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Why Elle King Can't Stop Praising Miranda Lambert and the "Badass" Women of Country Music

In celebration of CMA Fest 2022, country singer Elle King exclusively shared with E! News the female artists who are impressing her on and off stage.

By Mike Vulpo, Alex Ross Aug 03, 2022 5:37 PMTags
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Elle King is raising a glass to her country music peers. 

As the co-host for CMA Fest 2022, the "Drunk (And I Don't Want to Go Home)" singer had the opportunity to see a lot of talented artists perform in Nashville this summer. But according to Elle, it's the women in country music who deserve some extra love for being absolute powerhouses. 

"Before I came into country music, I didn't know that much about modern country," Elle exclusively shared with E! News. "But I knew who Miranda Lambert was and she's one of the best performers ever. And then you have people like Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde and they're just absolute badasses. That's the only way that I can describe them." 

In any genre of music, Elle believes that women "still have to fight to be equals." And while she describes country music as a "warmer place" for females, she still wants to give credit to her peers.

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"I feel like the women in country music, even though they're dolled up and they're sweet, they're tough women and they're badasses and they're really super-duper hard workers," Elle said. "But they're so fun and lovely and that's why I want to stay in country music because whether it's a guy, whether it's a girl, it's this cool, really fun club and I just feel very lucky to be a part of it."

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During CMA Fest 2022, which was taped in June, viewers will watch special performances from artists including Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett and more. 

Plus, Elle teased a special collaboration with one of her favorite artists. "I do bring Ashley up on stage with me and we sing on the big stage," she shared. "It's a moment that I'll never ever forget, ever." 

And if you're still not convinced that this concert is a special event, allow Elle to explain just how big this Nashville event is to country music fans.

"It's 50,000 fans that fly from all over the world to come and hear all these songs," she said. "You never know who's gonna pop up on stage. You never know who's gonna come up next. And the energy is just so electric that it's just an incredible show to be at."

Watch it all unfold when CMA Fest 2022 airs Wednesday, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. on ABC. 

Peacock is live now! Check out NBCU's streaming service here.