Lauren Bennett, "Party Rock Anthem" Singer and G.R.L. Member, Dead at 37
Lauren Bennett, the British singer who sang the bridge and hook on LMFAO's 2011 smash "Party Rock Anthem," has died at 37. Her death was announced Monday by her former group, G.R.L.
No cause of death has been disclosed. According to Wikipedia, Bennett died sometime between May and June, though her exact date of death remains unclear, and news of her passing was not widely reported until her former bandmates confirmed it publicly.
A Group in Mourning
Bennett's G.R.L. bandmates, Natasha Slayton, Paula van Oppen and Emmalyn Estrada, shared the news on Instagram. "It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Lauren," the group wrote.
They added that her "beautiful spirit touched so many lives" and that she would be "deeply missed and forever loved."
From Paradiso Girls to Global Hit
Bennett, born in Kent, England, began her career as a teenage contestant on the U.K. version of The X Factor before joining Paradiso Girls in 2007, a group assembled by Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin. The group released its debut single, "Patron Tequila," featuring Lil Jon and Eve, in 2009.
After Paradiso Girls disbanded, Bennett pursued a solo career, working with artists including CeeLo Green and will.i.am. Her feature on LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" in 2011 became the defining moment of her career, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and topping charts in more than 20 countries. The song also hit No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks, marking Bennett's first chart-topping single in either country.
Joining G.R.L. and Later Projects
In 2012, Bennett joined Antin's newly formed girl group G.R.L., which released the single "Vacation" on the Smurfs 2 soundtrack. The group later released "Ugly Heart," its highest-charting single. G.R.L. disbanded in 2014 following the death by suicide of member Simone Battle, though the remaining members regrouped to release a tribute single, "Lighthouse," before formally parting ways in 2015.
Bennett continued making music afterward, releasing the solo single "Hurricane" in 2016, a song she said was shaped by Battle's death and by watching her own mother struggle with mental health issues. In 2017, she formed the duo BENNETT with her brother Ryan, releasing the single "It's All Good" that year.
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