A contract was signed with the label Regal Recordings, as the views on MySpace rose to tens of thousands. In 2006, she began to work on completing what would be her first studio album and its first mainstream single “Smile” reached the top position on the UK Singles Chart in July 2006. Her debut record, Alright, Still, was well received on the international market, selling over 2.6 million copies and brought Allen a nomination at the Grammy Awards, BRIT Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. She then began hosting her own talk-show, Lily Allen and Friends, on BBC Three.

Her second major album release, It’s Not Me, It’s You, saw a genre shift for her, having more of an electropop feel, rather than the ska and reggae influences of the first one. The album debuted at #1 on the UK Albums Chart and the Australian ARIA Charts and was appreciated by the critics, noting the singer’s musical evolution and maturity. It spawned the hit singles “The Fear” and “Fuck You”, popular mostly in Europe. Allen and Amy Winehouse have been credited with starting a process that led to the media-proclaimed “year of the women” in 2009 that has seen five female artists making music of “experimentalism and fearlessness” long nominated for the Mercury Prize. In September 2009, Allen stated that she sees no way that she could ever make a profit making new records. She said that she has no plans to make another album and she is not renewing her record contract. Allen will take a two year break from performing starting in March 2010 to launch a record label and open a fashion rental shop.

Perry was born and raised in Santa Barbara by Christian pastor parents and grew up listening only to gospel music. After earning a GED during her freshman year of high school, she began to pursue a music career.
As Katy Hudson, she released a self-titled gospel album in 2001. In 2004, she recorded an album with production team The Matrix, but it was never released. After signing on with Capitol Music Group in 2007, she took on stage name Katy Perry and released her first mainstream album, One of the Boys.

During the hiatus of Destiny’s Child, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which became one of the most successful albums of that year, and signaled her viability as a solo artist. The disbanding of Destiny’s Child in 2005 facilitated her continued success: her sophomore solo album, B’Day, released in 2006, debuted at number one on the Billboard charts. Her third solo album I Am… Sasha Fierce, released in November 2008, received 10 Grammy nominations.

Knowles began her acting career in 2001, appearing in the musical film Carmen: A Hip Hopera. In 2006, she starred in the lead role in the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, for which she earned two Golden Globe nominations. Knowles launched her family’s fashion line, House of Deréon, in 2004, and has been engaged to endorse such brands as Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani and L’Oréal. In 2009, Forbes listed Knowles fourth on its list of the 100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the world, third on its list of the top-grossing musicians, and number one on the list of top Best-Paid Celebs Under 30 with over $87 million dollars in earnings between 2008 and 2009.

Keys’ debut album, Songs in A Minor, was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for “Fallin’”. Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005. Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States. She became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994.

Keys made guest appearances in several television series in the following years. She made her film debut in Smokin’ Aces and went on to appear in The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Her third studio album, As I Am, was released in the same year and sold six million copies worldwide, earning Keys an additional three Grammy Awards. The following year, she appeared in The Secret Life of Bees, which earned her a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards. She will release her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, on December 15, 2009. Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time.

Kardashian is of Armenian (father), Scottish and Dutch (mother) descent, the daughter of attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Jenner (née Houghton). Robert Kardashian, best known for being O. J. Simpson’s lawyer during his murder trial, died on September 30, 2003. Her mother, Kris, divorced Robert in 1989, and married former Olympian Bruce Jenner in 1991.

Kardashian has two sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, and one brother, Robert. She also has stepbrothers Burton Jenner, Brandon Jenner, and reality TV star Brody Jenner, stepsister Casey Jenner, and half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner. O. J. Simpson is Kardashian’s godfather. While attending high school, Kardashian worked at her father’s music marketing firm, Movie Tunes.

Previously, Scherzinger was part of reality TV girlgroup Eden’s Crush and despite minor chart successes she left due to being unhappy. She then joined the Pussycat Dolls when they were a burlesque troop before taking the role of lead singer when the group became a recording group. So far the Pussycat Dolls have released two successful albums PCD and Doll Domination with two supporting tours. In between the two albums Scherzinger made her first attempt at a solo album (Her Name is Nicole) which proved unsuccessful.

Currently the Pussycat Dolls are taking a break whilst recording their third studio album. Each member is pursuing their own projects. Kimberly Wyatt works on several UK TV projects as well as recording solo album material. Melody Thornton works with several different things, including a cameo appearance in the music video “Slow Dance” for American R&B singer-songwriter Keri Hilson. Scherzinger has resumed work on her delayed debut solo album which is being reworked from the scratch.

In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 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 US number one hit single, “SOS”, as well as Billboard Hot 100 top ten entries “Unfaithful” and “Break It Off”. Rihanna’s third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, featured five top ten hits including three US number one hit singles—”Umbrella”, “Take a Bow” and “Disturbia”—and the worldwide hit “Don’t Stop the Music”. The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Umbrella,” which features Jay-Z.

Rihanna has sold over 12 million records, worldwide in her four-year career span and has received several accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World’s Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. Rihanna has attained five Hot 100 number one singles, becoming the first of two female artists with the most number ones attained within the 2000s. She also serves as one of Barbados’ honorary cultural ambassadors.