Lainey Wilson's Netflix documentary: How to watch and what to know

The first moments of Lainey Wilson's new Netflix documentary do not open on a stage or an awards show, but with the country star wiping up pee from her dog, Hippie Mae Wilson, with paper towels on the floor. It is not glamorous or polished and that's exactly the point.

At a private screening in Nashville on April 15, Wilson arrived looking every bit the modern country star she has become. In her textured tan suit with a subtle sheen, the star gave hugs to her team, collaborators and members of the media. She finished her outfit with a black cropped top, a wide-brimmed black hat and gold statement jewelry.

Her documentary, "Lainey Wilson: Keepin' Country Cool," runs 80 minutes and follows the "Bell Bottom Country" singer for more than a year, from shows in Nashville to the final stop of her tour in Monroe, Louisiana.

"About a year and a half ago, my colleague Zana Lawrence and I were sitting in the office talking about the country music space and how we at Netflix have historically underserved that audience," said Netflix executive Cameron Jewell.

The execs met with several country stars. When they finally set a meeting with Wilson, it stretched well beyond the typical hour.

"Lainey is such a fun, funny, wildly talented artist, and the film really showcases all of that," Jewell said.

'Keepin' country cool'

For all the sold-out shows and awards, the documentary is most focused on what it took to get there and what it costs to stay.

"I think a lot of people probably think that this was an overnight success," she says in the film. "I've been here 14 years. So, a 14-year overnight success, if you want to call it that."

The documentary traces that climb from home videos to moving to Music City, including the period when she lived in a camper trailer outside a studio. It also shows the mental weight of depression and anxiety that sometimes follow reaching those dreams.

"I had several breakdowns, I guess you could say. I was just losing it. I was like, I don't know if I can go any further."

There is humor woven throughout the film as well, especially in a scene back home in Baskin, Louisiana with her parents when they both leave to go find a memory box of old pictures. Her mom, Michelle Wilson, thinks it's in the attic. Her dad thinks it's in a backyard trailer. The goofy search for family photos illuminates the warm dynamic between them.

Wilson peels back the curtain on her relationship with former professional football player Devlin "Duck" Hodges, from how they met to how he proposed. Next, the couple is talking about how to start a family.

"I feel it in my heart too, that I was called to be a mama," she says.

How to watch Lainey Wilson's documentary

"Lainey Wilson: Keepin' Country Cool" premieres globally on Netflix on April 22.

Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.