Lauren Jauregui finished third on The X Factor, then built her own label

A Miami student won over the judges with Alicia Keys

Before The X Factor, Jauregui attended Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami on an academic scholarship. She took part in its talent show and softball team, and spent her school years singing, writing, dancing, playing piano and painting. At her televised audition in 2012, the 16-year-old sang Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You” with her parents, siblings and grandparents there to support her. Simon Cowell praised the performance, and L.A. Reid called it a “perfect, perfect audition.” All four judges approved her passage to the next round. Her first television introduction was as a solo singer.

Fifth Harmony finished third under Simon Cowell

On July 27, 2012, Jauregui became part of the five-piece group that would become Fifth Harmony. At the judges’ houses, they sang an acoustic version of Shontelle’s “Impossible” for mentor Simon Cowell. Their run included “Anything Could Happen” in the semifinals and a final duet with Demi Lovato on “Give Your Heart a Break.” Fifth Harmony finished third. In January 2013, the group signed to Cowell’s Syco Music and L.A. Reid’s Epic Records. Jauregui completed her high school diploma through homeschooling as the group’s recording career developed. “Work from Home,” released in 2016, reached No. 4 on the Hot 100.

“Expectations” opened a personal writing chapter

Lauren Jauregui had written a verse for Marian Hill’s 2016 collaboration “Back to Me” before starting work on her solo album in May 2018. That writing followed a month-long trip to Egypt and Thailand. She told W that she had feared sharing her songwriting because music mattered so much to her and she worried about doing it badly. On October 24, 2018, she released her debut solo single, “Expectations.” She wanted her own vision, voice and energy involved in the creative process, and said the label had supported that aim. “I feel liberated,” Jauregui told W while discussing the freedom to explore her music.

Attunement gave her control of Prelude

In 2021, Lauren Jauregui departed Columbia and started Attunement Records, partnering with distributor AWAL. Prelude arrived on November 5, with seven tracks. She had written its songs in 2018 and 2019, then spent 2020 and 2021 completing details such as strings, trumpet parts and vocal harmonies. Asked about paying for her own art, Jauregui told Remezcla, “I have no problem investing in myself and in my creative vision.” She described a writing process that followed each song’s story from its opening to its end, with attention to what she wanted a listener to feel. She presented the music through a Moment House performance before releasing the project.

Two crystal sound bowls became Prelude’s opening

For Prelude’s “Intro,” Lauren Jauregui wanted an orchestral opening. She and her sound engineer visited a crystal shop on Melrose Avenue during the pandemic and waited in line to enter. She chose two crystal sound bowls and took them back to the studio as the recording’s base. Jauregui worked at the piano to settle the chord progression, and musicians added violin and viola. The project included Timbaland’s production on “Falling,” Vic Mensa on “Scattered” and 6lack on “On Guard.” She wrote or co-wrote every track. Jauregui told PAPER that her goal throughout the process was “creative freedom and control.”

In Between returned to songs from 2018 and 2019

Her next EP, In Between, arrived on May 26, 2023. Its seven tracks included “Wolves,” with Ty Dolla $ign and Russ, and songs such as “Em(oceans),” “Trust Issues” and “Always Love.” In a July interview with Galore, Jauregui explained that these songs had been with her since 2018 and 2019. She described “Wolves” as a response to her experiences in the music industry and encouragement to keep going. “Always Love” expressed continuing affection after a relationship ended. By that interview, she was back in the studio making new music for an album, describing greater ease in expressing herself through her writing.

“Ego” brought guitars into her 2025 plans

In August 2025, Jauregui reunited with her Fifth Harmony bandmates for a surprise performance with the Jonas Brothers. She then competed on Dancing with the Stars before releasing “Ego” on EVEN on October 8. The song began with a guitar lick that caught her attention during a writing session with Marc Lo of The Monsters & Strangerz. She worked on it further with producer Matias. In an October 17 interview, Jauregui explained how the lyric moved from addressing another person to examining her own part in a relationship. She described the album she was making as pop-alternative, with punk and rock elements. Its subjects included her inner struggles and her response to the wider world.

Her 2026 releases put her in charge of the timetable

“Everybody’s on Drugs” reached EVEN on September 1, 2026. The direct sale offered immediate access to the song and a preorder of her next single, with “Rock Bottom” named as the second track. In September, Jauregui told CAPRICHO that full independence had made her responsible for everything behind a release. She had originally planned to issue “Everybody’s on Drugs” before “Ego,” then changed the order after Dancing with the Stars. She intended to release two singles before the end of 2026 and hoped to release music more often in 2027. On October 20, she joined hosts McKenzie Goodwin and Rachel Scanlon on Two Dykes And A Mic for a conversation that included going viral and never giving up.

• Lauren Jauregui: career and music
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