News : Lauren Jauregui Shares Unreleased Tracks with Uber Drivers

Lauren Jauregui likes to get real, unfiltered feedback on her music — and her favorite critics just happen to be Uber drivers.

The Fifth Harmony alum is preparing to release her debut solo album and revealed that one of her favorite ways to get honest opinions is by playing her songs for people who don’t recognize her.

She told PEOPLE: “I love hearing what different people think about my stuff. Sometimes I’ll play it for an Uber driver. They’re always brutally honest because they have no clue who I am. They’ll say things like, ‘Oh, this is actually really well-written,’ or whatever comes to mind. It’s always genuine feedback. Thankfully, nothing too harsh so far, which is nice.”

She added with a laugh, “That’s how I know I’m not totally failing at what I do — they actually vibe with it a little bit.”

The 29-year-old singer is putting the finishing touches on her first album, which features the lead single Ego. She told the magazine, “I’ve got all the songs ready. They just need to be mixed and mastered, and I still have to work on some visuals. I’m doing this completely independently, so it’s all coming together step by step.”

The songs on the record span several years of her life, created between 2018 and now.

Lauren shared, “The newest song on the project was written in February, and the oldest one dates all the way back to 2018.”

With Ego, Lauren explored a more alternative sound inspired by bands like Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Death Cab For Cutie — a direction that continues throughout the rest of the album.

She teased, “That’s the energy I’m in right now. I’ve grown and changed so much over the past four years, and living in this world, I’ve become more aware and outspoken. You can definitely hear that in the music.”