Miranda Lambert is one of the biggest stars in modern country music, and lately she's been sharing her crown with former rocker Elle King, who made her official introduction to country music with her new record, Come Get Your Wife. King's new country career has been propelled by collaborations with Lambert and others, including the women's 2021 duet "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)," which became a Platinum-certified, worldwide hit.
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Lambert and King clearly work well together, but it's also evident from their appearances onstage and at events that they have a deep friendship and respect for one another's music. Lambert recently reflected on her relationship with the country up-and-comer and celebrated King's unique brand of country music with People.
"I love that she is comfortable in her skin and in her art," Lambert says. "She is so honest about who she is. She just gives it all she has every time no matter what. Because she is honest, and that's what country music is. Stories about the truth, good, bad and ugly -- and Elle tells those stories in such a beautiful way ... I love her to death."
King, for her part, is fully embracing her transition into country music. She has officially moved to Nashville with her fiancé Dan Tooker and their 16-month-old son Lucky Levi, and she says the new music is a result of finally finding true happiness in her life.
"I always wondered, 'What's my music going to sound like if I ever get happy?' And it's the best music I've ever made," King shares with the publication. "I feel so much joy in my life right now."
King's new chapter comes after experiencing hardships in her 20s that included a broken marriage and drug use. Life hasn't been easy in recent years either, as she and Tooker experienced trouble conceiving and pregnancy losses before welcoming Lucky. Now that she's a mom, King says she's exactly where she needs to be.
"I'm a mother. That's all I ever wanted to be," King says.
"I always dreamt of having a baby and my partner on the bus, traveling around the world and making great music, and now it's my daily life," she adds later. "I have everything I've ever wanted."
