Chris Stapleton and Post Malone, Kelsea Ballerini with Noah Kahan, Brooks & Dunn with Jelly Roll, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Ella Langley with Riley Green, Cody Johnson, Megan Moroney, Kacey Musgraves, Bailey Zimmerman, Dierks Bentley (featuring Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes), Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde, Shaboozey, and Thomas Rhett and Teddy Swims. Presenters include Simone Biles, Clint Black, Jeff Bridges, Mark Collie, Jordan Davis, Freddie Freeman, Don Johnson, Jackson Laux, Little Big Town, Dustin Lynch, Katharine McPhee, The Oak Ridge Boys, Taylor Frankie Paul, Carly Pearce, Caleb Pressley, Nate Smith, Daniel Sunjata, Mitchell Tenpenny and Billy Bob Thornton. The Country Music Association also revealed the all-star group of artists — Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Chris Stapleton and Wilson — paying tribute to country legend George Strait. Strait is the recipient of the 2024 Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Luke Bryan returned to host the show again with Peyton Manning, and this time, they teamed up with first-time host and 2023 Entertainer of the Year Wilson. Check back with iHeartRadio for a live-updated list of winners throughout the evening, a gallery of the most stunning red carpet looks, coverage of can’t-miss performances and more throughout the evening. The 58th CMA Awards is airing on ABC on Wednesday evening, and will be available next day on Hulu.