When the world went into lockdown in early 2020, countless musicians found themselves abruptly cut off from studios, tours, and the collaborative energy that fuels their craft. For Charlotte Lawrence, the Los Angeles–born singer-songwriter whose hauntingly honest pop had already earned her a devoted fan base, the pandemic years became a strange mix of stillness and introspection—a period that would reshape both her creative process and the music she ultimately brought to the world.
Before lockdown, Lawrence’s career trajectory was accelerating. Her debut EP Young in 2018 had marked her as one of the freshest new voices in dark-pop, with songs that balanced catchy hooks with a vulnerable lyrical edge. Her 2021 self-titled EP, Charlotte, was already in the works, buoyed by early singles like “Talk You Down” and “Slow Motion,” each steeped in atmospheric production and personal storytelling. Live performances, photo shoots, and writing sessions filled her calendar. Momentum was on her side.
Then, like the rest of the music industry, she hit pause. Touring plans evaporated. Studio collaborations shifted online or stalled entirely. For a 20-year-old artist accustomed to movement, this sudden standstill felt unnatural. “At first it was just boredom,” she later admitted in interviews. “Then it became about figuring out how to be creative when you’re stuck in the same four walls.”
That challenge became a turning point. Without the constant input of other musicians, producers, and audiences, Lawrence was left alone with her thoughts. What emerged in that solitude was a deeper, more reflective style of writing—songs that peeled back the pop polish to reveal raw emotion. The isolation stripped away distractions, forcing her to sit with her feelings and craft lyrics that were more personal and unfiltered than anything she had written before.