Elizabeth “Lizzy” Cameron grew up surrounded by sports; with a football coach father and three brothers who all played the sport. Early on, she followed in their footsteps. But at a young age, she found she possessed a talent uniquely her own in the Cameron family, singing.
“I grew up playing every sport under the sun, I would say. But I started a music class in kindergarten, and my music teacher was like, ‘You know, you have a little something about you. Let’s get you up singing at the school masses and singing in church and stuff,’” Cameron said.
As Cameron matriculated through Catholic school, she continued to sing as opportunities arose while still playing sports. She also began taking voice lessons and learning to play the piano.
But when she was 13-years-old, her music career developed beyond her hometown of San Diego, CA. She caught the attention of a talent scout and got an opportunity to go to Nashville, Tennessee, aka “Music City,” to learn the ins and outs of songwriting and producing.
It was like a fairytale any young artist would dream of, though would be an unlikely reality and Cameron understood that. She soaked up everything like a sponge to become a better singer-songwriter. But things didn’t work out as they so often do when handling young talent.
“I’m just so grateful for the experience. I spent a whole summer in Nashville when I was 13. I was getting put in writing sessions and meeting a ton of people and recording in a studio, but that ended up not working out,” Cameron said, with a knowing smile that only comes from experiencing the all-too-frequent ups and downs of the music industry. Cameron continues, “[The scout] wasn’t a very nice guy and didn’t have my best interests at heart. So it didn’t work out.”
After that experience, she leaned into sports more while her passion for music took a backseat. When Cameron got to high school, she realized juggling both wasn’t possible.
" I realized, ‘okay, I can’t do music and sports, I kind of need to choose one path and stick with it.’ Because I loved both, really, I did. But eventually, I chose music; shocker,' she laughed at the apparent revelation.
She made the right choice, and many young artists don’t come to the realization so early on as teenagers. Cameron understood she would have to put in the work just as she did with sports, practicing non-stop “I just started really trying to hone my craft. I was taking music classes in high school and singing in school masses there and writing my own songs and learning, getting better at the piano, trying to learn guitar, and throwing myself into every little facet that was available to me. [I was] just trying to get better and better and better.” This work paid off when, around the age of 16, she was signed to Hundredup (Harvey Mason Media).
As a music artist, it’s important to have a well-rounded foundation and know that stardom doesn’t come easily or quickly. Cameron understands this as she’s been actively pursuing her music career since she was 13. She faced ups and downs while juggling everything that comes with being a typical teenager. But what I respect most about Cameron’s artistry is her ability to use her experiences to fuel her creativity.
Since 2016, she has released singles almost every year outside of 2018 and has 3,812 monthly Spotify listeners. Her most popular record is the first song she released back in 2016, “Even Then,” with a little over 871K streams.
The track was the first song I listened to when diving into Cameron’s discography. While listening to “Even Then” I felt safe and reassured. Though released in 2016, it is a timeless record about not giving up, a true nod to Cameron’s ability then, at only 16-years-old. As someone who struggles daily with anxiety and sometimes not sure what to do and often times shutdown the lyrics resonated with me:
Cameron shared a bit more about the song’s success, “People really seemed to resonate with. And so I perform that at faith talks regarding race and how we can kind of come together and be more as one and respect each other equally.”
When asked about how she would define her sound, she makes it clear she’s a pop artist.
“The lines are so blurred now,” she said. “But I’d say I’m definitely a pop artist.”
Cameron understands the negative connotations of the pop genre but she loves pop music and thinks artists such as Ariana Grande are famous for a reason. Though Cameron is definitely pop, she has a lot of R&B influence and that singer-songwriter element. She loves artists that fit in that pocket like Adele and Julia Michaels.
As I dove deeper into her discography I saw how these influences manifested in her music. She uses R&B melodies and harmonies that complement her vocal control. Her early 2020 single, “When I Need It,” is the best example of how diverse her sound is and how that R&B influence comes into play. The song is about wanting closure [from a person or situation]but not thinking twice about it if it doesn’t work out in the end. ultimately her sound weaves in and out, not staying confined to one box.
Cameron believes she’s still refining her unique sound every day, “Because one day I’ll write a super sad ballad-y Adele song and one day I’ll write a Dua Lipa bop, and I just want to be able to do both. So I think I’m still kind of finding my little, you know, corner of the industry.”
She is finding that corner with her new single, “Faking It,” which she produced with Grammy-nominated producer Kevin Randolph whose catalog includes JoJo, Drake, Rihanna, Jay-Z, and more. The record’s production is sonically pop and a bit of techno with an underlying piano melody that compliment’s Lizzy Cameron’s strong vocal ability. The single however is a bit different than her previous releases sonically and lyrically.
"I think “Faking It,' it’s a little [edgier] than my other stuff and a little less safe.” Lyrically, the song is about liking two people at once. But, there’s one you really want, however they’re fulfilling all your needs so you get it from the other person. “It’s not healthy. It’s not good at all. It’s rather taboo,” Cameron says of the new single.
She continues on about her hopes for the track, “You can hear the kind of breakdown part right before the explosion of the chorus.” Cameron uses layers of harmonies that almost sound like a vocoder, a sound she’s come to love in that’s standard in so many artists' music. “I think it’s just pushing me further into the artist that I’m going to be. I hope people love it, and they can maybe relate a little bit. It’s a really tough time right now and I just hope it can bring some kind of joy or peace or distraction, whatever it is that anyone needs.”
Cameron shared that making music like the track, “Faking It,'” and other music she’s been writing helped her have hope after losing her close friend, “I sang at his funeral in June. So, I think if quarantine hadn’t already taught us that life is really short and we need to use the time we have here... that’s what kind of pushed me to keep moving with ‘Faking It’ and to go ahead and put it out.”
And she wasn’t wrong, “Faking It” lyrically tugs at your emotions, showing the relatability Cameron has to other 20 somethings. This ability to pinpoint emotions and be honest with those feelings to craft them eloquently is her discipline. As a music and artistry lover, I appreciate Lizzy Cameron’s journey thus far, and it’s clear she’s not faking it and is a dedicated singer-songwriter with a successful future.
Faking It is available now everywhere for streaming and purchase.