Lainey Wilson checked an item off her bucket list on Thursday evening when she made her debut on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The ACM New Female Artist of the Year and iHeartRadio Music Awards’ Best New Country Artist took to The Tonight Show stage for a performance of her just-released new single, “Heart Like a Truck.”
Wilson left a lasting impression on viewers as she confidently belted out the lyrics to the powerful track alongside her band.
According to the comments section on YouTube, the Louisiana native gained a few new fans with her performance.
“I’m not a fan of country music. At all really. But I didn’t stray. I stayed. Not bad. Not bad at all. These cats will be going places.,” wrote one user, while another shared, “I don’t listen to country, but I dig her and the band.”
Wilson, who co-wrote “Heart Like a Truck” alongside Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson, released the song on May 20.
“This is a song about finding freedom in strength, and not being afraid of your scars and bruises. A truck that has hit a few bumps and earned a few scratches has proved itself and its tenacity…the shiny one on the lot can’t say that,” Lainey explained at the time.
“I’ve been through some shit. We all have. But when you get through it, you’re stronger and better for it on the other side. Nothing can hold me back from moving forward and finding a way to enjoy life, no matter what. I hope this song reminds y’all of that.”
The clever lyrics compare a heart to a truck and acknowledge that it’s okay to experience heartache. Through it all, the most important thing to remember is to keep going.
“I got a heart like a truck/ It’s been drug through the mud/ Runs on dreams and gasoline/ And that old highway holds the key/ It’s got a lead foot down when it’s leavin’/ Lord knows it’s taken a hell of a beatin’/ A little bit of love is all that it’s needin’/ But it’s good as it is tough/ I got a heart like a truck,” Wilson sings on the chorus.
“Heart Like a Truck” follows Wilson’s first No.1, the breakout smash and ACM Song of the Year, “Things A Man Oughta Know,” and her chart-topping Cole Swindell duet, “Never Say Never.”
The track is the first taste of what’s to come from Wilson’s highly anticipated, yet-to-be-announced sophomore album.
