Miranda Lambert on Fighting to Be on Radio: ‘I Just Want to Be Heard’

It’s been since 2016 that Miranda Lambert had a No. 1 song, with “Vice,” a position that she has held a handful of times, including with blockbuster hits like “The House That Built Me” and “Heart Like Mine.” Her debut single from Wildcard, “It All Comes Out in the Wash,” landed in the Top 15, but Lambert isn’t too concerned with how far up she climbs on the charts, as long as fans get to hear her music.

“I just really want to be heard,” Lambert told AZ Central. “It’s not about No. 1. I mean, that’s nice. But it’s more about I want to be in people’s lives, I want to be in their kitchens and on their car radios because that’s how we bond, that’s how they come to the shows and that’s how I have a job, you know?”

Lambert’s The Weight of These Wings, which included “Vice,” was more of a singer-songwriter record, a fact that was reflected in the singles, with only “Vice” landing even in the Top 10. It’s a delicate balance for Lambert between writing what she wants and what fans want to hear, and one that she continues to try to find for herself.

“I’ve really walked this very fine line throughout my career of commercial country music and having critical acclaim and having that art part right out front,” Lambert acknowledged. “And it’s not easy, especially now, because I’ve done it for a really long time and the whole industry is changing by the day. So part of it is relief, and part of it is, where do I go from here? How do I reinvent? What do I do next? How do I keep my spot?”

The struggle for her, especially as a female artist, is one she has fought for a long time, and will likely continue to fight.

“It’s been a career-long conversation and a lot of stress,” Lambert said of her fight for airplay. “When it works, it works. And I’m still trying to fight that battle literally as we speak. I have a new single that just went to radio, ‘Bluebird,’ so who knows?”

Lambert is currently on her Wildcard Tour, which includes Cody Johnson and LANCO as her opening acts. Find tour dates, and download or stream Wildcard, by visiting her website.

Photo Credit: Getty / John Shearer