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G.R.L.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

G.R.L.
Natasha Slayton, Paula van Oppen, Simone Battle, Emmalyn Estrada, and Lauren Bennett in September 2013
Natasha Slayton, Paula van Oppen, Simone Battle, Emmalyn Estrada, and Lauren Bennett in September 2013
Background information
Years active
  • 2012–2015
  • 2016–2021
Labels
Spinoff ofThe Pussycat Dolls
Past members

G.R.L. was an American supergroup comprising Lauren Bennett and some combination of Natasha Slayton, Paula van Oppen, Emmalyn Estrada, Jazzy Mejia, and Simone Battle. The group featured on Pitbull's single "Wild Wild Love", which peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 6 on the UK singles chart, and had a hit with their own "Ugly Heart", which charted at number 2 in Ireland and Australia. They also supported Meghan Trainor on her That Bass Tour and mounted the G.R.L. Gives an Hour mental health campaign.

History

[edit]

G.R.L. took its name from the word 'girl' and had been deliberately misspelled on the basis that the word 'team' did not contain the letter 'I'.[1] The band officially launched in February 2013,[2] although G.R.L. had existed prior to that as an update of The Pussycat Dolls[3] for which choreographer Robin Antin had started holding auditions for the group from March 2011.[4] That November, Antin denied having confirmed a lineup following a Perez Hilton post[a] and English musician Lauren Bennett joined the group, having featured on LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" earlier that year and having been a member of Paradiso Girls before that.[3][6] A Pussycat Dolls line-up featuring Bennett, Girlicious alumnus Chrystina Sayers, So You Think You Can Dance contestant and Burlesque actress Paula van Oppen, and Laker Girl and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Vanessa Curry and Erica Jenkins had performed in a GoDaddy commercial broadcast during February 2012's Super Bowl XLVI.[6][3]

Sayers, Curry, and Jenkins had been replaced by Amanda Branche, Girlicious alumnus Natalie Mejia, and Me and You and Everyone We Know actress Natasha Slayton by July.[7][3] Branche and Mejia were later replaced by Simone Battle, who joined in August and had made the top 17 on the first series of The X Factor, and Canadian musician Emmalyn Estrada, who had released minor hits in her home country and appeared in Bates Motel.[8][3][2] Following their debut at Chateau Marmont in April 2013,[9] the band signed to Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records in conjunction with RCA Records and released their June debut single "Vacation" on the label. "Vacation" was included on the soundtrack for the animated movie The Smurfs 2 as a B-side to Britney Spears' "Ooh La La"[10] and was intended for a debut album,[10] for which the band worked with Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut on material.[11] Their February 2014 Pitbull feature "Wild Wild Love" peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 on the UK singles chart.[12][13]

G.R.L. performing during the Campaign to Change Direction in Washington, D.C.

G.R.L. released the single "Ugly Heart" and a self-titled EP in June and July;[14][11] the former peaked at number 2 in Australia and Ireland,[15] the top five in New Zealand,[16] and the top 20 in several other countries.[17] "Ugly Heart" was also certified quadruple-platinum in Australia.[18] The track was not released in the UK until August, less than a week before Battle died by suicide;[19] the track peaked at number 11 in that country.[20][21] Battle's suicide led G.R.L.'s surviving members to release the tribute single "Lighthouse",[22] mount the G.R.L. Gives an Hour campaign supporting mental health in her honor,[23] launch the firm's Campaign to Change Direction with Michelle Obama,[24][11] and disband in June 2015 without having released their debut album.[25][11] The band had supported Meghan Trainor on her That Bass Tour a month earlier.[26]

Bennett and Slayton reformed G.R.L. with Jazzy Mejia in August 2016[27] and released the singles "Kiss Myself" and "Are We Good" in September and December.[28][29] Shortly after the former, Little Mix were accused of ripping off "Ugly Heart" for their single "Shout Out to My Ex",[30][31] prompting the band to defend themselves during a Belgian radio interview.[32][33] After touring as a trio until 2020,[34] the pair briefly reunited with Estrada and van Oppen;[35] Estrada stayed into 2021. Slayton used a July 2025 podcast appearance to blame money for the band's subsequent dissolution[36] and a July 2026 joint post with Estrada and Van Oppen to announce that Bennett had died in late May.[37]

Discography

[edit]

Members

[edit]
  • Lauren Bennett (2012–2015, 2016–2021, died 2026)
  • Simone Battle (2012–2014, died 2014)
  • Emmalyn Estrada (2012–2015, 2020–2021)
  • Natasha Slayton (2012–2015, 2016–2021)
  • Paula van Oppen (2012–2015, 2020)
  • Jazzy Mejia (2016–2020)

Tours

[edit]

Supporting

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Bennett, van Oppen, Vanessa Curry, Taz Zavala, Kristal Lyndriette Smith, and Kia Hampton.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Robin Antin Built a Girl Group Empire with The Pussycat Dolls. But Does the Formula Still Work? - LA Weekly". June 3, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "G.R.L singer found dead". Stuff. September 7, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "G.R.L power! America's newest girl group". Digital Spy. August 7, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
  4. ↑ "New Pussycat Dolls sought". Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
  5. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (November 6, 2011). "Pussycat Dolls Creator Robin Antin: Revamped Group Will Be 'Fierce'". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2026.
  6. 1 2 Vena, Jocelyn (February 6, 2012). "Pussycat Dolls' Post-Super Bowl Plans Include Kim Kardashian - Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Agora é oficial? Nova formação do Pussycat Dolls é revelada". Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Photos: New Pussycat Dolls lineup revealed as Robin Antin expands empire". Las Vegas Weekly. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
  9. ↑ Lansky, Sam (April 18, 2013). "The Pussycat Dolls Get Reborn As GRL & We Will Never Be The Same". Idolator. Retrieved September 10, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. 1 2 Lipshutz, Jason (July 9, 2013). "G.R.L.: New Girl Group's Formation Was 'Not Something That Happened Overnight'". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Jason Lipshutz (June 3, 2015). "GRL Breaks Up". Billboard. (Prometheus Global Media). Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ "GRL have split up". Digital Spy. June 3, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  13. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (March 3, 2015). "Girl Group Tragedy: Inside G.R.L.'s Slow Healing Process". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  14. ↑ Lipshutz, Jason (June 3, 2014). "G.R.L. Drops 'Ugly Heart' Single: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  15. ↑ Newsdesk, The Hot Press. "G.R.L confirm split". Hotpress. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  16. ↑ Myers, Owen (July 6, 2026). "Lauren Bennett, singer on LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem, dies aged 36". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 7, 2026.
  17. ↑ Horowitz, Steven J. (July 6, 2026). "Lauren Bennett, "Party Rock Anthem" Singer and G.R.L. Member, Dies at 37". Variety. Retrieved July 6, 2026.
  18. ↑ "News: G.R.L. Confirm Return To Aus As Special Guests For Meghan Trainor". renownedforsound.com. Archived from the original on February 13, 2026. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  19. ↑ Stroude, Will (September 7, 2017). "Girl group GRL have apparently split". Attitude. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  20. ↑ Welsh, Daniel (July 7, 2026). "Party Rock Anthem Singer Lauren Bennett Has Died, Aged 37". HuffPost UK. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  21. ↑ "GRL singer Simone Battle's death was 'suicide by hanging'". BBC News. September 8, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  22. ↑ "G.R.L. debut Lighthouse video - watch". Official Charts. Archived from the original on August 30, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Lauren Bennett, known for LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem,' dies at 36". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on July 6, 2026. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  24. ↑ Olson, Cathy Applefeld (March 5, 2015). "G.R.L. 'Make Something Positive' Out Of Bandmate's Death at D.C. Mental-Health Event". Billboard. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  25. ↑ Thomas, Carly (July 7, 2026). "Lauren Bennett, "Party Rock Anthem" and G.R.L. Singer, Dies at 37". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  26. ↑ Meares, Joel (April 27, 2015). "Meghan Trainor review: A pop star you want to take home to dad". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  27. ↑ Macatee, Rebecca (August 5, 2016). "Girl Group G.R.L. Reforms Nearly Two Years After Simone Battle's Tragic Suicide". E! News. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Listen to GRL's big new club banger 'Kiss Myself'". Digital Spy. September 29, 2016.
  29. ↑ "The Playlist: 10 tracks you need to hear this week". Digital Spy. December 9, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Little Mix accused of 'ripping off' G.R.L's Ugly Heart for new single Shout Out To My Ex". www.chroniclelive.co.uk. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  31. ↑ "G.R.L Just Gave The Most Brutal Side-Eye To Little Mix For 'Copying' Their Song". Capital. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Little Mix respond to accusations of copying G.R.L. on 'Shout Out To My Ex'". NME. October 24, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  33. ↑ Briones, Isis (October 25, 2016). "Watch Little Mix Shut Down Those Accusing Them of Copying "Shout Out to My Ex"". Teen Vogue. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
  34. ↑ Roundtree, Cheyenne (July 7, 2026). "Lauren Bennett, G.R.L. Member and Singer on LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem,' Dead at 37". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  35. ↑ "'Party Rock Anthem' singer Lauren Bennett dies at 37". The Independent. July 6, 2026. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  36. ↑ Ocho, Alex (July 6, 2026). "G.R.L.'s Lauren Bennett, Who Sang on LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem,' Dies at 37". Complex. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
  37. ↑ Esquibias, Liza. "Lauren Bennett, known for LMFAO's 'Party Rock Anthem,' dies at 36". USA TODAY. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
[edit]
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