Country star moves from UMG to indie label

Lauren Alaina has signed with independent label Big Loud Records. Billboard was the first to report the news on Monday (July 25th).

“We feel like Lauren is absolutely one of the best vocalists, male or female, in this town,” Big Loud CEO/Partner Seth England shares with Billboard exclusively. “Certainly, she’s had success, but we humbly think she has barely scratched the surface of what we think we can do together. Lauren Alaina deserves to be, in my opinion, on the same pedestal as Carrie Underwood, and it’s our job to help her find that mode.”

With an arsenal of accolades and a fresh vision for what’s to come, Alaina’s next chapter aligns smoothly with Big Loud’s ethos – even down to the name.

“I got a label that matches my personality: big, loud, and country,” Alaina shares, calling her new partner her “dream label.” “I really want to tap into my country roots. I don’t think people remember like how Southern I am…I’m a country girl through and through.”

Launching a new era, the three-time chart-topping ACM and CMT award winner joins the Big Loud roster at an all-time career high. Musically, Alaina is surging, dropping her deeply personal album Sitting Pretty On Top of the World last September, and most recently duetting with now labelmate Chris Lane on “Dancin’ In The Moonlight,” their reimagination of King Harvest’s 1973 hit of the same name.

Outside of music, Alaina has become one of country’s most in-demand entertainers, appearing on CBS’ Beyond The Edge, ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, among countless other national TV performances. Tallying additional outstanding career moments, Alaina is a celebrity brand ambassador for Maurices, an artist ambassador for the CMA Foundation, an Amazon best-selling author, a Hallmark movie star, and a foundation-starting philanthropist.

This summer, Alaina follows up her second career headlining tour with notable festival stops at Faster Horses, Watershed, Tidalwave Music Festival, and more, alongside performances at the Grand Ole Opry through the end of the year. Fans can expect new music later this year.

“(I want to) make music that I’m really proud of with a team that I’m really proud of,” she says. “I want to do as much as I can do in the next 10 years. And I’d probably like to also get married and have some kids. So, I want to be able to balance all of that in the next 10 years. I think it’s gonna be the biggest 10-year span of my life so far.”

The news follows an 11 partnership with Mercury Nashville that ended earlier this year. 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 American Idol, making her Opry debut on June 10, 2011. She has appeared on the Opry more than 50 times since.