Now Charting on the Billboard Canada Airplay Charts, Toronto Pop Artist Renforshort Is Just Getting Started

After years striving, Renforshort had cracked Canadian radio.

Earlier this year, the Toronto-based singer-songwriter’s lead single, “on my way!" from her new EP, a girl’s experience, peaked at No. 16 on the CHR/Top 40 chart, dated February 15.

“I was at soundcheck in Manchester when my manager told me, and I bawled my eyes out,” she tells Billboard Canada. “ I had beaten myself down so much that I thought this wasn’t a possibility, and now it's real.”

For the budding indie pop star, born Lauren Isenberg, a humble spirit is needed.

“I've always wanted my dreams to come true in regards to my music and career,” she explains. “But you have to start becoming a little more realistic about those things.”

In an oversaturated industry, achieving both radio play and musical acclaim is an uphill battle. Six years into her career, it’s finally coming together.

Hailing from Toronto, Isenberg grew up playing piano and performing from an early age at open mic nights in the city. At 13, she started posting covers of songs to YouTube and SoundCloud and subsequently met Canadian producer Jeff Hazin, who has become her long-time collaborator. Together, they crafted Isenberg’s lush R&B/pop debut single "Waves" in 2019. The track’s popularity attracted music executives at Geffen Records, who promptly signed the then-17-year-old. Her second single, “Mind Games,” was nominated for the 2019 SOCAN Songwriting Prize.

Isenberg followed up with two EPs — 2020’s teenage angst and off saint dominique in 2021. The former includes her hit single “I Drive Me Mad,” which has over 11 million streams on Spotify. While Isenberg’s earlier music chronicles young love and relationships, this song was inspired by her experiences with anxiety and panic attacks — it remains her most popular to date.

During her recent Billboard Canada Live NXNE set, Isenberg played a selection of older tracks alongside her new EP in its entirety. Since her pandemic rise, performing live hasn’t always been an integral part of her journey. But now, she loves it.

“I'm a little bit shy, but the most real and unfiltered version of myself comes out when I’m on stage,” she says. “You get to feed off each other's energy, and it feels like a party.”

In 2022, Isenberg released her bracingly honest debut album, dear amelia. Boasting features from drummer Travis Barker and British singer-songwriter Jake Bugg, the album includes hits like “made for you” and “moshpit.”

Two years after her debut album, Isenberg experienced a shift in her career. After five years with Geffen, she signed with independent music label Nettwerk Music Group.

“I lost a lot of my team when I was at Interscope,” she shares. “I'm so grateful for everything that I had with them, but when you don't have a core team, sometimes people don't understand your vision and direction, which makes releasing music a bit difficult.”

While it wasn’t an easy decision, Isenberg has found solace working alongside a new label. “I've felt this lightness and ease. It's fun to work with people who love music and care about my vision. Nothing's ever too weird or not marketable,” she explains.

Her new deal was followed by the pared-down EP, clean hands dirty water. At the same time, Isenberg was working on some songs that wouldn’t be released until June of this year, on a girl’s experience.

The four-track project captures the complexities of girlhood through vibrant production and lyrical vulnerability. Building on the foundations of her earlier works, this project represents a confident step forward, showcasing her ability to mix emotional honesty with sonic experimentation. Balancing her indie-rock roots with flirty pop, Isenberg channeled tunes from mid-2010s Canadian radio while working on this project.

“I was really kind of in a place of nostalgia and was listening to a lot of music that I grew up listening to,” she says, citing Tegan and Sara, Icona Pop, Charli XCX and Metric as sonic inspirations. “There are still elements [of the EP] that feel modern, but at the core of it, those nostalgic sounds are what jump-started this.”

Case in point: “feeling good” mirrors a similar energy to Tegan and Sara’s 2013 hit, “Closer,” which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. Currently, Isenberg’s efforts are paying off — on the June 28 charts, “feeling good” debuted on the CHR/Top 40 at No.36, and currently sits at No. 38 as of July 5.

While this new airplay success is a reward, the sound of her future work will continue to evolve. “We live in a time where taking risks with your sound and trying something new is easier than ever,” she explains, saying it doesn’t diminish an artist’s distinct personality. “You can figure out an artist by listening to their melodies and the words they choose.”

Isenberg’s charting win is a reminder to enjoy the process of being a performing artist and every moment that comes. Aside from her radio hit, she opened for Canadian icon Avril Lavigne at the Hard Rock Cafe in Ottawa on July 5, where she sported an “I ♥ Avril” tank top.

“I've gone through prolonged ups and prolonged downs, but I feel lucky," she says. "If you asked me that seven months ago, I would've said, f— no. But I have a lot to be grateful for.”