Lauren Alaina and Lainey Wilson caught Luke Bryan’s attention with their latest collaboration, “Thicc as Thieves.”
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The American Idol alum recently released her six-song Big Loud debut, Unlocked. The collection features a duet with Wilson, which pays homage to Bryan’s party anthem “Country Girl (Shake It For Me).” During an interview with iHeartRadio at CMA Fest over the weekend, the country crooner spoke out about the cheeky anthem.
“I was very flattered that they asked me to kind of have a part of it,” said Byran before his Nissan Stadium set. “I think Lainey is, I think she’s just so great for country music, and I’ve been a fan of Lauren Alaina…I mean, she has one of the best voices in the world.”
The up-tempo empowerment song is about learning to love and own your curves as a woman. While celebrating Southern girls who have hearts as big as their backside and thic as their twang, they recall a statement Bryan delivers in his chart-topping track.
Hey Lainey, what’d that Georgia boy say about us country girls? Right kick, left kick, shimmy, shimmy, shimmy | Didn’t he say somethin’ about shakin’ it, responds Wilson. Bell bottom, high rise, gimme, gimme, gimme.
Alaina penned the girl power song alongside Rocky Block, Jacob Durrett, and Parker Welling. Bryan and Dallas Davidson, who wrote “Country Girl,” also receive writing credits. Bryan previously told Taste of Country that he’s thrilled that Wilson and Lainey have “Thicc as Thieves” in their extensive catalog.
“My biggest thing is, this is a fun song for them,” he told the outlet. “‘Country Girl (Shake It for Me)’ was a fun song for me. It was a fun song for the country girls out there that were shaking it. And their song is a fun song for the girls that got a little somethin’ to shake.”
“Country Girl (Shake It for Me)” was released in 2011 as the first single from Bryan’s album, Tailgates and Tanlines. Before Alaina released the track, she admitted that Bryan had called her to give his blessing. The phone conversation served as a full-circle moment, as she opened for him on his Huntin’, Fishin’, and Lovin’ Every Day Tour in 2017.
“I was like, ‘What in the world? Why is Luke Bryan calling me?” said Alaina. “He said, ‘I heard your song, you have my blessing. It’s awesome. I love both of you girls.’ It was so sweet for him to specifically tell me he loves it…The first tour I ever went on was with him. So, it was very special to me.”
Photo by Terry Wyatt/WireImage
