Lauren Spencer Smith entered the public eyes when her self-released “Fingers Crossed” became a sensation on TikTok. Her powerhouse vocal and dairy-style lyrics earned her many praises and comparisons with hit-makers like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo, but as for Lauren, she has long been ready for the world to hear her voice. It’s like the past four years are a built-up to Mirror, an autobiographical debut album spinning 15 tracks comes with depth and embrace.
She wrote the first song when she was 16. She never imagined her song would make a global impact, but four years later, “Fingers Crossed” brought her the opportunity that she has been waiting for. The album documents the footsteps she left behind and the lessons she learned in these angsty years.
She sings about everyday problems like a past lover, family, friendship, endings and new beginnings, joy and losses. Form loves songs sprinkled with hope and desires to the heartwarming introspection fuelled by the strength of her words, Lauren takes listeners on a quiet, yet impactful journey. There are moments filled with tears; but there are also moments filled with light and stars. And no matter what you are going through or feeling, Lauren is every step there with you — that’s the power of her music. She gets under your skin and moves into your heart.
Perhaps the path of sharing bits and pieces of herself is just meant to be. Lauren confessed that unlike the terror and anxiety she expected to feel when releasing such a personal album, the feeling was simply comforting. “It should be nerve-wracking for me to share my feelings with people, but for some reason, it’s not. I just join sessions with people I’ve never met, and I’m like, ‘Cool, so this happened to me, and this happened to me, let’s write about it.’ And they’re like, ‘Wow, you just shared everything.”
Speaking about the journey that took her to the release of Mirror, she revealed that she didn’t believe it would happen. “Three years ago, I just never would have thought that I would be where I am today, and I think everything happens for a reason. Even though some of the things that happened were so shit in the moment, I would have never imagined something positive would have ever come out of them,” said the singer-songwriter.
Written by Katrina Yang
Press Q&A with Lauren Spencer Smith
Q: When you’re looking back at the artist you were when you released ‘Fingers Crossed,’ and you’re comparing that to the artist that’s about to release her debut album, what do you find is the biggest difference in your creative process?
Lauren Spencer Smith: I feel like I’m a more confident songwriter now; I mean, I feel like it’s been a while since I wrote the first songs for the album. I feel like I used to go into songwriting sessions with Gina, who is my best friend, and she is the person who taught me how to song-write, and we would go into sessions together, and she’d be briefing me in the car of like “what do you want to write about today? You have to make sure you speak up,” “say what you want do not let the song be written without you, or you’re not going to want to put it out.” And I feel like now I can do sessions with anyone, and I walk in very confident in the fact that I know I can write a song and share my ideas, and they’re all valid. So definitely just a difference in confidence levels.
Q: What inspired Mirror?
Lauren: The falling out of relationship inspires the first half [of the album]. The back half is about meeting my current boyfriend and I was so scared to fall in love again. I grew up with divorced parents. Most people with divorced parents don’t want to get married – but I’m the opposite. I’m trying to be married for 50 years! But I didn’t feel that way until I met my boyfriend.
I’ve been writing this album for years. I was 16 when I wrote the first song and now I’m 20, so it’s a huge maturity gap. The first half of the album represents that I had no boundaries in relationships and wasn’t loved the way I deserved.
Q: What was the most challenging song you wrote on Mirror?
Lauren: It wasn’t necessarily challenging to write it. It was more challenging to decide if it was going on the album or if I should put it out publicly. Is it going to offend people? I would definitely say that that was the roughest. “Bigger Person” was a little rough too. That one really hits pretty hard for me, but “28” probably stumps the rest of them
Q: Were you ever nervous about being that vulnerable in your music?
Lauren: I’m such an oversharer. I think it should be nerve-wracking for me to share my feelings with people, but for some reason, it’s not. I just join sessions with people I’ve never met, and I’m like, ‘Cool, so this happened to me, and this happened to me, let’s write about it.’ And they’re like, ‘Wow, you just shared everything.
Q: What was your experience collaborating with GAYLE and Em Beihold on “Fantasy”?
Lauren: People always think it’s super daunting to work with other artists, which I think it definitely can be, but Em and GAYLE are the sweetest, kindest people in the entire world,” Lauren gushed. “While you’re recording a vocal, they’re like, ‘Yes! Slay! You sound so good!.’ It was just like a very positive typical atmosphere of teenage girls just supporting and loving each other. It was really fun.”
Q: What would you say about the journey of writing this album?
Lauren: Three years ago, I just never would have thought that I would be where I am today, and I think everything happens for a reason. Even though some of the things that happened were so shit in the moment, I would have never imagined something positive would have ever come out of them.
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