Lauren Isenberg, known professionally as renforshort, is a singer-songwriter hailing from Toronto, Canada. ren has made waves in pop and hyperpop circles, with her music being critically acclaimed by music magazines like NME and Clash Magazine. Debuting independently in 2019 with the singles “Waves” and “Mind Games”, ren released her debut project, the teenage angst EP, in March 2020, and it was met with critical acclaim. Linkin Park founder Mike Shinoda was a big fan, even asking to remix the song “i drive me mad” when possible. In an interview with That Eric Alper, Shinoda spoke of the track, saying:

The dynamics of the song—the production, her voice, and the way the song speeds up into the chorus—all those things felt exciting to me. I also connected with the lyrics, the idea that you make yourself a little crazy. I’m pretty sure she’s the first person I’ve heard use the term pre-traumatic stress!