G.R.L.

G.R.L.

Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music industry
Founded	2013
Founder	Robin Antin (implied as initiator)
Headquarters	United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Music recordings, performances

G.R.L.—an acronym for Girls Rock Life—is a multinational girl group with British, Canadian, and American roots, composed of Lauren Bennett, Natasha Slayton, Paula van Oppen, and Emmalyn Estrada.

Initially, the ensemble featured Bennett, Slayton, van Oppen, Estrada, alongside the late Simone Battle. G.R.L. made their first appearance on the Smurfs 2 soundtrack with the track "Vacation." Subsequently, they collaborated on Pitbull's global hit "Wild Wild Love," which secured a position within the top 30 on the US charts, reached the top 10 in the UK, and obtained Platinum status from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Their follow-up single "Ugly Heart" achieved top 10 rankings in the US, top 5 placements in both Australia and New Zealand, broke into the top 20 in the UK, and was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA.

2011–2012: Origins and Formation

In March 2011, choreographer Robin Antin initiated auditions to fill vacancies left by former members of The Pussycat Dolls. The revamped group debuted during a GoDaddy commercial aired at the Super Bowl on February 5, 2012, featuring five performers: Lauren Bennett, Paula van Oppen, Vanessa Curry, Chrystina Sayers, and Erica Kiehl Jenkins.

By April 2012, Chrystina Sayers had departed from the lineup. In July of that year, the roster was adjusted to include Bennett, van Oppen, Natalie Mejia, Amanda Branche, and Natasha Slayton; Jenkins and Curry had exited by this point. Amanda Branche was replaced by Simone Battle in August 2012. By November 2012, Emmalyn Estrada joined as Natalie Mejia left due to pregnancy, finalizing G.R.L.’s official lineup.

2013–2014: Breakthrough and Commercial Success

In February 2013, Antin revealed that the group would launch under a new identity rather than continue as a replacement for The Pussycat Dolls. The name G.R.L. was officially introduced at Chateau Marmont in April. Their debut single "Vacation" was released on June 16 as part of The Smurfs 2 soundtrack, serving as a B-side to Britney Spears' "Ooh La La." The track reached number ninety-seven on South Korea’s Gaon International Chart.

On September 10, 2013, G.R.L. began a month-long promotional tour in Brooklyn, New York in collaboration with Claire’s and Westfield Malls. This campaign involved fan engagement and performances at selected venues. Later that year, they teamed up with rapper Pitbull for "Wild Wild Love," the lead single from his album Globalization. The song peaked at number thirty on the Billboard Hot 100 and had sold 767,000 copies in the United States by March 2015. It also attained top ten chart positions in Australia, Belgium, Indonesia, Norway, and the UK while earning Platinum certification from the RIAA.

Shortly after establishing themselves as a group, G.R.L. began working on their debut studio album with renowned producers such as Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Cirkut, Darkchild, and Lukas Hilbert. Nevertheless, they later opted to concentrate on releasing a self-titled EP instead. The lead single from this EP—"Ugly Heart"—initially entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number forty-one before climbing to number two. This became their highest-charting single to date and was awarded quadruple platinum certification by ARIA. Additionally, it ranked tenth on Australia’s Year-End charts for 2014 with platinum status and reached number three on New Zealand’s Official Music Chart.

Battle's Passing

On September 5, 2014, Battle was discovered deceased in her residence located in West Hollywood. Following an autopsy, Los Angeles County Coroner's Lieutenant Fred Corral determined the cause of death to be suicide. The group issued a statement on Twitter, expressing their deep sorrow and dedication to preserving her legacy.

2015: Lighthouse, G.R.L. Gives an Hour, and hiatus

Following Battle's passing, G.R.L. unveiled their first single, "Lighthouse", and simultaneously launched the G.R.L. Gives an Hour initiative in partnership with Give an Hour, aimed at promoting mental health awareness across the United States. This campaign later aligned with Michelle Obama's Change Direction movement. "Lighthouse" achieved chart positions including number 30 on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart, 18 in New Zealand, 55 in the United Kingdom, and 24 in Scotland.

On March 10, 2015, while performing on the Australian television show Sunrise from Hawaii, G.R.L. announced their role as opening act for Meghan Trainor during the Australian segment of her That Bass Tour.

On June 2, 2015, G.R.L., together with RCA Records, Kemosabe Records, Larry Rudolph, and Antin, released a joint statement declaring the group's dissolution nearly nine months after Battle's death, extending best wishes to members for success in their future artistic pursuits.

2016–2020: Reformation

The Daily Mirror revealed on June 15, 2016, that G.R.L. would be reuniting; however, not all original members returned. By August 5, Jazzy Mejia had joined Bennett and Slayton as the third member of the ensemble. Shortly thereafter, this trio debuted their first promotional single titled "Kiss Myself."

In the autumn of 2016, G.R.L. embarked on tours across Europe and Oceania, headlining Australia's Nickelodeon Slimefest. Their second single, "Are We Good," was released on December 9, accompanied by a music video that premiered in January 2017.

Throughout the following years, the trio maintained active touring schedules, public appearances, and social media presence—including a winter tour in 2019 alongside S Club Allstars, Big Brovaz, and 5ive. In 2020, Mejia departed from the group.

2020–present: Emmalyn's return

In September 2020, Slayton posted videos featuring herself, Bennett, and former members Emmalyn Estrada and Paula van Oppen with Antin, fueling speculation about a reunion. By October, Slayton, Estrada, and van Oppen appeared together in TikTok videos.

On December 10, 2020, Bennett, Estrada, and Slayton shared footage from a new music video shoot; van Oppen was notably absent. Manager Matt Ziedman confirmed that van Oppen opted out of rejoining due to personal reasons.

In January 2021, G.R.L. shared videos teasing upcoming music releases. An Instagram live session with Antin and Ziedman confirmed the group's return and plans for future projects. They clarified that Mejia was not included as the reunion centered around the original lineup featuring Estrada and van Oppen.

Discography

• G.R.L. (2014)

Tours

Supporting

• 2015 - That Bass Tour opening for Meghan Trainor
• 2019 - Poptastic Tour co-headlining with 5ive, S Club Allstars, and Big Brovaz