Wherever Lent Lawson goes, a crowd is likely to follow.
A local celebrity around Tallapoosa County, Lawson has carved out a niche as a singer and media personality on TikTok. Lawson has six songs available on Spotify and more than 550,000 followers on TikTok. Her career in media all started back in her days in church, playing the drums and realizing the gravity she had around people.
“Music really came first because I grew up in church,” Lawson said. “I was always around music because of church, but in high school, that is when the content started.”
Lawson is somewhat of a global superstar in terms of TikTok, with her two pinned videos garnering over five million views. To date, she has received over 10 million likes.
Originally, Lawson didn’t have an avenue like TikTok but did skits in person and with friends. When TikTok started gaining its traction in 2018, Lawson hopped aboard and has been a staple face on the app ever since.
“I just blew up,” Lawson said. “It is really dope. It is a great thing. I go places and see people and they recognize me as the girl from TikTok.”
Despite being from Goodwater, a town of roughly 1,500 people, Lawson can go anywhere in the country and be recognized. Whether it be from her music or her online personality, Lawson has carved out her own corner of the internet.
“It is a great thing to have your name out there,” Lawson said. “It is pretty cool. People always want to take pictures.”
Being big on the internet wasn’t ever something Lawson set out to do. She wanted to play basketball in high school, but gave that dream up in favor of track.
Athletics ended up not being her avenue, instead taking her talents to phone screens and headphones across the world. Even still, there is plenty of room for career growth in her eyes.
“Being from a small town and being global like this, it is a great thing,” Lawson said. “I am still waiting for my moment though. I still feel like I haven't even reached my full potential.”
At 22, Lawson recorded her first song. Music was something that had been with her her whole life, and even before the internet fame, was something she knew she could do.
“I knew I could sing, but at that time I was just trying to find myself and find my era,” Lawson said. “I have multiple talents, so I started with music first to see how it goes.”
Nowadays, Lawson is a consistent face at local sporting events and large community gatherings around Tallapoosa County. She performed her newest single “Let’s Party” to a raucous reaction at the Coosa v. Benjamin Russell alumni basketball game.
When she isn’t creating content, Lawson organizes and performs for the Sunday FunDay youth events around Alexander City. The events are a community-wide gathering after church to bring youth from Tallapoosa County and beyond together for a day of outdoor activities.
“Getting the community together, I have come to realize that is one of my lanes,” Lawson said. “The (most recent) Sunday FunDay had a great turnout. The kids feel safer when they are around someone that loves them. And I love the kids and want them to have a good time.”
Across the board, the Sunday FunDay organizers host the events because they didn’t have such gatherings when they were kids. No one around town certainly had someone like Lawson around growing up, so she takes it upon herself to show youth they can have a career in media.
“It is very inspiring, especially from where I came from,” Lawson said. “Growing up in Goodwater, you didn’t see too much of that. Now I am able to have that for them and show them that this is what they can do. It is always great to do.”
Lawson is unabashedly herself and portrays that in her music and skits. Her message to youth is to be the same and never change because someone else wants you to.
“To kids, just stay consistent,” Lawson said. “You don’t have to switch things up just because somebody is telling you that you have to do this or that. Just be you.”
The beauty of Lawson’s music and media talents is at any moment, she can create another viral video or another hit song. She doesn’t necessarily have a plan or schedule, but more so waits for the right time.
“I can’t ever say what is next. It’s whatever God sees fit,” Lawson said.
Tallapoosa County’s internet celebrity is well on her way to stardom. Some would say she is already well established in that regard.
Lawson doesn’t see herself as a celeb however, but more of an artist. It takes a lot to make a video for millions of people, or a song for car rides at any time of day. And Lawson is always ready to lay down a catchy hook or gut busting video.
“I want to do both,” Lawson said. “Today I could make a funny video and go to the studio and record. It is all the same thing. It's all art. It is all the same thing, it is just how you do it.”
