I was raised really religious, and it's a big part of my life. No matter what I go through, my faith will always be there.
— Lauren Alaina
I would see these people calling me 'fat' and calling me horrible names. And this one page called me 'Miss Piggy,' and they only referred to me as 'Miss Piggy.' I was a 16-year-old girl. I did not know how to deal with that, and I was already insecure about my weight.
I've got people around me that let me know when something really good happens.
I love performing with a band way more than a track, just because it gets a whole new kind of vibe going and gets the energy up. You actually get to play off of the other people that are around you.
My mom would walk through a fire pit for me, and I'd do the same for her.
I like any song that can tell a story that people can relate to.
People would say to me, 'Who do you want to be as an artist?' And I would just look at them because I didn't know.
Self-confidence is something I've always lacked in. But finally, at some point, I just decided to be honest.
I'm a goofball, and I have this huge personality, and I used to try to hide that. I used to try to kind of dim my light.
As a 15, 16-year-old girl, someone messaging you on Facebook and telling you you're fat is devastating. It's still devastating when someone says something horrible about me, but I love myself so much more as a person.
I was 15 on American Idol, and everybody had something to say. It was like I had my really awkward phase on national television, you know?
I had five singles that did not work on country radio, and I still had fans that showed up to the shows.
I've always dreamed of doing a music video.
My mom quit her whole life and came to live with me in California.
I think we're all insecure about something, but there's a way to deal with those emotions healthily by seeking professional help earlier on.
I'm still learning to love myself.
People are pretty because they're nice, and they care about other people, and they have a good heart. That's what makes you pretty, and I didn't know that at one point in my life.
I took some of the hardest things about my life and wrote an empowering song with it. It has made me want to always write from that place.
Country music's really good about telling a story, so I want songs that tell good stories where people can say, 'That happened to me!'
I've always been interested in acting - since I was a little girl.
I was slightly starstruck by Justin Bieber! I mean, he is cute!
I had to learn correct portion control. I eat an egg-white omelet for breakfast, shrimp and veggies for lunch, and chicken with asparagus for dinner.
My mom married a family friend, and my dad married someone that's eight years older than me, so it was just like, these - like, I literally live a country song, so I had to write one.
I want to make people feel good about who they are regardless of who they are or where they come from or the color of their skin or what their family acts like or what they look like. I am all about acceptance of others and of yourself.
I don't have those superstitious ticks that people have to have something for the road. I like to have good food on the bus, my own pillow, and onesies. Onesies are a must.
I just feel like in society and in public, we have this unspoken expectation that we're all trying to meet. And there's so much pressure to try to fit in.
No matter where you're from, what you've done, who you are, what your family's done, it's like, you cannot be healthy without love.
I want to be happy. We all want to be happy. I want to be treated like a normal human being, but I also want to be on stage in a fancy dress, so I'm trying to find a happy medium.
I've been really fortunate with touring and sales and all those things because I have such a loyal fan base.
I don't let people say mean things to me! I don't surround myself with people who'd want to do that.
I remember my doctors examining my vocal cords and asking if I had an eating disorder, and I instantly said no. But then my mom, who was in the room with me, said my name in her 'mom voice,' and I just lost it. I didn't realize that she knew or that anyone knew.
I meal prep when I'm traveling and make sure to have three solid, high-protein and low-carb meals a day with a few snacks in between. But I try not to be too hard on myself. At the end of the day, it's all about having a healthy balance.
I want to be the girl who has a positive influence on people's lifestyle. I don't want to be the girl who has an eating disorder, and that's why she looks the way she looks.
'Pretty' is not the amount of makeup on your face or the shirt you're wearing or the size of your pants - that is false.
I was really fearful that I was going to lose my record deal. It's really scary as a female to not have that success early on in your career, 'cause you don't know how many chances you are going to get.
I was 15 on the show, and I cried a lot. I was homesick, and was so worried, that I didn't think of being on 'American Idol.' I was so worried that I was going home every week that I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have.
The first time I heard 'Georgia Peaches,' I absolutely loved it.
My first kiss was in 7th grade. It grossed me out. I kind of freaked out!
None of my friends act any differently towards me, which is great. I was scared about that, so scared about that.
I got really tired of fighting who I am, and I did that for a really long time; I was trying to be this perfect girl, perfect family, perfect body, and those people aren't real.
We all have our things that we go through, and I wanted to be an artist that people could listen to and feel like they're not alone. I want to be empowering.
People always ask me who my role models are and who I want to be like, and I don't wanna be like anybody; I wanna be me. I look up to a lot of people, and they have had great influences on me, but I wanna be original and different.
I don't think that anyone was trying to keep me from writing the first album. It's just when you're on 'American Idol' or a TV show like that, you wanna capitalize on that momentum, and you want to use that to your advantage, obviously, so the best way to do that is to get the music out as fast as possible. And there's no time to create, really.
I want that to be my overall message - that we just need to love each other. We need to love other more.
I don't mind if people say I was on 'American Idol,' because I was, and that is a part of my past, and I'm super proud of it, but I don't want that to be all there is to me.
I want to write with Taylor Swift!
I keep the people who I know love me really close.
Remember that it's okay to get help, and it doesn't make you weak.
When I first heard my song 'Georgia Peaches' on the radio, I opened up the car windows and started screaming to the other people on the road, 'My song's on the radio!' Of course, I wasn't driving.
For whatever reason, people just like to come out and say whatever they want to say about you when you're on TV.
