Fans suspected that American Idol season 19 alum Laci Kaye Booth had parted ways with her record label, but now the country singer opens up about the experience, which she calls “embarrassing.”
Laci posted a quick Tik Tok message to let her fans know why she has been teasing a bunch of music lately, but not releasing it.
“I just wanted to get on here and give you an update about this music that I’ve been teasin’ and not releasing and people want to strangle me and that’s all right,” Laci said. “I would want to strangle me too but I have a really good explanation for it.”
“I got dropped from my label”
Laci shares that it’s something that happened “a couple of months ago…maybe a month or two ago” It’s obvious at this point, that she’s struggling to just come out and say it. “I’ve just been kind of embarrassed to share it I guess. I hate sharing my failures.”
She finally admits, “I got dropped from my label.”
The timeline is a little fuzzy. Fans have been wondering about her label status for MONTHS. She has been absent from the Big Machine Label Group website since early this year. However, she participated in events sponsored by 19 Recordings in June and July. 19 Recordings, American Idol’s record label, initially signs alums, and sometimes will find major labels or big independents to partner with. Did Big Machine drop Laci first and 19 Records part ways months later? Laci doesn’t get specific in her video.
“I won’t say anything bad. I won’t speak ill of nobody”
But she does get pretty emotional about the experience. “First label in town that I signed with,” says Laci, “First label, I met three years ago when I came to Nashville.” She’s likely referring to Big Machine Label Group here. She doesn’t want to bash anybody because “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.”
However, Laci decries the lack of creative control she had, and believes that the reason was gender specific. She took a month off of “everything” and “recorded so many songs and it just opened up my whole mind, body, spirit, my eyes,” she says. “I finally saw who I was supposed to be as an artist. The vision that I’ve had since I was a little girl was finally here. And it makes me emotional to talk about.”
“Women in the industry…we don’t always get to have creative control”
“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,” she said without really pointing fingers. “So I just wanted to say that.”
And while she’s been going through some “failures” lately. And she feels “like it’s a failure,” nevertheless she “created something good out of it. 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.”
@lacikayebooth ALEXA PLAY I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T by Webbie ? #indieartist #independentartist #selfcare #stressrelief #countrymusic #realtalk ? original sound – Laci Kaye Booth
“I have new music coming out as an independent artist”
She signed off with a very loud message. “Women need to have creative control. I have new music coming out as an independent artist. I love you all. Have a great day.”
Listen to a snip of “Damn Good in a Dive Bar” which fans can pre-save now (better pre-save, or things could get weird, right?)
@lacikayebooth This song with the slo-mo effect is ?? Pre-save LINK IN BIO BABY?????? #damngoodinadivebar #fall #countrymusic #newmusic #stressrelief #cmcrocks ? original sound – Laci Kaye Booth
Laci signed with 19 Recordings/BMLG in 2020
Host Ryan Seacrest announced that Laci signed with 19 Recordings/BMLS records on the American Idol finale in 2020.
Born and raised in Texas, the singer/songwriter moved to Nashville following her time on season 17 of Idol in 2019. Placing in the top 5, she wowed viewers with her stunning vocals, covering artists from Brett Young to Miranda Lambert.
Laci didn’t release her debut EP until August 2021. The 8 track self-titled EP set her raspy vocals to soft, dreamy melodies in songs such as “Shuffle” and “Used to be You.” However, singles from the album didn’t gain traction on country radio. She did tours and promotion, but BLMG did not follow up the EP with new music.
19 Recordings brought her to Nashville with a bunch of other American Idol artists, including the current winner, Noah Thompson and runner-up Huntergirl, for the CMA festival in June. She also played a couple of Nashville showcases in July that seemed to be sponsored by 19 Recordings.
