This album came out back in January, but I found myself listening to it the other day and wondered why I didn't review it. Better a few months late than never, right? Lauren Alaina is quickly becoming one of my favorites. She's one that I can't help but root for; I want to see her do well. Her first album came out over five years ago - really, probably closer to six years by now. She was still a teenager then. It's been interesting watching her mature and develop as an artist in the space between these two albums.
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There's so many situations where someone will experience some level of fame as a teenager - in Lauren's case, she was on the tenth season of American Idol - and they'll get to a point where they start become almost obsessed with proving that they aren't a kid anymore. Often in ways that involve them turning their backs on the young fans who made them famous in the first place. Ironically, in these cases, all they really end up showcasing is just how immature they are still. The more desperate they are to not be seen as a kid anymore, the worse they tend to look. Just my opinion.
And then there's people like Lauren. She's one who actually has grown and done so with grace and a healthy amount of humor. Seriously, one of the best things about her is her sense of humor. She's one of the funniest stars around today and those kinds of people are often among my favorites. She's been through a lot in the years between her albums. Her experiences have helped shape her into the artist she's becoming and her maturity shows in her songwriting. Lauren co-wrote all twelve songs on Road Less Traveled and you know what? They're good songs. Some of them are great. There's a couple that stand out above all the others.
What Lauren has done is make an album that reflects what she's gone through and what she's learned in recent years. She's made an album that she can, and should, be proud of. And in what I think is one of the biggest points in her favor? She has not turned her back on the fans who gave her her career. I don't think she ever could.
Because here's the thing. Lauren hasn't had the most success on country radio. She just got her first number 1 single earlier this year with "Road Less Traveled". When it happened, she went on Facebook Live with a very heartfelt message to her fans. It choked me up, not going to lie. I'd count her fans among the most loyal fanbases I've seen. They don't just buy her music and go to her shows, they actively promote her and try their best to help her career. Her fans love her and she loves them back. Lauren genuinely cares about her fans and it shows. She gets it.
1) "Doin' Fine". Here's how this album starts: "Daddy got sober, Mama got his best friend / I've cut down crying to every other weekend". Yeah. That's what happened and she wrote a song about it. It's this kind of honesty that we need more of in country music. She lays it all right out there and I respect that. I love the overall message of the song. "I'm not okay, but I'm going to be alright / For the first time in a long time / I'm doin' fine". This is one of those songs that everyone will be able to relate to. Things might be hard right now, but you're going to be alright. Everything is going to be just fine. Believe that.
2) "My Kinda People". In which the general message is that if you know how to let go and have fun, you're her kinda people. I think a big part of her appeal is that she just seems like she'd be such a fun person to be around. Someone that you'd want to hang out with and I think this song reflects that. Nice uptempo.
3) "Three". This is one of my favorite songs on the album and one of the stand outs. It's all about the side of fame that us regular people don't always see. The truth is that if you're going to pursue a career as an artist, you're going to end up missing out some big moments. Because the only way to have even just a shot at making it is to put in a crazy amount of work. This line: "Six years of missing home for three minutes on the radio" kind of sums it all up, doesn't it? When you lay it out that way, it puts it in a bit of a different perspective. But then the lyrics get into why she does it. For some reason this bit, "And the three times that I heard / Just this week that my words were sang by a three-year-old / Hairbrush for a microphone / Little girl with a dream / And that girl was me" tears me up. It just does.
4) "Road Less Traveled". One of my favorite things about this album is how positive it is. This is a great message for anyone, I think. The idea that your dress size does not define you. Don't let the world tell you how you should look. Trust yourself, trust what your heart tells you. "Don't be afraid / Take the road less traveled on". This song is like an anthem and it's a great one to blast if you're having a bad day. Or anytime, really.
5) "Queen of Hearts". One of the fluffier songs on the album and I don't mean that in a negative way. Road Less Traveled has a nice mixture of different kinds of songs on it. That's a good thing. Cool feel to this one. This could make for an interesting video if they decided to do one.
6) "Think Outside the Boy". I'd guess that a good chunk of Lauren's fanbase consists of young women and this is such an important message for them to hear. It's a good reminder for anyone, but especially so for the younger side of her fanbase. It's about how you shouldn't give up your dreams and goals for a boy (or girl, as the case might be). I love this part: "If you don't love yourself / He sure ain't gonna help / There's so much more to life / Than living like his windup toy / Think outside the boy". Wise words. And later she brings up how if it's the right boy, "he'll love that you think outside the boy". Yep.
7) "Painting Pillows". Another of my favorite songs on the album. Hands down. Arguably Lauren's best vocal on the album. There's something about the melody that I love, especially the chorus. And the words themselves. "All of the hurt, all of the pain / Keeps coming down like black rain"..."Me and my tears with no one to hold / Just painting pillows". What a great concept.
8) "Next Boyfriend". So I guess after getting over the heartache of the last song, this is the next step. Works for me. About a girl seeing a boy and thinking that he looks a lot like her next boyfriend. "I can't believe how much you act like him".
9) "Crashin' the Boys Club". This song has a way of getting stuck in my head. Just a fun, lighthearted song about wanting to get away from all the drama and hang out with the boys instead. I totally get where this song is coming from. Sometimes you just want to have fun and leave all the melodrama at home. There's something so infectious about this one.
10) "Same Day Different Bottle". Another favorite. This song is, arguably, the strongest song on the album lyrically speaking. It's about someone watching someone they love struggle with alcoholism. It's gritty and raw because it's so real. "Same day, different bottle / It's just a temporary numbing of your pain / Yeah, I know the truth is hard to swallow / But you can't keep going on and on and on this way / We can't keep hurting on and on and on this way."
11) "Holding the Other". A sweet song about you can get through anything with one hand as long as the person you love is holding onto the other. "When the music's gone / I'm dancing to the beat of your heart"..."I could win any war / I could face any storm / Yeah, I could conquer the world / With just one hand / As long as you're holding the other".
12) "Pretty". Yet another favorite and a good way to close out the album. "Beautiful is who you are / When no one's watching, it's your heart"..."The truth inside, you can't erase / 'Cause it ain't written on your face / There's no difference between a mirror and a liar / Because pretty is as pretty does". I like this part: "Let your kindness be your fire burning bright / You're the light." It's another anthem. I love that Lauren is using the platform she's been given to share this kind of message.
It seems like the country music world is starting to realize what a gem they have with this girl. I think her career is going to be a fun one to watch. And if this album is any indication, she's just going to keep getting better and better.
Want to keep up with Lauren? Here's where you can:
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