Lauren Alaina, a country singer, said she’s recognized for being “the girl on stage in the glittering dress… the smiley girl,” but during the COVID-19 epidemic, she reported suffering from depression and relying on music to get by.
“It’s been a traumatic experience,” Alaina added. “I can’t think of a term that better captures the last 18 months than traumatic.” “We were all unprepared to live in this epidemic,” she continued.
During the nationwide shutdown, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter told ABC News in an interview for the upcoming program “Backstage Pass: Countdown to the CMA Awards,” airing Nov. 8 at 10 p.m. ET that she was upset and overwhelmed.
She plunged into songwriting full-time. Alaina claimed she set up a recording studio in her Nashville home, where she had writing and recording sessions with other songwriters and musicians to finish her third album, “Sitting Pretty on Top of the World,” which was released in September.
“No one’s ever loved me like it.” “It’s the most emotional record I’ve ever made,” Alaina said. “It’s a record about resilience, self-love, conquering adversity, and having hope for the future, as well as healing. I believe that the world truly does need healing.”
The album’s name track is “On Top of the World,” which features the chorus, “Hitting rock bottom, sitting pretty on top of the world.” It’s about her battles with depression and how she hides it because “on the outside, you would never know that.”
“I’m always the most talkative person in the room,” Alaina added. “I have a lot of personality. And I’m really emotional, too. The delighted ones are extremely joyful, and the sad ones may be quite unfortunate.”
The musician admitted that one of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic was not being able to pay her crew and band when her events were canceled since it meant she could not.
“I’m on the verge of something big, but I’m not where people are paid yet,” Alaina added. “The most difficult aspect for me was knowing that these families rely on me and that I couldn’t help them.”
On Tuesday, her first public performance since the epidemic began was in Walker, Minnesota, in June. Walking out on stage to perform at that event was difficult for her and very emotional.
“I bawled my eyes out the entire first song. I only got four words out,” Alaina said. “It was a lot because it is a big part of who I am… and then all of a sudden it went away, and we had no idea when we would reach the other side.”
Alaina has spent the last several months on tour and promoting her new album, as well as delving into her private life in her forthcoming book, “Getting Good at Being You,” which will be published November 23. She also adopted a puppy this year.
Alaina said her efforts and writings are intended to be a source of “healing” and “positivity” for others.
“It’s always a party when we get to do anything,” she added. “I believe that we all received a wake-up call. We’ve been put in time out, and I’m hoping we’ll be able to return stronger.”
You must be logged in to post a comment Login