For anyone searching for a new artist to add to their playlists of any style, Lucy & La Mer should be on your radar. The Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter boasts a decade-long discography of many different styles, ranging from bubblegum pop to folk anthems to indie/alternative. Lucy & La Mer has shown a wide range of skills, packaging hard-to-swallow topics in an accessible way for younger audiences.
Lucy LaForge, the creator behind Lucy & La Mer, is widely known for her optimistic music and mental health advocacy, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. She has been praised by Billboard, Rolling Stone and the LA Times. She was also recently featured on a YouTube Shorts billboard in New York City’s Times Square and in Los Angeles. She has given a TEDx Talk about finding authenticity within, encouraging listeners to explore themselves and feel empowered by what they find.
LaForge’s discography heavily features the ukulele, her love of which was noted by Fender, a high-quality instrument manufacturer, which chose Lucy to present their Billie Eilish Signature Ukulele in 2021. Kala Ukuleles has also endorsed the artist, customizing ukuleles that have traveled with her on tours in Australia, Europe and the Philippines.
Lucy & La Mer’s first single, "Just Friends," was released in 2013 and is the epitome of ukulele-driven bedroom pop. It begins with a lighthearted whistle motif and continues encapsulating that endearing energy throughout the song, complete with her excellent vocal control and musical theater influence. In a similar vein, "Heaven" is a song that was released two years later for the same EP and matches the wholesome and nostalgic energy.
Examples of her varying style are "Honey, Put Your Weapons Down," which features dramatic strings and harmonies, along with a considerable amount of stylistic growth. Her voice is just as capable as always, but the sound is more full and the lyrics are much more complex while still being easily digestible.
Another example is "Discover," which is emblematic of a Mumford and Sons-style folk anthem about personal and external exploration. "Got That Thing" marks her journey into mainstream pop and her exploration of self-love and expression.
In collaboration with YouTuber and social media personality Jessie Paege, Lucy & La Mer released "Not a Phase" in 2019 as her first explicitly LGBTQ+-themed song. It also serves as her debut into the alternative pop genre, which she would go on to settle into over the following years.
The artist's most recent release is an indie pop track entitled "Ice Cream," which is a true reversion to her original style. It begins with her pure voice and a ukulele accompaniment, slowly growing into a musical experience detailing the uncertainty of entering a new relationship.
LaForge said on the song, “As an anxious person, I’m constantly overthinking in relationships. Like, what if they find out that I’m not what they thought? What if I get insecure and sabotage the whole thing?! When someone with anxiety falls in love, it’s like this new wonderful thing…that you now get to worry about constantly.”
"Ice Cream" echoes values of self-acceptance and reflection in a self-aware and painfully honest way. It aims to empower those who feel anxious or insecure to express their fears and to be vulnerable in relationships.
