When Miranda Lambert headlines the Music City Rodeo at Bridgestone Arena on May 28, she’ll return to a world that helped shape her long before she became one of country music’s most decorated artists.
The three-night event, running May 28 – 30, marks Nashville’s official Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeo and combines country music with classic rodeo competition, including bronc riding, bull riding, team roping, and barrel racing. Lambert joins Charley Crockett and Jon Pardi as headliners for the 2026 event.
“I love a rodeo,” Lambert says. “Those are my people.”
That grounded authenticity has defined Lambert’s career for more than two decades — and now it’s shaping the next phase of her life.
Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning singer-songwriter Lambert launches a bold new chapter May 15 with the infectious new single “Crisco,” her first release under a newly announced label partnership with MCA.
Blending classic country soul with a shimmering ’70s disco glow, “Crisco” delivers a feel-good anthem driven by lush strings, jangly piano keys, and an irresistible groove, with Lambert exploring sonic textures she’s admired for years but never fully embraced until now.
At the same time, Lambert is increasingly focused on producing, mentoring, and creating opportunities for other artists — especially women in country music.
Her most recent album, Postcards from Texas, became her 10th consecutive Top 10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, while her duet with Chris Stapleton, “A Song to Sing,” delivered the biggest streaming debut of her career.
But some of her proudest recent accomplishments involve helping other artists find their footing.
Lambert co-wrote and co-produced Ella Langley’s breakout hit “Choosin’ Texas” and also co-produced Langley’s sophomore album, Dandelion. The partnership began after Langley approached Lambert on the red carpet at the Academy of Country Music Awards to ask about producing.
“But she’s got that fire in her eyes, and when she says something, you listen,” Lambert says.
The two eventually began writing together in a Nashville Airbnb, creating “Choosin’ Texas” — a song neither expected would become such a phenomenon.
“All of us are on a group text constantly sending the mind-blown emoji,” Lambert says, laughing. “We just can’t believe it.”
For Lambert, the success means more than chart positions.
“I’m really proud to branch out and become a producer and mentor,” she says. “To push a female forward like that — I’ve been doing that my entire career.”
That mission stretches beyond individual collaborations. In 2023, Lambert co-founded Big Loud Texas with longtime collaborator Jon Randall and Big Loud Records, creating a label and publishing venture designed to nurture Texas-rooted artists and preserve the independent spirit of the Texas music scene that launched her own career.
“It was really important to me that we keep Texas music alive and hold space for the next generation,” she says. “Because that’s what started me on this journey in the first place.”
The roster includes Dylan Gossett, Jake Worthington, The Droptines, and Coleman Jennings — artists Lambert believes embody authenticity, grit, and strong storytelling.
Her entrepreneurial reach also includes Nashville’s Casa Rosa, her Idyllwind fashion line, and her nonprofit MuttNation Foundation, which has raised more than $13 million supporting shelters, animal adoption, and disaster relief.
Still, Lambert says the most fulfilling part of this stage of her career may be helping other artists navigate the pressures she once faced alone.
“I didn’t really have that coming up,” she says. “I was kind of head down, plowing ahead in a man’s world.”
Now, as she prepares to return to the rodeo stage in Nashville, Lambert says she finally feels something she never fully expected after years of relentless momentum.
“Honestly,” she says, “I feel fulfilled.”