LAUREN SPENCER-SMITH

The rising pop artist leaked a song snippet — and unintentionally helped “Fingers Crossed” become a major TikTok hit

Last November, singer-songwriter Lauren Spencer-Smith was wrapping up a recording session focusing on a snappy, heartbroken ballad titled “Fingers Crossed.” While in the studio with songwriters Fransisca Hall and Jakke Erixson, she filmed a selfie-style video so she could listen back later — but she was so excited to share her progress with fans that she shared a preview of the song in the form of a 15-second TikTok snippet.

Within days, the video generated millions of views, with fans flooding the comments, begging for a release date. While the Vancouver Island, British Columbia-raised 18-year-old had already built a following thanks to her stint on the 2020 season of American Idol, the TikTok popularity brought in a swarm of new fans. But as the clip racked up views and sparked new trends — including an “open verse challenge” in which TikTok users added their own lyrics to the track — the song still wasn’t finished. “I was in a panic because everybody’s attention spans are so short,” says Spencer-Smith. “You have to pay attention to your audience.” As her manager and business partner David Ehrlich puts it: “Lauren has a second sense about things.”

By early January, she independently released “Fingers Crossed,” which entered the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track caught the attention of major labels, and Spencer-Smith signed a record deal with Republic and Island by February. “Lauren is a generational artist and an undeniable talent,” says Island Records co-CEO Justin Eshak. “She embodies everything this new chapter of Island represents.” Co-CEO Imran Majid adds: “She’s an incredible storyteller and a powerful vocalist. Lauren is the future.” Republic Records founder/ COO Avery Lipman shares in the excitement, saying: “Together we look forward to giving her the biggest platform possible.”

Yet despite the growing spotlight and support team, Spencer-Smith still plans to play by her own rulebook: “I’ll always be the type of person who wants to tease things to my audience to see what they like and what they don’t like,” she says. “Because anytime you go through anything, you think you’re the only person who goes through it, but every time I release a song, you’re like, ‘Woah, I’m not the only one who has been in this awful situation.’ ’’