Lauren Alaina is reminding all music fans that it’s OK to not be OK.
During the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, May 17, Alaina, 31, chose to bring attention to Mental Health Awareness Month before inviting Dan + Shay to the stage.
“Sometimes, lifting lives can mean saving lives. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and an important time to say if you are secretly suffering, you are not alone,” Alaina shared with the audience inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. “Like too many of you out there, I know what it’s like to lose someone who struggled with their mental health, so to anybody out there tonight suffering, please know there is always someone to listen and someone to help. Just please, please reach out.”
Alaina couldn’t hide her emotions as tears began streaming down her face.
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After telling herself, “Oh, man, OK, I’m doing a great job,” she took a deep breath and began sharing why Dan + Shay’s new song “Say So” is so meaningful.
“Two friends of mine, Dan + Shay, whose powerful new song ‘Say So’ was inspired by a heartbreaking loss in our country music family,” she said. “When I first heard it, [I knew] this song is going to save lives.”
According to Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, their song was inspired by their close friend and mentor, Ben Vaughn, who died by suicide in January 2025 at the age of 49.
“If your light burns out and you’re in the dark / If you can’t pick up the pieces / If the world you trusted falls apart / If your heart’s run out of reasons / I’ll be there every time you call,” the duo sings in the song’s chorus. “Pick you up every time you fall / If you’rе going through hell, you’re not alone / If you need somеbody, say so.”
The performance was part of ACM Lifting Lives, which Alaina described as the philanthropy partner of the Academy of Country Music.
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“It’s dedicated to improving lives through the power of music,” she said.
Alaina has been open about her own mental health struggles. The former American Idol contestant said she experienced depression at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. She later documented her experience on her album Sitting Pretty on Top of the World.
The 2026 ACM Awards are streaming on Prime Video.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
