Within two hours of its midnight release today, Lauren Alaina's new album, "Road Less Traveled," shot to No. 2 on iTunes' country charts, where it has remained. It was second in sales only to Brantley Gilbert's new album, "The Devil Don't Sleep," also released today.
"Road Less Traveled" is the Rossville, Ga., native's sophomore album, and she co-wrote the 12 tracks on the record. Its title single is currently No. 21 on Billboard's Hot Country charts and has spent 21 weeks on the chart. It's also No. 17 on iTunes' country singles chart.
Alaina also is featured on rising country star Kane Brown's current single, "What Ifs," which is No. 13 on iTunes' country hot tracks chart. Alaina and Brown were classmates at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School, and he has credited her in several interviews with encouraging him to pursue singing.
People magazine describes "Road Less Traveled" as "full of life lessons and uplift" in an issue hitting stands today. Parade magazine taps Alaina as a "sassy Southerner with killer pipes," and Billboard claims the young star "finds her voice on 'Road Less Traveled.'"
Alaina will visit "Good Morning, America" on Tuesday and appear on Harry Connick Jr.'s talk show, "Harry," on Feb. 6. She and country superstar Martina McBride launch CMT's Next Women of Country "Love Unleashed" tour on Feb. 2.