In Lauren Alaina's new single 'Eighteen Inches,' fans get to hear what's special about this 17-year-old country singer, along with a few skills that are still underdeveloped. Like so many of the songs from her debut album 'Wildflower,' the single fits the 'American Idol' runner-up like a tailored prom dress.

Vocally, Alaina is a powerhouse that tears through the chorus. "When you’re young and in love, yeah / You might do some things that don’t seem all that smart / Cause there ain’t no greater distance / Than the eighteen inches from your head to your heart."

This story of two young lovers stumbling and bumbling through life will resonate with a large audience. After all, who hasn't paid for a nice dinner out when the water bill is sitting unattended to on the kitchen counter? It's painful lessons like this that define young love -- for better or worse.

"They can barely make rent on a rundown apartment / She’s waiting tables and he’s a valet / They’re behind on the bills and the car’s barely running / But he buys a ring with the tips that he’s saved," Alaina continues in the second verse. The plot is a little predictable, but mostly because it's a story all of us know so well from personal experience.

That's where Alaina has room for growth. While it's certainly not her fault that she's never begged a landlord for one more week, her lack of expertise shows. She's not a master storyteller yet -- this tale sounds more like a really good one she heard from a friend, in this case songwriters Ashley Gorley, Kelley Lovelace and Carrie Underwood. The song's sweet ending may overcome any issues of credibility, however.

"She wakes him up at three thirty in the morning / Ready or not their new life’s gonna start / Seven pounds and eighteen inches / The doctor lays that new baby’s head right on her heart."

It's difficult to tell if this will be Alaina's breakthrough hit, as she seems to be being punished for coming from reality television. It's a potential Top 10 for somebody.

3 Stars
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Listen to Lauren Alaina, 'Eighteen Inches'

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