Lainey Wilson’s Deep Cut “Middle Finger” Is Still One Of Her Sassiest, Most Underrated GEMS

Honestly, still one of my favorite Lainey Wilson songs. Her Whirlwind album is due out everywhere this Friday, August 23rd, and to say the Louisiana native has come a long way and become a country sensation over the last year or two would be a vast understatement. For me, as someone who has been following her career for years now, it's been incredible to watch her meteoric rise to the forefront of country music (though make no mistake, it's been a long journey ), and you can certainly credit her for part of the reason it's become so popular in the mainstream lately. I wrote a piece in 2021 saying that she was "on the fast track to country music stardom and undoubtedly a name to watch," and yes I'm using this as an opportunity to remind you that I was listening to her before it was "cool," but also, yes, I get paid to do that so I guess I shouldn't get too much credit. Anyways, suffice all that to say that I couldn't be happier for all of the success she's having, and whenever a big album from an artist I really love is about to get released, I can't help but revisit some of their early stuff and the music I first fell in love with. And one of Lainey's best, in my very humble opinion, is her sassy, savage tune "Middle Finger," which was written by Lainey along with Faren Rachels and Trannie Stevens. The song was first included on her 2018 Lainey Wilson EP, but she also released an updated version of the song in 2022 as a Spotify exclusive single, which has a lot more polish and production. And what makes it so great, you may ask... well, it’s essentially a thank-you note to her middle finger for a slew of things "she’s" been there for over Lainey’s life and it’s downright hilarious. The premise and concept of the song is really unique and fun, centering around the idea that her middle finger is “my girl,” and always sticks up for her when she doesn’t have a friend... like when it comes to her ex and finding her ground when she knows she deserves better, for example: "She got to know my ex Pretty damn well She wiped off my hurt and gave me the nerve To stand up for myself" Just brilliant, and universally relatable concept that is perfectly expressed in this amazing song. Forget diamonds, it’s the best friend a girl could ever ask for, and these kinds of tunes are what makes country so special. It has that women scorned feel and edge, and will make you wanna scream-sing it at the top of your lungs while also giving you a good laugh and feeling that someone really understands you. If you're newer to Lainey's music and haven't ventured quite so far back into her catalog yet, please change that now and turn this all the way up: "Middle Finger" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P44V7rFAYsU And the rockin' Spotify exclusive single, which I think deserves a spot on the next record or even to just be released as a regular single so we can all listen to it anytime we want: Whirlwind tracklist: 1. Keep Up With Jones (Lainey Wilson, Josh Kear, Wyatt McCubbin) 2. Country’s Cool Again (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Aslan Freeman) 3. Good Horses (feat. Miranda Lambert) (Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick) 4. Broken Hearts Still Beat (Lainey Wilson, Dallas Wilson, Josh Thompson, Blake Pendergrass) 5. Whirlwind (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson) 6. Call A Cowboy (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson) 7. Hang Tight Honey (Lainey Wilson, Driver Williams, Jason Nix, Paul Sikes) 8. Bar In Baton Rouge (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Kasey Tyndall, Jason Nix) 9. Counting Chickens (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Josh Kear, Dallas Wilson, Jon Decious) 10. 4x4xU (Lainey Wilson, Jon Decious, Aaron Raitiere) 11. Ring Finger (Lainey Wilson, Aaron Raitiere, Marti Dodson, Jon Decious) 12. Middle Of It (Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson) 13. Devil Don’t Go There (Lainey Wilson, Abram Dean, Lance Miller, Joe Fox) 14. Whiskey Colored Crayon (Lainey Wilson, Josh Kear, Wyatt McCubbin)