‘American Idol’ Alum Laci Kaye Booth ‘Embarrassed’ That She Was ‘Dropped’ By Her Record Label In Emotional Video Message
Laci Kaye Booth, 27, has parted ways with her record label, 19 Recordings/ Big Machine Label Group. The American Idol…
Laci Kaye Booth; Photos via TikTok
Laci Kaye Booth, 27, has parted ways with her record label, 19 Recordings/ Big Machine Label Group.
The American Idol alum revealed the news in an emotional TikTok video earlier this week.
“It’s me, I just wanted to get on here and give y’all an update about this music that I have been teasing and not releasing and people want to strangle me and that’s alright,” she said with her signature Texas drawl. “I would want to strangle me too, but I have a really good explanation for it and it’s something that happened a couple of months ago… and I’ve just been kind of embarrassed to share it, I guess.”
While she admitted that she hates sharing her “failures,” Booth held nothing back as she delivered the unfortunate news.
“I got dropped from my label,” she shared honestly. “The first label that I signed with, the first label I met three years ago when I came to Nashville and goodness there’s still a lot of people over there at that label that I love so I won’t say anything bad. I won’t speak ill of nobody.”
Booth then revealed that she took some time off and finally found who she wanted to be as an artist while recording new music.
“I do want to say that when I got dropped, I took a month off of everything and I recorded so many songs. I just opened up my whole mind, body, spirit, my eyes…” she continued. ”I finally saw who I was supposed to be as an artist, my vision that I’ve had since I was a little girl was finally here and it makes me emotional to talk about, but I feel like women in the industry for some reason we don’t always get to have creative control like we should as artists.”
The singer/songwriter concluded her statement with a motivational message for fans to never give up on their dreams.
“So, I just wanted to say that I have been going through some failures lately, what I feel like is a failure, and I create something good out of it,” Booth concluded. ”And if anybody else is going through the same thing, there’s always going to be blessings and good around every corner and I pray that on you. Women need to have creative control, I have new music coming out as an independent artist, I love y’all, have a great day.”
In late July, Booth gave fans a taste of what’s to come with a teaser of an unreleased new song called “Damn Good In A Dive Bar,” a song that she says she wrote “for all the girlies like me who feel their best (& hottest) in their fav dive bar.” The tune will mark Booth’s first independent release and is now available for pre-save HERE.
Laci Kaye Booth first rose to fame on Season 17 of American Idol in 2019. Throughout the season, she covered songs such as Brett Young’s “Mercy” and Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me.” After landing in the Top 5, Booth relocated to Nashville where she immediately immersed herself in the music community.
In May of 2020, longtime American Idol host Ryan Seacrest revealed that Booth signed her first record deal with 19 Recordings/ Big Machine Label Group.
Following the announcement on Idol, the Texas native took to social media to share her excitement over the news.
“I have a RECORD DEAL!!!! Can’t believe that I’m officially a @bigmachinelabelgroup & #19recordings RECORDING ARTIST,” she wrote. “I’ve been so impatiently waiting to tell y’all & I’m SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY I got to hear @ryanseacrest say it on national TV. Wow. It’s been a wild 2 years & I feel so blessed. So so blessed. Thank you to everyone involved for making me the happiest girl on earth. HERE WE GO!!!!!”
After signing with the label, Booth released her self-titled debut project. Released in August of 2021, the eight-track project was entirely co-written by Booth alongside an impressive list of co-writers, including Nathan Chapman, Laura Veltz, Sam Ellis and Paul DiGiovanni. It was produced by Dann Huff.
“My whole life, I prayed, and I wished for this to happen. I prayed for it every night, and every time I’d blow out my candles on my birthday cake, I’d wish for it,” she shared on the heels of the release. “In my heart of hearts, this is exactly what I always wanted.”
Among the tracks on the project are “Broken Heart Still Beats,” a collaboration with Charles Kelley, and the fan-favorite, “Treasure.”
Also included in the collection of songs was “Shuffle,” her debut single to country radio.
Booth returned to American Idol earlier this year to perform on the Idol Reunion Show alongside fellow country crooner, Laine Hardy. The pair joined forces to perform “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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