Lauren Jean's New Era

CELINA - It's the start of a new era for Lauren Schroeder.

The 18-year-old Celina native is shifting from the pop persona that won her "Ohio's Got Talent" and a spot on American Idol toward a more mature, neo-soul sound that will follow her to Berklee College of Music in Boston this fall.

Schroeder said 2020 presented personal and professional challenges. The pandemic canceled most of the shows and projects she was looking forward to, and the come down from her time on "American Idol" hit a bit harder than expected.

At the same time, the young entertainer was struggling with writer's block and the fallout of coming out as bisexual to her parents last June.

Schroeder said she was "a ball of anxiety" last summer. The inspirational stalemate she was in was frustrating, and she felt impatient with where she was as a performer.

Then, as Schroeder's songwriting process often goes, lyrics to a song poured out of her one day in June 2020. However, the Celina teen didn't finish writing it until February of this year.

Schroeder's newest song, called "New Era," is about grappling with feelings of inadequacy, despondency and impatience with life, while at the same time acknowledging those feelings won't last forever.

"I'm gonna be just fine," she sings on the track. "It's a new era, I'll be feeling better."

The song is laced with riffs of smooth jazz-inspired guitar, laid-back beats and Schroeder's signature vocals and keyboard skills. Also lending talent on the track is Orlando, Florida-based musician and producer Emerson Vernon.

Schroeder and Vernon met at StoneTree Studios in Indianapolis, from where Vernon originally hails. Vernon produced "Star," a pop track Schroeder and Celina High School alumnus Remington Hill collaborated on last spring.

The song represents a transition for both artists. For Schroeder, it's a departure from the pop-rock sound she had strived for and an introduction into the neo-soul genre. For Vernon, it's moving away from his former stage name "wolfi."

Schroeder's inspiration for writing music also shifted within the past year. Previously, she said she wrote music as a way to prove her naysayers wrong. She started online schooling in 2019 after she experienced bullying while attending high school in Celina.

Now, Schroeder says it feels like she's writing music for herself. The result is a more developed and meaningful project and sound for the young artist.

"My motives for recording were totally different," she said Friday afternoon. "This is definitely my style of music. I feel like New Era … feels like me."

Schroeder said she wanted Vernon on the song, as he's someone she had worked with before and respected as an artist. Vernon seemed hesitant at first, she said, and she didn't know how he felt about the song until recently.

For Vernon, 24, the collaboration is serendipitous. He'd also recently gone through a transformative experience, deciding to drop his "wolfi" performance persona in favor of his real name.

"Right before Lauren submitted the song, I asked her to release (the song) under my God-given name, Emerson Vernon. It all felt so perfect, considering this truly is a new era for me," he said in an email to the newspaper Friday. "The whole experience made me appreciate the song much more."

Schroeder flew to Orlando in late May to film an accompanying music video by Emmy award-winning videographer Herb Maximo. She added that she was able to make the moody, rainbow-lit music video thanks to a sponsorship from Moeller Brew Barn, whose product is featured in the video.

"If people take one thing away, it's that nothing is forever," Schroeder said. "I want people to enjoy it if they're going through something, or even if they're not."

"New Era" and its accompanying music video will be released at midnight June 30. The teen can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @laurenjeansoul for updates and her performance schedule.