Lauren Bennett, the British singer whose voice reached global audiences through one of the most recognizable pop songs of the early 2010s, died on May 29 in Meopham, England, at the age of 36. Her former bandmates from the pop group G.R.L. confirmed her passing on July 6 in a tribute shared on social media, more than five weeks after her death.
Coroner records for the Kent and Medway area confirm the date and location of her death. The official cause remains unknown, and an inquest has been scheduled for October 30 at 2 p.m. local time, at which point a public court hearing will establish the circumstances and discovery surrounding her death.
A tribute from those who knew her best
The statement from her G.R.L. bandmates reflected the depth of the loss felt by those who had shared a stage and a chapter of their lives with Bennett. The three members who issued the tribute described her spirit as something that touched a significant number of people and expressed a grief that resisted easy articulation. They remembered her through love, laughter, and the memories accumulated across their time together, and asked that she rest peacefully.
The warmth of the tribute spoke to the kind of person Bennett was to those closest to her, separate from any professional accomplishment. G.R.L. was a pop group that operated during the mid-2010s, and for the members who formed and performed together during that period, Bennett was not primarily a collaborator but a deeply valued friend and bandmate.
Her contribution to one of the decade’s biggest songs
Bennett first attracted international attention through her vocal contribution to Party Rock Anthem, the song released by LMFAO in 2011 that became one of the best-selling singles of the decade globally. The song reached the top of charts across dozens of countries and remained in heavy rotation for an extended period, making it one of the defining commercial tracks of the early streaming era. Her voice was central to the song’s identity and introduced her to an audience far beyond the United Kingdom.
Her subsequent work included membership in G.R.L., a pop group whose sound drew from the tradition of girl group pop and electronic influences that characterized much of the commercial music of that period. The group produced recordings and performed during the years when pop group projects of that kind could still command mainstream attention.
An inquest and unanswered questions
The gap between Bennett’s death on May 29 and the public announcement on July 6 reflects the private nature of what her family and friends were processing before the news became public. The coroner’s inquest scheduled for October will be a public proceeding in which the circumstances of her death will be formally examined and documented. Inquests in England and Wales are required when deaths are sudden, unexpected, or of unknown cause, and they serve the purpose of establishing the facts on the public record without attributing criminal responsibility.
Until that process is complete, the official cause of death remains unknown. The music community responded to the announcement of her passing with an outpouring of condolences that reflected the affection her work had generated across a broad audience.
Bennett was 36.
