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Lainey Wilson Made Her Yellowstone Debut Well Before Season 5

For as long as Paramount Network's flagship drama "Yellowstone" has been on the air, music has remained an important part of its DNA. In fact, the orchestral score in "Yellowstone" means more than some viewers might think — according to composer Brian Tyler, the show's soundtrack doesn't just underscore big moments, but it even reflects some of the major themes that drive the drama throughout "Yellowstone" in its instrumentation.

Beyond employing an impactful score, "Yellowstone" also frequently spotlights musicians both big and small. For example, the acclaimed writer and performer of hit country song "Southside Of Heaven" Ryan Bingham portrays ranch hand Walker in every season released thus far, though Bingham struggles with performing music on "Yellowstone."

One of the latest musical additions to the "Yellowstone" cast is country singer-songwriter Lainey Wilson, who first appears in Season 5, Episode 1 as a country performer named Abby who quickly strikes up a romance with Ryan (Ian Bohen), another one of the Duttons' ranch hands. However, while this episode may mark Wilson's first time appearing on screen, her "Yellowstone" debut technically occurred a few seasons prior.

One of Lainey Wilson's songs appears in an episode of Yellowstone Season 2

After a few episodes in which Abby appears aired over the course of the fifth season of "Yellowstone," Lainey Wilson spoke to USA Today about her character and how she felt becoming a part of one of cable TV's most popular dramas. As it turns out, "Yellowstone" was already important to Wilson dating back to the first episode of Season 2, which features one of her songs, titled "Working Overtime," in its soundtrack.

Years later, of course, showrunner Taylor Sheridan cast Wilson for the role of Abby. In her conversation with USA Today, Wilson revealed that Sheridan provided her with little direction other than to play a version of herself, albeit within the parameters of the show's fictional universe. "All I got from him at that time was that I would play a musician who would fall in love with one of the boys. He didn't even tell me which one," she said.

In a video interview with Associated Press, Wilson mentioned that some of her fans have let her know that they originally found out about her through "Yellowstone," dating back to before she appeared in-person and was merely a featured artist on the show's soundtrack. Now that Wilson portrays a recurring character on the series, her fame should only grow further among "Yellowstone" fans.