Proposal: Britney Spears
In this essay I plan to describe a very talented and successful singer named Britney Spears. Britney is from McComb, Mississippi. I will be discussing certain aspects of Britney’s life and some of her many accomplishments.
Britney Spears
“More than any other single artist, Britney Spears was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late '90s… Spears didn't just become a star --she was a bona fide pop phenomenon” (Huey 16). This is usually what critics say about “flash-in-the-pan” stars, and Britney Spears is much more than that.
Britney Spears was born in McComb, Mississippi on December 2, 1981 and was destined for stardom. By the age of 9 years old Spears had already appeared off-Broadway. “Other kids would want to play with dolls; Britney wanted to sing and dance and put on plays. Somehow she always dragged me into them with her. It was no use arguing with her- she’d talk you into it” (Spears 20). At eleven, she was living in Orlando and performing at Disney World in the Mickey Mouse Club, where she met Justin Timberlake.
She released her first album, "Baby One More Time," in 1998 and sold 21 million copies. Her second album sold, 17 million copies, the third album “sold 746,000 copies the first week alone” (Koltnow 4). All this came from a new old sound called “teen pop” or “dance-pop.” Britney made it both sexy and innocent, and like her predecessors, she made it suggestive and energetic.
This is beauty of Spears’ music. It has led her and other young musicians down the path initiated by Madonna, Cher, Tina Turner and others before. Like them, has spread out her talents. Spears and her mother, Lynn, have published two books. Spears starred in her first film, “Crossroads," directed by Tamra Davis. As Chuck Klosterman puts it, Spears has successfully sold herself since the age of 9 by portraying herself as a paradox, the “sweet Southern girl” and “the wet-hot woman . . . dances with a snake and sings about being somebody's love slave” (Klosterman 3).
Spears’ music is considered refreshing and invigorating by critics and a generation of girls and women. Although Spears contributed little more than a few ideas to her music in the early years, she is now acting with the maturity that befits her age and is contributing more to the writing of her music.
Selena Quintanilla Perez was born on April 16, 1971 in Lake Jackson, Texas. Selena grew up understanding Spanish, but English was her first language. At the age of five Selena saw her brother learning to play the guitar and became jealous of the attention he was getting. She picked up a songbook and began to sing. Her family quickly turned their attention to her strong and beautiful voice. In the first grade Selena excelled at a game called Jump the Brook, in which two ropes are placed side by side and each kid takes a turn jumping across.1 In middle school Selena was in honors classes and made A’s and B’s. Selena used her allowance to put clothes on layaway. As a teenager, Selena hung all of her awards on the wall next to the staircase in her family’s house. As an adult, Selena was very involved with kids. She was a spokeswoman for the D.A.R.E. Program.
It’s no question that Janet Jackson is one of the most iconic and influential artist of all time. She has sold over 100 million albums; her tours have had some the highest selling debuts of all time, not to mention the chart topping hits she has created over the past 30 years. Janet’s presence alone is iconic. She has left an unforgettable impression on the music industry as a whole. Her music has affected fans and music lovers all around the world. Her influence is simply not a question it is a salutation to a musical icon that has embedded her legacy into musical history.
Demi Lovato is more than just a famous actress and singer. She has dedicated much of her time to her fans. Everyone faces their own battles and have their own insecurities, yet she inspires her fans to embrace and overpower them. She not only uses her vocals for singing, she uses it to reach out to her fans. In terms of sales (music and concert), advocating mental health, and philanthropy, Demi Lovato has changed the meaning of the music industry.
Whitney Houston is considered to be a legendary singer in the world today. Houston was not just a singer, she was an actress, producer, and model. Even though she is known for her singing voice, Whitney Houston had many ups and downs throughout her life, such as drug and health problems that almost ended her career. Throughout her singing career, she has been honored for her great singing voice. Whitney experienced many things in her personal life from being an outstanding woman, an award winning singer, and an actress and model.
Without a doubt there is one major performer that certainly stands out within our pop culture world. The name of this very famous American icon is, Dolly Parton. Dolly has surpassed any rags to riches story that ever lived. She has touched the lives of so many individuals over many decades through her many talents. Dolly started her career at a very young age and continued fulfilling her life endeavors through country music, pop music, and even acting. This American icon didn’t stop with just her talents, she also gave back to our society through charity, fundraising, and establishing her own theme park. Dolly Parton was brought up in a very poor family, however through much dedication she became the famous icon everyone idolized today.
And that's saying a lot. Consider that she's already appeared in five television series, made seven albums, and starred in a major motion picture. She's sold over 24 million albums worldwide, achieved five Top Five hits from her 1986 record, Control and a record seven Top Five Hits from the 1989 Rhythm Nation 1814 album, four went to no.#1. She followed that up with a record breaking world tour, a movie and her self-titled album Janet.
Janet Jackson was born in Gary Indiana on May 16, 1966. She is a member of the
Alicia Keys' artistic light is so bright it could illuminate a pitch-black room. A true musical prodigy whose multi-dimensional gifts emerged at age five, the beautiful Alicia will soon take modern R&B soul to a whole new level at the tender age of nineteen.
In today’s world, celebrities are often misunderstood, especially singer/songwriter Robin Rihanna Fenty, referred to as Rihanna. Rihanna’s sexual behaviors in her videos have been talked about in negative ways for some time now, but what people do not understand is that it is all for fame. Celebrities will do anything to keep their careers going strong. If one really took the time out to take a deep look at Rihanna, they will notice how humble she really is. After going through the abusive relationship with Chris Brown, Rihanna has struggled with gaining that strong confidence in who she is.
Introduction: Perhaps no one has received this title in history “the king of pop”, now a days many artist’s have arisen and have performed but not as the king of pop known worldwide and in history, has dominated the world of pop as Michael Jackson.
Rihanna, from her very first music videos has compelled public eyes as an effigy, an icon and a statement of music lifestyle. Her independent outlook, badass attitude mixed with a Caribbean accent has undoubtedly confined not only music but the whole popular culture of our time. Diamonds, We Found Love, Bitch Better Have My Money and S&M are some of the top songs by this epic singer. Songs that today rule bars, dance clubs, parties and of course her numerous fans.
Britney was very successful from 1998 to 2000. During these years, things were changing for her. Britney was telling people about her “remaining a virgin until marriage” yet she was posing in pictures that convinced people to think otherwise. Her albums still continued to sell in the United States as well as in Europe. She embarked on many successful roads through 2003 (Wikipedia, 2011). Her public finally saw her as a woman not a girl.
The Barbadian Singer Rihanna, known for her hit songs like “Only Girl,” “Where Have You Been,” and “Disturbia” is one of today’s most well-known singers. She came on the scene in 2005 with her debut album Music of the Sun; the first single released from that album was “Pon the Replay.” This single was very fun and playful with a reggae, dance hall vibe to it, and the music video reflected this as well. With the release of her sophomore album A Girl Like Me came a lot more exposure, and the first single off that album “SOS” became her first billboard top 100 single. Though she had some success with her first two album, it was with the release of her third studio album that skyrocketed her to fame, and made her a household name. The single off her third album that put her on the map worldwide was “Umbrella.”
In conclusion, she is a very good role model. She is a good role model because she shows people it is good to give to charity and she is a hard worker. She also shows that you don’t need to have inappropriate songs or inappropriate performances to be popular. This is why she is my favorite superstar and I wanted to write a research paper on her.
She is only 27 years old, but her name is known all over the world. Most importantly, all of her accomplishments are achieved by her own, as an American girl. The official claims: “Her success has made her one of the most powerful people in the music industry, which has long been controlled by men -- and she earned that position mostly thanks to her own savvy”(Armstrong). No matter how vicious the public views are, Taylor doesn’t stop her career. Instead, she changed those comments into part of her songs and fight for herself.