Lainey Wilson Brings Fiery Performance of ‘Heart Like a Truck’ to 2023 CMT Music Awards

Lainey Wilson was on the long list of performers who took the 2023 CMT Music Awards stage on Sunday night (Apr. 2). The country singer offered up a live rendition of her song "Heart Like a Truck."

Wilson performed against a background of a psychedelic rainbow, adding to her trademark '70s aesthetic with shimmering blue leopard print bell-bottom pants and wearing a pastel blue top and cowboy hat to match.

Billowing smoke added to the dreamy aesthetic, with flashes of fiery pyrotechnics helping add a pop of passion to Wilson's tough-as-nails anthem for independent, hard-working women everywhere. The crowd roared when Wilson hit the final, long high note of her final chorus: Her smooth and passionate performance proved why "Heart Like a Truck" has become a runaway fan-favorite and, most recently, a No. 1 hit at country radio.

Wilson entered the awards show as the most nominated artist this year. The Louisiana native snagged four nods, including one for the highly coveted Video of the Year.

She's already made good on one of those nominations: Wilson and Hardy won Collaborative Video of the Year for their duet, "Wait in the Truck." Wilson was also nominated for CMT Performance of the Year alongside Cole Swindell for their fiery rendition of "Never Say Never" in 2022. Her fourth nomination was for her "Heart Like a Truck" video in the Female Video of the Year category.

The "Things a Man Oughta Know" singer has taken country music by storm in the last few years. In addition to winning several awards - including Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2022 CMA Awards - Wilson landed a role on the popular show Yellowstone, playing a musician named Abby. In fact, some of her Yellowstone castmates introduced the singer's performance at the 2023 CMT Music Awards, along with her duet partner, Hardy.

Wilson's second studio album, Bell Bottom Country, arrived last October. Wilson is currently touring with her old pal, Luke Combs. The two began writing songs together in 2014 when both were new on the Nashville scene. 

Her songwriting days started long before that, however. During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Wilson revealed she wrote her first song at the age of nine at a sleepover with her friend. The song was called "Lucky Me," and she still remembers it to this day - singing a little bit of it while visiting the show.

The 2023 CMT Music Awards aired on Sunday (Apr. 2) live from Austin, Texas, on CBS. The event also streamed live on Paramount+. Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown co-hosted the show.