DIVA spoke to the superstar ahead of her Dinah Shore performance
BY EMILY O’MULLANE, IMAGE PROVIDED
Lauren Jauregui is set to perform at Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, a five-day music festival that celebrates the queer women and non-binary community. The festival, which has taken place since 1991, is held in Palm Springs and is named after the late TV personality and singer, Dinah Shore.
In the past, the festival has headlined acts such as Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Tegan and Sara and even featured in an episode of The L Word. Former Fifth Harmony member, Lauren, was recently announced as one of the headliners for the 2024 weekend. Having collaborated on songs with Marian Hill, Steve Aoki and Halsey, she most recently released the single Burning which she described as “an ode to my queerness and the unapologetic nature with which I embrace it, regardless of my Catholic upbringing”.
DIVA sat down with Lauren to discuss her upcoming performance at The Dinah and the exciting progression that her music has taken in the last few years.
What does performing at The Dinah mean to you? And what are you most looking forward to about the performance?
Honestly, it’s just such an iconic venue. I’m so excited to perform for women and in a women-loving-women space. I think it’s just beautiful. Any chance that I get to perform for the queer community I always feel reflected and present in a way that’s unique.
How important do you think events like The Dinah are for the community?
I think the things we create with each other are the fabric of movement and the fabric of the community. The spaces that we create to connect with each other and acknowledge each other and celebrate each other are what make life worth living in the scheme of it all, and in the monstrosity of all the bullshit that goes on, I really think queer joy is so radical. It is so special, and it’s so important to preserve it, to honour it and to keep it alive.
Recently you released your song Burning and you’ve just announced the new album. I wondered if maybe this process of writing these songs was any different. I know you use she/her pronouns in the most recent song.
I actually wrote this song back in 2018. I released it for my fans more than anything. I’m in a bit of an interim right now between projects. The last official project I put out was called In Between, rightfully named. So, Burning, she’s just been in the vault, and I wanted to share her, and I thought it was a perfect time around Pride month to share her. And I’m definitely going to be performing her at The Dinah. I also have other songs out that allude to my queerness. I have a collaboration with Snow Tha Product called Piña. You might not understand the language, but I promise, it’s super queer. It’s super gay.
You have had the opportunity to collab with Snow Tha Product and Halsey, who are both queer artists. Who would you say are your biggest influences in the community, and do you have anyone that would be a dream collab for you?
I love Syd Tha Kyd. I think that she’s such a special, queer icon. For me she awakens something in me, when I heard her sing with like she/her pronouns to women, I was like “Oh, shit! I don’t need to change the pronouns when I’m doing a cover!” I also love Kehlani. I think that they are amazing, and I would love to collaborate with them. I would love to collaborate with Victoria Monét. I love her music and I love her fluidity and the way she flows through that, both through her art visually and through her essence.
I would say I think that I’m really inspired by a lot of my contemporaries because I feel like this is such a loud and proud moment for queerness in art spaces. I’m really inspired by people who are unafraid to be who they really are in their fullness. I think that that’s kind of what I try to embody through my artistry, where I’m not necessarily emulating people, but I am super inspired by their authenticity and their commitment to their truth.
Do you think you’ve noticed any changes in the music industry since you began your career?
I feel like a lot more people are a lot more comfortable embodying themselves right now. People are so much braver right now than when I started. I mean, I was terrified at the idea of someone finding out that I was queer when I first started. Not that it ever meant anything negative, but just the amount of voices that I had around me and inside of me, telling me that it would change the trajectory of my career. I feel like a lot of us artists mould ourselves and change ourselves and conform ourselves and suppress ourselves, but that is the opposite of what we’re supposed to be doing on this planet. In my opinion, we are artists because we’re meant to embody our fluidity and our eccentricness.
I think what you’re doing and what you’re saying really comes across, especially on your social media. You obviously have this very big platform and you’ve been really vocal about the issues that matter a lot to you. Why do you think that it is so important for people, all people but especially people in your position, with a social media influence, to speak up about these kinds of things?
For me, it’s important because I believe that especially in the United States and the Western world, celebrities and artists really drive culture. I think historically, artists drive culture. I think that people are really inspired by us and the likes of us, and they listen to our opinions, even if they’re not so great sometimes. They listen to our opinions more so than a politician’s opinion. I just personally believe that the role of the artist is one of a revolutionary and one that’s very intimately tied to humanity. I feel like as artists we are that tightrope between just watching what happens and alchemizing it into something that people can enjoy or people can digest in a way that makes them feel a little less alone in this world, whether that’s what we say or what we do.
The Dinah is taking place between 25-29 September. You can find out more here: thedinah
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
