Lauren Spencer Smith

Raised in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, Lauren Spencer Smith started out posting covers online before a wider audience found her during her run on American Idol in 2020. But things really shifted in 2022, when “Fingers Crossed” took off globally after gaining traction on TikTok. The song didn’t just travel — it stuck, and quickly put her at the centre of a wave of emotionally direct pop.

She followed it up with tracks like “Flowers” and her debut album Mirror, leaning into the same kind of writing that first connected. Nothing about it feels overworked — it’s direct, personal, and comes from wherever she’s at in that moment. As things have grown, that approach hasn’t really changed.

If anything, it’s clearer now that this is the lane she’s choosing to stay in — say it as it is, don’t dress it up too much, and let people take what they need from it.

You broke through with a song that travelled globally very quickly. Has that changed how you approach releasing music now?

I think it definitely made me more aware of how quickly things can grow, but I try not to let that pressure change how I write or release music. The songs that connected the most were the ones that were the most honest and unfiltered, so I just try to stay in that space instead of overthinking what “might” work.

There’s clearly a demand right now for emotionally direct songwriting. Why do you think audiences are responding to that again?

I think people are craving honesty. Everything feels so curated and filtered now, so when someone says exactly what they’re feeling in a really raw way, it cuts through. It makes people feel less alone, and I think that’s what people really want from music.

You’ve moved from online momentum into a global career. What’s something about that transition people underestimate?

I think people underestimate how much your life changes personally, not just professionally. It’s amazing, but there’s also a lot of pressure and a lot of growing up really quickly. You’re figuring out who you are while everything around you is moving so fast, all while trying your best to stay relevant to your audience.

When a certain kind of song works at scale, it can define expectations. How do you avoid getting boxed into that?

I think it’s just about reminding myself why I started. If I only chase what’s already worked, I’m not really growing. I want to keep evolving and writing about different experiences, even if it surprises people a bit.

What’s something you’ve learned about yourself through your music that you didn’t expect people to hear?

I think I didn’t realize how deeply I feel things until I started writing and sharing my music. I always knew I was emotional, but putting it into songs and seeing how people connect to that made me understand that it’s actually a big part of who I am, not something I need to tone down.

Do you ever feel pressure to stay in a certain emotional space because that’s what people connect to most?

I don’t really feel like I’m choosing an emotion; I just write from wherever I am in my life. I feel things really deeply, and when I’m sad, I feel it strongly, so that naturally comes out in my music. But if I’m happy or in a different place, I want to be honest about that too. I’ve always just wanted to be myself in my songs. I’ve been through a lot of hard things and struggles in my life, so sometimes the so-called “sad emotion” feels like it overpowers the others within my songs overall.

What are your thoughts about the future of music in Canada?

I think it’s really exciting. There are so many unique artists coming out of Canada right now, and I feel like people are paying more attention globally. I also think what makes Canada special is how accepting it is of different cultures and backgrounds, and you can really hear that diversity in the music. It creates space for people to be themselves, which I think is why so many distinct voices are coming out of here.