A backup dancer also known as background dancer [1] is a performer who dances with or behind the lead performers in a live musical act or in a music video. Their movements (especially where there are many moving together) improve the visual aesthetics of the lead performer, and provide a symmetry and rhythm to accompany the music.
Some performers began their music careers as backup dancers for other artists, including:
Baby V.O.X was a South Korean K-pop group formed in 1997, whose final and best-known line-up consisted of Kim E-Z, Lee Hee-jin, Kan Mi-youn, Shim Eun-jin, and Yoon Eun-hye. It is considered one of the most prominent "first generation" K-pop girl groups of the late 1990s and early 2000s, along with S.E.S and Fin.K.L, and is recognized as one of the groups at the forefront of the Korean Wave, having broken into the Chinese market. The group released seven studio albums and disbanded in 2006.
Kevin Earl Federline, often referred to, and also known as K-Fed, is an American dancer, rapper, actor, model, professional wrestler and DJ. He is known for his two-year marriage to American singer Britney Spears, for whom he was previously a backup dancer, and the child custody battle that followed, which earned significant media coverage. His popularity led to him releasing his critically panned debut album Playing with Fire in 2006, which is commonly considered to be one of the worst albums ever released. He has since made a number of television appearances, and began a career as a DJ.
"Waiting for Tonight" is a song written by Maria Christensen, Michael Garvin, and Phil Temple. It was originally recorded by Christensen's girl group 3rd Party for their debut studio album, Alive (1997). Two years after the group disbanded, American singer Jennifer Lopez recorded her own version of the song for her debut studio album, On the 6 (1999). Ric Wake and Richie Jones produced Lopez's Hispanic house version of "Waiting for Tonight", which differs from the German-sounding Europop version that was recorded by 3rd Party. A Spanish version of the song, entitled "Una Noche Más", was adapted by Manny Benito and also recorded for the album. "Waiting for Tonight" was released on September 7, 1999, by the Work Group, as the third single from On the 6.
"Love Don't Cost a Thing" is a song by American singer Jennifer Lopez for her second studio album J.Lo (2001). It was released on November 20, 2000, by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Damon Sharpe, Greg Lawson, Georgette Franklin, Jeremy Monroe and Amille D. Harris, and produced by Ric Wake, Richie Jones and Cory Rooney. At the time of the song's release, Lopez was transitioning into a sex symbol and in a relationship with American rapper Sean Combs. Lyrically, "Love Don't Cost a Thing" is described as an "exploration of love" in which Lopez is unhappy about her materialistic lover; provoking much media analysis as to whether or not it was an innuendo towards Combs. Ultimately, the pair's courtship ended shortly after its release. Described as "frothy" and "catchy" by critics, it was noted for its message about love and commercial appeal to women.
"Alive" is a song recorded by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez. It was written by Lopez, Cris Judd, and Cory Rooney for the Michael Apted-directed thriller, Enough (2002). Lopez stars in the film as Slim, a waitress who marries a wealthy contractor, and flees with their 5 year old daughter as he becomes increasingly abusive. While on the run, Slim, who discovers that her husband is following her, "trains herself for a final, violent confrontation". The producers of Enough wanted Lopez to write a new song for film, however, she felt as if it was not something that could be forced. In October 2001, while on their honeymoon, Judd played her a melody that he had written on the piano. Lopez thought that the melody was "really beautiful", and that it would be perfect fit for Enough. She incorporated the hardships that Slim went through in the film, as well as her own personal struggles, into the song's lyrics.
"Dear Mama" is a song by American rapper 2Pac from his third studio album, Me Against the World (1995). It was released on February 21, 1995, as the lead single from the album. The song is a tribute to his mother, Afeni Shakur. In the song, Shakur details his childhood poverty and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine, but argues that his love and deep respect for his mother supersede bad memories. The song became his first top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number nine. It also topped the Hot Rap Singles chart for five weeks. As of March 2021, the song is certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA.
Cristan Lee Judd is a Filipino American actor, dancer, and choreographer known for his brief marriage to Jennifer Lopez.
"Trapped" is the solo debut single by 2Pac from his debut album 2Pacalypse Now (1991). It deals with police brutality. The first verse tells a story of 2Pac being harassed by the police with one even shooting at him. He then fires back and says he did it because he was tired of constantly being profiled and abused by police officers.
Loaded is a half-hour-long series on the public TV station Fuse TV. During the show, videos from one specific artist play. Usually there is a mix of old and new videos for each artist. Depending on the video length there are between 5 and 6 videos per episode.
Young is a British independent record label that sits in the Beggars Group of labels launched by Caius Pawson in 2006. It has grown from an imprint of XL Recordings into a successful and influential label now partnered with XL and operates across a range of genres. The label's current roster includes The xx, FKA twigs, Sampha, Jamie xx, Koreless and Kamasi Washington.
The MBC Gayo Daejejeon is an annual, end-of-the-year South Korean music show broadcast by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). The event was first held in 1966 as a singing competition, but MBC stopped giving out awards in 2005.
Tahliah Debrett Barnett, known professionally as FKA Twigs, is a British singer, songwriter, and dancer. Born and raised in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, she became a backup dancer for numerous famous musicians after moving to London at the age of 17, and made her own musical debut with EP1 (2012).
LP1 is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, released on 6 August 2014 by Young Turks. Production for the album is handled by FKA Twigs herself, alongside Emile Haynie, Arca, Cy An, Devonté Hynes, Clams Casino, Paul Epworth, Sampha and Tic.
EP2 is the second extended play (EP) by English singer FKA Twigs, released on 17 September 2013 by Young Turks. The song "Water Me" was released as a promotional single in 2013.
"Two Weeks" is a song by English singer FKA Twigs from her debut studio album, LP1 (2014). The song was released digitally on 24 June 2014 as the album's lead single. It was also released on 12-inch vinyl on 29 July 2014, featuring the song "Pendulum" as a B-side.
English singer and songwriter FKA Twigs has released two studio albums, one mixtape, three extended plays, twelve singles, one promotional single and eighteen music videos.
M3LL155X is the third extended play (EP) by English singer and songwriter FKA Twigs, released on 13 August 2015 by Young Turks. The EP was lauded by music critics after its release and peaked at number 63 on the Billboard 200 becoming her second entry on the chart.
Stray Kids is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment through the 2017 reality show of the same name. The group is composed of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. Originally a nine-piece group, member Woojin left due to undisclosed personal reasons in October 2019.
"Ego Death" is a song by American singer Ty Dolla Sign featuring American rapper Kanye West, English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, and American DJ Skrillex, released for digital download and streaming through Atlantic Records on July 1, 2020, as the lead single from the former's third studio album, Featuring Ty Dolla Sign (2020). It contains additional vocals by Serpentwithfeet, Angela Davis, and Jariuce "Jehreeus" Banks. Ty Dolla Sign, Skrillex, and BoogzDaBeast produced the song. According to Ty, the song expands on West's "Fade", which he was featured on alongside Post Malone. Initially previewed after the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2019, the former experienced an internet leak in March 2020.
"Tears in the Club" is a song by English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs, featuring vocals from Canadian singer the Weeknd. It was released on 16 December 2021, as the lead single from Twigs' first mixtape, Caprisongs (2022). The two artists wrote the song with producers Cirkut, Arca, and el Guincho, alongside Ali Tamposi.