Five Things We Learned From Whitney Duncan’s Instagram Takeover

Whitney Duncan may be known by many for her stints on popular reality television competition shows like CBS’ Survivor and The Amazing Race, but aside from earning television credits, she’s also an incredibly talented singer/songwriter.

Earlier this month, the Tennessee native released her newest single, “Homesick.” The romantic track, co-written by lauded songwriters, Nicolle Galyon, Lindsay Rimes and Jon Nite, follows her recent cover of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

In celebration of her new release, Duncan, who is currently working on a solo project following her time with country trio Post Monroe, borrowed Country Now’s Instagram account to answer a few fan-submitted questions on topics ranging from new music to workout secrets.

Keep reading to find out five things Country Now learned from Whitney Duncan’s Instagram takeover.

1. She fell in love with “Homesick” the very first time she heard the song.

“I did not write ‘Homesick,’ but I knew on first listen that it was right for me,” Duncan, who has previously written with two out of the three writers on “Homesick,” explained. “This is the first song I ever cut that I wasn’t a co-writer on. The writers are all phenomenal, and I think they knocked it out of the park on this one.”

Duncan dropped “Homesick” on Valentine’s Day, and added that on release day, she was so excited to get her music out to the fans that she ended up partying into the wee hours of the night, while her husband, Keith Tollefson, was home in bed.

“So Friday night, I was celebrating the single and celebrated a little too hard,” she confessed. “I didn’t get home as early as I thought I would. Keith was already asleep by the time I came home.”

Even though she arrived home late, Duncan made sure to treat her husband of nearly six years on Valentine’s Day with one of her specialties – homemade pizza!

2. She’s not afraid to admit that she has a sweet tooth.

“The struggle is real,” Duncan said, adding that she’s a sucker for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. “When I’m being bad, I will be really bad…. the sugar devil is real, and it’s a battle every day of my life.”

Even though Duncan loves tasty treats and baked goods, she’s able to stay in tip-top shape, thanks to Orangetheory Fitness workouts. But she also maintains her health whenever she can by cutting back on dairy products and opting for gluten-free items.

3. Her vacation of choice is a beach getaway.

“Beach all the way,” Duncan beamed when asked whether she’d prefer beachside or lakeside. “Tropical piña colada in hand, reading a book, and listening to the waves, I could go on and on. Take me there!”

Duncan, who has lived in Nashville for over 17 years, also pointed out the rainy weather she’s been experiencing over the past few days.

“You all got me wanting to go to the beach,” she said before naming the British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and Exuma, as some of her favorite vacation destinations.

4. She would consider going back on Survivor, even though the show can be incredibly tough on its contestants.

 “I think the best part of Survivor was also the hardest. It’s making it and struggling every day and asking, ‘Why in the world would I sign up for this?’” Duncan, who competed on season 23’s Survivor: South Pacific as part of the Savaii tribe, said. “It’s miserable and awful, but it’s also awesome. I mean, I fell in love [on the show], so my experience was more magical than most, but it’s just the coolest experience you’ll ever have, and the hardest!”

“I get asked all the time if I’d ever do Survivor again. It would be hard to be gone that long because it’s for six weeks. But I would probably say yes,” she added.

Duncan would likely give Survivor another shot, but she doesn’t hold back when explaining all of the disadvantages that come along with being on the show.

“Things I struggled with – sleeping on bamboo, you could never get comfortable,” she said. “Your clothes would never get dry, so you wore wet clothes the majority of the time. I couldn’t brush my teeth, couldn’t brush my hair. I almost had dreadlocks! The best part, though, is doing something you didn’t think you could do. Being comfortable being uncomfortable, and proving to yourself you can do anything you set your mind to.”

5. Fans can look forward to more music on the way!

“I’ve got four more songs coming after ‘Homesick.’ So stay tuned for more details,” Duncan, who named Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Lizzo, and Selena Gomez as some of her favorite fellow artists, shared.

“It’s so fun to create something every day. But the main thing is the connection with the people that love music,” she added. “I’m continuously working on new music because I’m always writing, but there are four songs ready!”

Check out Whitney Duncan’s latest release, “Homesick,” below.