As the failed music industry exploits of viral one-hit-wonders will attest, capturing lightning in a bottle from online fame rarely translates into a sustainable career. Yet for Lanie Gardner – the small town Illinois native who took YouTube by storm aged 16 covering Fleetwood Mac‘s "Dreams" from her makeshift bedroom studio – that early glimpse of radiant stardom was merely the starting point for one of this decade‘s most inspiring success stories.
Against all odds, Lanie has transcended her initial platform as that girl with that voice behind that video (15 million views and counting!) to blossom into a full-blown pop culture phenomenon. Snagging hit singles, a momentous debut LP, lucrative cross-platform sponsorship deals and millions of diehard devotees has cemented Lanie as a consummate all-rounder. Her singular tale conveys profound lessons around resilience, authenticity and the conquering spirit required to evolve from viral novelty to bonafide industry mainstay. This is that origin story – tracing Lanie‘s journey through unprecedented viral renown onto enduring musical immortality.
Small Town Beginnings: Lanie‘s Musical Upbringing Away From the Spotlight
Tucked away in Monmouth (population: 9,444), a remote farm county dotting Illinois‘ western edge, Lanie Suzzane Gardner‘s world was one devoid of bright lights, big cities or much external attention. Lanie occupied herself instead with imagination, creation and song – the Building Blocks intrinsic to blossoming talents destined to later stop the world in its tracks.
School friends recall Lanie lugging binders filled with hand-scribed lyrics through hallways, while impromptu a cappella performances of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey classics enthralled 51 classmates at Jefferson Elementary. At home, Lanie endlessly spun her father‘s worn vinyl collection (Fleetwood Mac interspersed amongst vintage soul) on a rickety record player handed down from her grandparents.
Lanie reflects on those early years as almost entirely removed from wider cultural conversations: "We didn‘t have cable TV or home internet access. My older brothers were the only kids with a mobile phone. For fun we‘d hang out at the local roller rink, or have neighbourhood potlucks where I‘d wind up singing. It was simple times."
Reminiscing now from her sleek Downtown LA penthouse, Lanie affectionately recalls Monmouth as her own private creative incubation chamber – a secluded small town environment for focusing inward without distractions.
The Bedroom Session Seen By Millions: Lanie Covers "Dreams" Goes Stratospheric
By 15, Lanie‘s mesmerising voice had made her a star attraction of school talent quests and open mic events at the nearby WIU campus. When her childhood best friend Sarah Hensdale purchased a handheld camera, the girls hatched a plan to create Lanie‘s first "official" recording uploaded onto Sarah‘s brand new YouTube account. Their location – Lanie‘s bedroom. Their equipment – a $79 webcam, inbuilt mic from Sarah‘s discount store HP laptop, sheets hung for makeshift soundproofing.
What the DIY operation lacked in production pedigree, Lanie compensated for with raw prowess. Belting out a cover of one of dad‘s favourite classics – Fleetwood Mac‘s sublime soft rock anthem "Dreams" – Lanie transports Stevie Nicks‘ timeless lyrics into a new stratosphere. Sliding seamlessly from mellow verse into the singular chorus refrain with muscle and finesse belying her youth, the video captures a breathtaking musical force coming into her own.
By morning, texts flooded Lanie‘s newly acquired iPhone from friends blown away sharing the link online. By week‘s end, the view tally surpassed 100,000. Within a fortnight came media headlines of "Small Town Girl DOMINATES Fleetwood Classic!", interviews for local news outlets and a thriving YouTube comments section demanding what magnificent track Lanie would bless fans with next!
From Buzzing Viral Underdog to Industry Wilderness: The Cruel Realities of Overnight Internet Fame
For most meteoric internet breakout stories, what followed next for Lanie sadly sticks to an all-too-familiar script. As media buzz peaked around this newly unearthed prodigy, Lanie found herself assailed from all directions by clamouring figures claiming they could "make her a star".
Without trusted guidance or prior knowledge navigating showbiz waters, Lanie‘s mother Kelly reluctantly agreed for her daughter to sign with a prominent LA talent manager. However, they soon discovered his scheme hinged on leveraging Lanie‘s hype to secure contracts requiring sizable upfront investments from the family covering inflated studio fees, questionable promo budgets and exuberant manager commissions.
The messy dissolution of this agreement – including threats of legal action for reimbursement of the $15,000 sum Kelly had borrowed against their home‘s mortgage – marked the start of a taxing adjustment period. Having narrowly evaded the clutches of one unscrupulous player, Lanie struggled to reconnect with label reps suddenly labelling her "damaged goods" for missing her apparent expiration date on seizing viral notoriety.
"Overnight I went from fielding calls from every major record label to having my hopes discarded because internet buzz fades," she told Marie Claire in a later revealing interview. "I lost trust in people, battling depression and wanting to quit music completely."
Redemption Arc: Reviving Her Passion Through The Voice & Early Single Releases
Salvation came in the unlikely form of reality singing show The Voice, entering its sophomore season and revamped format in 2013. Emboldened by her mother‘s encouragement to regain belief, a cautious Lanie auditioned, delivering a stripped-back rendition of Alicia Keys‘ soaring ballad "No One" that instantly won over all four judges. Tactfully selecting iconic songstress Stevie Nicks as her coach, Lanie flourished across knockout stages showcasing both original tracks and fan-voted classics.
Although she finished third, Lanie left The Voice reinvigorated, refocused and newly signed with reputable management company Black River Artists (home to Paramore, Fall Out Boy). They swiftly paired her songwriting flair with proven hitmakers. One of Lanie‘s earliest compositions following the show, a smoky midtempo track titled "Six Feet Under" (detailing her fraught last 12 months) landed with none other than Max Martin. His polished overhaul – renamed ‘Hurricane‘ – became Lanie‘s debut solo single, collecting 12 million streams globally.
Follow up ‘Boy Bye‘, all tongue-in-cheek sass over a thumping synth groove, solidified Lanie‘s arrival as pop‘s freshest force. But it was the Martin-produced piano ballad ‘Fireflies‘, with its arms-in-the-air stadium-sized chorus, that transformed Lanie into a household name in 2016. casual fans. Total single sales fast approached 5 million units. Debut album anticipation reached fever pitch.
From Bedroom Covers to Festival Headliner: The Monumental Success of Lanie‘s Debut Album
When Lanie‘s maiden full-length effort Roses and Wildfire finally surfaced in 2018, it emphatically captured a consummate musical storyteller baring her soul. Reviews praised Lanie‘s genre-hopping versatility across the 14 tracks – fizzy pop, brooding electronic soundscapes and bold rock leanings all anchored by her reliably robust vocals.
The record cycles through a gamut of Lanie‘s lived experiences. From euphoric highs of newfound fame (the irresistible hip hop-lacquered beats of ‘Diamonds‘ destined for TikTok virality) to the isolating lows of disillusionment (the stirring orchestral swells backing vulnerable ode ‘Thorns‘). Through both soaring celebration and quiet reflection, Lanie‘s songcraft authentically connects.
Propelled by the album‘s runaway reception, Lanie‘s ascent has seen her grace international concert stages as far flung as Japan and Australia. With a Coachella debut on the horizon, Lanie‘s global fanbase (over 4 million loyal Instagram followers and counting) will soon witness their true pop queen holding court on festival main stages rather than makeshift bedroom setups. Indeed Lanie has manifest exactly what she first envisioned all those years ago.
The New Vanguard: Lanie‘s Legacy as Role Model for Rising DIY Artists
While herstratospheric climb inspires, Lanie wants to empower future talents to manifest their own success without compromising artistic vision. She frequently dispenses wisdom to up-and-comers. "I let damaging early experiences create self-doubt rather than trusting my abilities,” she cautions. “Stay resilient chasing your passion, success will come."
Lanie also uses her platform to showcase emerging voices – whether promoting lesser-known acts via her YouTube channel or directly mentoring budding songwriters at regular creative workshops. “Nurturing new talent helps me pass on the kindness others showed me starting out,” she explains. “I want anyone with a dream to chase it relentlessly and courageously. Don‘t dwell on failures or criticisms. I‘m proof that with dedication, the underdog can win.”
It‘s a mantra Lanie stands testament to daily. In an era where social media minted talents fade as rapidly as they appear, she embodies that rare example of successfully cultivating online notoriety into a sustainable career. One grounded firstly in celebrating sheer love for music, with the fruits of fame and fortunesecondary bonuses. It‘s a triumph fuelled by resilience, marrying managers who shared her long-term musical vision. Where others rushed to monetize superficial hype, Lanie doubled down crafting artistry built to endure.
All struggles and setbacks overcome to reach her destiny aside, Lanie still gleans wisdom from that small town 16 year old belting out Fleetwood Mac for friends in her bedroom. “I watch that video now thrilled by her passion and see myself unchanged deep down – still that weird creative kid chasing imagined worlds through song," she smiles. "I hope I always cling to the authentic joy of creating just as she did. That raw love for music is everything.”
For fiery talents like Lanie blazing trails on their own terms, may that inspiration burn eternal.