Wednesday, 27 July 2011

the saturdays

The Saturdays is a British/Irish girl group formed in 2007. The band consists of five members: Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White, Una Healy, Mollie King and Rochelle Wiseman. They made their recording début in 2008 for the record label Fascination Records, a sub-division of Polydor Records. Their first debut single "If This is Love" stayed in the charts for seventeen weeks. To-date the band have released three albums which have charted in the UK Top 10 Albums Chart and scored nine UK Top Ten singles, with only ten singles released. As of July 2011, the band has sold roughly over 3 million records in the UK alone.[1]
Their debut album, Chasing Lights, produced 4 top ten singles on the UK Singles Chart.[2] The band embarked on their first headlining UK tour, The Work Tour, in June 2009, and started work on their second album during this tour.[3] The band released the number-two single "Forever Is Over" in October 2009 from their second album, Wordshaker.[2][4] The album peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart and produced another top ten single, "Ego".[2] The Saturdays released their first Extended Play or "mini album", titled Headlines!, on 16 August 2010.[5] "Missing You" is the album's first single, and "Higher" is the second. Soon after release, the band announced an accompanying tour, The Headlines Tour.[6] The Saturdays confirmed that they would go on tour again, in December 2011.[7] It was confirmed that their single from their third upcoming studio album would be released on 22 May 2011, titled "Notorious"[8] The single was written by Steve Mac and Ina Wroldsen.[9] The band are due to go on their third headlining tour, however they will tour arena's instead of theaters during the All Fired Up Tour. Following their untitled fourth album, which
The Saturdays were signed to Fascination Records, a sub-label of Polydor Records. Their first studio album, Chasing Lights, was recorded during May and June 2008 with input from multiple producers and song writers, including Alex James, Ina Wroldsen and Alex Cartana. The group supported Girls Aloud on their Tangled Up Tour before the release of their first single, "If This Is Love". The single was released on 2 July 2008 and peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart,[2] the track featured a sample of Yazoo's 1982 single, "Situation. The second single, "Up", was released in October 2008 and peaked at number 5. The single was produced by Quiz & Larossi. "Up" was described as an upbeat bubblegum pop, dance-pop and electropop song.[10][11][12] Its style has also been described as "electro-tinged" and "robotic disco-pop".[12][13] The song has a fun and anthemic feel to it.[10][13] It is 4 minutes and 4 seconds in length.[14] The track also contains prominent siren sound effects which have been likened to the sound of Mis-Teeq's 2003 song "Scandalous".[11] The backing is synthesised on one note throughout the whole song.[15] Written in the key of A minor the beat of the song is set in 6/8 and progresses at an uptempo 126 beats per minute.[16][17] The chorus follows an Am–F–Dm–E chord progression. Also in October, the album Chasing Lights was released. It peaked at number 9 on the UK Albums Chart.[2] In early 2009 the album was certified Platinum by the BBI.[18] The third single, "Issues", was released in January 2009 and reached number 4,[2] which also gained a certificate of Silver by the BBI.[18] Early in the band's career, Frankie Sandford stated in an interview with Mail Online, "'We aren't models who can't sing. We all sing and we all dance. No one's telling us what to do. We're all different because we're just ourselves - and that's the way it should be."[19]
As well as supporting Girls Aloud, The Saturdays also supported the Jonas Brothers at their Hammersmith Apollo gig on 11 September.[20] They also played at Capital FM's Jingle Bell Ball at The O2 Arena in December.[21] On 5 November they performed at Perez Hilton's One Night In Liverpool, and played at Cardiff's Gay Pride event.[22] On the Christmas 2008 special of British Nickelodeon show Ross Lee's Ghoulies, The Saturdays made a special appearance.[23] They also guest starred in Hollyoaks Later in September 2008 and on a 10-minute BBC show, Myths. Early in 2009, the group presented a "Debut Singles" chart show for 4Music. In March, the group released their fourth single, a cover of the Depeche Mode song "Just Can't Get Enough" as one of the official Comic Relief 2009 singles. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and was the group's third consecutive top twenty hit in Ireland, reaching number six, the group's first top ten appearance in a foreign music market.[24] The single later achieved a Silver certificate by the BBI.[18] The song has also become a cult anthem for Celtic Football Club.[25]
The group announced that they would be doing their own tour in 2009 – The Work Tour, the tour had twenty-seven dates. The group's support acts for the tour were Mini Viva, Pixie Lott, Vagabond and Jessie Malakouti.[26] The name The Work Tour came across after the band released a fifth and final single from the first studio album, Chasing Lights, which was the single "Work", the single later peaked at number 22 in the UK and number 21 in Ireland.[2] Also McFly's Dougie Poynter, Frankie Sandford's boyfriend played bass guitar during "Just Can't Get Enough".[27][28][29] Vanessa White tripped on some wires back stage and had a foot injury, she remained seated on stage for some shows.[30] On the last night of the tour at Manchester Apollo, Michael Jackson's memorial service was on backstage and the band was watching it, so they played a tribute song, singing, sing-a-long of The Jacksons' "Blame It on the Boogie".is due for release in November 2011The group began work on their second studio album in early March 2009, whilst the group performing their first headlining tour, The Work Tour. While on the tour, two songs during their recording sessions; "One Shot" and the album title track, "Wordshaker" were part of the setlist which would appear on the album.[31] The official cover was revealed in a special mailer to fans on the group's official form/website on 23 September 2009.[32] It was revealed that Ina Wroldsen had a huge part in the album, co-writting seven of the songs which would appear on the album.[33] A track titled "Deeper" credited all the band members as the songwriters during the album notes. The album's lead single from the album was titled "Forever Is Over", which gained positive reviews from critics, with OK! Magazine labelling the song as "An infectious synth pop tune".[34] Muumuse.com had the following to say: "Radio-friendly doesn't even begin to describe it - the chorus is simply massive
After the single was released on 4 October 2009, the album make is debut on the UK Singles Charts at number-two making the song one of the bands best peak positions. The song also debuted on the Irish Singles Charts at number nine. "Forever Is Over" was wrote by James Bourne; ex-Busted member, Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters, although it was originally written for American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson.[36] The single was also wanted by American pop rock artist, Pink.[37] The news section on the group's official website indicated that through September and October 2009, the girls can be seen on many TV shows as they promote the album.[38] Upon the release of Wordshaker, the album generated generally favorable reviews amongst critics upon its release. Allmusic's Matthew Chisling awarded the album three out of five stars, praising the girls and the album for "combining aggressive basslines and vocals that are a pinch of prowess". Chisling's praised tracks like "Open Up," "Lose Control," and "Not Good Enough" for their "catchiness [that] can't be denied". However he criticized "Forever Is Over" and "One Shot" for being "unoriginal" and for being "too Americanized".[39] David Balls of Digital Spy said that "If anything, the girls are showing even more confidence this time around", Praising 'One Shot' and 'Wordshaker' for both combining "grinding basslines with lethal pop hooks". However he was less impressed with the ballads criticizing and calling them a "curse" on the album. As a whole he called the album "fresh-sounding" and that it "should take the group one step closer to household names". He went on to give the album three out of five stars.[40] Michael Cragg from musicOMH called the album as a whole an "enjoyable blast of well-crafted pop" with "throbbing synths" that's "joyful". The only critique Michael had was that "The Saturdays have yet to master - the ballad" stating they "bludgeon most of the slower songs to death." but when they stick to having fun its very "enjoyable". Michael went on to give the album three out of five stars.[41]
The CD single of "Forever Is Over" was released with a b-side, titled "I Can't Wait", which was written by the band themselves with Hannah Robinson and later produced by producers Ben Macklin, Julian Peakeand Richard Stannard.[42] In 2008 and 2009, the Saturdays appeared in adverts for several products including a brand of deodorant, tampons,[43] mobile phones, an operating system, and hair removal products.[44] In December 2009, they performed a gig at the HMV Forum in London, which was later shown on Channel 4.[45]The second and final single to be released from Wordshaker was confirmed as "Ego". The single was wrote by Steve Mac and Ina Wroldsen who has wrote the majority of the bands songs, the song was also produced by Mac. The band appeared on Dancing on Ice to promote the single, they also made an appearance on GMTV, Blue Peter and Alan Carr: Chatty Man. The single was accompanied by a music video which was released in November 2009, and had a similar theme to The Watchmen which was set in 1985. The lead male in the video was Waz Ashayer, who appeared in Make Me a Supermodel.[46] After the promotion of the single the charted at number-nine on the UK Singles Charts and number-ten on the Irish Singles Chart. Although the single became one of the lowest charting, it became one of their best selling singles, with the single gaining a Silver certification by the BBI.[18] The single is their second best selling second behind "Up", where "Up" holds sales of 311,000 and "Ego" holding 307,000

Sunday, 24 July 2011

shontelle

Shontelle Layne (born October 4, 1983), known professionally as Shontelle, is a Barbadian singer, and songwriter. She released her debut album Shontelligence in November 2008. Her second album, No Gravity, was released in September 201
Shontelle Layne was born on October 4, 1983, in Barbados to Raymond and Beverley Layne and is the oldest of three sisters.[2] Shontelle has stated that she was highly athletic when she was young, participating in track & field while excelling in school.[2] Shontelle's aunt, Kim Derrick, a Caribbean singer, encouraged her to pursue singing.[2] While in high school, Shontelle was a member of the Cadet Corps at Harrison College where she was a drill sergeant over Rihanna, which sprouted a friendship.[2]
Shontelle later became a student of entertainment law at the University of the West Indies campus in Barbados and was on her way to becoming a lawyer when Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers heard "Roll It Gal" on the radio, a song that Shontelle had co-written for Alison Hinds, a fellow Bajan artist.[2] This prompted the two to find her to create a cover version of the song, but later brought her to the US in late 2007 and signed her to SRC Records.[2] Later, Shontelle moved to America so she could fulfill her dream in being a singer and songwriter0.
Shontelle began work on her debut studio album in early 2008, and completed the album in six months.[2] The album's title was given to her by the album's engineer who used the word "shontelligence" as a joke after Shontelle and her producers were playing a game that involved making up words from her name.[3] "T-Shirt", Shontelle's debut single, was released in July 2008 and reached number thirty-six on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming a moderate hit. However, it reached the top ten in the United Kingdom, peaking at number six there.[3]
Shontelle's debut album, Shontelligence, was released on November 18, 2008. The album reached number 115 on the Billboard 200,[4] selling 6,200 records in its first week,[5] and reached number twenty-four on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[4] It was re-released on March 10, 2009, and has since sold 30,000 records in the US.[5]
The second single from the album, "Stuck with Each Other", featuring Akon, was released in February 2009 in the US and May 2009 in the UK. The single failed to chart in the US, but reached number twenty-three in the United Kingdom. Shontelle toured as a supporting act for the UK leg of the New Kids on the Block World Tour in January 2009. Shontelle was also Beyoncé Knowles' opening act for her I Am... Tour from May to June 2009 during the British leg.[6]
Shontelle was also the host of My Prom Style! and Universal Motown's 2009 Ultimate Prom fashion reality series. She performed at a high school prom in New York City in June 2009, but first she led three students in a competition to design the dress that singer Kat DeLuna, the headliner, wore at the Ultimate Prom concert.[
Shontelle's second album, No Gravity, was released in the US on September 21, 2010.[8] Shontelle stated that the album would be experimental and that she wanted to change her original sound for the record.[9] While the title 'No Gravity' symbolises a mantra, Shontelle states she has adapted to her life and to her career, to motivate herself to keep climbing higher and to have nothing hold her down or hold her back.[10] Shontelle collaborated with Bruno Mars, Tony Kanal and Darkchild among others for the record.[11] In the first week of release, No Gravity placed at number 81 on the Billboard 200, selling 7,000 copies.[citation needed]
The lead single from the album, "Impossible", was released in February 2010 for digital download, but failed to garner success until May 2010, when it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100. It has since become her most successful single to date, reaching number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100.[12] The second single from the album, "Perfect Nightmare", was released in August 2010. "Say Hello to Goodbye" was released to pop radio on March 15 as the third single.

Sunday, 17 July 2011

britney spears

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album ...Baby One More Time in 1999. During her first decade within the music industry, she became a prominent figure in mainstream popular music and popular culture, followed by a much-publicized personal life. Her first two albums established her as a pop icon and broke sales records, while title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" became international number-one hits. Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s.
In 2001, she released her third studio album Britney and expanded her  the starring role in the film Crossroads. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone released in 2003, which yielded chart-topping singles "Me Against the Music", "Toxic" and "Everytime". After the release of two compilation albums, Spears experienced personal struggles and her career went under hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released in 2007 and despite receiving little promotion, it spawned hits "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me". In 2008, her erratic behaviour and hospitalizations caused her to be placed in a conservatorship. The same year, her sixth studio album Circus was released, with the global chart-topping lead single "Womanizer". After embarking on The Circus Starring Britney Spears, she released greatest hits The Singles Collection, which featured U.S. and Canadian number-one single "3". In 2011, Spears returned with her seventh studio album, titled Femme Fatale, which was released on March 29, 2011, including the lead single "Hold It Against Me" which has become Spears' fourth U.S. number-one single.[1][2] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.[3] This made Spears the only female artist ever to have six number one debut albums, and have seven albums debut in the top two spots.
Spears has sold over 100 million records worldwide. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States, with 33 million certified albums.[4] Spears is also recognized as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall.[5] She was ranked the 8th Artist of the 2000s by Billboard.[6] In June 2010, Spears was ranked sixth on Forbes list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential celebrities in the world; she is also the third most mentioned musician on the internet, according to Forbes.[7]
Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981, the second child of Lynne Irene (née Bridges) and James Parnell Spears. She is of English heritage through her maternal grandmother, who was born in London, and of distant Maltese descent.[8][9] Her siblings are Bryan James and Jamie Lynn.[10] At age three, she started to attend dance lessons in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, and was selected to perform a solo at the annual recital. During her childhood, she also attended gymnastics and voice lessons, and won many state-level competitions and children's talent shows.[11][12][13]
Spears made her local stage debut at age five, singing "What Child Is This?" at her kindergarten graduation. She said about her ambition as a child, "I was in my own world, [...] I found out what I'm supposed to do at an early age".[12] At age eight, Spears and her mother Lynne traveled to Atlanta for an audition in the 1990s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club. Casting director Matt Cassella rejected her for being too young to join the series at the time, but introduced her to Nancy Carson, a New York City talent agent. Carson was impressed with Spears's vocals and suggested enrolling her at the Professional Performing Arts School; shortly after, Lynne and her daughters moved to a sublet apartment in New York.
Spears was hired for her first professional role as the understudy for the lead role of Tina Denmark in the Off-Broadway musical Ruthless!. She also appeared as a contestant on the popular television show Star Search, as well as being cast in a number of commercials.[14][15] In December 1992, she was finally cast in The Mickey Mouse Club, but returned to Kentwood after the show was cancelled. She enrolled at Parklane Academy in nearby McComb, Mississippi. Although she made friends with most of her classmates, she compared the school to "the opening scene in Clueless with all the cliques. [...] I was so bored. I was the point guard on the basketball team. I had my boyfriend, and I went to homecoming and Christmas formal. But I wanted more."[12][16]
In June 1997, Spears was in talks with manager Lou Pearlman to join female pop group Innosense. Lynne asked family friend and entertainment lawyer Larry Rudolph for his opinion and submitted a tape of Spears singing over a Whitney Houston karaoke song along with some pictures. Rudolph decided he wanted to pitch her to record labels, therefore she needed a professional demo. He sent Spears an unused song from Toni Braxton; she rehearsed for a week and recorded her vocals in a studio with a sound engineer. Spears travelled to New York with the demo and met with executives from four labels, returning to Kentwood the same day. Three of the labels rejected her, arguing audiences wanted pop bands such as the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls, and "there wasn't going to be another Madonna, another Debbie Gibson, or another Tiffany." Two weeks later, executives from Jive Records returned calls to Rudolph.[17]
Senior vice president of A&R Jeff Fenster stated about Spears's audition that "It's very rare to hear someone that age who can deliver emotional

Monday, 20 June 2011

selena gomez

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992)[1] is an American actress, singer, and entrepreneur, best known for portraying Alex Russo in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place. She subsequently ventured into feature films and has starred in the television movies Another Cinderella Story, Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, and Princess Protection Program. She made her starring theatrical film debut in Ramona and Beezus.
Her career has expanded into the music industry; Gomez is the lead singer and founder of the pop band Selena Gomez & the Scene, which has released two RIAA Gold certified studio albums, Kiss & Tell and A Year Without Rain.[2] As of April 2011, The band has sold 1,354,000 albums in the United States.[3] Gomez has also contributed to the soundtracks of Tinker Bell, Another Cinderella Story and Wizards of Waverly Place after signing a record deal with Hollywood Records. In 2008, Selena Gomez was designated a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.Gomez was born in Grand Prairie, Texas.[1] She is the daughter of former stage actress Mandy Teefey (née Cornett) and Ricardo Joel Gomez.[5][6][7] Her father is Mexican American and her mother is of half Italian descent.[8][9] Regarding her Hispanic heritage, Gomez said: "My family does have Quinceañeras, and we go to the communion church. We do everything that's Catholic, but we don't really have anything traditional except [that we] go to the park and have barbeques on Sundays after church."[10] Her birth parents divorced when she was five years old, and she was raised as an only child by her working mother.[5][11] In 2006, Mandy remarried Brian Teefey.[12] She is named after Tejano singer Selena.[13] In a 2009 interview with People, Gomez mentioned that she developed an early interest in acting from watching her mother prepare for and act in theater productions.[11] She earned a high school diplom
Gomez began her acting career at age seven, playing Gianna on Barney & Friends.[15] She later had minor roles in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and the TV film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial By Fire. Gomez also starred in the television movie Brain Zapped.
In 2004, Gomez was discovered by the Disney Channel in a nationwide scouting.[16] Gomez appeared as a guest star on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and had a guest appearance – that later turned into a recurring role – on Hannah Montana from season's two to three. Gomez previously taped two different pilots that were spin-offs to two previous Disney series.[17] The first one, What's Stevie Thinking?, was the spin-off to Lizzie McGuire. Gomez played Stevie Sanchez, Miranda Sanchez's little sister. The other show was titled Arwin!, the spin-off to The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, in which she played Alexa. Neither series was picked up.a through homeschooling in May 2010.[14][4]
In early 2007 Gomez was cast in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place as one of the three main characters, Alex Russo. The show premiered to an audience of 5.9 million, becoming a hit. Many news outlets began dubbing Gomez the next 'Miley Cyrus' causing some controversy and a reported 'feud'. Gomez clarified that there was no feud and that she was flattered by the comparison, saying: "It's a little overwhelming, but I think really, it's a compliment. She's obviously extremely successful, and I think she's a wonderful performer ... So being compared to her, I was very, very flattered."[18]
In 2008, Gomez appeared in Another Cinderella Story, the direct-to-DVD sequel to the 2004 Hilary Duff film, opposite Drew Seeley. She also had a minor voiceover role as one the Mayor's ninety-six daughters in Horton Hears a Who! which released in March of that year. In April, Lacey Rose, of Forbes ranked Gomez as being fifth on their "Eight Hot Kid Stars To Watch" list; and Rose described Gomez as having been "a multitalented teen".[19]
In June, 2009, Gomez did a guest appearance as herself in one episode of best friend Demi Lovato's Disney Channel television show, Sonny with a Chance, entitled "Battle of The Network Stars". That same month Gomez appeared alongside Lovato in the made-for-television Disney Channel movie, Princess Protection Program.[20] The telecast garnered 8.5 million viewers becoming, at the time, the third most watched Disney Channel Original Movie.[21] One month later, Gomez, along with two cast members of Wizards of Waverly Place appeared in a television three-way cross-over episode with Hannah Montana and The Suite Life on Deck, entitled Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana. On August 28, two month after appearing in Princess Protection Program, Gomez appeared in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, a made-for-television film based on the show.[22] The film premiered to an audience of 11.4 million viewers becoming cable's No. 1 scripted telecast of 2009 and Disney Channel's second most-viewed film premiere after High School Musical 2.[23] In February 2009, Gomez signed on to star as one of the two female leads in Ramona and Beezus, a film adaption of the children's novel series by Beverly Cleary.[24][25] Gomez stated that she felt no pressure in taking more adult roles: "I think I’m fully aware of my audience and I’m still just a kid myself. I wouldn’t do a role I don’t feel comfortable doing or that my audience wouldn’t feel
Gomez's first theatrical film Ramona & Beezus premiered on July 23, 2010 and met with generally positive reviews.[27] In March, 2010, Variety reported that Gomez was set to star as one of the three lead roles in Monte Carlo, alongside Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy.[28] In the film Gomez plays Grace, a girl who’s “mistaken for a socialite while on a trip to Paris.”[29] To prepare for the role Gomez learned how to play polo and also took two weeks of vocal training to learn two different British accents.[30][31] The same year Gomez confirmed that the fourth season of her hit Disney Channel show, Wizards of Waverly Place, would be its last.
In February 2011, Deadline.com reported that Universal Pictures and Strike Entertainment had acquired the novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher with Gomez attached to the lead.[32] That same month TV Guide reported that Gomez would make a cameo in the upcoming Muppets film.[33] Production for the final season of Wizards of Waverly Place came to a wrap on May 14, 2011.[34] Gomez is set to co-host the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards on June 19.[35]In 2008, Gomez recorded a cover of "Cruella de Vil"—which included a music video—for the compilation album DisneyMania 6. Gomez recorded three songs for the Another Cinderella Story soundtrack, which Gomez appears in. Gomez also recorded "Fly to Your Heart" for the 2008 animated film Tinker Bell. In July 2008, before Gomez' sixteenth birthday, she signed a recording deal with Hollywood Records, a music label owned by Disney.[36] In 2009, Gomez recorded "One and the Same" for Princess Protection Program as a duet with her co-star Lovato.[37] Gomez recorded four songs, one of which was a cover, for the Wizards of Waverly Place soundtrack, only one single (Magic) from the album was released. In May, of the same year, Gomez was featured, with Forever the Sickest Kids, on a duet version of the non-album song "Whoa Oh!".[38]

Thursday, 5 May 2011

jennifer lopez

Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969[1]), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer and television producer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller Money Train.
Her first leading role was in the biographical film Selena (1997), in which she earned an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in Out of Sight (1998). She has since starred in various films, including The Wedding Planner (2001), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004), Monster-in-Law (2005), and The Back-up Plan (2010).
Lopez came to prominence within the music industry following the release of her debut studio album On the 6 (1999) which spawned the number one hit singl commercial success, selling eight million copies worldwide. J to tha L-O!: The Remixes (2002) became her second consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 while her third and fourth studio albums – This Is Me... Then (2002) and Rebirth (2005) – peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. In 2007, she released two albums including her first full Spanish-language album Como Ama una Mujer, and her fifth English studio album Brave. Returning to music with a new record label, Lopez is scheduled to release her seventh studio album, titled Love?, on April 19, 2011. Its single "On the Floor" is currently impacting charts worldwide. Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements including two Grammy Award nominations; two Latin Grammy Award nominations; three American Music Awards, amongst six nominations; and the estimated sale of over 55 million records worldwide.[2][3][4] Billboard ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000s decade.[5] Lending her musical knowledge to others, Lopez is currently a member of the judging panel of American reality television competition American Idol.[6][7]
She led People en Español's list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" in February 2007.[8] She has parlayed her media fame into a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement.[9] Outside of her work in the entertainment industry, Lopez advocates human rights, vaccinations and is a supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Jennifer Lopez was born in the Bronx, New York, and raised on Blackrock Avenue in the New York City borough's Castle Hill neighborhood.[10] She is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe (née Rodríguez), a kindergarten teacher, and David Lopez, a computer specialist, both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico.[11][12] Lopez was raised Roman Catholic.[13][14][15] She has two siblings, Lynda and Leslie. Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School in the Bronx. She financed singing and dancing lessons for herself from the age of 19. After attending Baruch College for one semester, Lopez divided her time between working as a notary public in a legal office,[16] dance classes, and dance performances in Manhattan night clubs.[17] She had a small part in the 1987 film My Little Girl at the age of sixteen.[18] After months of auditioning for dance roles, Lopez was selected as a dancer for various rap music videos, a 1990 episode of Yo! MTV Raps and as a backup dancer for the New Kids on the Block and their performance of their song "Games" for the American Music Awards in 1991. She gained her first regular high-profile job as a "Fly Girl" dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color from 1991-1993. Soon after, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and made an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes".
Lopez's second album, J.Lo, was released on January 23, 2001 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. This album was more urban oriented than On the 6. When Lopez film The Wedding Planner, a film in which Lopez falls in love with the groom of the wedding she is planning, achieved number one shortly after, Lopez become the first actress-singer to have a film and an album at number one in the same week.[21] The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK. Her next two singles were "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny" which were quickly rising up the charts. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs, which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Cadillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). Both remixes reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks. She re-released J. Lo on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert.
Following the success of the re-release of J. Lo, Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remixing effort, releasing J to tha L-O!: The Remixes, on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart.[22] Featured artists on J to tha L-O!: The Remixes included P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the fourth all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, The Beatles' Love and Madonna's You Can Dance.
Lopez released her third studio album, This Is Me... Then, on November 26, 2002 which reached number two on the Billboard 200 and spawned four singles: "Jenny from the Block" (featuring Jadakiss and Styles P), which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100; "All I Have" (featuring LL Cool J), which spent multiple weeks at number one; "I'm Glad"; and "Baby I Love U!". The album included a cover of Carly Simon's 1978 "You Belong to Me". The video for "I'm Glad" recreated scenes from the 1983 film
After a year away from the music scene, Lopez released her fourth studio album, Rebirth, on March 1, 2005. Although debuting and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, the album quickly fell off the charts. It spawned the hit "Get Right", which reached the top 15 in the U.S. and became her second Platinum hit (after "If You Had My Love"). "Get Right" was also successful in the UK, becoming her second number-one single there. The second single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number 64 on the U.S. Hot 100; it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top 20 in Australia. Another song, "Cherry Pie", was slated for a release in late 2005, but the plans to make a video were canceled. It was released to radio stations in Spain. Rebirth was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA. Lopez was then featured on LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was Lopez's first U.S. top ten hit in three years. Rebirth has had most success in the UK, where overall most of her singles have reached the top five.
Flashdance, leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed.[23][24]