Kylie Frey: The Opelousas Rodeo Queen Behind Reba McEntire's Newest Single
- Louisiana Country Music
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Opelousas, Louisiana native Kylie Frey has spent the better part of a decade building the kind of résumé most country artists chase for a lifetime: 13 No. 1 singles on Texas radio, multiple appearances on the Grand Ole Opry stage, tours alongside Cody Johnson, Casey Donahew, and Randall King, a semifinalist run on America's Got Talent, a spot in the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2024, and now, a songwriting credit on Reba McEntire's newest single, "One Night in Tulsa."
Her accolades tell one side of the story, but the person behind them tells the better one.
This summer, Kylie joined us in Jena, Louisiana for our Louisiana Country Music Writers Retreat, and it didn't take long to remember why everyone who spends time with her says the same thing: she is kind, humble and deeply grounded. She listens closely, makes people feel welcome, and carries herself with the quiet confidence of someone who knows how hard she has worked, but has never confused success with being more important than anyone else. Between writing sessions, porch conversations, and a performance benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, we got a good look at the heart behind the career, and she's still, unmistakably, the rodeo raised girl from Louisiana.
We first sat down with Kylie for a longer conversation on Louisiana Country Music Live last year, giving us great insight into her story, her craft, and where she comes from.
Rodeo Roots in Opelousas
Kylie Frey grew up in Opelousas, Louisiana, in a rodeo family three generations deep. She was a Louisiana state goat-tying champion and a rodeo queen before she ever set foot on a Nashville stage.
"You can't really do that sport without learning hard work and dedication," Kylie told us. "Those lessons have carried on through my whole career."
That rodeo queen training, the interviews, the speeches, the composure in front of a crowd, still shows up in how she carries herself today.
"Being from Opelousas, I had a lisp growing up, so I went through a lot of speech therapy and kind of lost my accent," she said, laughing. "When I tell people I'm from Louisiana, they're like, 'But you don't sound like it,' then they meet my parents and go, 'Oh, yeah, you're from Louisiana.'"
Building a Career the Long Way
Kylie's road to Nashville wasn't a straight line, and she'll be the first to tell you that was the point. Fresh out of high school, something told her it wasn't time yet. She spent a semester at LSU Eunice, worked at her aunt's western store, and started playing local gigs, including her very first show at Frank's in Opelousas, followed by a bar in Washington, Louisiana, where a rice pot doubled as her tip jar for three or four hour sets, several nights a week.
Her father eventually encouraged her to commit fully to music. She recorded a project in her garage, learned the business at a Texas music seminar, and built relationships across the Texas country scene before those connections led her to Nashville, where she's lived for the better part of a decade.
That dual upbringing shaped a sound that lives right between two worlds.
"The big compliment I'd get from Texas radio was that my music was a great transition between Red Dirt and Top 40 radio," she said. "They could play one of my songs between Randy Rogers Band and Carrie Underwood to make the transition smoother."
Her advice for Louisiana artists considering the same move is simple:
"Bet on yourself. Be a student of the town, but hang on to that something inside of you that no one else has."
Songwriting From the Heart
By the time we spoke with Kylie, she was riding the wave of her single "Always Flowers," born out of a season of self-help books, a podcast episode, and an Instagram quote that stuck with her.
"I saw this quote on Instagram about flowers, and I wrote this song with Tom McHugh and Neil Cody," she said. "We wrote it in about 45 minutes at the end of a writing day."
She's kept that momentum going. In October 2025, Kylie released her six song EP Half a Mind, recorded while she was pregnant with her son. The project includes "Fort Worth," a duet with Randall King, and "He Never Learned How," a rodeo tinged heartbreak song that leans directly into her roots.
Motherhood on the Road
Kylie welcomed her son, Lee Berenger "Bear" Peasall, with her partner Jo Peasall, and balancing motherhood with a touring, songwriting career has become one of the most grounding parts of her story.
"It's one day at a time, truly," she told us. "I have great help between my mom and dad, in-laws, and Jo's been a great support."
She shared that country icon Deana Carter, met early in her pregnancy, gave her advice that stuck: keep her son close as much as possible, because it flies by fast. Bear made it to the NFR in Las Vegas at four months old and still shows up to shows regularly.
On Being a Woman in Country Music
Asked directly about the ongoing gender gap on country radio, Kylie didn't shy away from the topic.
She recalled being told early in her Nashville career that her odds of success as a female country singer were about the same as becoming a female astronaut. Rather than let it discourage her, she's leaned on history, pointing to the stretch of the late '80s and early '90s when Shania Twain, Wynonna Judd, Patty Loveless, and Pam Tillis all shared the charts at once, as proof that it can happen again.
"There are always flowers, and always the possibility that can happen again," she said, echoing the same philosophy behind her single.
She also pointed to artists like Lainey Wilson opening doors for the next wave of women in the format, along with industry advocates like Leslie Fram, who has long championed female artists in Nashville. It's a fitting perspective from an artist who went on to earn her own spot in the CMT Next Women of Country Class.
A Full-Circle Moment With Reba
Kylie has cited Reba McEntire as a hero since long before her Nashville days, so when Reba kicked off her 50 year career celebration in 2026 with "One Night in Tulsa," co-written by Kylie alongside Neal Coty and Thom McHugh, it marked one of the biggest moments of her songwriting career.
The song pairs new music with a curated look back at Reba's Oklahoma roots and marks Reba's first solo release in nearly two years, leaning into the '90s heartbreak ballad style that built her legacy. For Kylie, it's her first major label cut as a songwriter, tied to the same artist who first inspired her to chase this career.
It's fitting, too, that "One Night in Tulsa" has long been one of Kylie's own favorites in her catalog, a song she told us has quietly done a lot for her career behind the scenes, long before Reba ever got hold of it.
Why Kylie Frey
From a rice pot tip jar in Washington, Louisiana, to a co-write on a Reba McEntire single, Kylie Frey's career has been built one gig, one writers' round, and one honest song at a time. Through Texas radio hits, Grand Ole Opry appearances, and motherhood on the road, she's stayed unmistakably tied to where she came from.
That was obvious again this summer in Jena. Surrounded by fellow songwriters and a cause worth singing for in St. Jude, Kylie showed up the same way she always does: humble, genuine, and glad to be there. For Louisiana Country Music fans, that's exactly why she belongs in our Artist Spotlight series.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Kylie Frey
Where is Kylie Frey from?
Kylie Frey was born and raised in Opelousas, Louisiana. She now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she's built her career as a singer-songwriter.
Did Kylie Frey write a song for Reba McEntire?
Yes. Kylie co-wrote "One Night in Tulsa," the title track of Reba McEntire's 2026 release marking the start of Reba's 50 year career celebration, alongside Neal Coty and Thom McHugh.
What is Kylie Frey's most recent project?
Kylie released her six song EP Half a Mind in October 2025, which includes the Randall King duet "Fort Worth."
Was Kylie Frey on America's Got Talent?
Yes. Kylie was a semifinalist on Season 18 of NBC's America's Got Talent, performing her original song "Horses in Heaven."
Is Kylie Frey a mom?
Yes. Kylie is the mother of a son, Lee Berenger "Bear" Peasall.
What genre of music does Kylie Frey sing?
Kylie blends traditional and Red Dirt country influences with a polished Nashville sound, a mix she credits to growing up on '90s country while cutting her teeth in the Texas country scene.
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