Lauren Alaina has managed to successfully recover from not one, but two painful breakups, and now she hopes she can help her fans as well. The American Idol alum just dropped her new EP, Getting Over Him, which she says was her response to her split from her high school boyfriend, Alex Hopkins, after six years together, as well as ending her relationship with Christian comedian John Crist last year.
“I want my fans to feel empowered when they hear it because I feel super empowered with this music,” Lauren told E! News. “I know it’s about a breakup and a very painful breakup where someone wasn’t faithful and I had to kind of figure out how to love myself when he didn’t, and respect myself when he didn’t. At the end of the day, what I want people to really hear in this music is nobody gets to decide if you love yourself. If they don’t love you, someone else will and the most important person to love you is you.”
Lauren’s relationship with John ended right as she was beginning her time on Dancing With the Stars. She admits neither split was easy for her, although she is now in a much better place, as reflected on the six songs on Getting Over Him.
“There was a moment there where I was really struggling and stuck in the sadness, but I’m so proud to get to the other side of it and getting over him,” Lauren admitted. “I’m so proud of Getting Over Him.”
“When people listen to these songs, I want them to know these are feelings that I had before,” she said. “I’m on the other side of the breakup. I’m completely healed from it and I’m not sad or angry and it doesn’t take up much of my energy.”
Getting Over Him marked new territory for the 25-year-old, who spent a lot of years being happily in love instead of being single.
“I am so proud of these songs and I’ve never done the breakup theme because I was with my high school boyfriend for six years,” Lauren explained. “It was all love songs and life songs. I feel like it was just about time for me to have my breakup moments but I’m really proud of them and these songs really helped me through my emotions.”
Lauren admits she wasn’t ready to write the songs for Getting Over Him until she had, in fact, moved past the relationships.
“When you’re actively hurting in something and you’re going through the process, it’s even harder to talk about it,” Lauren said “And I just feel this music is my response to what I went through and I wouldn’t change anything about that breakup because I have these great songs.”