Lauren Juzang's "Got It Good" is Great

Lauren Juzang’s “Got It Good” is great. It’s a track that is just so important. The song discusses Juzang’s experiences as a girl growing up in LA. There’s an illusion that everything is better than it actually is, which is mirrored by the upbeat track and Juzang’s perfect vocals. I got the chance to ask Lauren a few questions about the song. Read our interview below. 

 “Got It Good” IS OUT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO CELEBRATE THE RELEASE? 

I don’t know. I don't celebrate myself a lot. I don’t like being the center of attention. I’ll probably do something with my friends. When my first song came out, my friends were like, “Let's do something!” and I was like, “No! It’s okay! We really don’t have to.” 

IS IT HARD TO BALANCE WANTING TO HAVE AN ARTIST CAREER AND ALSO NOT WANTING TO DRAW ATTENTION TO YOURSELF?

I love putting out music and I love sharing it with people, but the hype around releasing a song scares me. I hate listening to my music with other people around. I was in a band in high school, and so I grew up having friends at my shows. They were really supportive then and they are really supportive now, but even when they’re complimenting the music, it’s still weird responding to them.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELEASING A SONG AS A BAND MEMBER VERSUS RELEASING A SONG AS A SOLO ARTIST? 

It’s a little scarier. It’s a lot easier to do it with your best friends. There were five of us in our band, Deli Hours, and we’re all super close. We still make music together for fun. Before my first song came out, I texted our group chat and was like, “Guys, I’m so nervous.” I think it’s a little more personal when it’s just your name on the song and you’re the sole writer. You can’t hide behind a band name. 

THE SONG STARTS OFF WITH A SAMPLE OF SOMEONE TELLING A STORY. WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE VOICE MEMO?

My producer Jason and I wanted to have more people on the vocals, but we made the song in December of 2020, which was when covid cases in LA were at their worst. Nobody wanted to do it. My friends Katie and Leila agreed to come sing in this tiny studio and we figured out a way to make it safe. The day before they came over, Jason and I were trying to think of ideas for the intro. I told Jason, “Leila will say something funny, just leave the mic on.” And he did. He told us he needed to check the levels and to start talking. Immediately, Leila was like, “I have a story,” and it was perfect. It captures the essence of what the song is about—being a girl in society. I think for anyone who might be confused by the lyrics, that story sets it up nicely. 

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE LIKE AS A FEMALE GROWING UP IN LA?       

“I had an awesome childhood, but growing up as a girl in LA is tough. The body standards are unrealistic and a lot of people present themselves in a way that isn’t authentic. I wrote “Got It Good” when I was 16 and just starting to experience what it was like to get catcalled by men and get these stares that I didn’t want. I was at the age where that stuff starts to pick up and I was frustrated and upset. A lot of the song is just observations I’ve taken. I’m really lucky that nothing really bad has ever happened to me. But as a teenager you see a lot of things.

IS IT EVER HARD TO FIND THE WORDS TO TALK ABOUT THESE TOPICS IN YOUR SONGS?

I wrote this song in a little under an hour. A lot of the time I’ll write and lyrics will just pop in my head and then I have to see where they fit. This one only took a couple takes, which never happens. I didn’t necessarily understand the weight of what I was saying until after it was over and then it sort of clicked. I didn’t sit down to write the song that I did. Showing it to people was strange not only because I don't like hearing my voice, but also because it's so personal and some of the lyrics are pretty dark. 

DID YOU ALWAYS PLAN ON CALLING THE SONG “Got It Good?”

Once I had the idea pop in, that was it. Any other day I would not be able to write this song, but I'm glad that I did. The ending/bridge part, where I sing the title, was probably the easiest part of the song to write. 

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF THE SONG TO WRITE?

The second verse. I rewrote it a few times after the initial writing. There used to be a line that didn’t make any sense. I changed it to “Say we’ve got it good he swears she won't say anything, but if she did who would believe her?” My producer Jason texted me a really sweet message right after I changed it. 

YOU MENTIONED BEFORE THAT YOU DON’T LIKE LISTENING TO YOUR SONGS WITH OTHER PEOPLE. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BRING IN A PRODUCER TO FINISH THIS SONG? 

I’ve known Jason since I was eleven. He is so great and plays every instrument ever. I played him the EP before it had any production and asked him to produce it. I think whenever we worked on “Got It Good” we knew that it was important to say. It’s great to work with such a talented producer and someone who I know I can trust. 

NOW THAT THE SONG IS OUT, AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE LISTENING, WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM IT?

I think it’s coming at an important time—with Governor Cuomo stepping down and the Olympic fencer getting accused of sexual assault. Obviously, I didn’t plan for those things to happen, but I think people are really frustrated (as women usually are) about this subject. I just hope that it prompts conversations and lets people see what women go through. 

YOU CAN LISTEN TO "Got It Good" ON STREAMING SERVICES LIKE SPOTIFY AND APPLE MUSIC. STREAM THE SONG AND MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW @twentyminuteslater TO STAY UPDATED ON FUTURE POSTS.