Kelly Clarkson tapped into her Southern roots when she joined Lainey Wilson for a duet version of Wilson’s latest single, “Country’s Cool Again.” The two joined forces on a recent episode of the Kelly Clarkson Show during the host’s Kellyoke segment.

Wilson opened the song with the first verse and reserved the second verse for Clarkson. While both executed their roles flawlessly, the real magic came when the two linked up for the chorus.

“Everybody wanna be a cowboy / Drive a jon boat, whip a John Deere / Everybody want a backwoods front porch / With a tub full of iced-down beer / Must be something in the water flowing out of the holler / Blue collar must’ve caught a new wind / Doggone, dadgum it, didn’t see that coming / Country’s cool again,” the two singers belt out in perfect harmony.

Country Music Is Totally Cool Again

Clarkson appeared to be enjoying herself during the performance, and her powerful vocals floated over the country melody effortlessly. It’s no surprise, as the pop singer is known for her captivating covers from all genres of music on her show.

She’s covered several country songs over the years during her Kellyoke segment, including Shania Twain‘s “Any Man of Mine,” Deana Carter‘s “Strawberry Wine” and even Jelly Roll‘s “Save Me” earlier in 2024.

As a Texas native, it would not be out of left field for Clarkson to put out a country project — it’s in her roots. And with so many other out-of-genre artists going country, it would appear the time is right.

Ed Sheeran has expressed interest in working on country music, while Post Malone has already been in the studio with several Nashville standouts. And don’t forget Beyonce, who famously released two surprise tracks during the Super Bowl — “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” — which will appear on her country-leaning album, Act II.

It’s true, country is cool again. Although the real fans know, it was never not cool.