Lauren Alaina is marking a brand-new chapter of her music career with the release of a six-song EP entitled Unlocked.
The country music artist and Season 10 American Idol runner-up announced the news on her social media pages, sharing that on Thursday (June 1) night, she will also debut the first two tracks from upcoming the six-pack offering — “A Walk In The Bar,” written with Casey Brown, Lydia Vaughan, and Parker Welling and “Hangovers,” penned by John Byron, Greylan James, Josh Osborne, and Matt Roy.
New Single “A Walk In The Bar” Out Now
“Sometimes you have to look all the way back to really move forward,” Alaina writes on Instagram, teasing her forthcoming collection with a minute-long video that finds her narrating over b-roll footage of her time in the studio and reflecting on all of the things that make her uniquely who she is as a person. “My heart is completely Unlocked with this new project. This is just the beginning. 🔐.”
“I Want You To Know Me”
In the supporting clip, the Georgia native adds: “I want you to know me. I have a million different nicknames. I’ve worn a lot of different hats. I’ve been a lot of things to different people. But, the truth is, I’ve always just been Lauren. The girl that grew up in a tiny house in Rossville, Georgia, 28 years ago — the person my big brother calls sister even today, the aunt my nieces and nephews call Lala when I run to scoop them up off my front porch in my hometown, the girl you met 13 years ago on a TV show, and the woman you are seeing today.”
Unlocked will be the first project from Alaina since signing onto Big Loud Records, which also includes a roster of clients like Morgan Wallen, ERNEST, HARDY, Jake Owen, and more. She was previously with Mercury/Universal Music Group for 11 years before her departure.
“I’ve got a label that matches my personality — big, loud, and country,” Alaina told Billboard of her label switch. “I just really believe in the music that comes out of that building. I think that they are producing the best music in Nashville.”
As with some of the clients on Big Loud, Alaina worked with diamond-certified producer Joey Moi for her upcoming project, which will follow collaborations like “Dancin’ In The Moonlight” with Chris Lane, “Getting Over Him” with Jon Pardi, and “One Beer” with HARDY.
A Collaboration With Lainey Wilson Will Appear On The Project
Sharing the track listing for Unlocked, fans can expect a collaboration with Lainey Wilson on the song “Thicc As Thieves,” penned by Alaina with Rocky Block, Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Jacob Durrett, and Parker Welling. But aside from duets, Alaina’s project finds her peeling the many layers of her personality while staying true to her Rossville, Georgia roots after returning home to reunite with who she has always been.
According to a press release, Alaina’s new set of songs is “anchored in truth” and has her “digging deeper and stretching further, both musically and personally, than ever before.”
“It’s been 13 years since we first met, and until a couple of years ago, I don’t know that I ever slowed down for more than a day or two at a time,” Alaina says. “I spent more time with the people that matter most to me – my family, my fiancé, my friends – during that period than I had in years. This music comes from my heart and my hometown. I am who I am because of where and who I come from, and I’m more me today than I’ve ever been. I can’t wait to unlock this next chapter with you.”
Unlocked becomes available everywhere on June 9.
Lauren Alaina’s UNLOCKED TRACK LIST
- “A Walk In The Bar” (Lauren Alaina, Casey Brown, Lydia Vaughan, Parker Welling)
- “Hangovers” (John Byron, Greylan James, Josh Osborne, Matt Roy)
- “Don’t Judge A Woman” (Autumn McEntire, Joybeth Taylor, Sarah Allison Turner)
- “Smaller The Town” (Zach Crowell, Joel Hutsell, Cole Swindell, Hunter Phelps)
- “Like Her” (Trannie Anderson, Joe Fox, Emily Landis, Ella Langley)
- “Thicc As Thieves” (feat. Lainey Wilson) (Lauren Alaina, Rocky Block, Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Jacob Durrett, Parker Welling)
