Renforshort

During a year in which most of us non-front-line workers were forced to stay still, 18-year-old renforshort (née Lauren Isenberg) did the opposite. Last March, the Torontonian released Teenage Angst, her personal alt-pop debut EP, to critical acclaim. Plans for a whirlwind press tour may have been stymied by the COVID-19 pandemic, but that didn’t stop momentum from continuing to build around the teen, who hails from a family of musicians. She got to work on songwriting sessions over Zoom as a way to keep busy while self-isolating, which led to her dropping more atmospheric singles throughout the rest of the year. Teen malaise rings through her bubble-gum-pop-slash-grunge bops (the perfect hybrid of Billie Eilish moodiness and early Avril Lavigne punk that we didn’t know we needed), creating music that speaks specifically to her gen Z cohort while also being transporting for older listeners. That trademark vulnerability has caught the eye of some big names both in and outside the industry (she’s well on her way to becoming a fashion darling thanks to a brand partnership with Balmain), including that of Linkin Park co-founder Mike Shinoda; he teamed up with the artist to remix her pop anthem “I Drive Me Mad” after it stood out to him on a playlist. She wasn’t done yet, though. Last fall, her gentle and melodic tune “Afterthoughts” was featured on the soundtrack to Disney+ teen tear-jerker Clouds, enabling the artist to reach a different place with her music. And that’s exactly what this year is about for renforshort, who is expected to keep releasing new tracks in 2021: experimenting with and embracing her ever-transforming sound.