Lauren Watkins Admits Opening for Lainey Wilson Has Been 'So Special' as She Reflects on New Album: 'I See Myself in Her'

Lauren Watkins is soaking in every moment of her whirlwind year — and it's easy to see why.

During an exclusive chat with OK!, Watkins reflects on the release of her new album, In a Perfect World, and making her Madison Square Garden debut as an opener for Lainey Wilson on Friday, October 10.

"Oh my gosh, where do I begin?" the Nashville native says, admitting life right now has been a dream come true.

"We've been out on the road for the past few weeks with Lainey and this is our last weekend, actually," she shares, wrapping up a milestone moment for her career. "Lainey has been awesome. It's been so cool to be on tour with her. I've gotten to tour with a lot of guys — and I love doing that — but getting to go on tour with a girl is just so special in a different way."

"I can see myself in her, and I just look up to her a lot," Watkins notes.

The "Average Joe & Plain Jane" singer says performing alongside the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year has been a truly inspiring experience — one that has come with career milestones of her own.

"To play Madison Square Garden is really wild," Watkins confesses. "I grew up in Tennessee, and you'd hear 'Madison Square Garden' and think it was this mythical place. So to actually stand there and play… it's unreal."

That dream come true is just one of many for Watkins, who calls the entire week "a total pinch-me moment."

Between releasing her new album, In a Perfect World, appearing on the Today show and opening for Wilson at MSG, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter can hardly believe how much she's accomplished.

"There are so many big things happening at once," she explains. "The album is so important to me — I worked on it with my husband [Will Bundy]. It's this whole huge, exciting thing."

When it comes to her musical influences, Watkins doesn't hesitate.

"Miranda Lambert — I’ve loved her music forever. And Kacey Musgraves. Those are my two favorites," she says with a smile.

As for inspiration behind her new record, Watkins details how it captures the push-and-pull between her life on stage and her quiet time at home.

"Honestly, the inspiration came from the past few years of my life," the "I Was Fine Before I Met You" singer recalls. "I got married last year and I’ve also been on the road a ton, so it’s this hilarious contrast — the first half of my week I'm at home with my husband, making dinner every night, building a farmhouse, and the other half I'm on the road playing shows and losing sleep."

That balance, she says, became the heart of her songwriting.

"The chaos made me have this deep appreciation for my life at home," Watkins realizes. "I write about the ordinary things now — the domestic, everyday moments — but also the crazy life on the road. It’s all part of it. I’ve been saying it’s the good, bad and the ugly of life."

Despite her growing success, Watkins remains grounded — and grateful for the lessons she's learned along the way.

"One piece of advice I've gotten a lot is that you don't have to overthink everything," she adds. "We get so deep into the nitty gritty of ‘everything is make or break,’ but the less you try to hold everything so tightly together, the smoother things go."

As she closes out her run with Wilson, Watkins is savoring the moment — and dreaming about what’s next.

"Your career can look like whatever you want it to look like," she concludes, feeling proud of what her own success looks like at the moment.