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What Songs Did Lainey Wilson Sing on Yellowstone?
Lainey Wilson made her acting debut in Yellowstone and lent some perfect songs to the show before and after.
Every epic Western needs a commanding soundtrack, and Lainey Wilson's songs on Yellowstone were an obvious choice for the series, with their rustic charm and captivating vocals, even before she took a role on the show.
"[Showrunner] Taylor Sheridan, he called, and we had become friends after he had put a couple of songs in the show," Wilson recalled to Hoda Kotb in a July 2024 TODAY appearance. "And I realized just how beneficial it was to have music in that show because people were coming to my show being like, 'I found you through the Yellowstone soundtrack.'"
She ultimately made her acting debut in the drama series in 2022.
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The show follows Kevin Costner's John Dutton III, the owner of the family-owned Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, who would do anything to uphold his family's legacy. Wilson delivered a scene-stealing performance as a charming country singer who crossed paths with some of the cowboys at Dutton Ranch.
Wilson has since become one of the biggest names in the country scene, partially thanks to her songs in Yellowstone as well as in Twisters, Fire Country, and 9-1-1.
Who did Lainey Wilson play on Yellowstone?
Wilson played Abby in Season 5 of Yellowstone. Showrunner Taylor Sheridan created the recurring character with Wilson in mind: Like the actress who plays her, Abby is a talented country singer with dreams of making it big one day.
She appeared in four Season 5 episodes as the singer, who struck up a romance with rancher heartthrob Ryan (Ian Bohen).
She also debuted two new singles by performing the tracks in Yellowstone episodes.
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"Taylor Sheridan told me... 'I want to create a character specifically for you, and I want you to sing your music and kind of be yourself, but go by a musician named Abby,'" Wilson revealed on TODAY. "I said, 'Well, you know, I've never acted a day in my life.'"
Wilson continued, "And [Sheridan] said, 'Well, most musicians that I work with, without even knowing it, they're actors and actresses because, at times, you got to stand up on that stage. And maybe you just lost somebody the night before, maybe you're going through a breakup — maybe, who knows?' But you got to hide all these feelings when you get up on that stage because it's not about you."
Which Lainey Wilson songs are on Yellowstone?
In total, Wilson had seven songs that appeared on Yellowstone.
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Wilson's first song for the series was her 2018 song "Workin' Overtime"; it was heard during Season 2 premiere.
Wilson's "Straight Up Sideways" and "Small Town Girl" appeared in Season 3.
In Season 5 of Yellowstone, "Hold My Halo," "Watermelon Moonshine," "Smell Like Smoke," and "New Friends" all earned features. The four tracks all eventually appeared on Wilson's fourth album, Bell Bottom Country, which was released in October 2022.
Lainey Wilson's "Workin' Overtime" on Yellowstone
Wilson's first Yellowstone feature was in the Season 2 premiere ("A Thundering") when her single "Workin' Overtime" was integrated into the episode. The track played in the bar when Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) let a furious bull loose.
Wilson originally released "Workin' Overtime" as a single on her self-titled 2018 EP.
Lainey Wilson's "Straight Up Sideways" on Yellowstone
The Yellowstone collaborations didn't end there: Wilson's "Straight Up Sideways" landed in a Season 3 episode. The high-energy rock track was the perfect sonic backdrop to the thrilling rodeo barrel race between Mia (Eden Brolin) and Laramie (Hassie Harrison) in Season 3, Episode 6 ("All for Nothing").
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Wilson originally released "Straight Up Sideways" on her 2021 album Sayin' What I'm Thinkin'.
Lainey Wilson's "Small Town, Girl" on Yellowstone
Wilson's Sayin' What I'm Thinkin' track "Small Town, Girl" also earned a feature in Season 3 of Yellowstone. Appearing in Season 3, Episode 10 ("The World Is Purple"), the power ballad was the perfect choice for the barrel racing competition scene when Mia encouraged Yellowstone ranch hand Jimmy (Jefferson White) to chart his own course in life.
Lainey Wilson's "Smell Like Smoke" on Yellowstone
Wilson became a member of the star-studded cast in Season 5 as the country-singing Abby. She made her acting debut in the Season 5 premiere ("One Hundred Years is Nothing") — which aired a month after the October 2022 release of Bell Bottom Country.
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Wilson debuted her 2022 single "Smells Like Smoke" in Season 5, Episode 3 ("Tall Drink of Water"), premiering the track as Abby at one of the show's watering holes, Crystal Bar.
Wilson soon added "Smell Like Smoke" to the track list of Bell Bottom Country.
Lainey Wilson's "New Friends" on Yellowstone
Wilson debuted another new song — her 2022 single "New Friends" — in Season 5, Episode 4 ("Horses in Heaven"). The track played in the background of the Deerfield Club when Yellowstone's Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) and Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) met up for drinks and flirtatious banter.
"Who tuned in for Yellowstone Episode 4??" Wilson captioned a November 2022 Instagram post with a clip from the scene. "Surprise! I had another new song hiding in tonight's episode when Jamie and Sarah were flirting at the bar. 'New Friends' comes out at midnight CT and y'all can hear it on my album Bell Bottom Country!"
Lainey Wilson's "Watermelon Moonshine" on Yellowstone
Wilson released "Watermelon Moonshine" as the lead single from Bell Bottom Country in August 2022.
She later performed the track in Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 6 ("Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and You") when Abby and her band played in the Yellowstone Ranch arena. The episode helped the infectious song become a certified chart climber and one of Wilson's most beloved hits.
Lainey Wilson's "Hold My Halo" on Yellowstone
Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 6 ("Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and You") is a must-watch for Wilson fans because she performed two original songs in the episode. After charming the masses with her dreamy hit "Watermelon Moonshine" and sharing a sweet dance with Ryan, Abby turned up the energy to give her ranch-hand lover and the crowd a fun-filled set of Wilson's Bell Bottom Country bop "Hold My Halo."
Yellowstone is available to stream on Peacock.
