- published: 31 Jul 2014
- views: 484686677
Katheryn Elizabeth "Katy" Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After singing in church during her childhood, she pursued a career in gospel music as a teenager. Perry signed with Red Hill Records and released her debut studio album Katy Hudson in 2001, which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles the following year to venture into secular music after Red Hill ceased operations. After being dropped by The Island Def Jam Music Group and Columbia Records, Perry signed a recording contract with Capitol Records in April 2007.
Perry rose to fame in 2008 with the release of the singles "I Kissed a Girl" – which sparked controversy for its homosexual themes – and "Hot n Cold" from her second album, a pop rock record titled One of the Boys. Her third album, Teenage Dream (2010), ventured into disco, and contained the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles "California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T.", and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" as well as the number-three single "The One That Got Away". The album became the first by a female artist to produce five number-one Billboard Hot 100 songs, and the second overall after Michael Jackson's album Bad. In March 2012, she reissued the album as Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, which produced the songs "Part of Me" and "Wide Awake".
Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and actress. Her debut studio album, Ora, released in 2012, debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. The album contained the UK number-one singles, "R.I.P." and "How We Do (Party)". After reaching the peak position as a featured act on DJ Fresh's "Hot Right Now", Ora became the artist with the most number-one singles on the UK Singles Chart in 2012, with three consecutive singles reaching the top position. She was nominated for three Brit Awards at the 2013 ceremony.
Her single, "I Will Never Let You Down", became her fourth UK number one when it debuted at the top of the charts in 2014. Also in 2014, Ora featured on Iggy Azalea's single, "Black Widow", which reached number three in the US. In 2015, Ora became a coach on the fourth series of The Voice UK, and later that year, a judge on the twelfth series of The X Factor.
Ora was born in Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Kosovo) to Albanian parents. Her mother, Vera Sahatçiu (née Bajraktari), is a psychiatrist, and her father, Besnik Sahatçiu, is an economist and a pub owner. Her mother is Catholic and her father is Muslim. Ora has an older sister, Elena, and a younger brother, Don. She was named after the favourite film star of her film director grandfather Besim Sahatçiu, Rita Hayworth. She was born as Rita Sahatçiu (surname derived from the Turkish word "saatçi" which means "watchmaker"), but her father later added Ora ("time" in Albanian) to the family surname so it could be easily pronounced.
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known under her stage name Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott or simply Missy Elliott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Elliott embarked on her music career with all-female R&B group Sista in the early 1990s and later became part of the Swing Mob collective along with childhood friend and producer Timbaland with whom she worked on projects for Aaliyah, 702, Total, and SWV. Following several guest appearances, in 1997, she launched her solo career with the release of her debut album Supa Dupa Fly, which spawned the hit single "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" and "Sock It 2 Me". The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting debut for a female rapper at the time. Her following album Da Real World (1999), produced the singles "She's a Bitch", "All n My Grill", and the top five hit "Hot Boyz".
With the release of Miss E... So Addictive (2001), Under Construction (2002), and This Is Not a Test! (2003) Elliott established an international career and followed with the hits "Get Ur Freak On", "One Minute Man", "4 My People", "Gossip Folks", and "Work It", the latter of which won her a Grammy Award for Best Female Rap Solo Performance, eventually winning five Grammy Awards and selling over 30 million records in the United States. Elliott is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double platinum for her 2002 album Under Construction. Elliott is also known for a series of hits and diverse music videos, including "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)", "Hot Boyz", "Get Ur Freak On", "Work It", and the Grammy award-winning video for "Lose Control."