Alaina spent 11 years with the label

Lauren Alaina has left UMG/Mercury Nashville after 11 years. The country star shared the news on social media today (Mon, Apr 4th), stating she has “more exciting things happening” than ever before.

“I want to thank the staff at Mercury Records and UMG Nashville for everything they have done for me over the last 11 years. 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 writes.

“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.”

She signed with the label in 2011 after placing second on the 10th season of American Idol. During her tenure with UMG Nashville, she has amassed three No. 1 hits, all under three years, with her smash “Road Less Traveled” in 2017, 6x Platinum “What Ifs” with childhood friend and superstar Kane Brown in 2018 and most recently “One Beer” with Hardy in 2020.

The multi-Platinum-selling star was officially inducted and welcomed as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year by her friend/mentor Trisha Yearwood. The Opry was the first major stage Alaina played just a week after she was named runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol, making her Opry debut on June 10, 2011. She has appeared on the Opry more than 50 times since.

Alaina recently released her inspirational book Getting Good At Being You and her most recent album, Sitting Pretty on Top of the World which follows on the heels of the Georgia native’s two EPs, Getting Over Him EP and the previous Getting Good EP. Her album Road Less Traveled was the most-streamed album of the year for a female artist in 2017 and landed on multiple “Best Of” lists.

She was recently cast in the CBS competition series, Beyond the Edge, that sees nine celebrities face off in epic adventures and endure the most brutal conditions in the dangerous jungles of Panama.