WRITTEN BY LAUREN JAUREGUI AND FEATURING COLLABORATIONS WITH VIC MENSA, 6LACK AND TIMBALAND
 
LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEO OF FOCUS TRACK
“ON GUARD” (FEAT. 6LACK) – OUT NOW

LISTEN
‘PRELUDE’
 
WATCH
“ON GUARD” (FEAT. 6LACK) (LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEO)

A new chapter begins today for artist and songwriter, Lauren Jauregui with the release of her highly anticipated debut solo project, ‘PRELUDE’ – out now via her own label, Attunement Records under exclusive license to AWAL Recordings. Written by Lauren, the seven-track collection of songs features some of her most personal music ever released.


“This is truly my child,” Lauren observes, speaking candidly about her project. “I’m continuing to change. These songs mean a lot to me and speak to a very real part of myself I’ve been working on. They feel good. I’ve sat with them. I’m comfortable with them. I’d done a few features, but I’ve been sifting through different sounds and working on unlearning what my heart had been trained to hear in the past. I found out what I sonically wanted to say. It was a beautiful process to understand I have my own voice as an artist. 2021 Lauren is a whole new bitch.”
 
The project’s focus track, “On Guard,” featuring 6lack, sees Lauren locking into a conversational call-and-response with the singer and rapper. “I’m asserting my power and talking about having boundaries around my heart,” she reveals. Watch a beautiful live performance video of “On Guard,” taken from Lauren’s incredible livestream concert, presented by the premium social live media platform Moment House, co-directed by Lauren and creative director Matthew Daniel Siskin (BeyoncĂ©, 6LACK, Florence & The Machine) HERE.
 
Earlier this month, Lauren introduced ‘PRELUDE’ with “Colors,” a track written by Lauren and produced by Johnny Rain, featuring sparse piano and airy strings, which underscore her emotionally charged delivery, effervescent harmonies, and evocative spoken word. Hailed by Billboard as “a piercing self-examination,” “contemplative and emotionally charged,” the song was ushered in with a flurry of critical acclaim, including from PAPER Magazine who lauded the track as “a simmering, meditative introduction that burns slowly until it bursts,” with V Magazine proclaiming “it has enough substance to tide you down with just one spin.”
 
Speaking about the song, Lauren shares, “When you paint a wall, you have to paint over what is underneath. I’m trying to convince myself I’m someone I’m not,” she explains. “The song is a literal conversation. When everyone is gone, it’s just you and I. You can paint on the wall, but you can’t erase them all. I’m letting myself know that no matter what is going on, I need to be okay with myself. You can’t run away from yourself, because all of your layers are still going to be there. You need to learn to see them and accept them.”

“Scattered,” featuring Vic Mensa followed, written by Lauren, and produced by Oak Felder (Demi Lovato, Brandy, Kehlani). Described by Rolling Stone as an “autumnal, horn-tipped ballad,” that sees “the duo address emotional demons, finding ways to trust, and acknowledge when the pain might be too much to go it alone,” with COMPLEX calling it “slow-burning” and “meditative.”
 
“It’s essentially about my mind being scattered. Vic heard it and felt it. I loved the idea of having a male perspective on assessing mental health,” Lauren says. “The transparency and the vulnerability, that’s what drew me into the song “Scattered,” Vic Mensa explains. “I’ve come to realize that when I speak about the myriad of mental issues I go through, and speak about them honestly and with no short-cuts, not only is it a catharsis for me, it’s also valuable for the world because so many people are going through the same manifestations.”
 
Watch Lauren and Vic speak about the meaning behind the song and how it all came together HERE, and watch the beautiful live performance video HERE.
 
Other project highlights on the project include “Falling,” which Lauren wrote and features production from the legendary Timbaland (Aaliyah, Nelly Furtado, Missy Elliott, Madonna). The track sees Lauren confronting depression head-on amid a fascinating sonic framework punctuated by beatboxing in the background courtesy of Timbaland. “Don’t Wanna Say It” combines shimmering harp with a sultry and heavenly vocal, and on “Sorry,” Lauren’s vocals tiptoe over faint acoustic guitar and swooning strings. She originally penned the song in Bali before GRAMMY¼ Award-winning super producer Malay (Frank Ocean, Lorde) lent his touch to the track. “Most of the songs are moments,” Lauren explains. “‘Sorry’ is essentially apologizing for not being able to love someone the way they want to be loved and having to walk away because of those differences.”


 Along with the new music, Lauren Jauregui exclusively revealed in an interview with Bustle that she’s taking full creative control and embarking on a fully independent career, releasing music in partnership with AWAL Recordings and serving as executive producer on her upcoming ‘PRELUDE’ project. According to Lauren, “My music is about getting to the bottom of how I’m feeling
 Now, I have the freedom to explore all of the different ways I can express myself. My art is a witness to my growth.” With the initial announcement of ‘PRELUDE,’ Lauren reveals, “Deep gratitude to be able to finally birth the beginning of this project into the world. ‘PRELUDE’ is a piece of my heart, and I can’t wait for you all to hear what that sounds like.”

You can hear, see, and feel Lauren Jauregui’s evolution in her music. Of course, the world initially met the multi-platinum second generation Cuban American singer and songwriter as one-fifth of the award-winning, arena-filling, and chart-dominating multi-platinum pop phenomenon Fifth Harmony. Projecting her voice across popular culture, she collaborated with everyone from Halsey and Steve Aoki to Ty Dolla $ign and Diane Warren.

In between, Lauren dropped her first solo single “Expectations” during 2018, which went on to generate over 100 million streams, paving the way for a procession of fan favorites including “More Than That,” “Lento” with Tainy, â€œ50ft,” and “Invisible Chains,” taken from Birds of Prey: The Album. During 2021, she released a new song, “Temporary” in collaboration with a mental health initiative sponsored by Ad Council.

Using her platform for progress, Lauren also actively speaks up for various social justice initiatives, including human rights, and women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.  Now, she embraces freedom of expression both personally and creatively on her 2021 independent debut, PRELUDE, released in partnership with AWAL. For the first time, Lauren showcases every side of herself with no shortage of spirit, sensuality, style, and soul, delivering an unfiltered and undeniable depiction of who she is.

Speaking about what she hopes fans will take away from ‘PRELUDE,’ Lauren reveals, “When you listen to this, I hope you feel seen. I want you to feel held, hugged, or sexy. If you’re mad at a situation and don’t have any words, I hope my songs can help you find those words. This is just part one of what’s coming next as I explore myself.”

‘PRELUDE’ is available everywhere now. 

TRACKLISTING
Intro
Colors
Scattered (feat. Vic Mensa)
Falling
On Guard (feat. 6lack)
Don’t Want To Say It
Sorry

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