People said Brooks & Dunn were past their prime—too old, washed up, done. But the moment they hit the stage at CMA Fest and dropped the first notes of “Play Something Country” with Lainey Wilson by their side, the crowd lost its mind. The energy exploded. Fans who once doubted were suddenly on their feet, screaming every word like it was 2005 all over again. Lainey lit the fire, but Brooks & Dunn poured on the gasoline—proving in one unforgettable moment that legends don’t fade, they roar back louder.

“It’s cool to be able to get on stage with those legends,” Wilson shares.

Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson; Photo Courtesy CMA

Lainey Wilson and Brooks & Dunn teamed up for an unexpected duet during CMA Fest 2025 that made for one of the most buzzed-about moments of the four-day festival.

During the opening night at Nissan Stadium, the songstress was welcomed to the stage as Brooks & Dunn’s surprise guest. Together they delivered the collaborative rendition of their number one hit “Play Something Country,” which Wilson claims to be one of her “favorite” Brooks & Dunn songs.

The track was first released in 2005 as the lead single off their celebrated Hillbilly Deluxe record and then re-recorded with the addition of Wilsons vocals for their 2024 REBOOT II project.

The song came to life once again during their performance which aired on the primetime special, “CMA Fest Presented by SoFi”. During the three-hour ABC broadcast, the Louisiana hitmaker puts a fresh spin on this classic tune, incorporating her signature flair and fiery performance style.

“It’s cool to be able to get on stage with those legends and kind of feel like they’re wrapping their arm around you and I don’t know, we’ll see what happens. I’m nervous, but it’ll be good,” she said prior to taking the stage.

CMA Fest has always held a special place in Lainey Wilson’s heart. She revealed she has attended every year since she was just 14 years old and to this day considers it to be “one of the happiest times of the year.”

While her experience is a bit different as an artist, it still reminds her of the power of country music and the community of friends she’s built with her fellow country acts.

“I’ve said this a few times before, but it really does feel like country music. Christmas, I feel like you get to see everybody and it’s a treat for me because I don’t get to see all of my artist friends all the time either. We might bump into each other in another town, but getting to see each other in Nashville, so many people from all over the world, not just America, but I mean you’ve got folks from Australia and Germany and Scotland and they come in here to watch their favorite country music artists and they get to see it all in the same weekend,” she shared.

Fans got the chance to relive Wilson’s epic performance with Brooks & Dunn as part of “CMA Fest presented by SoFi,” the three-hour primetime special that aired Thursday, June 26 at 8/7c on ABC and the next day on Hulu.