Lauren Alaina on New Album: ‘I Want to Be Bold’
When fans listen to Lauren Alaina's new album, Road Less Traveled, the themes of positivity and self-acceptance will be obvious from the get-go. Alaina is striving to put it all out there with her new music.
Her current single of the same name is a prime example of this, co-written with pop star Meghan Trainor. Trainor is known for incorporating messages of female empowerment in her songs like "All About That Bass" and "No," just one of the many qualities Alaina admires about her as a collaborator. But these subjects aren't present in Trainor's music alone, taking form across much of pop music, the country star says.
"I think there are a lot of people in the pop world that have that message that share that message often," Alaina says, citing Trainor, Katy Perry and "Scars to Your Beautiful" singer Alessia Cara as just three examples of pop acts who promote positivity in their music.
While this theme is present in today's Top 40 hits, the "Road Less Traveled" singer believes country music could use a little help in spreading a similar message. "I feel like people in country music aren't saying it enough," Alaina admits. "There's been such a lack of women on the radio, which has changed."
And she is a part of that change. Currently, three women hold stake in the Top 15 on the country charts, those being Carrie Underwood at No. 1 with "Dirty Laundry," Maren Morris taking over the No. 12 spot with "80s Mercedes" and Alaina herself rounding out the Top 15 with her album's lead single. "Not every woman has that story," she says of herself and her fellow ladies claiming top chart positions.
But she reveals that country superstars like Martina McBride and Shania Twain made an early impression on her, effectively carrying those supportive messages in their music. "All of those women were proud to be who they were and weren't afraid to say that and I want to be bold like that," Alaina says. "I grew up listening to people with messages like that."
Road Less Traveled debuted on Friday (Jan. 27).
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