New initiatives such as Girl & Repertoire and Swim are helping young people – particularly
Women – overturn the myth of the tortured artist
In 2016, Lauren Aquilina released her first album. The same day, she left the
music industry, vowing never to return.
The pressures of burgeoning fame, the loneliness of the industry for the young pop
Singer and endless meetings full of people (mostly men) twice her age talking over her had taken a toll on her mental health and the only way she thought she could recover was to leave without looking back. Now, she is hoping to revamp the industry’s approach to care with a new independent community group and support system, Girl & Repertoire.