Miranda Lambert Talks “Growth and Responsibility” As She Marks 20 Years in Country Music

The 41-year-old country star is celebrating 20 years in the industry.

2025 is a milestone year for Miranda Lambert, as it marks the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Kerosene. Since that very first record, Miranda has shown listeners time and time again that she’s anything but singular. Instead, the 41-year-old singer capitalizes on duality, reminding fans that you can be both humble and bold, sweet and fiery, feminine and a tomboy, career-oriented and down-to-earth. To celebrate her storied career, we sat down with Miranda to discuss her many accolades, latest releases, nonprofit work, and more.

She’s Real and Relatable—And, as a Result, the Most-Awarded Artist in the History of the ACM Awards

For Miranda, it’s all about embracing all the moments and stages of life, letting them shine through in her music, and above all, keeping it real in the process.

“I think it’s every artist’s responsibility to sing about the truth,” Miranda tells Country Living. “I write and sing about what I know; what I have experienced, or what someone I know or someone I heard about is going through. Those stories reflect what most of my fans are dealing with, as well, so it covers all the emotions.”

It’s her unwavering relatability and mesmerizing vocals that make Miranda a household name; it’s arguably what’s earned her more ACM Awards than any other artist—she’s racked up nearly 40 wins under her turquoise-studded belt.

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Miranda Lambert, ACM Awards, 2021

“It’s a special gift to be a singer-songwriter, and I take it very seriously,” she says. “The awards are wonderful, of course, and it never gets old when you are recognized for your work. Just as important, or truly even more so, are the fans—that is your direct feedback on what you create as an artist… As an artist, I want to be open to keep exploring and releasing music that’s maybe unexpected—it’s an important part of my growth and responsibility.”

Working With Reba McEntire and Lainey Wilson on “Trailblazer”

Miranda, Reba McEntire, and Lainey Wilson are all A-list country acts in their own right. Together, though, they create a trio that has captivated audiences near and far. The queens of country banded together to debut their female empowerment hit “Trailblazer,” a song that celebrates inclusivity over gatekeeping, at the 60th ACM Awards, held on May 8, 2025. Of the many collaborations Miranda has worked on, “Trailblazer” strikes a special chord.

“It means a lot to me—I love supporting women, and I respect both Reba and Lainey so much,” Miranda says. “When you are around women like that, you feel inspired. They both have so much passion and work very hard, and it shows.”

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At its core, “Trailblazer” is a song of shared passion and camaraderie. And to Miranda, Lainey and Reba are the ultimate examples of women supporting women. “They set the bar high and push everyone around them to rise with them,” she says. “The music industry is tough, but it’s a lot easier when you have artist friends to lean on who truly get it. It’s nice to talk with, and feel supported by, people who have either been through it themselves, or are navigating it right alongside you.”

Working With Chris Stapleton on “A Song To Sing”

Having written together in the past, Miranda and Chris Stapleton have long sparked collaboration rumors. On July 11, the pair finally released their highly anticipated duet, “A Song To Sing.”

“Chris is great at everything he does, and I love his voice and artistry,” Miranda says. “We wrote this particular song with Jesse Frasure and Jenee Fleanor a while back, and we had such a great day writing it. We got Dave Cobb to produce the track; both Chris and I had worked with him before, so it was a no-brainer.”

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The song marks yet another instant hit for Miranda, reportedly becoming the biggest streaming debut of her career. The way Miranda sees it, it’s the song’s departure from her and Chris’ typical sound that makes it so stream-worthy. “The song has a very nostalgic, retro feel for me, just like the old country vibe I love,” she says. “I was really excited about the thought of sharing it with our fans because it was something so different for both of us. It honors the ones you love, and it’s a summer jam!”

Touring With Morgan Wallen

Between fishing trips, golf lessons, horseback riding, and writing sessions, Miranda has spent a portion of her summer joining Morgan Wallen for select stops on his I’m The Problem Tour.

“Being on his tour has been really great so far, and I’ve been enjoying watching Morgan in his element,” Miranda shares. “His show is extremely high energy, and his fan base knows all the words to all his songs—it’s definitely his time.”

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While Miranda initially garnered some flak for going on tour with Morgan (she posted a Jimmy Kimmel-inspired “Mean Tweets: Morgan Wallen Tour Edition” on Instagram back in February), ultimately, she’s glad to be along for the ride. “I am a fan of Morgan and his music,” she confirms. “I have been touring for a long time and love the opportunity to perform for [his] audience and hopefully gain some new fans that are not familiar with my music.”

What some country newcomers might not know is that Miranda and Morgan have actually worked on a few songs together over the years. In 2023, Morgan released “Thought You Should Know”—a song he and Miranda wrote together—on his third studio album, One Thing at a Time. “[It] ended up a No. 1 hit, which was a fun accomplishment to have together,” Miranda shares.

Her Work With Big Loud Texas

A Texan through and through, Miranda worked alongside Jon Randall to establish the Big Loud imprint, Big Loud Texas, in 2023. Fast forward to May of this year, and the duo officially opened the Big Loud Texas House, designed by Miranda’s Junk Gypsy pals, in Austin, Texas. Within its beautifully decorated walls, Miranda hopes to usher in the next generation of country greats.

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“We are still at the beginning of that journey, and I am loving that I can be a part of mentoring artists and supporting them,” she reveals. “Since I have been through this experience myself, I know all the different stages of building a career, which puts me in a good position to be helpful to our Big Loud Texas artists on their own path. I have always let music lead, and I know that it’s also important to be commercially successful if you want to be around for a long time, so I hope I can help them balance that.”

Her Nonprofit Work With MuttNation

Music isn’t Miranda’s sole passion. She’s a lifelong advocate for and lover of animals, too. That’s why she founded MuttNation in 2009: to raise awareness and funds for rescue and shelter animals.

“The need is so great for being a voice for shelter animals; it’s a never-ending, overwhelming task to look out for them,” Miranda shares. “When we started MuttNation in 2009, we were hoping that we could help get more dogs in shelters adopted into loving families. We’ve since expanded our efforts to be very active in many more areas of rescue. Our current programs that we partner with Tractor Supply Co. on are ‘Mutts Across America,’ supporting one shelter in each state, once a year, with a special grant, as well as the ‘Relief for Rescues Fund,’ which assists quickly in times of disaster such as the current flood relief efforts in Texas, New Mexico, and New Jersey.”

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Additionally, Miranda and MuttNation work to provide extra TLC for pups who struggle to find adoptive homes. “A very important program we do with Life of Riley at Spring Point is ‘Love Harder,’ which is about dogs that have a more difficult time [getting] adopted, such as senior dogs, dogs with disabilities, pit mixes, and larger black dogs,” she shares.

But that’s not all. Miranda and MuttNation also work to educate the general public about the importance of getting dogs fixed. “‘It Takes Balls’ is a program we started a few years back to support spay and neuter, especially in rural areas, to stem the flow of new puppies being born and leading to overcrowded shelters,” she shares.

The Idyllwind Idea

Wish you could go shopping in Miranda’s fringe-laden, Westernwear-themed closet? You pretty much can thanks to her brand, Idyllwind: Fueled by Miranda Lambert, which she debuted in collaboration with Boot Barn in 2018.

“I started Idyllwind because I wanted great-looking boots that were comfortable enough to wear while I was on stage, and I wanted clothing to fit my lifestyle—and that of my fans—that was a good quality product, fit well, and was affordable,” she reveals, noting that Idyllwind’s boots and denim lines are particularly popular. “I live my life on the go, and I know my fans are busy juggling their lives, too, so we want to keep our clothing simple, yet cute.”

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Ready to make room in your closet for some Idyllwind finds? The fall collection will be available at Boot Barn stores, and online at Idyllwind.com, by the end of August/early September, Miranda says.

Her Latest Hobby

Despite juggling a massively successful career, a new label imprint, and an active nonprofit, Miranda makes time for hobbies (and her hubby!), too. “I’ve been learning to play golf this year,” she shares. “My husband loves golf, and it’s been a really fun way for us to spend time together. This summer is pretty busy with touring, so we’ve found time to escape in between shows and go to different courses in the cities we’re in. It’s been a nice way to carve out time together when life is on the go.”

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What’s Next

As is evident from the first seven months of 2025, not to mention the last two decades, Miranda always has something up her sleeve. As for what’s next, she’s just going with the flow. “I’m pretty much always creating; it just looks different depending on where I am in the process,” she says. “Sometimes, I’m just living my life, so that I have something to write about when I come back to the music. I’ve been writing with some friends in Nashville, too. I always let the music guide where I’m going next, and trust the process.”