WATCH: Lauren Alaina opens up about motherhood, new music
The country singer reflects on balancing life as a new mom with her career, shares the sweetest part of her mornings with daughter Beni.
Lauren Alaina’s 10-month-old daughter has already said her first word: “Mama.”
Inside Maverick Management’s office on Music Row in Nashville, the country music star glowed in a matching denim-blue vest and pants. Bangles tinkled on her wrist as she moved her hands while talking. The blonde bombshell is about to celebrate her first Mother’s Day with her daughter, Beni.
“Her newest thing she says is, ‘Hi mama,’ which melts my heart,” Alaina said. “My favorite part of the day is the morning when I go in and wake her up for the first time. She claps. She’s a big clapper now. She very rarely cries. She is a very happy, smiley baby.”
It’s been almost a year since the 30-year-old singer and Grand Ole Opry member, along with her husband Cameron Arnold, welcomed Beni into the world. Now, motherhood has become the center of the “Road Less Traveled” singer’s world.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Best hat I’ve ever worn by far.”
Alaina described the realities of balancing career and motherhood with the same honesty and humor that have made her a fan favorite since finishing runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol in 2011.
“I have breastfed on planes. I have breastfed in the mall. I have done it at the shows. I have done it everywhere for her,” she said.
For all the hard work and sacrifice, motherhood has only deepened Alaina’s appreciation for her own mom, Kristy Suddeth.
“My biggest hope is for my daughter to feel the same way about me that I feel about my own mother,” she said.
Lauren Alaina’s new music and TV aspirations
Alaina is entering what she calls a “new stage” of life.
For the past four years, she has been working on an album that tells the full story of who she is. Alaina toured until she was 34 weeks pregnant, then went back to making music after giving birth.
“I’ve lived a lot of life in those four years,” Alaina said, describing the scope of the album.
The project covers many topics from heartbreak to Broadway nights, marriage and motherhood, plus reconnecting with her Georgia roots.
“This album for me is kind of like bridging the gap of who I’ve been all the way up until now and then I’m sharing who I am now as well,” she said.
Her latest single, “All My Exes,” featuring Chase Matthew, was released April 17 and has climbed into the top 30 on country radio charts.
The duet came together thanks to her husband. He secretly played the song for Matthew while they were on tour with Jason Aldean.
“Cameron convinced me to play it for Chase even though he had already agreed to do it,” Alaina said.
The success of “All My Exes” helped unlock another side of Alaina’s storytelling.
“We’ve got a song called ‘Raining Whiskey,’” she said, teasing more stories to come from her pre-marriage years.
While Alaina stopped short of confirming more information about her upcoming album or possible tour date, she teased “we have some announcements for the fall that I’m very excited about.”
In the meantime, her next big ambition is to host a daytime television show: “The Kelly Clarkson Show would be my dream.”
The day after announcing her pregnancy, Alaina appeared on the original American Idol winner’s show. The two singers bonded over motherhood and music.
“She got to sing, she got to interview people, she got to be funny,” Alaina said, praising Clarkson. “I’m like, somebody please sign me up for one of these TV shows.”
Alaina has already started building toward her TV dreams with “LA Lately,” a digital video series where she interviews fellow artists, authors and friends, including Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Russell and Kailey Dickerson and Hannah Brown. The country singer publishes 30-45 minute videos to her 247,000 subscribers.
“I was born to entertain,” she said.
Beni’s future
Alaina and her husband have already started wondering whether Beni will inherit her musical gift.
The couple has talked about whether their daughter might one day sing, follow her mom onstage or carve out a completely different path of her own.
“I’m very curious if it will be something she’s talented at or not,” Alaina said with a laugh.
Growing up around music, Beni will certainly have no shortage of inspiration. But, for Alaina, the dream isn’t necessarily to raise another singer. More than fame or a microphone, the vivacious entertainer hopes her daughter finds a worthwhile sense of purpose.
“I just want her to have something that makes her feel about herself the way singing and entertaining makes me feel about myself,” she said. “I just want her to have something that really makes her proud of herself and I don’t care what that is.”
Bryan West is a music reporter at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
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