Lauren Sanderson

Lauren Sanderson was born on January 13, 1996, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She began building an online presence as a YouTube personality, gaining significant traction by 2014, when she was recognized as “Most Influential Up & Comer” at the Indiana Social Media Summit. During this period, her social media content garnered over a million views daily. In 2015, Sanderson delivered a TEDx Talk titled “For God’s Sake, Just Love Them,” where she discussed her experience coming out as lesbian and the importance of parental support. This early career phase involved motivational speaking at local schools, where the pressure of maintaining a positive public image led her to channel her emotions into writing raps and poems, influenced by artists such as Mac Miller and Tyler, the Creator.

Sanderson’s musical career began to take shape through her YouTube and SoundCloud channels. In June 2016, she independently released her debut EP, “Center of Expression,” which earned her recognition as an “artist to watch” by Young Hollywood. Her second independent EP, “Spaces,” released in 2017, achieved commercial success, reaching No. 1 on the iTunes R&B albums chart and No. 24 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. This success led to a record deal with Epic Records, prompting her relocation to Los Angeles. In March 2018, she re-released “Written in the Stars,” a track from “Spaces,” featuring PnB Rock, and officially announced her signing with Epic Records. This period marked a significant transition from independent artist to major-label recording artist.

In August 2018, Sanderson released her major-label debut EP, “Dont Panic!,” through Epic Records, which reached No. 2 on the iTunes R&B charts and No. 48 on the main chart. She promoted the EP with performances at LA Pride, an LA Sparks halftime show, and the BET Experience. By 2019, Sanderson chose to leave Epic Records, re-asserting her independence with the self-released EP “Hasta La Vista” in June of that year. She then signed a one-album deal with Chris Anokute’s Young Forever label. Her debut album, “Midwest Kids Can Make It Big,” was released in January 2020, followed by a deluxe version in August 2020, featuring additional tracks. This album reflected her journey and commitment to her independent artistic vision.