Jordin Sparks

Jordin Brianna Sparks (born December 22, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. In 2007, she rose to fame after winning the sixth season of American Idol; at age 17, she became the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debut album was released later in the same year; it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over two million copies worldwide. The album spawned the US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles "Tattoo" and "No Air"; the latter is currently the third-highest-selling single by any American Idol contestant, selling over three million digital copies in the United States. The song earned Sparks her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

Sparks' second album, Battlefield (2009), debuted at number 7 on the US Billboard 200. Its lead single, also titled "Battlefield", where it reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Sparks the only American Idol contestant to have her first five singles reach the top twenty on the chart. The second single, "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)", became Sparks' first number one on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. Throughout her career, Sparks has won numerous awards, including an NAACP Image Award, a BET Award, an American Music Award, a People's Choice Award and two Teen Choice Awards. In 2009, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 91st Artist of the 2000s Decade. In 2012, Sparks was ranked at number 92 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music". As of February 2012, she has sold 1.3 million albums and 10.2 million singles in the United States alone, making her one of the most successful American Idol contestants of all time.

Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known by the pseudonym Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records. 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'" becoming the second American recording artist to win five Grammys in one night. 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.

Chris Brown

Christopher Maurice "Chris" Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, dancer, rapper and actor. Born in Tappahannock, Virginia, he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age. Having signed with Jive Records in 2004, Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With his first single "Run It!" peaking atop the US Billboard Hot 100, Brown became the first male artist as a lead since Diddy in 1997 to have his debut single top the chart. His second album Exclusive (2007) spawned his second Hot 100 number one "Kiss Kiss", in addition to "With You" and "Forever". The album was also certified double platinum by the RIAA.

In 2009, Brown received much media attention after pleading guilty to felony assault of his then girlfriend, singer Rihanna; he was sentenced to five years of probation and six months of community service. His third album Graffiti was released later that year, and included the top-twenty single "I Can Transform Ya". Brown's fourth album F.A.M.E. (2011) became his first to top the Billboard 200; it spawned the successful singles "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now", and "Beautiful People". F.A.M.E. earned Brown his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 54th Grammy Awards. His fifth album Fortune was released in 2012. However, after the release of Exclusive, Brown's albums have not been well received commercially or by music critics, with the exception of X, which received a normalized rating of 63. Brown's seventh studio album Royalty was released on December 18, 2015.

No Air

"No Air" is a song by American recording artist Jordin Sparks and American R&B singer/actor Chris Brown. The song was written by James Fauntleroy II, Eric Griggs, Mike Scala, Harvey Mason, Jr., Damon Thomas and Steve Russell. It was released in the United States on February 11, 2008 and serves as the second single from her self-titled debut album.

"No Air" received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The song topped the singles charts of Australia and New Zealand and reached the top five in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. Also in the U.S, the song has sold 3,596,000 copies, and Sparks became the first American Idol contestant to reach the three million mark. "No Air" won "Favorite Combined Forces" at the 35th People's Choice Awards, where it was also nominated for "Favorite Pop Song". The song also earned Sparks her first Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 51st Grammy Awards. Its accompanying music video directed by Chris Robinson won "Best Heartbreak Video" at the 2008 BET Pre-Awards and was also nominated for "Best Female Video" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. "No Air" was covered by American band, Boyce Avenue and country singer Rissi Palmer in 2008 and also on the television show Glee in 2009.

Liam Murphy

Liam Murphy is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Axle Whitehead. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 5 March 2009. Whitehead auditioned for the role and stated it would help improve his acting skill. Liam was created by executive producer Cameron Welsh and is described as a "badboy minor rockstar" who comes to Summer Bay to start a new life. His storylines have focused on his addiction to drugs and many relationships. Liam has also been involved in controversial scenes in which it featured "sexually charged content" with fellow character Martha MacKenzie. Whitehead's departure was announced in November 2012. He made his final appearance as Liam on 3 April 2013.

Creation and casting

Musician and presenter Axle Whitehead was chosen to play Liam after he auditioned for the role. Whitehead has stated that he jumped at the chance to audition because he believes the serial is a good place to improve acting skills. Speaking the role Whitehead has stated: "I've been taking classes for the last 18 months and it’s wonderful to be able to put it into practice. Home and Away has been very supportive, the pace of the show is very challenging and it’s been a fantastic opportunity for me to further my skills." Whitehead was originally only signed to a fifteen episode contract.