Lauren Alaina: Country Music’s Comeback Kid

The 2017 CMA Awards Nominees are officially set in stone. Superstars like Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan have earned their respective spots, but a few pleasant surprises were unveiled. Lauren Alaina makes her nominee debut with New Artist of the Year. After nearly 6 years of effort, Lauren landed a hit with “Road Less Traveled”. With the country music industry relying so heavily on a single’s radio success, it’s no small feat for Lauren and her team to make such a massive comeback. With busbee nailing the pop-country production, the album is both commercial and personal. Alaina co-wrote each track, alongside writers like Emily Weisband and Emily Shackleton. Finally, vulnerability and raw truth pull rank over tractors, trucks, and beer. In a male-dominated business, Lauren Alaina fought her way to the No. 1 song in the country with the single “Road Less Traveled”, written with Meghan Trainor and Jesse Frasure, in April 2017. Lauren is more than an anomaly, she is a dark horse. In a culture built on instant gratification, Lauren Alaina powered through 5 previous singles stalling beneath top 25 on the charts. She did more than wait out the storm; she became the storm, and that’s how she earned her spot on the list of this years’ CMA Awards Nominees. The album “Road Less Traveled” is a battle cry on behalf of every woman and girl, encouraging them to embrace their faults and insecurities. It’s about resilience and sacrifices, hope in the face of hopelessness, and finding yourself before you find success. Lauren’s prosperity was built on the backs of her struggles, and she showed us all that strength can and should be forged from weakness. Congratulations to each and every nominee for this years’ CMA Awards, and a special salute to Lauren Alaina. For the first time in a long time, she’s doin’ better than fine.