8.0
I hope you came prepared for a mix of rock, pop, and Riot Grrl for LAUREN, Lauren Sanderson’s 2026 full length album drop. It packs an aggressive punch, sometimes grasping and marketing strings, but always in entertaining ways. Both musically and lyrically clever, this album is officially classified as “no skips.”
LAUREN starts out with COME SAY SUM, the heavy hitter that’s especially aggressive and distorted, complete with crashing cymbals and rumbling bass. If you are familiar with Lauren Sanderson, you are not shocked by the contents of this song or the gun loading sounds that appear going into the last chorus. Or the remix with Fred Durst.
POSSESSIVE is like being a cheerleader gone just right. It’s also aggressive and the rasp in Lauren’s voice fits the lyrics (“She wanna bite my neck.”) It’s a little bit sour and a little bit sweet. Anybody catch the cowbell in this song between the catchy chanting??
SMOKING SECTION has me like, “Is this technically hyperpop?” It’s on my queer hyperpop playlist. She’s trying real hard to be a badass in this song; we should get it by now. This is hardcore branding, but I do see where this song fits into the album after waiting for it to drop all these months. It is a cheeky little song, with lyrics like, “I’ll get you through the breakup.” The lyrics about “girls who fight” are overkill in hindsight.
SHUT UP & KISS ME is a standout song on the album! It’s a little Limp Bizcuity and the bass IS hott! It’s very dancebable, dark in ambience, and reminds me of sex on the coffee table. Ok, I’m getting carried away. The beat is heavy and dirrty. I love it.
GIRLS NIGHT starts out with a guitar riff and another cigarette reference. Lyrics like “I’ll be the side” leave my mouth agape. This is one bad chick! This whole album is so sexually charged, but why shouldn’t it be? I kinda needed this. And I just know these live shows will be WILD! These lyrics are so clever! This is another standout song and I’m feeling the subtle acoustic guitar strums in the pre-chorus/ chorus.
MYSPACE GIRLS must be some type of ode to Girl From the Internet. IYKYK. This song also has another dirrty riff and features lots of reverb on the vocals. It drives hard. “My mic too loud.” Love it!! Lauren raps here, but not in a cheesy way. All the same, the song is still melodic in nature in how the chorus flows with the eclectic guitar. Then OMG, the guitar solo!! It wails!!
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE comes in with a little staccato and stripped down production. I dig the vocoder in the chorus. This is another s*x song (as if the whole album isnt??) and I’m seeing a pattern of wanting to convert straight women. Reminds me of college.
SPELL IT OUT was one of the singles from the album and I am well acquainted with it. Lauren speaks of “gay awakenings” here. Well, hell, after listening to this album, I think there should be a lot of them!! This song has a middle easter raqs sharqi vibe with some fancy car sounds.
TRAMPOLINE is not my favorite song on the album, but it evokes a sense of pride for Lauren for finally making it. It is very on-brand sound-wise.
ARE YOU REALLY HERE winds this album down with less aggression. The bass solo at the beginning is refreshing. The song is a little funky and the out of synch layered vocals are a nice touch. There’s a late 80s influence here. I think the bassline is flirting with me?
Overall, LAUREN by Lauren Sanderson is a top notch album. Aggressive, heavily on-brand, and a punch to the groin, LAUREN is clever, entertaining and interesting. It alternates between sour and sweet, rhythmic and melodic and is a very strong piece from Lauren Sanderson.
Standout Songs
- SHUT UP & KISS ME
- GIRLS NIGHT
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