Gretchen Wilson Is 'Just Glad to Still Be Relevant' 21 Years After Hit 'Redneck Woman' (Exclusive)

Two decades after Gretchen Wilson released her mega hit "Redneck Woman" in 2004, her spark has been reignited — and the aspiring musicians on The Road played a significant role.

Reflecting on the early days of her career, Wilson says that the making of her debut album Here for the Party in 2004 and her sophomore album All Jacked Up in 2005 was a whirlwind.

"I really remember that time in my life just being very hectic," Wilson, 52, who's starring on The Road, tells PEOPLE exclusively.

"When I finally got out of the major label thing and started my own label, I got to slow down and make music at a pace that I think was more suitable for the music, quite honestly," she adds.

Aside from the pressures to release music, Wilson remembers "a lot of partying" and being surrounded by her friends at the time.

"I remember being with my buddies and just hanging out with likeminded musicians and making history and just knowing in that moment that this is the moment, this is the time," she recalls. "This is the time that you have to mark in that little spot in your mind because it doesn't happen for everybody. And we are the few and fortunate."

She continues, "[I'm] just glad to still be relevant."

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Most recently, Wilson took on the role of tour manager on the brand-new CBS show The Road, where she mentors 12 aspiring musicians as they open for Keith Urban on tour. Per the show's description, "The series captures their high-stakes, unfiltered journeys and offers a backstage pass into the gritty life of a touring musician."

After working on the show, Wilson felt inspired and says it opened her eyes to "all of the things that I'm not doing right now."

"Watching the fire and just the want in these kids... These contestants were all so very talented and just amazing to work with. They lit a bit of a fire in me," she says.

Now, the singer-songwriter is working on a re-release of her debut album, which she hopes to release early 2026.

"It's going to be the very first album with all of the big hits that everybody knows on it. But what's different is I'm going to have a guest artist on each song," she says, adding, "I can't tell you who yet, but definitely some big names and some that are very, very right now and some that are just my favorites from yesteryear."

For now, watch The Road on CBS and Paramount+.