Lauren Bennett, the Voice Behind “Party Rock Anthem,” Has Died at 36 — Here’s the Story of Her Incredible Journey
There are certain songs that define a generation, tracks so woven into pop culture that hearing even the first three notes instantly transports you back to a specific moment in time. For millions of people around the world, “Party Rock Anthem” is exactly that kind of song. And for six unforgettable years, one voice helped make it a global phenomenon: Lauren Bennett.
This week, the music world woke up to devastating news. Lauren Bennett, the British singer whose vocals became inseparable from LMFAO’s era-defining hit, has passed away at the age of 36 — just weeks shy of her 37th birthday. Her death has sent ripples of grief through the pop and dance music community, with fans, collaborators, and former bandmates all sharing an outpouring of love and disbelief.
Here’s everything we know about her life, her career, and the legacy she leaves behind.
The News Breaks
The announcement came from G.R.L., the girl group Bennett was once part of, through an emotional statement posted to the group’s official Instagram page. The remaining members — Emmalyn Estrada, Natasha Slayton, and Paula van Oppen — shared their heartbreak with fans, describing Bennett as someone whose spirit touched countless lives and who will be deeply missed.
According to coroner records, Bennett died in Meopham, Kent — the very town where she was born and raised — on May 29. Her cause of death has not been made public, and an inquest into the circumstances surrounding her passing has been scheduled for October. As of now, no further details have been released, and representatives for Bennett have not issued additional comment beyond the initial tribute from her former group.
The timing of the public announcement, more than a month after her actual passing, adds a layer of poignancy to an already difficult story — a quiet, private loss that only became public knowledge once her closest collaborators felt ready to share it with the world.
From Small-Town Kent to the Global Stage
Lauren Bennett’s story is the kind that pop dreams are made of. Born on June 24, 1989, in the small town of Meopham in Kent, England, she didn’t come from fame or fortune. She started out the way so many aspiring singers do — competing in local talent contests and performing in pubs and bars around her hometown, chasing a dream one small stage at a time.
As a teenager, Bennett auditioned for The X Factor UK, one of the biggest platforms for undiscovered talent in the country. She made it all the way to the final 12 before being sent home — a heartbreaking setback for any young performer, but one that, in hindsight, turned out to be a launching pad rather than a dead end.
Shortly after her X Factor run ended, Bennett was approached to audition for a brand-new girl group being put together by choreographer Robin Antin, best known for creating The Pussycat Dolls. That group would become Paradiso Girls, a European-flavored pop act designed to capture some of the same magic. At just 18 years old, Bennett packed up her life in Kent and moved across the world to Los Angeles to chase her music career.
It was a bold, life-changing decision — and it paid off. In 2009, Paradiso Girls released their debut single, “Patron Tequila,” featuring Lil Jon and Eve. The track became a legitimate dance hit, climbing to No. 3 on the US dance club songs chart and putting Bennett on the map as a serious voice in the pop and club music scene.
The Song That Changed Everything
If Paradiso Girls introduced Lauren Bennett to the music industry, it was LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” that turned her into a household voice — even if not everyone knew her name.
Released in 2011, “Party Rock Anthem” became an absolute juggernaut. It spent six consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has since been recognized as one of the most commercially successful songs of all time, with Billboard ranking it among the top five biggest hits in the chart’s history. The accompanying music video, featuring Bennett alongside LMFAO’s Redfoo and SkyBlu, has racked up more than 2.5 billion views on YouTube — a staggering number that speaks to just how deeply the song embedded itself into global pop culture.
For an entire generation, “Party Rock Anthem” wasn’t just a song you heard on the radio — it was the soundtrack to weddings, sporting events, school dances, and nights out everywhere. And Bennett’s voice was right there in the middle of it, part of the DNA of a track that will likely be played at parties for decades to come.
Bennett didn’t stop there. She went on to lend her vocals to soundtracks for major films, including “Date Night” and “21 Jump Street,” further cementing her presence in mainstream entertainment during that period of her career.
Finding a New Family in G.R.L.
In 2014, Bennett joined a new project that would become one of the most meaningful chapters of her career: G.R.L. Created as something of a spiritual successor to The Pussycat Dolls, the group brought together five distinct voices — Bennett, Paula Van Oppen, Natasha Slayton, Simone Battle, and Emmalyn Estrada.
The group wasted no time making an impact. They appeared on Pitbull’s 2014 single “Wild Wild Love,” and later that year released “Ugly Heart,” which became G.R.L.’s biggest hit. The song cracked the UK Top 20 and soared into the Top 5 in both Australia and New Zealand, giving the group real international momentum and positioning them as one of the more promising new girl groups of the mid-2010s.
But behind the catchy hooks and rising chart positions, G.R.L. was about to face a tragedy that would change everything.
Tragedy, Tribute, and Turning Pain Into Purpose
In September 2014, group member Simone Battle died by suicide at the age of 25. It was a devastating loss that shook the group to its core and reverberated throughout the music industry. Rather than stepping away from the spotlight, the remaining members of G.R.L. — including Bennett — chose to honor their bandmate’s memory in a deeply personal way.
The group released a tribute single called “Lighthouse” and partnered with the mental health charity Give an Hour to help raise awareness around youth mental health struggles. Bennett spoke candidly at the time about why this cause meant so much to her and her bandmates, pointing to how much influence the music industry has on young people and expressing hope that even reaching just one person could make a difference.
That sense of purpose stayed with the group even as their formal run together came to an end. G.R.L. officially disbanded in 2015, but the members remained connected, occasionally reuniting for live performances and special projects — including a brief reunion as a four-piece group in 2020.
Bennett also continued pursuing solo music in the years that followed, releasing tracks including “Reality” and “Hurricane,” and maintaining collaborations with artists like CeeLo Green and will.i.am throughout her career.
Remembering Lauren Bennett
In the wake of the news, tributes have poured in from those who knew her best. Former Paradiso Girls bandmate Aria Crescendo shared an emotional post remembering Bennett as a sister and best friend, reflecting on a conversation they’d had just a week before her passing — one Crescendo never imagined would be their last.
G.R.L.’s statement captured what so many who crossed paths with Bennett seemed to feel: that she was someone whose warmth, spirit, and talent left a lasting mark on everyone around her.
Lauren Bennett’s journey — from performing in small pubs in Kent to having her voice heard by billions of people through one of the biggest pop songs in history — is a reminder of how far talent, courage, and a willingness to take a leap can carry someone. She didn’t just chase a dream; she lived it, on her own terms, all while staying connected to the people and causes that mattered most to her.
She leaves behind an extraordinary musical legacy, a devoted fanbase, and a group of bandmates and friends who clearly loved her deeply. Rest in peace, Lauren Bennett. Your voice will keep playing for generations to come.