2024 ALBUM OF THE YEAR | Lauren Spencer Smith | | The JUNO Awards

Lauren Spencer Smith’s musical journey began in 2019. Lauren put her feelings to verse—something unusual for a student who preferred math and science to theater and performance. However, from remote Vancouver Island, the budding voice found an audience. Smith demonstrated a keen ability to write a relatable breakup song or complex feelings about school, family, and friends. “All the breakup songs I knew were talking about what it feels like to go through it, but nothing that described the red flags, the things you missed,” she explains. Tracks like “Always Remember Us This Way” and “All I Want” achieved tens of millions of streams. As each of Lauren’s works connected, she eventually signed with Island / Republic Records. At the top of 2022, she delivered the monumentali, “Fingers Crossed,” which peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. “We were coming out of COVID; everybody was sad; it was a lot emotionally,” she recalls. Events in Lauren Spencer Smith’s life were much like what she saw on her timelines—breakups, confusion, anxiety. “Fingers Crossed” has reached over 350 million streams, including its video. Smith matched the momentum with “Flowers” and “Narcissist”— based on vivid milestone moments in relationships.