Little Miss Runner Up

Album: yet to be titled (2024)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Gretchen Wilson returned to action in 2024 with "Little Miss Runner Up," a song about a "bleach blonde devil in a push-up cup" who has a reputation for enticing men who are already taken. All the women in town cringe when they see her, but she gives them plenty to talk about!
  • "Little Miss Runner Up" was Wilson's first new music since 2017. Released in 2024, it marked the 20th anniversary of her landmark debut single, "Redneck Woman."

    Wilson took Nashville by storm with her no-nonsense swagger that bucked the trend of high-gloss singers like Shania Twain and Faith Hill. Her debut album, Here For The Party, did very well, but her next two didn't, and in 2009 she left Epic Records to go independent. Wilson wasn't nearly as visible in the 2010s, and after her 2017 album Ready To Get Rowdy she had some setbacks, including a devastating bout of COVID and an injury that left her in a wheelchair for months.

    "Little Miss Runner Up," released in June 2024, was her comeback single. She hit the road, touring with Big & Rich and playing the CMA Fest. She launched a headline tour in January 2025 and in May emerged out of the sea creature costume ("Pearl") on The Masked Singer to win the competition.
  • Wilson considers this song a sequel to her 2004 hit "Homewrecker," where she gives the lady-tramp a stern warning. She wrote both songs with the Music Row veterans Rivers Rutherford and George Teren.
  • In the music video, directed by Natalie Ruffino Wilson, Allee-Sutton Hethcoat plays Little Miss Runner Up. It's set at a bowling alley where she goes trolling for men. It doesn't end well for her: she gets sloppy drunk and passes out.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger

Kelly Keagy of Night RangerSongwriter Interviews

Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Album Cover Inspirations

Album Cover InspirationsSong Writing

Some album art was at least "inspired" by others. A look at some very similar covers.

Muhammad Ali: His Musical Legacy and the Songs he Inspired

Muhammad Ali: His Musical Legacy and the Songs he InspiredSong Writing

Before he was the champ, Ali released an album called I Am The Greatest!, but his musical influence is best heard in the songs he inspired.

Jay, Peaches, Spinderella and other Darrining Victims

Jay, Peaches, Spinderella and other Darrining VictimsSong Writing

Just like Darrin was replaced on Bewitched, groups have swapped out original members, hoping we wouldn't notice.

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?