The long-awaited debut album from Lauren Spencer Smith, Mirror, finally arrived in July, and last week, she wrapped the US/Canada leg of her first ever headlining tour. As its title suggests, the album contains a reflection on her feelings and experiences, often tackling the complex subjects of self-image and self-worth. Lauren isn't solely looking in the Mirror; at times, she even serves as one herself. She not only lets listeners see themselves in every word she writes, but also helps them realize that there is, in fact, a pathway out of the seemingly never-ending cycle of heartache.
Therefore, her unmatched ability to lead scream-alongs in packed venues of passionate fans should come as no surprise. So far, the Mirror tour has cultivated an intimate yet powerful atmosphere, the kind of safe space that only Lauren can create.
Image credit: Universal Music Group, graphic created by Karly Ramnani
Overall, Mirror builds on Lauren's breakout success in the past year (if you've heard "Fingers Crossed" while scrolling through TikTok or on the radio, that'd be her) and follows many of the same formulas that worked for its previously released singles. She vividly characterizes a rollercoaster of sadness, anger, shock, frustration, regret, and apprehension, among several other emotions. That said, concluding the project in a place of love, resolution, and contentment, she shows new sides to herself and includes a few surprises as well.
Image credit: Universal Music Group
Lauren's soulful belt, vocal control, and almost theatrical delivery sound impressively mature - so when one considers vocal technique alone, it'd be hard to believe she's only 19 years old. But the tell-it-like-it-is approach and the resonant characteristics of her penning are what truly define her. Listening to Mirror feels like hearing an older sister vent or share advice. The record is filled with Lauren's signature vulnerability - despite Mirror's nature as a personal narrative, she maintains a universal lens and broad tone. While the numerous details she provides help listeners visualize the stories in her songs, she packs in several reminders that trauma can take many forms. In order, the tracklist aims to portray a start-to-finish journey, as Lauren eventually learns to fall in love again and find her inner strength. For example, the closing track, "Do It All Again," poignantly recalls "Fingers Crossed," in its final line, effectively tying the project together. Lauren communicates that she has now found purpose and acceptance in the pain that once shattered her faith and kept her up at night.
Recently, Playlists & Polaroids had the opportunity to chat with Lauren, and the insight we gained from this conversation made us fall in love with her all over again. We'll warn you ahead of time that she held nothing back, so hold on to your tissues. Keep reading for her thoughts on love and heartbreak songs, entering the industry young, embracing the catharsis, and more!
YOU'LL LOVE LAUREN SPENCER SMITH IF YOU LISTEN TO: Tate McRae, Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift, Lewis Capaldi, Olivia Rodrigo, Niall Horan
What were some of your favorite and least favorite parts about entering the industry so young? How did you feel when you realized that "Fingers Crossed" opened a crazy number of doors for you?
I guess I’ll start with the negative thing, so we can end on the positive. Doing things young can be very overwhelming, because you’re not prepared. All of a sudden, you have a song blow up, and then you move out of your house, and you’re like, “I don’t even know how to pay rent. I’ve always lived at home my entire life. I don’t know how to pay bills and do all this stuff.” And you’re becoming a young adult at the exact same time your career is skyrocketing, and you’re having to travel all over the world.
But I will say, the best part is getting to do so many things young. I’m going to get to do everything that I’ve dreamed of doing in my 20s, and then be able to start a family, and have this amazing life that I’ve always wanted to have by the time I’m 30. I feel like so many of my friends are on completely different timelines, and they always say to me, “You should be so grateful you get to do it at a young age. You get to do it now, then you can do whatever you want when you’re older, and travel and do all these cool things.” So I’m super grateful for that. But honestly, when “Fingers Crossed” blew up, I was so overwhelmed and excited, and I probably didn’t realize in that moment exactly what doors were being opened. I was just so happy when it happened, like all my hard work had finally paid off for something.
You explored several kinds of heartache in your music - whether that is in relationships, friendships, family, or otherwise before putting out "That Part." What inspired you to shift to a different kind of songwriting, with the more optimistic "That Part"? How do you feel as though "That Part" ties into the rest of the tracklist of Mirror?
At first, when I wrote “That Part,” I was like, “This doesn’t match the album, guys. Everything on this album is sad, what are we going to do?” But for most of the album, I wasn’t writing something to purposefully try and fit the album. I would just write something that I was going through, and if it fit the album it fit the album. If it didn’t, it didn’t make the album. “That Part” was the final song we wrote for the album; we wrote it in maybe a week or two before we announced the album. So it was extremely last minute. But everyone on my team had felt we were missing a love song, or something that [said] “Oh, I’m with Matt now,” so it worked out perfectly.
Your music definitely meets listeners exactly where they're at in their own healing journeys, and has the power to make people feel less alone. But you've said on TikTok before that you've "built such a brand around sad." What does this concept mean to you?
My whole life, I would feel like my feelings weren’t valid. Like I would go through something, and everyone else would tell me that I was being overdramatic. And I will say I am 100% overdramatic - I’m a very overly emotional person. I feel emotions very deeply. I will cry over absolutely anything. But I was made to feel really silly and stupid for that, and I think there’s a lot of people that feel the exact same way. I’ve always just wanted to write about things that upset me and validate my own feelings, and in the process make other people feel less alone about it. And let them know that [even though] you’ve had a narcissist in your life, that’s not okay. I hope that you’re okay, because I’m not okay, and we can just not be okay together. I never had that example from a specific artist growing up - I never felt like I had one person who was just writing about real things. So I always wanted to just be that person and write about things like that.
Due to its heartfelt yet all-encomapssing subject matter, Mirror is bound to speak to every listener in a different way. Lauren Spencer Smith fosters genuine, personal connections between herself and her fans, through her therapeutic and self-aware artistry. If learning about Lauren and her story touched you as well, we've curated just the playlist for you!
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