Avril Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada on September 27, 1984. At 16, she moved to Manhattan and began work on her debut album. She dropped out of high school after the 11th grade when she secured a record deal. When Avril was almost 18, she released "Complicated" from her debut album titled: "Let Go," which went 6x platinum. As a petite skater girl from a small town, Avril has shown she is independent, full of confidence and determination, providing a good combination to make "Complicated" and Avril a musical breakthrough. "Complicated" went to number #1 on Billboards Top 100 while also earning her 5 Grammy nominations, MTV music awards, M Avril Ramona Lavigne (pronunciation:/ˈævrɨlləˈviːn/; av-rillə-veen; born 27 September 1984) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more than $2 million. In 2002, when she was 17 years old, Lavigne broke onto the music scene with her debut album Let Go.
Let Go made Lavigne the youngest female soloist to reach No. 1 in the UK, and the album was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. By 2009, over 18 million copies had been sold worldwide. Her breakthrough single, "Complicated", peaked at No. 1 in many countries around the world, as did the album Let Go. Her second album, Under My Skin, was released in 2004 and was her first album to peak at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, eventually selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. The Best Damn Thing, Lavigne’s third album, was released in 2007, becoming her third No. 1 album in the UK Albums Chart and featuring her first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, "Girlfriend". Lavigne has scored five number-one singles worldwide, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm with You", "My Happy Ending" and "Girlfriend". With more than 30 million copies of her albums sold worldwide, Lavigne is one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA. Her fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, was released in March 2011. Goodbye Lullaby gave Lavigne her fourth top 10 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart and her third No. 1 album in both Japan and Australia. Three months after the release of Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne began work on her fifth album which will be released on Epic Records following her departure from RCA Records.
Lavigne branched out from recording music, pursuing careers in feature film acting and designing clothes and perfumes. She voiced a character in the animated film, Over the Hedge, in 2006. That same year, she made her on-screen feature film debut in Fast Food Nation. In 2008, Lavigne introduced her clothing line, Abbey Dawn, and in 2009, she released her first perfume, Black Star, which was followed by her second perfume, Forbidden Rose, in 2010 and her third perfume, Wild Rose, in 2011. In July 2006, Lavigne married her boyfriend of two years, Deryck Whibley, lead singer and guitarist for Sum 41. The marriage lasted a little over three years, and in October 2009, Lavigne filed for divorce. Whibley and Lavigne continued to work together, with Whibley producing her fourth album, as well as Lavigne's single, "Alice", written for Tim Burton's film Alice in Wonderland.
TV European music awards and many more.
Avril Ramona Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario. Her father, Jean-Claude Lavigne, named her "Avril" after the French word for the month of April. At the age of two, she began singing church songs with her mother,[1] Judith-Rosanne "Judy" (née Loshaw). Judy recognized her two-year-old daughter's talents after hearing her sing "Jesus Loves Me" in church.[2] Lavigne has an older brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Michelle,[3] both of whom teased her when she sang. "My brother used to knock on the wall because I used to sing myself to sleep and he thought it was really annoying."[2]
When Lavigne was five years old, the family moved to Napanee, Ontario,[1] a town with an approximate population of 5,000.[4][5][6] Although she struggled with paying attention in school, sometimes being kicked out of class for misbehaving, her parents supported her singing. Her father bought her a microphone, a drum kit, a keyboard, several guitars, and converted their basement into a studio. When Lavigne was 14, her parents would take her to karaoke sessions.[7] Lavigne also performed at country fairs, singing songs by Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, and Shania Twain. She also began writing her own songs. Her first song was called "Can't Stop Thinking About You", about a teenage crush, which she described as "cheesy cute".[8]
In 1999,[9] Lavigne won a radio contest to perform with fellow Canadian singer Shania Twain at the Corel Centre (now Scotiabank Place) in Ottawa, before an audience of 20,000 people.[1][4] Twain and Lavigne sang "What Made You Say That",[1] and Lavigne told Twain she was going to be "a famous singer".[4] During a performance with the Lennox Community Theatre, Lavigne was spotted by local folksinger Stephen Medd. He invited her to contribute vocals on his song, "Touch the Sky", for his 1999 album, Quinte Spirit. She later sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for his follow-up album, My Window to You, in 2000. In December 1999, Lavigne was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston, Ontario.[1][4] Fabri sent out VHS tapes of Lavigne's home performances to several industry prospects, and Lavigne was visited by several executives.[10] Mark Jowett, co-founder of the Canadian management firm Nettwerk, received a copy of Lavigne's karaoke performances recorded in her parents' basement.[11] Jowett arranged for Lavigne to work with Peter Zizzo during the summer of 2000 in New York, where she wrote the song "Why?". Lavigne was noticed by Arista Records on a subsequent trip to New York.[10]
Lavigne would go on to sell more than 30 million copies of her albums worldwide,[12] becoming one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA.[13] In 2009, Billboard named Lavigne the No. 10 pop artist in the "Best of the 2000s" chart.[14] She was listed as the 28th overall best act of the decade based on album and single chart performance in the U.S.[15]
In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart and features the Billboard Hot 100 hit single "Pon de Replay." Less than a year later, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me (2006), which peaked within the top five of the Billboard albums chart, and produced her first Hot 100 number one single, "SOS". Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), spawned four chart-topping singles "Umbrella", "Take a Bow", "Disturbia" and "Don't Stop the Music", and was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella," which features Jay-Z. Her fourth studio album Rated R, released in November 2009, produced the top 10 singles "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy", which achieved the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Loud (2010), her fifth studio album, contains the number-one hits "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?" and "S&M".[3][4] "We Found Love" was released in September 2011 as the lead single from her sixth studio album and has topped the charts in over ten countries. Talk That Talk, Rihanna's sixth album, was released in November 2011.
Rihanna has sold more than 20 million albums and 60 million singles[5] which makes her one of the best selling artists of all time. She is the youngest artist in Billboard charts history to achieve eleven number-one singles on the Hot 100.[6] As of March 2010, Rihanna has sold approximately 7.3 million album units and over 33.7 million digital singles in the United States.[7][8]Billb
Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados, to Monica Braithwaite, a retired accountant, and Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor for a garment factory.[13] Her mother, a native of Guyana, is Afro-Guyanese, and her father is of Barbadian and Irish descent.[14] The eldest of three siblings, she has two brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty.[15] She also has two half-sisters and a half-brother from her father's side, each born by different mothers before Rihanna's father married her mother.[16][17] She grew up listening to reggae music,[18] and began singing at around the age of seven.[15] Her childhood was deeply affected by her father's addiction to crack cocaine, alcohol, and marijuana,[19] and her parents' rocky marriage ended when she was 14, although he remained a part of her life.[13] During her parents' marriage, she suffered from excruciating headaches leading doctors to think she had a brain tumor and underwent several CAT scans from the age of eight until her parents separated.[20] She grew up in a modest three-bed bungalow in Bridgetown and would sell clothes with her dad on a street stall.[21] She attended Charles F. Broome Memorial School, a primary school in Barbados, and then the Combermere School, where she formed a musical trio with two of her classmates.[15] She was an army cadet in a sub-military programme that trained with the military of Barbados and Shontelle was her drill sergeant.[22] Although she initially wanted to graduate from high school, she chose to pursue her musical career instead.[23]
In December 2003, Rihanna met American music producer Evan Rogers through a mutual friend who knew Rogers' wife.[24] When Rogers and his Bajan-born wife were in Barbados for the holidays, Rihanna and her two bandmates auditioned for him in his hotel room,[25] who said that "the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist." While auditioning for Rogers, she sang Destiny's Child's cover of "Emotion".[15] Impressed, Rogers set up a second meeting, and, with her mom present, invited her to do some recording and write with him and Carl Sturken at their studio in New York.[26] Shortly after turning 16, she won the Miss Combermere school beauty pageant, as well as her high school talent show with a performance of Mariah Carey's "Hero".[27] Over the next year, Rihanna and her mom shuttled back and forth to Rogers' home in Stamford, Connecticut. With the help of Sturken, she recorded a four-song demo,[28] which included the ballad "Last Time", a cover of Whitney Houston's "For the Love of You",[15] and what would become her first hit, "Pon de Replay". It took a year to record the demos, as Rihanna was still going to school and therefore would only record during her summer and Christmas school breaks.[15]
In January 2005, Rogers began shopping Rihanna's four-song demo to various recording companies.[15] A copy of the demo was sent to Def Jam Recordings, where Jay Brown, an A&R executive, overheard it and played it for the label's then-president, Jay-Z.[29] When he heard "Pon de Replay", Jay-Z was skeptical about Rihanna at first because he felt that the song was too big for her, stating that "when a song is that big, it's hard [for a new artist] to come back from. I don't sign songs, I sign artists".[29] Def Jam was the first label to respond and invited her to audition where she sang "For the Love of You" for Jay-Z and L.A. Reid of Island Def Jam Music Group.[27] She was signed the same day and canceled a set of meetings with other labels.[28] After signing with Def Jam in February 2005, she relocated to the United States and moved in with Rogers and his wife. Although she still thinks of herself as Robyn, she chose her middle name as her stage name because, to her, the name Rihanna is just a stage that started in a recording studio in 2005.[30]
A month after the release of her debut album, she began working on her second studio album.[39] The album contained production from record producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken who produced most of her debut album, Stargate, J. R. Rotem and label-mate singer-songwriter Ne-Yo.[40] While recording the album, Rihanna served as an opening act for Gwen Stefani to promote her debut album.[41] The lead single, "SOS", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first number-one in the United States.[32]A Girl Like Me was released in April 2006,[42] less than eight months after her debut. The album reached number five on the Billboard 200[34] selling 115,000 copies in its first week and has been certified platinum by the RIAA, having shipped over one million units.[35][43] Internationally, the album peaked at number one on the Top Canadian Albums, five on the UK Albums Chart and number five on the Irish Album Chart. The critical response to the album was mixed; Rolling Stone magazine commented "Like her filler-packed debut album, this similar but superior follow-up doesn't deliver anything else as ingenious as its lead single."[44] Critics described the album as a record that almost identically alternates between the sunny dancehall/dub-pop, hip-hop-infused club bangers and gushy, adult-oriented ballads.[45]
The second single, "Unfaithful", became a major worldwide hit, reaching the top ten in dozen countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as topping the charts in Canada, France and Switzerland. The albums third single, "We Ride"[46] failed to reprise the success of the lead single but the fourth single, "Break It Off" featuring Sean Paul, jumped from number fifty-two to number ten eventually peaking at number nine.[47][48] After the release of the album, Rihanna embarked on her first headlining tour, the Rihanna: Live in Concert Tour. She then embarked on the Rock The Block Tour and then toured with Pussycat Dolls from November 2006 to February 2007 in the United Kingdom.[49] Rihanna also made her acting debut in a cameo role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On: All or Nothing, which was released on August 8, 2006.[50]
Alexis Jordan (born April 7, 1992)[1] is an American recording artist and actress from Columbia, South Carolina. Jordan rose to fame as a contestant on the first season of America's Got Talent in 2006. After being eliminated from the show, she began to upload cover songs to YouTube, which received millions of views. The exposure led Jordan to the attention of Norwegian production team Stargate and American rapper Jay-Z, who both went on to sign her to their label, StarRoc/Roc Nation.[2] Her debut single, "Happiness", was released in September 2010, and reac
Jordan was born in Columbia, South Carolina to a mother of African American, Native American and European descent and a Puerto Rican father.[1] Jordan began writing songs while she was in third grade.[1] At the age of eleven, she moved with her parents and three younger siblings to Santa Clarita, California to pursue a career in the arts.[1] At the age of twelve, Jordan served as an opening act for Smokey Robinson at a Stevie Wonder tribute concert.[1]
In 2006, Jordan auditioned for the first season of America's Got Talent.[2] She sang Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" at her audition and made it through to next round, only to be eliminated in the semi-finals. After being eliminated from the show, Jordan and her family moved to Atlanta to be closer to the music industry.[2] While there, she began to upload cover songs on YouTube while submitting demos. By 2008, Jordan's YouTube page was racking up millions of views. The exposure led Jordan to the attention of production team Stargate who called her to fly over to New York and record a few songs with them.[7] While in the studio, rapper Jay-Z walked in,[7] which ultimately resulted in Jordan becoming the first artist signed to the new, Sony Music-affiliated label, StarRoc/Roc Nation – a joint venture between Stargate and Jay-Z's Roc Nation label.[8]
Jordan's debut single "Happiness" was released in September 2010. In the United States, the song reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Songs, becoming Jordan's first number-one single on that chart.[9] It also reached number one in Norway[3] and the Netherlands,[10] and peaked at number three in Australia and the United Kingdom.[4][11] In Australia, "Happiness" was certified triple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), for shipments of 210,000 copies.[12] "Good Girl" was released as Jordan's second single in February 2011. The song debuted at number six on the UK Singles Chart, giving Jordan her second top-ten hit in the United Kingdom.[5] It also reached number fifteen in Ireland,[13] and became her second chart-topper on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart in April.[14] Her self-titled debut album was released on February 25, 2011.[6] It debuted on the UK Albums Chart at number nine,[5] and on the Australian Albums Chart at number eleven.[4]
"Hush Hush" was released as the album's third single on May 8, 2011.[15] Jordan served as a support act on English group JLS' tour in the United Kingdom, which commenced in June 2011 and ended in July.[16] She also appeared at T4 on the Beach in the UK and performed "Hush Hush" and "Good Girl".[17] Jordan featured on Sean Paul's single "Got 2 Luv U", which reached number one in Switzerland and Bulgaria.[18]
Jordan made a cameo appearance in the film Honey 2, directed by music video director Billie Woodruff, which starred Katerina Graham, Randy Wayne, Melissa Molinaro, Audrina Patridge, Lonette McKee, Seychelle Gabriel.
hed number one in Norway[3] and the Netherlands
With all of the stars that fill our sky, there are very few that shine as bright as Star Roc/Roc Nation's newest signee, Alexis Jordan. With flowing red hair, just as vibrant as her personality, 18 year-old Alexis possesses an emotive, awe-inspiring voice that is packed with a power strong enough to brighten our entire world. "I only sing songs that are from my heart," says the singer/songwriter compassionate young woman whose music promotes positivity and self-respect. "Because if I can't feel it, it's not going to come out right" she adds.
"The moment Alexis walked into our studio we just got that special feeling," says Tor of the hit-making production team, Stargate. "It was a Blink-moment, ‘This girl's got it, let's make a record'." We didn't know the depths of Alexis at the time, but as we were making the record it became clear to us that not only is she a world class singer, but she is a smart, confident, all-around entertainer with a big future. Added Mikel of Stargate, "Alexis picks records, goes through lyrics, analyzes her every performance. We feel like we found a diamond in the rough. Only it's not so rough anymore!"
Born in Columbia, South Carolina, Alexis embodies the new spirit of America with her rich cultural background that includes her father's Puerto Rican heritage and her mother's African American, Native American and European ancestry. Singing since she began to speak and songwriting since she was in 3rd grade, at age 11, Alexis moved with her parents and three younger siblings to Santa Clarita, California to pursue a career in the arts. After performing the National Anthem for the United States Air Force Academy, the extremely talented, young singing phenomenon started to attract a ton of attention. Soon, she was asked to sing at the start of various professional baseball games, which quickly gave way to bigger and better opportunities.When I was 12, I opened up for Smokey Robinson at a Stevie Wonder tribute," remembers Alexis. "I sang ‘Ribbon In The Sky' and Stevie was backstage like, ‘You didn't think I heard you singing my song did you?' I didn't know how big of a legend he was but looking back on it now, I can't believe that I did that! It was such a great experience."
While she continued to sing at high profile events around the country, Alexis spent the next few years in school, working as a professional actor, appearing on soap operas and commercials. At age 14, she entered the Simon Cowell produced T.V. competition, America's Got Talent and made it all the way to the semi-finals thanks in part to a thrilling performance of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing."
"When I got off stage after singing ‘I Have Nothing' Simon said, ‘You are an amazing singer,'" says Alexis. "At the time I was crying, like oh my gosh, Simon Cowell! It's a little girl's dream to be singing for him so I was just so overwhelmed."
With sharpened performance skills and more confidence than ever, the family travelled to Atlanta, Georgia for its burgeoning music scene and hotbed of talented producers. Alexis began making YouTube videos in between professional appearances. Although it would be these same online clips that would eventually land her the recording deal she wanted, Alexis was never crazy about the idea of singing in front of a computer. "I was like, Mom, this is so not cool!" remembers Alexis. "Kids don't sing in front of cameras, it's weird. It didn't feel natural at all! But after I did it for a little while I thought it was fun."
In September of 2008, her Youtube page was racking up millions of views. At that time, the multi-platinum, award-winning production and writing team, Stargate, contacted Alexis. The hit makers responsible for # 1 hits such as Rihanna's "Take A Bow" and Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent," who entered into a partnership with Roc Nation forming Star Roc, made arrangements to fly the multi-talented singer out to New York for a meeting and recording session. "I thought if they didn't love me then they wouldn't fly me all the way out to New York," says Alexis. "I knew I had a good chance. Once I got out there we recorded a few songs and JAY-Z came to the studio. I was so excited! And the next thing I knew I was signed to StarRoc/Roc Nation."
Now that Alexis has had the chance to work with some of the industry's most sought after hit makers, she is getting ready to release her debut album which is a universal collection of songs that not only displays her tremendous voice, but also conveys the constructive message she feels is missing in mainstream music today.
On the LP's first single "Happiness," Alexis belts out a beautiful song about self-joy and empowerment over Stargate's up-tempo track that will have listeners immediately singing along. "Good Girl" showcases Alexis' sassy side as she sings, "I can be a good girl, but I've been bad before," in between the upbeat, bouncing track where she flexes her wide ranging and powerful vocal capability. Then on "How You Like Me Now," Alexis struts her stuff and let's us know that success is always within her reach and that she is better than ever.
"I want to be really positive, no cussing, none of that," says Alexis. "I'm a young artist and I want to be a role model. A lot of songs are upbeat, and some are ballads. There's a little bit of that country vibe in it, and a little bit of that reggae vibe. My album really has everything."
With a debut as diverse as her own background, Alexis Jordan will not only impress each and every person who listens to her album, but she also hopes to inspire them as well.
"I'm bringing something fresh, something new and something positive to the world," she says. "Something that is going to leave a mark on history and music. We are going to make this international. That's my goal, it's going to spread all around the world."
Nicole Prescovia Elikolani Valiente Scherzinger[1][2] (born June 29, 1978) is an American entertainer who is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls. Previously, Scherzinger was a backing vocalist for the late-1990s rock group Days of the New, then she was part of reality TV girl group Eden's Crush. After the disbandment of the group, she joined the Pussycat Dolls and became the group's lead vocalist during their transition into a career in music. With the Pussycat Dolls, she released two albums PCD and Doll Domination and embarked on several concert tours.[3] After leaving the group in December 2010, Scherzinger began a solo career with the release of her debut studio album Killer Love. The album's second single, "Don't Hold Your Breath" peaked at number one on the UK Singles Chart, in turn marking her first number one hit as a solo artist.[4]
Scherzinger became the winner of the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars in early 2010, and was hailed by judge Carrie Ann Inaba, "by far the best dancer we've ever had on the show." She will judge the American version of The X Factor which will air in fall 2011.
Nicole Scherzinger was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in a staunchly Catholic family.[5][6] Her father, Alfonso Valiente, is Filipino, and her mother, Rosemary, is a mix of Hawaiian and Russian descent.[7][8][9][10][11] Her mother was eighteen at the time of Scherzinger's birth and lived in an inner city neighborhood.[12]
Nicole's parents separated when she was still a baby. When she was six years old, her maternal family moved to Louisville, Kentucky,[13] with her sister Keala and her German American stepfather Gary Scherzinger.[13]
She first attended Meyzeek Middle School as an adolescent. Growing up, Scherzinger states that she did not have a lot of money and the singer thanks her mother for all the support she gave her to become what she is today. Scherzinger began performing in Louisville, attending the Youth Performing Arts School at duPont Manual High School and performing with Actors Theatre of Louisville.[13] As a teenager, Scherzinger was the first runner-up at the 1996 Kentucky State Fair's Coca-Cola Talent Classic contest.[13] Scherzinger majored in acting and musical theatre at Wright State University, where she played Velma Kelly in Chicago and Julie La Verne in Show Boat[14] but put her studies on hold in 1999 to sing backing vocals for the rock band Days of the New.[15]
In 2001, Scherzinger competed in the premiere season of The WB's television show Popstars, on which she earned a spot in the all-girl pop group Eden's Crush along side the other four chosen members Ivette Sosa, Maile Misajon, Ana Maria Lombo and Rosanna Tavarez . She became one of the main vocalists for the group. Their 2001 US single "Get Over Yourself (Goodbye)" peaked at number one in sales and hit the top ten on Billboard Hot 100.
They toured in support of both *NSync and Jessica Simpson.[16] Scherzinger was approached to be the fourth member of The Black Eyed Peas, but was forced to decline because she was a member of Eden's Crush and was under contract, the position was given to Fergie. Later however, Eden's Crush' record company, London-Sire Records, folded and the group eventually disbanded.[17] In November 2007, Scherzinger spoke of her time in Eden's Crush:
It was hell... I was in a band with five other girls and every day was torture for me. We were on TV all the time and the atmosphere was awful... Every day I was in that band I cried my eyes out. The band was meant to be fun and frivolous but the reality was that it was miserable... I was too sensitive back then, but I got toughened up. I couldn't have gone into the Dolls without my experience in Crush.[12]
After the disbanding of Eden's Crush, Scherzinger made a few promotional solo appearances under the stage name of Nicole Kea, including covering "Breakfast in Bed" for the soundtrack to 50 First Dates in 2003.[18] Scherzinger later worked with Yoshiki of Japanese rock band X Japan on his Violet UK project. She sang the English version of "I'll Be Your Love" live with the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra. The track also appeared on the 2003 Various Artists album Exposition of Global Harmony.
In May 2003, Scherzinger joined the Pussycat Dolls burlesque troupe, who were being re-cast as recording artists. She had first seen them performing on The Late Show with David Letterman in November 2002, where Carmen Electra sang "Big Spender" from the Bob Fosse musical Sweet Charity. In 2006, Scherzinger said "It caught my eye because I’d played Velma Kelly in [Fosse's] Chicago in college."[14] In one interview she spoke of her role with the Pussycat dolls stating that it was a "challenge fronting the group" but that "every girl has something different to bring and add to the success".[19]
The success of PCD brought Scherzinger into the media spotlight and she went on to record a series of duets/guest vocals with a wide array of male vocalists. In 2005, she appeared on recordings by Shaggy, Vittorio Grigolo and Will Smith. In 2006 she sang co-lead vocals with Avant on his single "Lie About Us", and Diddy's hit "Come to Me" (which she also co-wrote). Other appearances are listed in discography. In the biography section of her official website she says that everyone recognises her from the Pussycat Dolls's debut single "Dont Cha" which although amazing does not fulfill her musical desires. When asked what she intended to achieve with her solo career she commented "Some people only have their glasses half full, but there was never a limit to mine."[20] The purpose of the album was to appeal to younger audiences, show them "the heart of Nicole" and show that she is "not always strong and
From 2006 until late 2008 Scherzinger had been working on her debut album which was titled Her Name Is Nicole. She recorded/wrote about 75–100 songs for the album which was supposed to be released in 2007 before being pushed to October 16, 2008 and later into 2009 before being shelved.[21][22] She told MTV "I've always said that in the Pussycat Dolls, I kind of feel like Superwoman. But that's just one of my alter egos. I've got the vulnerable, lovesick side of me amongst others which all appear on my record."[23] The album saw Scherzinger work with a wide roster of producers and song writers some of whom had worked with Scherzinger for albums with the Pussycat Dolls. Sean Garrett and Polow da Don worked on "Whatever U Like" (featuring T.I.) which was released as the album's lead single[24] on July 24, 2007 but deemed unsuccessful reaching just 57 in Canada. "Baby Love" was the second single released on September 10, 2007. Although well received and compared to the Pussycat Dolls' song "Stickwitu"[24] the track did not chart well in the United States. Internationally the single fared well reaching Top 15 in most countries including the UK, and mainland Europe. It was remixed to be included on Doll Domination as a bonus track. The third single "Supervillain" was described as having a "danceable jam with a catchy chorus" and featured a reggae–dancehall interlude. Written by Rock City and produced by Mad Scientist it was only released to US iTunes in November 2007. The song's synthy melodies and disco-motown feel with Scherzinger's 5-octave range were not enough to chart in the US.[20] Fourth single "Puakenikeni" (a type of flower in Hawaii) also released to iTunes in November was produced by Akon to as a tribute to Scherzinger's heritage[20] but failed to chart.
Other songs included the critically acclaimed "Just Say Yes", written by Gary Lightbody (of Snow Patrol) which was a soft and slow song with its pulsing, electronic beat.[24] She told MTV of her excitement to record the song previously rejected by Gwen Stefani. "I'm such a huge fan of Snow Patrol's music, I felt like I was supposed to make it my own. "It's a very honest and truthful song."[23]Ne-Yo gave Scherzinger two songs, "Happily Never After" a slow ballad of which Scherzinger said she felt it "important for young girls to have an empowering message that they deserve better".[20] Interestingly the song was originally written for Britney Spears to record for her album Blackout in 2007.[19] The other song has a tear jerking ballad called "Save Me from Myself" for which Scherzinger helped Ne-Yo in developing the hook before recording the song.[20] When commenting on another song "March" Scherzinger said she wanted a powerful record. "It's about never giving up on your dreams and it’s about what I went through to get where I am today."[19]Timbaland produced and featured on the song "Physical"[20] on which his trademark vocals can be heard over the upbeat melody and thumping baseline.[24] Part of the song was used in the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. The album sessions also produced a number of other songs including "When Your Falling" (also co-written by Akon)[20] "Power's Out" a riveting duet with English singer Sting (featured in Revlon adverts with Jessica Alba)[20] and "I M.I.S.S You" written by Pharrell Williams & produced by The Neptunes.[24]
In August 2007 Scherzinger was a guest mentor for judge Sharon Osbourne on the fourth series of the X Factor in the uk for the judges homes section of the compettion.
Doubt was cast over the future of the album when the Pussycat Dolls released their second album Doll Domination which featured some of the songs which had initially been recorded for Scherzinger's own album. "Happily Never After" and "Who's Gonna Love You" were placed on the album with no changes whilst additional backing vocals were added to "When I Grow Up" before it was released as the album's lead single.[25] In 2010 during an interview with X magazine she also revealed that "I Hate This Part", a song which became a top-ten hit in Europe for the Pussycat Dolls, was also intended for her own solo album.[26] Christopher "Tricky Stewart" and The-Dream were also working with Scherzinger and produced, wrote and recorded at least two songs for the album. Both of the known recordings, "Punch You In Your Sleep" and "I'm a Cheat" were re-allocated to The-Dream's ex-wife Christina Milian who has recorded them for her fourth studio album Elope due in 2010.[27] Furthermore it was revealed that Keri Hilson (a writer who has been heavily involved in writing for the Pussycat Dolls) had written a song called "Alienated" for Scherzinger, however when the album was delayed and shelved Hilson reclaimed the song and instead recorded the song with producer Cory Bold for her own debut studio album In a Perfect World…[28] Reviews later went on to give the song critical acclaim for its "electro-blips and whispery raps that are alluring."[29][30] In September 2009 it was confirmed that the teary ballad, "Just Say Yes" was reclaimed by Gary Lightbody who has since re-tooled and reworked the song.[31] It was released as the lead single from his band, Snow Patrol's compilation album Up to Now, on November 2, 2009.[32] Addressing the delayed release of her solo album, in September 2008 Scherzinger said, "Despite what other people might write, it was my decision, ultimately. I actually put some of my solo songs on the Pussycat Dolls' new album Doll Domination. Everything is all about timing. I believe it will come out next year, and it will be able to coexist wonderfully with the Dolls' album. It's completely separate from what you've heard with "Baby Love" and "Whatever U Like," and I'm still working on it — that's what happens when you're a perfectionist."[33] She was interviewed by Billboard magazine in April 2009 regarding her own career plans as well as what The Dolls were up to. She said "the current incarnation of the album is just in talks and in the writing process. I haven't started recording yet." She plans to enter the studio again after the Pussycat Dolls have finished their World Domination Tour. Speaking about the project Scherzinger said she will be working again with Will.i.am, Timbaland as well as with new associates Lady Gaga and A.R. Rahman.[34] In April 2008, Scherzinger recorded a cover version of "Rio" by Duran Duran for an advertising campaign for Unilever's Caress brand of body wash. A commercial video was released, and the single was released via download only, after May 2008.[35] In 2008, in support of Barack Obama, she was one of many musicians to contribute to a track by will.i.am called "Yes We Can".[36] Also on September 5, 2008, Scherzinger joined an all-star cast to perform the charity song "Just Stand Up" on live TV.[37] The Pussycat Dolls returned to the Music scene on May 27, 2008 with the new single "When I Grow Up" which reached number nine on the U.S. Hot 100 and number one on the BillboardHot Dance Club Play. The song topped several European charts and became a worldwide top ten hit. The follow-up single "Whatcha Think About That" with Missy Elliott failed to enter the U.S. charts but managed to reach top 20 in several other countries including the UK with a limited release.
After a slight delay and with two singles released the album, Doll Domination was finally released as a standard and deluxe edition. The latter featured a disc with a solo song by each of the girls. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, with 79,000 copies sold in its first week beating their debut album by one chart position but selling 20,000 less copies. It only spent seven weeks in the top 100, compared with their debut album which sat in the top 100 for nearly one year. In January 2009 it re-entered the top 100 following several more
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Let Go made Lavigne the youngest female soloist to reach No. 1 in the UK, and the album was certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. By 2009, over 18 million copies had been sold worldwide. Her breakthrough single, "Complicated", peaked at No. 1 in many countries around the world, as did the album Let Go. Her second album, Under My Skin, was released in 2004 and was her first album to peak at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, eventually selling more than 10 million copies worldwide. The Best Damn Thing, Lavigne’s third album, was released in 2007, becoming her third No. 1 album in the UK Albums Chart and featuring her first U.S. Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, "Girlfriend". Lavigne has scored five number-one singles worldwide, including "Complicated", "Sk8er Boi", "I'm with You", "My Happy Ending" and "Girlfriend". With more than 30 million copies of her albums sold worldwide, Lavigne is one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the U.S., with over 10.25 million copies certified by the RIAA. Her fourth studio album, Goodbye Lullaby, was released in March 2011. Goodbye Lullaby gave Lavigne her fourth top 10 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart and her third No. 1 album in both Japan and Australia. Three months after the release of Goodbye Lullaby, Lavigne began work on her fifth album which will be released on Epic Records following her departure from RCA Records.
annoying."[2]
annoying."[2]
e Spirit. She later sang on "Temple of Life" and "Two Rivers" for his follow-up album, My Window to You, in 2000. In December 1999, Lavigne was discovered by her first professional manager, Cliff Fabri, while singing country covers at a Chapters bookstore in Kingston, Ontario.[1][4] Fabri sent out VHS tapes of Lavigne's home performances to several industry prospects, and Lavigne was visited by several executives.[10] Mark Jowett, co-founder of the Canadian management firm Nettwerk, received a copy of Lavigne's karaoke performances recorded in her parents' basement.[11] Jowett arranged for Lavigne to work with Peter Zizzo during the summer of 2000 in New York, where she wrote the song "Why?". Lavigne was noticed by Arista Records on a subsequent trip to New York.[10]
"
on the Billboard 200
!" remembers Alexis. "Kids don't sing in front of cameras, it's weird. It didn't feel natural at all! But after I did it for a little while I thought it was fun."
harity
powering message that they deserve better".
e song.