Sitting backstage at a historic amphitheater in Mexico, Lauren Jauregui beams with excitement. As soothing meditation music softly plays in the background, the musician puts the final touches on her makeup. This is Lauren’s sacred space, and there’s nothing but high vibrations and good vibes. Tonight marks the last show of her Latin American tour, “Una Noche Con Lauren Jauregui,” which saw the artist visit Brazil and Chile before arriving in Mexico City. And while there’s been plenty of peaks in Lauren’s career thus far–there’s been nothing quite like this, which celebrated her first solo EP, “Prelude.” 

“I kind of treat each one of these concerts like a meditation, like a mass meditation,” Lauren says on zoom, a week after her tour wrapped. “There’s so much energy in the room, and it’s an opportunity to channel all that energy toward positive things.”

Throughout the night, she zigzagged between high-octane hits from her discography, lavishing in the crowd’s energy and, in turn, giving it back to them. She opened the show with “Slow” and moved on to more electric hits like “While I’m Alive” and “50 FT,” which were sung by all the attendees. After her hit “Colors,” the stage went dark, revving up the crowd’s anticipation. When the lights came back on, she performed “Expectations” and ended the night with the showstopper, “Piña.” And just before Lauren left the stage for the night, red roses descended upon her from the crowd, showering Lauren with love.

“It’s so special to be able to write music that really resonates with my soul and spirit and then be able to go into rooms with thousands of people who are singing those songs back to me,” Lauren gushes. “That is such a special thing to me, such a special energy exchange.” 

Today, the artist continues on her path of producing new music, releasing “Trust Issues.” The personal ballad retells the story of Lauren’s emotional journey–trying to navigate new love while working through old heartbreak. It’s an incredibly raw and intimate look into the musician’s psyche, an experience many can relate to. The accompanying music video, directed by Farah Idress, sees Lauren coming off a performance and immediately in the studio recording. For someone who we’re used to seeing on the stage in maximalist jumpsuits, it strikes an especially sensitive note. Here, Lauren is stripped down to just her vocals. 

“I wrote ‘Trust Issues’ actually after a breakup–kind of at the same time I wrote, ‘Always Love,’” Lauren shares. “I went to Bali, and I worked with a few different songwriters and producers. The song is pretty straightforward. It’s about having trust issues and how we all have trust issues. But also how you can feel reserved but also want to explore more romantic connections when you’re unhealed and have that conversation with a potential lover.”

A week before the musician dropped her latest track, she sat down with V to talk about its inspiration, creative process, and of course, touring. For more on Lauren, read below. 

V MAGAZINE: Congrats on a beautiful tour! From what I saw on social media, it looked like so much fun!

LAUREN JAUREGUI: Thank you! It was a lot of fun. 

V: Do you have a favorite memory from the tour? 

LJ: The whole thing was so magical. I went to seven different countries, and each night was special in its own right. So it’s hard for me to pick a favorite. But I will say one of the shows that I really loved was my show in Peru. Peru wasn’t originally on the list of places I was supposed to tour, but I loved it because it was in an amphitheater, and it ended up being one of the largest venues that I got to perform at. That night there was also a full moon, and I was wearing red. I was able to connect with the music and fans that night really intimately. 

V: That sounds like a magical experience. I also wanted to ask you about your tour outfits. What makes a good outfit? And how do you select them? 

LJ: It just depends on how I’m feeling. My stylist Raz Martinez helped me curate my tour looks, and we picked from a few different designers that I really love and really connect with. And I had a different color for every night of the tour. 

V: They looked incredible. Do you have any specific pre-show rituals to help you get ready for a show?

LJ: I’m pretty lowkey, actually. I do my meet and greet, and then after, I take some time to decompress and listen to some music. 

V: Any artists in particular? 

LJ: I listen to either some R&B or meditation music.

V: Yeah, help you get into the mindset. 

LJ: Those help me a lot. They help calm me and relax the system. And then, I pray with my team. I think prayer is what I tap into the most. Right before I go on, I grab hands with the dancers that are around me and just thank God for the opportunity to be able to do what I love to do. 

V: I love that. And how would you describe a typical concert of yours? 

LJ: Well, there’s a lot of singing going on. The crowds are usually so invested and present. It’s so beautiful. And I think it’s a lot of empowerment and connection too. I treat each one of these concerts like a meditation, like a mass meditation. There’s so much energy in the room, and it’s an opportunity to channel all that energy toward positive things.

V: I can imagine it’s a very high vibrational space. 

LJ: Yeah, we need as much light in this world as we can get at this point.

V: Totally. And as an artist and musician, what do you like most about performing?

LJ: I’ve always loved being able to embody the songs that I’ve written. When I was younger, I used to choreograph dances and put performances on just getting to do that is so surreal. I had a moment on the plane to the first show in Argentina where I cried because I was like, “Wow, my little me is living her dream across the world.” It’s so special to be able to write music that really resonates with my soul and spirit and then be able to go into rooms with thousands of people who are singing those songs back to me. That is such a special thing to me, such a special energy exchange. 

V: I’m sure it is. And as you’re about to drop “Trust Issues” next week, how did this release come about? 

LJ: I wrote “Trust Issues” actually after a breakup–kind of at the same time I wrote, “Always Love.” I went to Bali, and I worked with a few different songwriters and producers. The song is pretty straightforward. It’s about having trust issues and how we all have trust issues. But also how you can feel reserved but want to explore more romantic connections when you’re unhealed and have that conversation with a potential lover.

V: Yeah, I feel like it’s something many people can relate to. So personally, how do you go about overcoming those obstacles?

LJ: I’m a pretty open person, and I really love until I’m given a reason not to love-type person. I’ve learned over time to protect myself a lot more. I’ve learned to keep pieces that are more vulnerable to myself until someone proves that they’re worthy of trust. Also, I feel like sometimes people deserve second chances depending on the infraction against your energy. Sometimes people don’t, and then there’s a distance that’s created and safe space that’s created. But I feel like most people are really just learning how to love and learning how to love themselves authentically and learning how to love others authentically. We all kind of come from a lot of–the world that we live in is filled with capitalism, white supremacy, all of these different structures that really play a deep ingrained role. I have a lot of grace because a lot of people are healing and on their journey of healing. 

V: I feel like that’s a healthy point of view–to give people grace while still protecting your own energy. I hope a lot of people also resonate with that sentiment.

LJ: A lot of people give people like a million chances, expecting people to change but blaming themselves for the reason why someone won’t change. And being like, “Oh, if I love harder, if I do this more–if I give more, then this person will learn to love me.” And sometimes, when people break your trust, you must honor yourself too. You have to give yourself grace and be like, “You know what? This person doesn’t resonate with who I want to be, and that’s okay. It’s also not my fault.”

V: So true.

LJ: I feel like people test their trust boundaries often because they think it’s their fault, you know?

V: Totally. It’s a tough thing to learn–the sweet spot between protecting yourself and being considerate of others’ journeys. A couple of more questions for you before I let you go. I also watched the music video for “Trust Issues,” can you talk about its creative direction? What made you want to pursue a music video where we see you in the studio? 

LJ: Yeah, I wanted it to be very raw and in the process. We go from the live performance of “Always Love” that I last dropped, and we see the stripping back of all the gimmicks–all of the glitz and glamor. You see me in the studio creating, which is a very raw space. And I feel like that’s what “Trust Issues” is about–the rawness of being alive and vulnerable with somebody.

Stream “Trust Issues” below.