In a recent episode of Pop Shop Podcast, breakout singers GAYLE, Lauren Spencer Smith and Em Beihold talk about their trio collaboration in the new single, “Fantasy”, while GAYLE specifically discusses the fantasy that is touring with Taylor Swift.
LISTEN NOW: GAYLE on month 1 of Taylor Swift's 'Eras' Tour and her 'Fantasy' collab
The single was originally written by Lauren Spencer Smith, who’s self released song, “Fingers Crossed” went viral on TikTok, much like GAYLE’s “abcdefu” and Em Beihold’s “Numb Little Bug”. Yet, Smith had originally shelved the song idea.
“I kind of knew that I wanted a collaboration, but it just sat in a folder for a while and I hadn’t reached out to anybody. I didn’t really know who or what exactly it was going to be” Smith explained. But it was the TikTok musicians’ group chat, lovingly named the “Powerpuff” chat, that she took a chance on.
Smith continued, “So after we had had a group chat for a while, and we were like kind of a little friend group, I was like, ‘I’m just gonna ask because these seem like the perfect girls to have a woman-empowerment moment on this song.”
“I like, freaked out” Beihold reacted, “I just think it was such a fun opportunity”. GAYLE echoed the same, saying the group chat, “only replied in all caps. We flipped out. So many exclamation points, like so, so much excitement.”
Once the collaboration was underway, GAYLE only needed to “flip a few words” to bring her perspective to the angsty break up song. “I explained to them what I wrote the song about to help them have an understanding, so when they wrote their verse it made sense to all of us.” Smith said, “And it just came out so amazing, they’re so talented.”
As for GAYLE’s feature on the Taylor Swift Eras tour, the eighteen-year-old could not be more thrilled. “The Taylor Tour has been the best experience of my life. I feel so blessed and lucky, and I’m trying my best to appreciate this moment because I don’t know when something this incredible is gonna happen to me again. It’s just been such the time of my life.”
As for the details of her actually performing, GAYLE says she’s giving it everything she’s got. “I’ve never really performed in a stadium before,” she says, “so it’s such an honor and it’s definitely not something that I take lightly. And so I’ve been trying my best to just do the best that I possibly can.”
Clearly, her best is working. “Fantasy” by GAYLE, Lauren Spencer Smith and Em Beihold is out now, as well as this full Pod Shop episode - both streaming on the free Audacy app.
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