Three generations of legendary status in country music came together at the
2025 ACM Awards
on Thursday night (May 8), when show host
Reba McEntire
joined forces with
Miranda Lambert
and
Lainey Wilson
for a performance of their new song, “Trailblazer.”
Wilson kicked off the show, and subsequently, Lambert and McEntire made their way onto the stage individually, each delivering lines dedicated to their influential musicians.
Wearing identical outfits of brown leather paired with turquoise accents, the trio of performers delivered synchronized vocal harmonies throughout their act.
Every lyric resonated personally with the journey of rising as a female in country music, owing much to the trailblazers who set the path forward in this genre.
The track also acknowledged an additional viewpoint: ”
They offered me a place at the table / And I’m keeping one for you,
At some point, McEntire smiled while pointing at Wilson and Lambert.
The three women
announced
“Trailblazer,” just a few days prior to the performance, revealed that Lambert and Wilson composed the song collaboratively. When they invited McEntire to participate with them, she readily agreed.
The song mentions some of their major inspirations in country music, such as
Dolly Parton
,
Loretta Lynn
,
Patsy Cline
and Tammy Wynette.
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Full List of 2025 ACM Awards Winners
Lambert mentioned, “We aimed to strongly emphasize honoring each individual.” He continued, “However, we needed to approach this tactfully, as we didn’t want it to be too obvious—rather, something subtle that requires listening to it at least two times to fully grasp.”
They composed the song aiming to pass on the torch of country music to a new wave of “pioneers” within the genre.
This year’s ACM Awards ceremony has spotlighted tributes, retrospectives, and cyclical moments as themes, marking the event’s 60th anniversary since inception.
Reba McEntire, who is hosting tonight’s event, returned to perform as a singer for the second time during this appearance, delivering “Trailblazer.” The evening commenced with her spearheading a 12-minute medley at the beginning of the show, honoring numerous ACM Song of the Year victors across the last sixty years.