Los Angeles, Jan 22 (IANS): Singer Lauren Alaina and partner Alex Hopkins have called it quits.

The country star and her beau, who got engaged over last summer, announced they were ending their six-year relationship on their respective Instagram accounts on Monday, reports people.com.

In a joint statement, the couple explained that the decision came as a result of their individual growth and change over the last six years.

"You have been so supportive of us through all of our ups and downs, including personal struggles with health and family, and we couldn't be more grateful," the couple shared jointly.

"You share your lives with us, and we always want to be open with you in return. We want to let you know that we have decided to call off our engagement. While we still have love for each other, we've grown into very different people over the last six years."

"We are now in a place where we are each looking forward to starting our own fresh, new chapters of our lives. We both love and respect each other and hope you all will do the same. This has not been an easy decision, but we both feel it is the right decision. Thank you always for your love and support," they wrote.

Alaina, 24, also captioned the emotional announcement by asking her followers for "grace, compassion, and respect in this time."