Singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina has parted ways with her longtime record label home, Billboard has confirmed.
Alaina first shared the news on social media, with a lengthy statement thanking UMG Nashville and Mercury Records for being her label home from the beginning of her career, after she came in second place on the 10th season of American Idol in 2011 (fellow country entertainer Scotty McCreery was the winner that season).
“I want to thank the staff at Mercury Records and UMG Nashville for everything they have done for me over the last 11 years,” Alaina said. “They have been my label home since the day I walked off the American Idol stage as a really young, wide-eyed, eager 16-year-old kid. Now, at 27 years old I look back and see just how much I have changed and grown in to the woman I am now.”
She added, “I have made the tough decision to spread my wings and close a very important chapter of my life. There are more exciting things happening in my career right now than ever before, and I just can’t wait to see where it all leads. Much to share soon. With gratitude and hope, Lauren.”
To date, Alaina has earned three No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, including two No. 1 hits in 2017: “What Ifs” with Kane Brown and her solo hit “Road Less Traveled.” In 2020, she earned a third chart-topper alongside HARDY and Devin Dawson with “One Beer.” Along the way, she’s picked up honors including a win for New Female Vocalist of the Year at the ACM Awards in 2018 and two CMA nominations for New Artist of the Year. She is also a multi-year winner at the CMT Music Awards, winning Breakthrough Video of the Year for “Road Less Traveled” and Collaborative Video of the Year, with Brown, for “What Ifs.”
Last year, Alaina released her third studio album, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World, which featured “Getting Good” with Trisha Yearwood and the Jon Pardi duet “Getting Over Him.” On Feb. 12, Alaina officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.
She’s currently starring alongside fellow country crooner Craig Morgan on the CBS series Beyond The Edge, which features nine celebrities facing the jungles of Panama, using teamwork and survival instincts to overcome daily adventure challenges to raise money for their favorite charities.
