Lauren Spencer Smith's Spark Is Adele's 21

Lauren Spencer Smith's Spark Is Adele's 21

Author: Adam Unze - Music & Film Interviews July 2, 2025 Duration: 28:20

Singer-songwriter Lauren Spencer Smith joins Adam to talk about her biggest musical inspiration: Adele’s breakthrough album, 21. Lauren shares how hearing “Rolling in the Deep” as a kid changed everything for her, why Adele’s powerhouse vocals and honest songwriting became her comfort zone and how 21 shaped her own journey as an artist.


Lauren opens up about singing Adele songs at every competition, learning every vocal nuance and how Adele’s ability to blend genres and emotions inspired her to find her own voice. Adam and Lauren also discuss the impact of 21’s massive hits—like “Someone Like You,” “Rumour Has It” and “Turning Tables”—and what makes the album a timeless classic for songwriters and fans alike.


About Lauren Spencer Smith:

Lauren is a chart-topping singer-songwriter known for her raw vocals and relatable lyrics. She first gained major attention as an American Idol finalist and has since built a global fanbase with her viral singles and debut album. Lauren's new album The Art Of Being A Mess is out now!


About Adele’s 21:

Released in 2011, Adele’s 21 is one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century, featuring hits like “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” and “Set Fire to the Rain.” The album blends soul, pop, blues, and country influences, earning multiple Grammy Awards including Album of the Year. 21 is praised for its emotional depth, unforgettable melodies, and Adele’s stunning vocal performances.


In this episode:

  • Lauren’s first memories of hearing Adele and buying her music
  • Why 21 became Lauren’s comfort album and creative blueprint
  • The influence of Adele’s vocals, songwriting, and genre-blending on Lauren’s own music
  • How personal storytelling and emotional honesty make 21 a modern classic
  • Favorite tracks from 21 and the stories behind them




The Spark Parade is a podcast that dives deep into the films and albums that have inspired today’s creative icons. Hosted by Adam Unze, each episode features a unique conversation with an artist about their chosen film or album, and how it sparked their artistic journey.


Follow us on social media:

Instagram/Bluesky/TikTok: @sparkparade


Subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you listen!


For more info, visit: www.thesparkparade.com






Copyright © 2025 The Spark Parade. All rights reserved.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


What single piece of art-an album, a film, a television show-fundamentally altered your creative path? That's the central question of The Spark Parade, a podcast hosted by Adam Unze. This isn't a standard interview format; it's a focused excavation of a singular, transformative work. Each conversation with an actor, musician, or cultural icon revolves entirely around that one catalytic piece of culture that ignited their journey. The discussion delves into the personal history and emotional resonance of the work, whether it's a cult classic or a mainstream hit, tracing how its influence continues to echo through their life and career. Listeners are invited into these intimate reflections, hearing stories from artists like Margaret Cho and Maya about the moments of inspiration that sparked everything. The podcast operates at the intersection of music, film, and personal narrative, offering a unique lens on the creative process. By concentrating on a single artifact, each episode provides a deep, nuanced portrait of both the artist and the art that made them. You'll come away from the podcast not just with a recommendation, but with an understanding of how art shapes identity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Spark Parade
Podcast Episodes
Chicano Batman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:43
Chicano Batman guitarist Carlos Arévalo was given Radiohead’s seminal album Kid A as a Halloween present from his mother, and amidst the sugar rush, the album absolutely blew his mind. The dramatic shift in Radiohead’s s…
Asher Grodman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:13
Ghosts actor Asher Grodman loves everything about Sidney Lumet's classic Al Pacino starring film Dog Day Afternoon. The story and its themes touch him deeply, but its the legendary performances by the incredible ensemble…
SHAED's Spark is Sylvan Esso [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:25
Ever since hearing their self-titled debut, SHAED felt a special kinship with Sylvan Esso. Both bands came from a folky, acoustic background and were experimenting with electronic sounds -- not to mention they were both…
Beth Ditto [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:48
Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto loves everything about Missy Elliott’s second album Da Real World. The non-stop bangers, the icy production from Timbaland, the tight vocal harmonies -- it's basically flawless. More than jus…
Bassem Youssef [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:43
Comedian Bassem Youssef, known for his sharp wit and political commentary, discovered Billy Joel's "Pressure" in an unlikely place -- midway through an episode of Amazon's superhero satire The Boys. From the first notes,…
JIMBO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:45
Self-described drag clown and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner JIMBO first got into Pee-wee's Playhouse, predictably, as a child. And yet, even as an adult, the program's unparalleled creativity continues to have a hu…
Allie X's Spark Is Waiting For Guffman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:53
Singer, songwriter, and visual artist Allie X loves Christopher Guest’s highly influential mockumentary Waiting For Guffman so much that it’s become a somewhat of litmus test for her. If she meets someone and they love G…
Everything Everything's Spark Is Bear V Shark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:38
The moment he read it, Everything Everything frontman Jonathan Higgs fell in love with the satirical absurdity of Chris Bacheldor's Bear V Shark and its skewering of our modern reliance on technology and entertainment. I…
David Hemingson's Spark Is Withnail And I [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:11
Take a guess how many times The Holdovers writer David Hemingson has seen the British cult classic film Withnail and I. Maybe 10? Perhaps 20? Try upwards of 40. On this episode of The Spark Parade Hemmingson explains wha…
Real Estate's Spark Is The Adventures Of Pete And Pete [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:40
Real Estate frontman Martin Courtney had loved Nickelodeon's The Adventures of Pete and Pete as a child, but he was understandably skeptical of how it might hold up when it came time to show it to his own kids. Fortunate…