Lauren Alaina sets the stage for a new era
- Publish date
- Thursday, 14 May 2026, 7:30AM
Lauren Alaina has set the stage for the next chapter in her career.
The country star revealed on Wednesday morning that her fourth studio album, Stages, will arrive in August, following Wildflower (2011), Road Less Traveled (2017), and Sitting Pretty on Top of the World (2021).
“I'm fifteen years into a ten-year town and 31 years into a lifelong dream,” Lauren said in a statement about her new album, produced by Joey Moi and Ben Johnson.
“Stages represents every version of me along the way: the dreaming, the breaking, and, ultimately, the becoming. There's something on this album for everyone, no matter what stage of life they're in. Stages is letting everyone see behind the curtain of the girl in the spotlight. It's a reflection of the moments that shaped me and the dream that carried me through. It's always been the same dream, different stages.”
Lauren's album announcement arrives shortly after she released her latest single, Raining Whiskey, an infectious anthem that shows the former American Idol runner-up “tapping into her most melodic and sassy era yet.”
Raining Whiskey followed Lauren's hit radio single with fellow country star Chase Matthew, All My Exes. The pair teamed up to perform the collaboration live on the main stage at the 2026 iHeartCountry Festival.
The Bobby Bones-hosted show returned earlier this month to Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The two artists took part in the star-studded lineup with Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Carly Pearce, Parker McCollum, Riley Green, Shaboozey, Dylan Scott, Russell Dickerson, Gretchen Wilson and special guest George Birge.
Other recent releases by Lauren include Those Kind Of Women, Household, Heaven Sent and Little Things.
Stages will make its debut on August 28!

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Written by iHeart.com and republished with edits and permission

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