AceShowbiz - Lainey Wilson's love for music has always been a refuge. Ahead of the release of her new album "Whirlwind", the country singer opens up about how songwriting helped her through childhood struggles.

"I dealt with mean girls, but it was hard. When you're 13, 14 years old..." Wilson recalled in an interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe. "But I would come home and write, finding an outlet to express my emotions."

She described songwriting as a way of "dealing with stuff at home behind closed doors," and it remains a form of self-expression for her. "Songwriting has helped me observe others and become more empathetic," she said. "I can take on their pain, which is both my best and worst quality, but it allows me to write from someone else's perspective."

Wilson wrote her first song at age 9 and grew up listening to country legends like Glen Campbell and Patsy Cline. Her passion for music has been unwavering, and she feels a connection to the country music community. "We eat, sleep, and breathe it," she said. "This new album is the most cathartic and personal piece of art I've ever made."

Wilson's relationship with former NFL player Devlin "Duck" Hodges has been a whirlwind. They met when Hodges was playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and their lives were on different paths. "It was a weird time, with both of our lives changing," Wilson said. "You would think that someone couldn't handle that."

However, their relationship has proved resilient. Wilson described it as a "whirlwind", "It's not normal, but we know what we have is special."