The Wait Is Over! Lauren Jauregui Makes Her Solo Debut With “Expectations”

Mike Nied | October 24, 2018 12:28 am

Lauren Jauregui takes the first step on her path to solo stardom with the unveiling of her debut single, “Expectations.” The 22-year-old announced the release at the beginning of the month. After being hit with a small delay, the anthem arrived today (October 24) alongside the full moon, and it was surely worth the wait. Live renditions of the Kid Harpoon-produced anthem have been circulating since the “He Like That” siren played it while opening for Halsey’s Hopeless Fountain Kingdom Tour. However, those recordings pale in comparison to the final product. Over atmospheric strings and a sensual beat, the rising star struggles to come to grip with the state of her relationship.

“Wish I had no expectations. I wish that I could get it through your head with no confrontations. I really wish we could talk it out instead,” she laments over the slinky production. “Wish I had no expectations. But I expect, you expect, we expect.” Building up to an electrifying guitar solo, the anthem is drastically different from any of Lauren’s prior work with Fifth Harmony. However, she sounds utterly at ease and highlights her compelling vocals on the emotional release. Delivering heaps of personality, it is a bold moment that is bound to put her on the right path.

With any luck, she will follow in the footsteps of former bandmates Camila Cabello and Normani. The former topped the Billboard Hot 100 with “Havana,” returned to the Top 10 with “Never Be The Same” and is preparing for another run on the charts with “Consequences.” Meanwhile the latter teamed up with Khalid on “Love Lies.” The slinky bop has proven to be a truly organic hit that broke into the Top 10 and hit the number one spot on Top 40 radio. This week she partnered with Calvin Harris to drop a pair of equally fierce anthems.

Dinah Jane also recently launched her solo career with “Bottled Up.” The simmering anthem captured 5H’s pop aesthetic, amassed more than 5 million streams and shows signs of becoming a breakout hit. The only member we’re still waiting for more information about is Ally Brooke. She recently revealed that she participated in an all-female writing camp, but it is unclear when we will hear any of the content. Now that Lauren has made her debut, hopefully we will be getting news about her forthcoming album. It was heavily hyped up in a feature with Nylon, and, if the rest of her material is as strong as “Expectations,” then it is clear why.

Press play on the anthem below.

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