Insider: Canadian Native Lauren Spencer Smith Talks Tour and New Album 'Mirrors'
Edited by Anna Mengani
Thursday, July 19th, Boston, Massachusetts. A huge line of fans in sparkly outfits wrapped around multiple street corners outside of the Paradise Rock Club, where they would later see Lauren Spencer Smith perform a sold-out show. Fans prepared to face a rollercoaster of emotions, evident to be present after listening to her new album, Mirror, which released just a few days before the show.
Lauren Spencer Smith is a 19-year-old singer/songwriter from Vancouver Island. With multiple chart-topping tracks, such as Tik Tok anthem 'that part' and 'Best friend breakup.' Lauren has created a name for herself all over the world and has been extremely successful. From putting on shows at famous venues to performing at the 2022 VMA's, Lauren has gained supporters from all over the world, currently sitting at over one million followers on Instagram and over six million on TikTok. As mentioned above, Lauren released her debut album Mirror on July 14th, 2023. Mirror is a fifteen-track self-reflecting album, where Lauren addresses everything from relationship issues to family problems, even to best friend breakups! However, do not be fooled by the presence of breakup-type ballads throughout this album; Lauren is happily in a relationship. Her relationship and love for her boyfriend are reflected in the song 'that part,' where she sings, "And I wanna take your name. And I know you want the same." The diverse mix of sad and happy songs throughout this album creates a truly magical masterpiece that everyone can relate to in some way or another.
The former American Idol season 18 contestant is currently headlining her first tour, Mirror Tour, which consists of 40+ dates across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. When asked what venue she is most excited to play on this tour, Lauren instantly responds with "Queen Elizabeth Hall in London," saying it is somewhere she has dreamed of performing from a young age. I was fortunate enough to personally attend the July 19th show, which was held at Paradise Rock Club in Boston, Massachusetts. The setlist consisted of 19 songs, including two fantastic covers; one being Adele's pop hit 'Rolling in the Deep' and the other, 'All I Want' by Olivia Rodrigo, a special fan request from earlier that night. Throughout the entire show, Lauren engaged with the audience in many ways, reading signs people were holding and talking to the crowd. In a wholesome turn of events, two couples in the audience got engaged during Lauren's performance of her hit single 'that part!' Lauren took time in between songs to not only introduce and congratulate the couples but also to give them each exclusive hoodies from her merch line! The constant crowd engagement kept the audience interested and made the experience very personal for many.
In addition to the great setlist and constant fan interaction, Lauren also took time in between songs to explain the context of the next song, giving audience members who may not be familiar with the song a basic understanding. No matter whether they belonged to a fan, a boyfriend/ girlfriend of a fan, or a parent of a fan, every single set of eyes in the room was on Lauren for the entirety of her performance. Despite being so young and new to the touring scene, Lauren's show was extremely well-rehearsed and professional, her stage presence was immaculate. It is evident after watching her perform that she was born to be on stage and write bittersweet (but relatable) songs for everyone to be able to listen too.
I was also invited to attend a press conference with Lauren prior to the release of Mirror, where she discussed the upcoming album and what it meant to her. She described Mirror as extremely personal, covering many issues that have happened to her and people she knows. When asked about the inspiration behind the album as well as someone she would love to collaborate with, she reveals that fellow Canadian musician JP Saxe is a huge muse for her, and she hopes to work with him more in the near future. Lauren teased two upcoming tracks from Mirror, 'Do it all again' and 'Bigger Person', both of which she is very excited to perform live during tour, as they are a couple of her favorites from the album. I am extremely grateful to have attended the conference and the tour itself, and I can not wait to see what else Lauren does in the future!
Upcoming Mirrors tour dates
9/06 - Vienna, Austria
9/07 - Warsaw, Poland
9/09 - Lollapalooza Berlin
9/10 - Hamburg, Germany
9/13 - Copenhagen, Denmark
9/14 - Stockholm, Sweden
9/17 - Amsterdam, Netherlands
9/20 - Cologne, Germany
9/21 - Brussels, Belgium
10/01 - Glasgow, UK
10/02 - Birmingham, UK
10/04 - Dublin, Ireland
10/07 - Bristol, UK
10/ 09 - London, UK
10/27 - Melbourne, Australia
10/29 - Sydney, Australia
11/01 - Brisbane, Australia
11/04 - Auckland, New Zealand
To keep up with Lauren, make sure to follow her social media below!
Lauren Spencer Smith
