K. Michelle, Atlanta reality TV vet and R&B diva, goes country — finally

K. Michelle’s career contains several distinctive, yet equally influential, arcs.

As an original cast member on VH1’s “Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta,” which debuted in 2012, she was the sassy, no-nonsense fan-favorite whose relentless Southern wit spawned multiple memes and helped make the show reality-TV gold. As an R&B star, with hits “VSOP” and “Can’t Raise a Man,” she released six albums that bolstered her prowess in the genre, pioneering the reality TV personality-to-music-star pipeline before Cardi B did it.

As a newbie on “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” now taping its 18th season,” her addition to the cast this year helped return the storied franchise to its glory of zany, insatiable melodrama.

Country music, or rather K. Michelle’s unyielding devotion to and fight for it, has been a mainstay throughout all of those eras. Now, she’s crystallizing it with her debut country album “Jesus & Whiskey.” Out today, the project is a watershed moment for an artist whose influence in the genre was heavily recognized even before she released an official song, getting a nod from Dolly Parton and Beyoncé (more on that later).

“It’s been a thing for my whole life,” the singer, born Kimberly Michelle Pate, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a phone interview.

Across nine songs, “Jesus & Whiskey,” is sheer proof that country music is K. Michelle’s birthright. The Memphis native, who grew up listening to the Judds and received a music scholarship to Florida A&M University after yodeling in her audition, seamlessly fits within the genre, which has witnessed a steady rise in listenership this decade.

“Yodel” is an upbeat, country-western track where Michelle flaunts her impressive yodeling skills. “Blame Tennessee,” backed by a subtle rock flair and lyrics thanking her home state for her rugged personality, is a juggernaut of a track primed for pop crossover success while still being firmly planted in country music’s past.

As documented on “Love & Hip-Hop,” K. Michelle was discouraged by labels from pursuing country music earlier in her career. But after performing at the CMA’s with Jelly Roll in 2023 and signing with the Nashville-based BBR Music Group (home to Roll, Lainey Wilson and Jason Aldean) a year later, she knew she couldn’t wait any longer to chase her true dream.

“Even in my R&B shows, we always sing country music, so I just felt like I just can’t keep not putting out the music I want,” said the 44-year-old, who splits her time between Nashville and Atlanta.

Sugarland’s Kristian Bush, a staple in Atlanta’s music scene, is a key producer of “Jesus & Whiskey.” He began working with Michelle after appearing with her in a 2019 scene of “Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood” (the show she joined after her time on the Atlanta franchise).

“Her voice can lift a song in a way that you just don’t calculate until she gets in and starts really digging around on it,” Bush said of Michelle. “But on the writing side, you can tell when she gets emotionally attached to something, it just goes through the roof wonderfully.”

The AJC talked to K. Michelle about her foray into country music, honoring Dolly Parton and returning to reality TV.

“I want people to understand how important this genre is to me,” she said. “It’s been something that I’m continuing to fight for until I’m not here anymore.”

This Q&A has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Q: On the album’s opening interlude, you said, “I’m finally choosing myself.” When did you arrive at not really caring about what people had to say about entering county music? Or has that always been the case?

A: As far as caring what people think, I mean I don’t think I ever have. But as far as saying it’s time to go and put out this album, that is something that I am doing for me because I could keep putting it off, or I could just keep doing R&B, or what others think they know of me. And I said, “No, it’s time to do what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Q: What was the inspiration behind the album title?

A: (“Jesus & Whiskey”) was one of the first records I did with a lot of amazing writers, and each of them used it describe me as a human. Because it was so reflective of who I am as a person, that the title would also be great for the overall basis of the album.

Q: What was it like reuniting with Kristian Bush for this project?

A: For years we kept in touch, and he was always like, “Where’s your contribution? Why haven’t you put it out?” He’s always been super encouraging, and coming from someone like him who is a vet in the game, that did encourage me a lot, so it was only right to bring in someone that knew exactly what was going on. He challenges me. He, to this day, is one of my toughest cowrites that I’ve ever had.

Q: In what way?

A: A lot of people back down on me, especially in writing sessions because I’m so strong in writing and how I feel. He would not back down, and we fought. We would fight about one line in a song. That’s how passionate he is. I feel like I challenged him this album because I wanted him to to work with some of the top R&B writers, and he thanked me. He was like, “This is great to bring two worlds together.”

Q: Why was having R&B writers on this album important to you?

A: Well, it’s still me. It’s a part of who I am. I’ve wanted to work with Ant Clemons for a while, so I started with him. I was able to put my writing partner Blush on “Anything,” the record on the album that does combine country and R&B. People would think that, with these great musicians, the song would take like 30 minutes to complete. It took about two days because it was live, and these musicians were trying to understand each other’s techniques. It created almost a different sound and feel. I’m really proud of it.

Q: What’s been the most challenging aspect of transitioning from R&B to country music?

A: Wigs (laughs). Sometimes, my team doesn’t understand how much wigs cost. It’s funny little things like that that we’re learning about each other. They’re receptive‚ and everyone is being respectful. It’s the difficulty of breaking down how R&B culture is or just Black culture because I’m the only Black woman on my label.

Q: Did seeing the mainstream success of Shaboozey and Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” make it easier for you to transition?

A: No, because I was doing it before them. What it did do was open the eyes to people who might not have known that there are country artists who are here and fighting. I think when “Cowboy Carter” came out, she was so genius in making people see it’s a whole world that you guys haven’t known about. When the album came out, she sent me flowers. For her to say, “I see you,” I think that that is so stand up for someone of her stature. I would’ve never expected that.

Q: You’ve previously shared that Dolly Parton wrote a song for you. Do you have plans to release it?

A: She was someone who believed in my country music dreams, so I want to give the (currently untitled) song the respect. You know I never thought that Dolly Parton would pass away. I would never think I’d be saying those words. I’m working to get the record cut, maybe I’ll be able to put it on the deluxe of my album or just even as a tribute to her. I lost my mind when I got that (song), and that was probably about six years ago. That was just a moment that made me keep going. I got to do a record with Billy Ray Cyrus. I went to dinner with Lee Ann (Womack), and then she came to my home, and I just played her all my favorite country songs, and she put me on to some super old-school country songs. When it comes to this deluxe or even just the next album period, I would like to put the record that I got from Dolly on there, a remake of my favorite Lee Ann Womack song, and maybe a remake of song from the Judds.

Q: Did your entrance into the country music world inspire you to join “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” so you can share more of that journey?

A: No, I’ve always wanted to join the show. It’s culture. It’s a piece of history, and I wanted to be a piece of history when it comes to this franchise. To some people, it may be just a reality show. I try to do things that are not just a moment (but) that are legacy. And if you’re going to do reality, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” is something that will always be in culture.

Q: What’s a key difference between filming “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and “Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta”

A: People give “Love & Hip-Hop” a bad rep, but that’s a show that broke barriers and is still part of the culture. I would say the difference, for me, it’s just where I’m at in my life. That’s where I was then, and this is where I’m at now.