Lainey Wilson took a break from co-hosting CMA Fest with Elle King and Dierks Bentley on Wednesday (July 19) to perform her latest single “Watermelon Moonshine.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Taking the stage at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, Wilson broke into the hit, off her 2022 album Bell Bottom Country. Written by Wilson, Josh Kear, and Jordan Schmidt, “Watermelon Moonshine” reminisces of carefree days, young summer romance, and some liquid courage in the form of hooch — Drinkin’ watermelon moonshine / We cut the burn with a little lime Parkin’ back in them kudzu vines /I was his and every bit of that boy was mine.
“It’s truly about that young, wild crazy love,” Wilson told American Songwriter. “That time in your life when nothing else matters.”
Still in a whirlwind of success and milestone moments throughout the past year, Wilson said a song like “Watermelon Moonshine” is one that helps bring her back to real life moments, and memories.
“During this busy season of life that I’m in, I want to write about things that make me feel grounded,” said Wilson. “You can’t help but listen to ‘Watermelon Moonshine’ and think about that one person you were madly in love with. You had that bottle of something in the backseat, you drank it and hoped your mom and dad didn’t smell it on you when you walked through the house. It makes me shake my head and laugh. It was a naive love but, there’s something really beautiful about naive.”
Wilson also performed Tanya Tucker’s 1978 song “Texas (When I Die)” with Tucker and King, along with “wait in the truck” with HARDY.
The three-hour concert special, which aired on ABC, featured a series of performances from the 50th anniversary of CMA Fest, and included performances by Jelly Roll, Jason Aldean, Jo Dee Messina, Jordan Davis, Keith Urban, Leon Bridges, HARDY, Little Big Town, Luke Combs, Tanya Tucker, Vince Gill, Avril Lavigne, Cody Johnson, Carly Pearce, Darius Rucker, Eric Church, and more.
Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
