To mark one year anniversary since the passing of her father, J.J. Suddeth, Lauren Alaina is honoring his memory with a deeply personal new song, “Little Things.” She offered fans a first listen to the heartfelt demo on social media.
Written as a tribute and open letter to her late loved one, the song touches on the everyday moments where grief unexpectedly appears. Along with that sadness, Alaina shares how her outlook on life has changed in his absence. One of her biggest lessons learned is to no longer sweat the small stuff, because she’s come to truly understand how precious each day is.
Alaina took to social media to preview the demo of this song alongside a heartfelt message that let fans in on what the past 365 days without her father have looked like for her.
“July 23rd. One Year. How can that be? I’ve spent the last 365 days learning how to live in a world that doesn’t have my daddy in it. Some days I still forget and reach for the phone to tell him something. Other days, I sit in the silence and let the grief come in,” she shared.
The Georgia native continues to reflect on how the “little things” now carry the heaviest weight. From the empty chair at a game to the missing “Roll Tide” texts, the jokes she can’t share, and the milestones he never got to witness, like her first pregnancy or the birth of her daughter, Alaina shares how grief isn’t always loud. In fact, she’s learned that it’s often felt the strongest in the quietest moments.
“It’s dreaming you’re here and waking up and remembering. It’s life moving forward but your heart feeling stuck in what was. It’s in the way I go about my days now. Slower. Softer. More aware of what truly matters and what doesn’t,” Alaina adds.
“There’s a version of me that existed before July 23rd, 2024. And then there’s me now. this version of me handles things differently. I try to let go quicker. I laugh harder. I love more intentionally. I don’t flinch at the “little things” anymore. A car cuts me off, and I just let it go. Because I know that time is not promised, and life is too short to waste on anything that doesn’t really matter.”
Since his unexpected passing last year, the country singer and her husband Cam have welcomed a daughter, Beni Doll. Looking back, she says that becoming a mother without her dad by her side has affected her in big ways. These emotions and lessons are what led her to write, “Little Things.”
“I can’t call my dad anymore. I can’t tell him about the things happening in my world right now, so I wrote him a song. It’s called ‘Little Things.’ This is not just a song, it’s an open letter to him. A way of telling him how my heart and perspective have changed since he left us. I want him to know that his passing opened my eyes to so much. To prioritize my mental health. To call people back when I say I’m going to. To share if I’m struggling. To Let go of things that don’t matter and focus on what does. To be quick to forgive. To be kinder. To be slow to anger. To love harder and deeper. I hope he would be proud.”
Lastly, Alaina expressed her hope that her dad is sitting on a cloud listening to the heartfelt new track and already learning to play it on guitar.
“Love you, Daddy. Pinky,” she signed the message.
Lauren Alaina announced her father’s passing to the world on the morning of Wednesday, July 24, 2024. The cause of his death is unknown; however, it seems to have been sudden news for the family.
This also isn’t the first time the U.S. Army Veteran has acted as the inspiration for her songwriting. Back in 2017, Alaina released “Doin’ Fine,” a deeply personal track that addressed the emotional impact of her parents’ divorce and her father’s path to sobriety. In June 2021, she shared a special moment with him on the Grand Ole Opry stage, where they performed a cover of Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing At All” alongside her brother, Tyler.
She later gave fans a glimpse of another vulnerable track, “My Old Man.” Though never officially released, the song will forever be special to their relationship as it was used for the father-daughter dance at her wedding on February 4, 2024.
Through every moment of her music and personal life, Lauren Alaina continues to keep her father’s memory and legacy alive.
The official release date for “Little Things” has not yet been revealed.
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