Lauren Alaina Announces Debut Album, ‘Wildflower’

It's been less than three months since Lauren Alaina was declared the runner-up on the tenth season of 'American Idol,' and the 16-year-old is already announcing the title and release date of her debut album!

'Wildflower' will hit shelves October 11, with what the singer promises to be an eclectic feel. "It has a flavor for everybody," says Lauren. "It's a mixture of all different songs, so I hope it will appeal to all different kinds of people. There are fast songs for people who like uptempos that you can dance to, and there are also tearjerkers for people who like slower ballads. I tried to get songs that are all a little different so that we could bring a fresh feel to each and every song."

The Georgia native says her freshman project is a tribute to the millions of fans who contributed to her success on 'Idol.' "I have always dreamed of making an album, and I can't believe it's actually happening," gushes the upcoming high school junior. "It's because of the fans who voted for me on 'American Idol' that I am here, so I am dedicating this album to them. I hope they love it!"

The title track of the new album was penned by Nashville tunesmiths Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson and Steven McEwan, although Lauren acknowledges it is one of the most autobiographical songs on the CD. "'Wildflower' is the perfect name for my first album," she explains. "I would consider myself a wildflower because wildflowers are sweet, but then they have a little bit of spunk to them. I like to have a lot of fun and I'm really sassy, so I feel like a wildflower would be a good description of who I am as a person."

Lauren's debut single, 'Like My Mother Does,' is one the songbird admits chose her. "I had quite a few songs to choose between, but when they played me that song I just started crying," she tells The Boot. "Then my mama came in, and she started to cry, too. So I was like, 'Alright, I guess I've got to do it!' It's a beautiful song. My mom went through the whole process with me, and I got all the attention. And Miss Judy ['American Idol' winner Scotty McCreery's mom], too! I give credit to our moms because they went through everything we went through. They didn't get sleep like we didn't get sleep, they were just as stressed as we were. So it's good that I could sing that for them."

Watch the video for 'Like My Mother Does' below.

Lauren's album hits store shelves just one week after Scotty's debut CD, 'Clear as Day.' Read about the 'American Idol' winner's upcoming album here. Both Lauren and Scotty are currently crossing the country with the American Idols Live tour, including shows in New Jersey this weekend, followed by stops in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. See their entire concert schedule here.

Download 'Like My Mother Does' | Pre-order 'Wildflower'