Gretchen Wilson is reviving her “trashy” country music career by paying tribute to her iconic debut.
The singer released her new song, “Redneck S–t,” on May 1, which is reminiscent of her very first hit single, “Redneck Woman.”
“For 20 plus years, I’ve been looking at guys out in the audience singing, ‘I’m a Redneck Woman,’” Wilson exclusively told Page Six ahead of her Country Thunder Florida set at Coachman Park in Clearwater, Florida. “And I was like, ‘One of these days, I have to write something for everybody, not just the women.’”
“This song is really just for anybody and everybody. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or who you are, or what walk of life [you come from],” she continued. “If you’ve ever wanted to just get stupid and muddy in the backyard and have a party, this is your song!”
The 52-year-old further described it as one of “the most trashy, redneck songs available right now” for people to listen to and get hyped up.
Wilson even went so far as to dub it “the song of the summer” while performing the track at the waterfront venue last Saturday. She told the crowd that they were one of the first audiences to hear it live.
The songwriter closed her lively set with her beloved hit “Redneck Woman,” which skyrocketed her to fame 22 years ago.
At the time of its revolutionary release, “Redneck Woman” broke the stereotype that female country music artists had to be polished.
For many, it turned the term “redneck” into one of pride, rather than an insult.
The song also earned Wilson recognition at the 2005 Grammy Awards, as she won Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
“Redneck Woman” served as the lead single off Wilson’s debut album, “Here for the Party,” which was released in May 2004 and immediately climbed to the top of the country music charts.
Wilson is currently in the process of re-recording “Here for the Party” as a star-studded duets project, which will be released by her own Redneck Records.
Confirmed collaborators include Tanya Tucker on “Redneck Woman” and Cody Johnson on “When I Think About Cheating,” while Miranda Lambert, Travis Tritt and Ella Langley are rumored to be taking part.
Wilson performed at Country Thunder Florida as part of her current “Still Here For The Party” tour, which continues throughout the summer.
Wilson has continued to stay true to her redneck roots all these years. Despite decades in the music industry, she credits staying grounded to the fact that she didn’t get her big break too early in life.
“I think people really relate to [me] because [I’m] not trying to put on any kind of an air; what you see is what you get, and people like that,” she told Page Six.
As for some of the most “redneck s–t” she’s done?
“I used to catch snapping turtles in a cage and clean them out so that my uncle could make a Mulligan Stew, turtle soup. It’s really gross,” she playfully recalled. “We do redneck stuff all the time.”
To keep in line with that, Wilson has been promoting “Redneck S–t” by encouraging fans to show off their own redneck sides.
“Tag me in YOUR #RedneckSh—t. 😉🤟🏼,” she challenged her Instagram followers last week, alongside a clip showing behind-the-scenes footage from her new music video.
Wilson performing her new song wasn’t the only highlight of Country Thunder Florida, however.
Festival goers enjoyed a full weekend of musical performances while overlooking panoramic views of the Clearwater Harbor from May 8 through May 10 in the heart of Downtown Clearwater.
Dasha — who took the stage last Sunday — exclusively told Page Six how excited she was to perform her biggest hits at the “beautiful” venue, which made for a “good vibe” leading up to her set.
The country singer also spilled her pre-show rituals, which include meditating and working out.
“I like to kind of get centered with myself because the character I feel like I become on stage is different than who I am,” she exclusively told Page Six. “You just kind of tap into the bigger-than-life version of you. And so the more grounded you can go into that, the better.”
Dasha added that the “10 minutes before” hitting the stage is “what really hits” for her as an artist.
“We do a huddle, everyone puts their right foot in, I kind of make a speech, and then we take a shot, depending on the show,” she shared. “And we go on stage and rock out!”
The festival also featured headliners Gavin Adcock, Zach Top and Kane Brown, as well as a lineup of breakout country stars including Elizabeth Nichols, Max McNown and Braxton Keith.
During last Sunday night’s performance — which served as an energetic close to the festival — Brown brought his wife, Katelyn Jae, on stage to perform their duet “Thank God” in honor of Mother’s Day.
Shaboozey was another highlight, lighting up the stage with his performance as he played fan-favorite tunes like “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” “Good News” and “Blink Twice.”
The musician also gave an emotional Mother’s Day speech and said a prayer for all the moms in the high-energy crowd.
