She sang, she modeled, she showed up… Meet SZN4’s Katie Lauder
If your mom ever told you to look at something and she was totally right, you already understand how I fell down this rabbit hole. My mom told me to check out this girl on Netflix’s Building the Band and I’m so glad I listened. Because she’s a plus size singer and model katie loader a Boston native, full of soul, and incredibly talented, is exactly the woman this space was created to celebrate.
loader is 1/4 SZN4a group formed in the Netflix series produced by Nicole Scherzinger. build a bandAnd when we sat down together in Atlanta, she had just finished the 12th stop of her first tour.
I’ve been to 12 cities and had the time of my life, but honestly, after spending time with her, it was totally tracked. In about four minutes, plus-size singer and model Katie Lauder makes you feel as if you’ve known her for years.
Boston girl who didn’t need permission
There’s something about growing up in a city without chaos that follows you everywhere. Katie grew up in Malden and attended school in the Boston suburb of Everett. The community has a large Latino presence, which allowed Katie to stay connected to her Hispanic roots even when most of her Hispanic family members lived elsewhere.
“Boston is a very sports city,” she told me with a laugh. “My brother loves all things sports, so whenever a sports team won, we’d watch the games and go to the parades. And it was so much fun just being in a city that was so proud of itself.”
But Boston gave her something else beyond athletic pride. It’s a confidence that simply doesn’t care what people think. “Everyone says Boston people are massholes,” she says. “And I think that’s something most people just don’t care about at all. And I think that’s definitely carried over. I just do what I want to do. That’s what it is.”
It’s energy, and Katie Lauder brought it to every stage she stepped on.
Musical theater kid turned neo-soul artist
If you thought Katy came to sing in a complicated, winding way, think again. Her parents often took her to the local community theater. Her mother also went to see her when she was pregnant. By the time she was old enough to watch children’s productions and watch girls on stage, her mind was already made up.
“Then, when I saw the girls who were on the show, I wanted to be like them when I grew up,” she said. “And my parents were like, great, they’ll get you into musical theater.”
She ran with it. But musical theater was just the beginning. Her sound began to pull her elsewhere, into pop, R&B, neo-soul, and soul-forward music. And Adele, more than anything else, lit that fire.
“I think Adele was the one who made me want to sing seriously and not just do musicals,” Katie said. “Every time I saw Adele, I was obsessed.”
And then there’s her grandmother. Her paternal grandmother, who passed away when Katie was in second grade, left her with the most meaningful creative legacy imaginable. “She literally said her last words to my dad, telling Katie to keep singing and never stop.”
She wears the ring that the same grandmother gave her every day. Once you understand that, you’ll understand why Katie Lauder doesn’t take a single performance for granted.
Forming a band changed my relationship with my voice.
Completed by members Donzell, Aaliyah, and Cameron, SZN4 is a group that has been intentional about respecting their individuality while building something together. That specific creative approach has paid off big for Katie as an artist.
“My relationship with singing has definitely changed in a good way because I’m learning more about myself through the different songs I’m singing and the different songs I’m writing as SZN4,” she explained.
“We also value individuality as a group, because the four of us are very different people who just happen to come together and blend very well. But we’re still our own individual people.”
She also ventured into songwriting for the first time, pushing herself outside of her comfort zone. “Songwriting is a very scary thing, because it’s very vulnerable,” she said. “But it was also nice to have my band help me get through it.”
Their single “nearbyThe song was released the same week we spoke, and she’s already said it’s her favorite to perform on tour. She cited a line from Donzel’s poem, “All I need is patience, not obligation,” as the lyric that stops her every time. Girls have sense. And it is this sense that makes her such a fascinating artist to follow right now.
modeling career she never planned
Well, here’s the part of Katie’s story I want to tell you. Because it didn’t start with a plan. It started with a viral TikTok.
Lizzo posted a post asking people to try Karen Clark Sheard’s run, which Katy did. Lizzo then responded to it on her page, which caused her phone to go on silent and exploded.
“I put my phone on silent and people were blasting me,” Katie recalls. “And I opened my phone and thought, oh my gosh.”
It was thanks to that video that her first modeling agency found her. She thought it was a scam. It wasn’t. She flew to Los Angeles, did a test shoot, and realized that she was really good at it and that she really loved it.
That ultimately led her to Nike. And it’s not just a Nike shoot…it’s a full campaign set with other plus-size models working for one of the most famous brands in the world. She never forgot that full-circle moment.
“I worked in retail at Nike,” she said with a laugh. “So it was a very full circle.”
Although she was surrounded by other plus-size models on set, she decided to give it a meaningful name. Being in that room and working for such a big brand at the same time was amazing. that It was important.
Let’s talk about what’s really going on in the modeling industry
Here’s a part of our conversation that I’d like to talk about a little bit. Because this is important and worth saying loud and clear.
The modeling industry had its moments. Plus size women were inundated with reservations. Brands were creating space. And then, quietly, that began to change. Katie noticed it, and she’s not the only one.
“I think it’s changed, but unfortunately I think it’s coming back in a more modest way,” she said. “I think when I first started, I always had a lot of opportunities. And in the last year or two, I’m still working, but not as much. And I’m not the only one with that problem.”
She described a pattern where plus-size models who wear sizes 16 to 20 are passed over in favor of models who wear 8 or 10. The demand for representation is not going anywhere. Consumer needs are not going away.
market research show Approximately 67% of women in the United States wear a size 14 or larger. The market is not shrinking. The need hasn’t disappeared yet. Some in the industry simply decided to turn a blind eye.
But what we do know here is that the audience is watching. Consumers have long memories. And the women who are building careers in this field, like Katie, aren’t going anywhere.
Her wishlist is a complete mood
In case you’re wondering where Katy wants to take her modeling career next, I’d like to add that she didn’t hold back.
“Savage x Fenty,” she said. “They’re on my list. Rare Beauty is one of them. Fables. Those are probably my top three.”
And, being who she is, she added, “We need Rihanna to put out another album. But we also need her to do another runway show. And they need a group to bring it back and perform. SZN4 is that.”
Please consider this our official submission on their behalf. Because if anyone deserves that stage, it’s Katie Lauder.
Style, nails, rings, and the art of being comfortable and cute
Katie describes her style as “like an LA dancer, but a little more girly.” Low-rise pants, uncompromising comfort, and always, always some kind of nail design.
On the day we spoke, her nails were silver—tour nails, she called them—a departure from her usual gold. She has a penchant for jewelry, 3D elements, and authentic artwork at her fingertips. And what about her ring? She wears one on every finger, including the one her grandmother gave her, and never takes it off.
Her mother tried to get her into jewelry years ago, but she resisted. Then a ring as a birthday present changed everything. Now she doesn’t leave home without them.
When the cameras aren’t rolling, it’s one of the little details that tells you a lot about who Katie really is.
“I’ve always loved having artwork on my nails,” she said. And honestly, it’s the same.
what she left behind
We ended the conversation the way all good people should end with a legacy. When I asked Katie what she wanted to leave behind, she paused and thought about it, just as she does when the question actually comes.
“I think the legacy I want to leave is that I can do whatever I want to do,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how big I am. I want girls younger than me, or even older than me, to look at me and think, if she’s doing it, then I can do it too. If I want to sing, I can sing. If I want to be in a place where there aren’t usually people who look like me, I can be an inspiration to others.”
The answer is why Katy is more than just a great voice and a great campaign. She will remind you that the space is yours if you decide to do so.
What will happen in 2026?
SZN4 is currently producing an album. Lauder continues to model, continues to develop her individual artistry, and continues to show up in rooms that previously didn’t have space for her.
She wears her grandmother’s ring on her finger, plays Kehlani’s playlist in the background, and does it with a quiet confidence that doesn’t need anyone’s permission to exist.
She sings to our screens, models in Nike campaigns, and now writes songs that make you feel something. If you haven’t followed plus-size singer and model Katie Lauder’s journey yet, this is your sign. Let’s go find her. You won’t regret it.
Want to keep up with Katie Lauder? Follow her on social media and stream SZN4’s music anywhere.
Source: The Curvy Fashionista – thecurvyfashionista.com
