Digital Cover: Through the Looking Glass With Lauren Spencer Smith

Stuck in the notorious LA traffic after two long weeks of penning heartbreak tracks was when it occurred to Lauren Spencer Smith that she’d never written a song about her boyfriend of 18 months. She’d sad-ballad-ed her way through exes, devoted tear-inducing tracks to former best friends, and related with the masses over estranged family members. And, though she’d more or less already written out her and her boyfriend’s future together, dedicating a song to him hadn’t crossed her mind until that fateful car ride. When the rising vocalist finally arrived at her studio session (two and a half hours later), it seemed almost destiny that her producer and co-writer had already laid down a guitar sample that was the perfect fit for a love song. Her single “That Part” was thus born. “We were supposed to write that song that day,” Lauren affirms when we speak, a few weeks after the track’s release. 

You could say Lauren Spencer Smith’s career thus far has been equally as fated as the story behind “That Part”. Still a little while off leaving teenagehood at 19, she’s already shared the stage with Keith Urban —  aged 11, may I add,  stormed her way to the live finals of American Idol, and peaked at fourth position in the UK charts with her record, “Fingers Crossed”. The pivotal point, though, arrived online several years prior with a major foreshadowing moment of her later TikTok stardom. At that point she’d been posting singing clips on various sites for several years, so when, at 15, a wholesome video singing with her dad went viral on Facebook, it was all systems go. 

The dream was always music. While other kids toyed with run-of-the-mill building blocks and dolls, Lauren could be found clutching the mic of her much-loved karaoke machine. Asked whether there was ever a plan B, she smiles, “I’ve never even thought twice about doing something other than music.” That’s why, at age 16, she was bravely facing up to what most other teenagers would consider a living nightmare — putting herself on live television. Fresh-faced and sprightly, Lauren won over the affections of American Idol judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie with renditions of P!nk’s “What About Us” and “Always Remember Us This Way” by Lady Gaga. 

Looking back over her short career as a TV talent competition star, she’s thankful to have lived the experience. It was during this time that she met her co-songwriter and best friend, ​​Geena Fontanella, who, present day, will be joining her on her Mirror Tour. The introduction of Geena marks a seminal point in Lauren’s life, as she affectionately races through the magnitude of her friend’s support. Of all her blessings, that which would turn out to be most crucial was teaching Lauren to write songs. Over the Covid-19 lockdown, the two spent countless hours on FaceTime, finetuning Lauren’s songwriting skills in what I’d like to imagine as a Rocky-esque training sequence — this time soundtracked with untouched acoustic tracks and much Sabrina Carpenter-studying.

Soon after her elimination from American Idol, the teenager moved to LA for four months to live with Geena, who kindly drove her to and from studio sessions, assisted with finding songwriters and sound producers, and worked with Lauren on the songs for her debut album, Mirror. 

As for many rising musicians of today, TikTok was the next natural step for Lauren — “It’s mandatory at this point to be an artist,” she explains. When she speaks on the app, it’s clear she’s spent hours perfecting the algorithm down to an art. And, with over six million followers and consistently solid engagement, it seems not a minute was wasted. As she began to explain the intricacies of Gen-Z’s current obsession, I immediately felt like a confused kid in the back of a physics class. The summary, though, for any up-and-coming musicians hoping to get their name heard, is consistency. Make sure you post often, find out how other artists are promoting, and keep up to date with the latest trends — even if you think you’re above them.

For Lauren, the connection with TikTok runs much deeper than the algorithm. It’s where she’s found her like-minded crowd. “We’re all living the same life,” she begins; “We’re going through our first relationships, our big break-ups. We’re graduating. We’re on the same ‘For You’ page. It’s really cool.”

Leaning into her openness online, especially with such personal tracks out there for millions to hear, one can’t help but wince at the vulnerability. After all, most of us would struggle to expose our deepest fears and insecurities as Lauren does. “I’m a big oversharer, so I find it a lot easier to tell people my feelings.” It’s clear this aspect of artistry doesn’t phase her in the slightest as she continues, “I try not to self-victimise in my songs; it’s more about writing something after the fact to help somebody else. I’ll try to write the song that I wanted when I was going through that same situation.”

With her warm internet presence and sonic guidance through life’s throes, it comes as no surprise that fans are rushing to catch the star in person at her tour. Dates are fast selling out and followers are no doubt prepping their vocal cords to scream along to “Fingers Crossed”. “Those are my favourite moments,” Lauren gleams, “It’s when my fans feel like they can get all their emotions out and still feel that they’re in a safe space.”

Kicking off in Chicago tonight, Lauren’s bringing her dulcet tones to over 40 venues across the States and Europe, including two nights at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town. Nerve-wracking for most, but a swift shoulder shrug from Lauren. “I feel like I never have time to process if I’m nervous or not,” she explains. “It’s just an instant like, ‘Cool, we’re going on stage.’” The dream? To sell out her hometown arena — as well as Wembley, naturally. And, with droves of fans tuning into her effortless vocals and profound lyrics by the day, the goal’s looking closer than ever before.