Singer-songwriter Lauren Waddell hails from Chattanooga, TN., with a fearless attitude and unapologetic personality. Telling it like it is, her new single, "Narcissist," reveals the layers of Lauren Waddell's charisma as she shares a piece of herself with us.
Her unique musical style includes early-2000s pop mixed with some indie flair and a bit of country music. Working with a well-rounded team of producers like Brent Crowe and Chuck Alkazian, this trifecta of talent brings quite the atmosphere to life in this record.
The edgy guitar strums spread a sincere melancholy to the track's musical foundation. Lauren Waddell's emotive vocalization meshes harmoniously as the upbeat drum patterns come swarming in.
Her witty lyrical motifs play upon her cheeky persona and self-assured aura. This excites the song's narrative in such a seamless way. The storytelling describes a relationship that has grown in the foundation of complete toxicity. Lauren Waddell states, "I wrote it about giving everything to somebody else in a relationship and being completely selfless in doing so. In fact, even being dismissive of your own needs and desires for the other person's happiness, but still getting gas-lit and called a 'Narcissist' in return."
Through the intensity that dips itself into peaks and valleys as the song's natural progression emanates, we can't help but relate to the captivating wording that Lauren Waddell flaunts. Winning us over with her passion and inimitable drive, Lauren Waddell transitions this to her musical creations impeccably. If you want a breakup anthem, you can scream-cry to "Narcissist" as you add it to your playlist.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Lauren Waddell! Congratulations on the release of "Narcissist." Basing such a vulnerable track on a piece of your life, how does it feel to let the public hear "Narcissist?"
Honestly, it feels very refreshing. You have all these emotions kind of bundled up and you tie them into a song. Putting that song out there and letting other people hear it, feels almost like a relief.
Do you often find closure when writing songs based on your experiences?
Writing songs is often how I go about finding closure, to begin with. I think songwriting, especially about a situation or just anything in general, gives you a moment to take a step back, reflect, break it down and interpret it all. It helps open up different perspectives you hadn’t really thought of before, and getting to do this is kind of a revealing experience that helps me find closure when writing.
How does "Narcissist" compare to other songs heard in your music catalog?
"Narcissist" is honestly a bit different from some of the other stuff I write. When I first recorded Narcissist, I recorded it to be a part of an album, but later down the line decided to release that album as singles. A lot of the music from that album has definitely more of a pop feel, with a little bit of country mixed into that, as opposed to Narcissist’s more pop-punk feel. However, a lot of the music I’m writing and working on more recently is pretty much a variety of pop, indie rock, and indie folk.
What was it like working with Brent Crowe and Chuck Alkazian to bring this song to life?
Working with Brent Crowe and Chuck Alkazian to produce this song was honestly an amazing experience. I started working with Brent when Narcissist was just its lyrics and a simple chord progression. As soon as the production process started, Brent instantly brought the song to life. After Brent had produced it, the song went to Chuck Alkazian to be remixed and remastered. Chuck added so much to the song, and just like Brent had, brought it even more to life than it was before. They both put so much effort into understanding my perspective of the song and using that to turn it into a work of art. Working with both of them helped me learn so much and was honestly wonderful.
What's next for you?
For the time being, I plan to play some live shows around my area. But other than that, we have two more songs also produced by Brent Crowe and Chuck Alkazian that we plan to release sometime in the near future. And while we’re waiting for that, I plan to keep writing and making more music that I’ll be able to share with the public soon!