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Alana Springsteen is sharing why she never felt like she fit in while growing up in her hometown.
During a recent interview with Digital, the 25-year-old singer and songwriter discussed her latest autobiographical album, “I Hope This Helps” – which is out now — and why she always felt like a “black sheep” growing up.
“I always felt just a little out of place in my hometown and my family. Where I grew up, people, they’re born there, they stay there, they live there, they just kind of never leave,” she explained. “Most of my family has never been out of the country, let alone traveled the US, and I just had all of these dreams of traveling seeing other cultures wanting to see what was outside of my little bubble when I was a little kid, and I didn’t really understand that, and I don’t think there were many people around me that had that same passion.”
The singer went on to explain that while those around her have gone on to get married and have children, she “didn’t grow up dreaming about my wedding,” but instead would dream about performing in stadiums.
Springsteen said she felt “out of place” while growing up in her hometown. (John Shearer/Getty Images for CMA)
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She explained that her dreams for her future and what she prioritized “were a little different than what I was raised to believe was right.”
“What I’ve learned is that we’re all created so differently for different purposes, and the more I’ve leaned into the things that make me different, that make the black sheep, the more [I] ended up exactly where I’m meant to be, and it’s made me realize that all of those things are my superpower, and they make me uniquely built to live this life,” she said.
WATCH: Alana Springsteen felt like ‘a black sheep’ while growing up in her hometown
When speaking about her newest album, “I Hope This Helps,” Springsteen has referred to it as the most personal chapter in her life, saying her “gauge these days for when writing a song” is that she needs to feel “a little bit terrified” when she has finished, otherwise she didn’t do it right.
For this album specifically, she wanted to “say the things that scare me the most,” saying sometimes the best thing to do in order to heal is to “face those things that you’ve been running from,” adding, “that’s what this album was for me.”
Springsteen used this album as a way to face things she has been running from. (Joshua Applegate/Billboard via Getty Images)
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“I think it changed the way I see myself, so I knew inevitably that the people who cared enough to really listen would see me differently, and to be honest, my whole life I’ve been so concerned with what people think,” she said. “I’m a people pleaser. A lot of times I tend to prioritize what people think over being who I truly am and just being fully authentic.”
WATCH: Alana Springsteen used her new album, ‘I Hope This Helps’ as a way to heal
“I tried my best with this album to use that as an exercise of just like, it doesn’t matter what people think,” she added. “Some people will take something great from it, some people may judge you, but I’m trying to be comfortable being a little misunderstood in this season of my life.”
“I Hope This Helps” is Springsteen’s second studio album, following her breakout debut album, “Twenty Something,” which was released in 2023, which featured collaborations with major country stars, including Chris Stapleton and Mitchell Tenpenny.
In addition to working with big-named stars on her album, Springsteen also performed to massive crowds as the opening act for both Luke Bryan and Keith Urban during their respective tours in 2024 and 2025.
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Springsteen opened for both Keith Urban and Luke Bryan. (Tibrina HobsonCBS via Getty Images)
Working with Urban was special for Springsteen, as he is someone she “looked up to for so long.”
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WATCH: Alana Springsteen’s latest album changed how the artist saw herself
Springsteen told Digital during her first ever appearance at the Stagecoach Festival.
“I don’t know if he knows this, but he basically taught me how to play guitar when I was nine-years-old,” she told Digital in May. “I just remember having his records on repeat, trying to learn those licks, those riffs, just obsessed with his songwriting, obsessed with everything he does, so to be on tour with him is so special.”
