Top 10 Singers 2012

Victoria Justice (born February 19, 1993) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and dancer. She debuted as an actress at the age of 10 and has since appeared in several films and television series including the Nickelodeon series Zoey 101 and Victorious. She has made appearances in several theatrical releases, including Unknown as well as the 2006 thriller The Garden. She has appeared in several Nickelodeon series, including True Jackson, VP, The Troop, The Penguins of Madagascar and iCarly, as well as on the Nickelodeon game show BrainSurge as a contestant. In 2010, she starred in the Nickelodeon film The Boy Who Cried Werewolf.

Aside from acting, Justice is involved in her musical career. She has performed several songs for the soundtrack to the Nickelodeon musical Spectacular!, in which she starred. She has recorded a number of songs for the Victorious series. Justice has announced the release of her debut album, which is expected to be released sometime during 2012.

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson[1] (born October 25, 1984), known by her stage name Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Perry grew up around gospel music. During her first year of high school, she pursued a music career as Katy Hudson, releasing her first studio album, called Katy Hudson, which failed to chart. She recorded a solo album later, which was never released. After signing with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry.

She first gained recognition with the release of her first mainstream album, One of the Boys in 2008, which spawned three Billboard Hot 100 top-ten songs—"I Kissed A Girl", "Hot n Cold" and "Waking Up In Vegas". Perry supported the album with her Hello Katy Tour. In 2010, Perry released her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010), which topped the Billboard 200 chart, and spawned five number one singles—"California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". Teenage Dream became the first and so far only album (after Michael Jackson's Bad)—to do so, and Perry became the first female in history to achieve this milestone. She embarked on the California Dreams Tour, which grossed nearly $60 million worldwide.[2] Perry re-released the album under the name of Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection on March 26, 2012, and the re-release has already spawned the number-one single "Part of Me" and top three single "Wide Awake".

Perry is the only artist to spend over 52 consecutive weeks in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, and has since extended this to 69 weeks.[3] As of 2012, Perry has been nominated for eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year (Teenage Dream) and Record of the Year ("Firework"). She was named 2011's "Artist of the Year" by MTV.[4] She has sold 37.6 million digital tracks in the United States and 11 million albums worldwide,[5] and sold over 74.6 million digital tracks worldwide.[6] Perry was a guest judge on the seventh series of The X Factor UK and the ninth season of American Idol. She has released fragrances "Purr" and "Meow". She ventured into film, voicing Smurfette in the 2011 film The Smurfs and being spotlighted in the 3D biopic-concert film Katy Perry: Part of Me. Perry was married to British comedian Russell Brand from 2010 to 2012. In 2012, Perry was ranked at number fourteenth on Billboard's list of top moneymakers of 2011, grossing more than $11 million.[

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, which became the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist.[2] During her first decade in 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, and became the 'best-selling teenaged artist of all time' before she turned 20,[3] garnering her honorific titles such as "Princess of Pop"[4].

In 2001, she released her third studio album Britney and expanded her brand, playing the starring role in the film Crossroads. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone (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 into 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 behavior 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", and hits such as "Circus" and "If U Seek Amy". She embarked on her highest-grossing global concert tour,[5] The Circus Starring Britney Spears, in 2009. In October of the same year, she released a chart-topping single, "3", which became her third single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Her seventh studio album Femme Fatale, released in 2011, has become the first of her albums to yield three top ten singles in the United States, "Hold It Against Me", "Till the World Ends" and "I Wanna Go". The same year, she also gained her fifth number one single when she featured on the remix of "S&M" alongside Rihanna.

Spears's work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, 6 MTV Video Music Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award, 9 Billboard Music Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, Billboard ranked her as the 8th overall Artist of the Decade,[6] and also recognized her as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall.[7] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) also recognized Spears as the seventh[not in citation given] top-selling female artist in the United States, with 34 million certified albums.[8] Nielsen SoundScan ranked Spears the tenth best-selling digital artist of the country, with more than 28.6 million digital singles as of January 2012.[9] She has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[10] Rolling Stone recognized her instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time,[11] while VH1 ranked her eleventh on their "100 Greatest Women in Music" list in 2012,[12] and Billboard named her the sexiest woman in music.[13] Forbes also revealed that Spears was the sixth most powerful celebrity, and the third best paid musician of 2011–12, having topped the list back in 2002.[

Elizabeth Egan "Liz" Gillies[1] (born July 26, 1993)[3] is an American actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for her part in Broadway's 13 as the character Lucy, of which her Victorious co-star, Ariana Grande, was also a part. She currently plays the role of Jade West on Victorious and has also voiced the character Daphne on the animated series Winx Club.[

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato[1] (born August 20, 1992)[2] is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actress and spokesperson. Her earliest roles included Angela on Barney & Friends, before she became better known for her starring roles in the Camp Rock movies, as Sonny Munroe in the Disney sitcom Sonny with a Chance, and as the star of the 2009 movie Princess Protection Program. She is also involved in philanthropic activities through charity work and various social and environmental causes.[3]

As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her debut album Don't Forget on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 89,000 copies in the first week.[4] It has since shipped over 500,000 copies, earning a gold certification in the United States.[5] Lovato released her second album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009.[6] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 108,000 copies in the first week.[7] Her third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. She is working on her fourth studio album.

In Fall 2012, Lovato will be a judge on the second season of the American version of The X Factor.[

Kesha Rose Sebert (born March 1, 1987), known professionally as Kesha (pronunciation: /ˈkɛʃə/ KESH-ə, stylized Ke$ha), is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. In 2005, at 18, Kesha was signed to producer Dr. Luke's record label, Kemosabe Entertainment, and publishing company. Although an active musician since then, singing background vocals and writing songs for other artists, her breakthrough came in early 2009 after appearing on rapper Flo Rida's number-one single, "Right Round." Her debut album, Animal and its re-release, Cannibal, were released in 2010. Kesha's irreverent music and image propelled her to immediate commercial success, with Animal debuting as the number-one album in the US. She also achieved two number-one singles, "Tik Tok" and "We R Who We R", and a string of top ten hits from the album and its re-release. At the same time, she continued to write songs for other artists, including "Till the World Ends" for pop singer Britney Spears. Kesha's second album will be released in 2012.

Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj ( /mɪˈnɑːʒ/), is a Trinidadian-born American rapper, singer, songwriter and voice actress. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and when she was 5 years of age she moved to the New York City borough of Queens, where she grew up. Minaj trained as an actress before she released three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and signed to Young Money Entertainment.

Minaj rose to prominence as a recording artist when she released her debut album, Pink Friday, in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release.[2][3] She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time[4] and her seventh single, "Super Bass" has since been certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has sold more than four million copies, becoming one of the best-selling singles in the United States. Minaj released her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded in April 2012 which topped charts internationally, as well as spawning the top 10 singles "Starships" and "Pound the Alarm". Since then the album has become one of the top selling albums of 2012 according to the Nielsen SoundScan selling 1,000,000 copies worldwide.[5] Minaj will embark on two worldwide tours, The Pink Friday Tour and Pink Friday: Reloaded Tour

Minaj has been known for her unique artistry. Her rapping technique has been noted by critics for its use of alter-egos, accents (notably, British) and fast-pacing. Minaj is known for her use of outlandish and colorful costumes, wigs and clothing and has been recognized as a fashion icon. She featured as a voice-actress in Ice Age 4: Continental Drift and has endorsed brands such as Pepsi, MAC Cosmetics and Adidas. Minaj's work has earned her six BET Awards, two American Music Awards, one MTV Music Award and Billboards' 2011 Rising Star. Minaj has set precedents for female rappers becoming the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List and with The New York Times suggesting that some consider her "the most influential female rapper of all time."[

Elena Jane "Ellie" Goulding (born 30 December 1986)[1] is an English singer-songwriter. In 2010, she became the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll and win the Critics' Choice Award at the Brit Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008. After signing to Polydor Records in 2009, she released her first EP in 2009, An Introduction to Ellie Goulding.

Goulding released her debut studio album, Lights, in 2010. The album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and has sold over 850,000 copies in the UK.[2] Her cover of Elton John's "Your Song" reached number two in the UK in December 2010, and on 29 April 2011, she performed the song at the wedding reception of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Buckingham Palace.[3] The album's title track, "Lights", was released in the US in March 2011, reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and is certified double platinum by the RIAA.[4][5]

Goulding has a soprano vocal range[6] and her musical style has been compared to that of Kate Nash, Meiko, Lykke Li and Tracey Thorn.[

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler (born 18 December 1975), better known as Sia ( /sɪə/or /ˈsiːə/), is an Australian downtempo, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter. In 2000, her single "Taken for Granted" was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. Her 2008 album Some People Have Real Problems peaked in the top 30 on the Billboard 200. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, she won the award for 'Best Music DVD' and received six nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 and won 'Best Independent Release' and 'Best Pop Release' for We Are Born and 'Best Video' for the song "Clap Your Hands". Furler has also collaborated and performed with Zero 7, Christina Aguilera and more recently Hilltop Hoods, David Guetta, Flo Rida and Afrojack.

Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian recording artist and singer-songwriter from Mission, British Columbia. In 2007, she placed third in the fifth season of Canadian Idol, and was a part of the Canadian Idol Top 3 concert tour.[1] Shortly after competing on Idol, she signed to Fontana and MapleMusic, and released her debut album, Tug of War, on September 30, 2008. Three years later, she released a new single, titled "Call Me Maybe", which was released by 604 Records, and was followed by the release of her debut extended play, Curiosity, on February 14, 2012. "Call Me Maybe" was met with much success, reaching the No. 1 spot on both The Billboard and Canadian Hot 100. The single also went to number-one in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Jepsen signed with Interscope Records in 2012. Jepsen cites a mix of classic rock and alternative bands as her musical influence, such as James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen, Kimbra, La Roux, and Robyn.[