Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer and actress. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she performed acting roles in stage productions and television shows as a child before signing with Jive Records in 1997. Spears's first and second studio albums, ...Baby One More Time (1999) and Oops!... I Did It Again (2000), became international successes, with the former becoming the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist. Title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" broke international sales records. In 2001, Spears released her self-titled third studio album, Britney, and played the starring role in the film Crossroads (2002). She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003), which yielded the worldwide success of the "Toxic" single.

In 2007, Spears's much-publicized personal issues sent her career into hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released later that year, and spawned hits such as "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me". Her erratic behavior and hospitalizations continued through the following year, at which point she was placed under a still ongoing conservatorship. Spears's sixth studio album, Circus (2008), included global chart-topping lead single "Womanizer". Its supporting tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears was one of the highest-grossing global concert tours in 2009.

The Chemical Brothers

The Chemical Brothers are a British electronic music band composed of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons originating in Manchester in 1989. Along with The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, and fellow acts, they were pioneers at bringing the big beat genre to the forefront of pop culture. In the UK, they have had six number one albums and 13 top 20 singles, including two number ones.

History

Formation and early career (1984–95)

Ed Simons was born in Herne Hill, South London on 9 June 1970 to a barrister mother and a father who were not around much when Simons was growing up. Simons' two main interests when he was young were aeroplanes and musicals. Simons attended two South London public schools, Alleyn's School and Dulwich College. During his school years, he developed a fondness for rare groove and hip hop music, having frequented a club called The Mud Club from the age of 14. By the time he left school, his two main musical interests were two Manchester bands, New Order and The Smiths. After finishing school with 11 O levels and three A-levels, he continued on to study history, especially late medieval history, at the University of Manchester.

Flo Rida

Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (pronounced /floʊ ˈraɪdə/,) is an American hip hop recording artist from Carol City, Florida. He is known for releasing a string of hits, such as his 2008 breakout single "Low", which was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital download sales at the time of its release. "Low" was followed by the Top 40 hits, "Elevator" and "In the Ayer".

As of 2016, Flo Rida has released four studio albums. His first album, 2008's Mail on Sunday, debuted at number four in the US. The album was succeeded by R.O.O.T.S., the next year. His subsequent albums, 2010's Only One Flo (Part 1) and 2012's Wild Ones, also charted on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Flo Rida has sold over 80 million records worldwide. His catalog includes the international hit singles "Right Round", "Club Can't Handle Me", "Good Feeling", "Wild Ones", "Whistle", "I Cry" and "G.D.F.R.", among others.

Life and career