Kelly Brianne is an American singer, talk show host, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame after winning the first season of American Idol in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA Records. Her debut single, "A Moment Like This", topped the US Billboard Hot 100, and became the country's best-selling single of 2002. It was included on her debut studio album, Thankful (2003), which entered the Billboard 200 at number one, and also yielded the top-10 single "Miss Independent". Trying to reinvent her image, Clarkson parted ways with Idol management and shifted to pop rock for her second studio album, Breakaway (2004). Supported by four US top-ten singles – the title track, "Since U Been Gone", "Behind These Hazel Eyes", and "Because of You" – Breakaway sold over 12 million copies worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.
Joanna Noëlle Levesque, known professionally as JoJo, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She began performing in singing competitions and local talent shows as a child. In 2003, record producer Vincent Herbert noticed her after she competed on the television show America's Most Talented Kids and asked her to audition for his record label Blackground Records. After signing with the label, JoJo released her eponymous debut studio album in 2004. It peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling over four million copies worldwide to date.
Tamar Estine Braxton is an American singer and television personality.
Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, actress, model, and songwriter. She is widely regarded as one of the most prominent recording artists of the 21st century. Rihanna signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2005 and found mainstream recognition following the release of her first two studio albums, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006). Both influenced by Caribbean music, the albums quickly earned commercial success and peaked within the top ten on the US Billboard 200 chart. Her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), incorporated elements of dance-pop, and established her status as a prominent music industry icon. Its lead single, "Umbrella" peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100, won her first Grammy Award from three nominations, and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Brittany Nicole Waddell, better known by her stage name Britt Nicole, is an American singer and songwriter. She has mainly charted as a Christian pop artist, but in 2012 found her debut mainstream single, "Gold" and in 2013, "Ready or Not", in the Mainstream Top 40. Her fourth studio album, Gold, was nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album at the 55th Grammy Awards. She is signed to Sparrow and Capitol Records.
All the Right Wrongs is the debut EP by American singer-songwriter Emily Osment. The extended play album was released on October 26, 2009, by Wind-up Records. Osment began work on the EP in mid-2008, while filming episodes of the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana. Osment worked with writers and producers such as Max Collins and Tony Fagenson, among others. Osment has stated that she feels she is different from most Disney artists because she feels she has "spunk", and that it can be seen on her album. This extended play is no longer available on digital platforms.
Kimberly Michelle Pate is an American singer and television personality. She is best known for appearing as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta during its first two seasons, later returning to the show during its fifth season. Michelle subsequently signed with Atlantic Records. Her debut studio album, Rebellious Soul, debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, and number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Her second studio album Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? was released on December 9, 2014. The album debuted at number six in the US and spawned three singles "Love 'Em All", "Maybe I Should Call" and "Hard to Do". The album sold 87,000 copies in its first week in sales.
Sparks Fly is the only studio album by American actress and singer Miranda Cosgrove. It was released on April 27, 2010, by Sony Music. After making her musical debut on the iCarly soundtrack in 2008, Cosgrove began planning her first album with the Columbia label. Musically, Sparks Fly is a pop record that incorporates electropop elements. Contributions to the album's production came from several producers, including Dr. Luke, the Matrix, Espionage, Rock Mafia, Darkchild and Max Martin.
Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, known professionally by the mononym Zendaya, is an American actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.
Michael Abram Schultz is an American music producer and songwriter. He is best known for his work with R&B singer Jeremih, having produced for the near-entirety of his discography. Schultz has been credited on his singles "Birthday Sex", "Down on Me", and "Don't Tell 'Em", each of which have peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. For other artists, Schultz has also produced the songs "Desperado" for Rihanna and "Replay" for Zendaya, with further credits on albums and singles by Kelly Clarkson, SoMo, Jenna Andrews, and Jessie James Decker, among others.
Fastlife is the debut solo studio album by American recording artist Joe Jonas. The album was released on October 11, 2011, through Hollywood Records. Fastlife serves as Jonas' first album outside of his band Jonas Brothers, which went on hiatus one year prior to its release. Jonas hoped to create a more mature and "electric" sound for the album, a contrast from the pop-rock releases with his band. To achieve this goal, Jonas worked with a range of urban producers such as Danja and Chris Brown, among others. Fastlife lyrically speaks of topics such as love, sex, and breakups. Jonas received co-writer credits for seven songs on the album.
Our Version of Events is the debut studio album by Scottish recording artist Emeli Sandé. The album was released on 13 February 2012 by Virgin Records, following Sandé's winning of the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards 2012. Though Our Version of Events is her first album release, Sandé has been active in the industry since 2009, most notably appearing on singles by Chipmunk and Wiley. The album features R&B, soul and pop music.
Gabrielle Serene Varner is an American singer-songwriter. Born into a musical family in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Los Angeles, Varner studied at New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music. In October 2009, she signed with RCA Records along with a co-publishing agreement with Sony Music.
American singer Zendaya has released one studio album, 10 singles, three promotional singles, 15 music videos and some album appearances. Her first appearance was as part of Kidz Bop Kids on the album Kidz Bop Dance Party, in 2010. In 2011, Zendaya released her debut independent single, "Swag It Out". Her next single, "Watch Me", peaked at number 86 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Rebellious Soul is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter K. Michelle. The album was released on August 13, 2013, by Atlantic Records. Its songs were mostly co-written and co-composed by Michelle and Bianca Atterberry. Other artists who collaborated on the album include Tank, Priscilla Renea, Meek Mill, and Jack Splash. Musically, Rebellious Soul was inspired by Michelle's love for emotional ballads, and the 1970s and 1980s eras in music. She incorporated different combinations of musical genres, including electronic, R&B, hip hop, soul and gospel, for the album's songs.
Victoria Loren Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. She first gained recognition after posting videos on YouTube as a teenager, and made it through to Hollywood week on the ninth season of American Idol in 2010. Thereafter, she independently released her self-produced debut EP in 2012, Handmade Songs.
"Heart Attack" is a song recorded by American singer Demi Lovato. The song was released on February 25, 2013, as the lead single from her fourth studio album Demi (2013). It was produced by Mitch Allan, and Jason Evigan of "The Suspex", who co-wrote the song along with Lovato, Sean Douglas, Nikki Williams, and Aaron Phillips. "Heart Attack" is an electropop song that employs cardiac motifs to represent the fear of falling in love. It received acclaim from music critics, many of whom complimented its lyrics and Lovato's vocals.
Stars Dance is the debut solo studio album by American singer Selena Gomez. It was released on July 19, 2013, by Hollywood Records. Gomez began planning the project in 2012, at which time she announced that her band Selena Gomez & the Scene would be taking an indefinite hiatus, and continued work into 2013. Stars Dance is an EDM and electropop album, incorporating elements of dubstep, techno, disco, electro house and worldbeat. Gomez worked with producers such as Rock Mafia and The Cataracs on the album.
"Replay" is an electropop song by American singer Zendaya from her self-titled debut studio album, Zendaya (2013). The song was released on July 16, 2013, as the lead single from the album through Hollywood Records after being premiered on July 12, 2013. The song was written by Zendaya in collaboration with Mick Schultz, Tiffany Fred and Paul Phamous while the song's production was handled by Mick Schultz.
"Tennis Court" is a song recorded by New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde. She co-wrote the song with Joel Little, with production handled by the latter. Universal Music Group (UMG) released the song as the second single from her debut studio album Pure Heroine (2013) in Australia and New Zealand on 7 June 2013. On the same day, the label released an extended play (EP) of the same name containing three additional tracks throughout Europe. It combines alternative pop, art pop, and downtempo music over hip hop beats, minimalist synthesisers, and an electronic pulse. Inspired by Lorde's fresh insights into the music industry, the lyrics address her newfound fame and nostalgia for Auckland.
