Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, CEO, and entrepreneur. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly made his solo debut in 2000 with Country Grammar, the title track of which was a top ten hit.
With his following albums, Nellyville (2002) and the same-day dual release Sweat and Suit (2004) and compilation Sweatsuit (2006), Nelly continued to generate many chart-topping hits.[1][2] The rapper's fifth studio album, Brass Knuckles, was released released on September 16, 2008 after several delays.
He won Grammy Awards in 2003 and 2004[3] and starred in the 2005 remake film The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. He has two clothing lines, Vokal and Apple Bottoms. He has been referred to by Peter Shapiro as "one of the biggest stars of the new millennium",[4] and the RIAA ranks Nelly as one of the best-selling male artists in American music history,[5] with 21 million albums sold in the United States. On December 11th, 2009 Nelly was ranked as the 3rd Top Overall Artist of the 2000-2009 decade by Billboard Magazine.[6]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Early life * 2 Musical career o 2.1 2000: Early career, St. Lunatics and Country Grammar
o 2.2 2002–03: Nellyville
o 2.3 2004–05: Sweat and Suit
o 2.4 2008: Brass Knuckles o 2.5 2009–present: 5.0
o 2.6 Rapping technique * 3 Other ventures
o 3.1 Endorsements and business ventures
o 3.2 Philanthropy
o 3.3 Film and television career
* 4 Discography
* 5 Awards and nominations * 6 References
* 7 External links

Early life
Born Cornell Haynes Jr. on November 2, 1974, in Austin, Texas, Nelly was the son of an Air Force officer and spent his first three years on a base in Spain before moving to St. Louis. There, his parents struggled with debt, which put pressure on their relationship and led them to divorce when he was seven. Having moved around, Nelly found it difficult to fit in at school but got around the problem by pouring his energy into sports, proving himself particularly good at baseball. He played with the Pittsburgh Pirates and for a time considered a major league career, but still more powerful was his love of music, and he became determined to be successful as a rap artist. While still in high school, Nelly formed the St. Lunatics, who enjoyed local popularity with their single “Gimme What Ya Got.” When a major record deal failed to appear, Nelly decided to go solo. St. Lunatics member City Spud was later jailed and Nelly wears trademark band-aids on each cheek as a sign of solidarity. Musical career 2000: Early career, St. Lunatics and Country Grammar
He was soon signed to Universal Music Group, which released his major label debut Country Grammar in 2000. The success of its title track as a single (#7 on the Hot 100 and #1 Hot Rap Tracks) led to the album debuting at number three in the Billboard 200 in the U.S. Other singles from the album included "E.I.", "Ride Wit Me", and "Batter Up".[1] The album was certified 9× platinum by the RIAA on April 27, 2004.[7]

Nelly joined rappers Ali, Murphy Lee, Kyjuan and City Spud to form the group St. Lunatics, the group became popular with its single "Gimme What You Got".[1] Free City, recorded with the St. Lunatics, followed in 2001 with the single "Midwest Swing". Nelly recorded "#1" for the soundtrack to the film Training Day that year.[1] Nelly appeared on the songs "Where the Party At" by Jagged Edge and "Girlfriend" by 'N Sync. Free City has sold more than a million units in the United States.

In 2009, the St. Lunatics were reportedly working on a new album City Free to be released in the summer of 2009 however the album has been pushed back indefinitely. The first track called "St. Lunatics", was already leaked in early March 2009,[8] other track leaked is "Get Low 2 Da Flo", produced by Play-N-Skillz.[9]. The first official single released from the album is "Money Talks" featuring rapper Birdman.[10]

2002–03: NellyvilleIn 2002, Nelly's second album Nellyville was released, debuting at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Music Albums [11]; its lead single "Hot in Herre" was a number-one hit. Other singles included "Dilemma" featuring Kelly Rowland of Destiny's Child, "Work It" featuring Justin Timberlake, "Air Force Ones" featuring Murphy Lee and the St. Lunatics, "Pimp Juice", and "#1".[1] This album was highly successful and was certified 6x multi-platinum on June 27, 2003.[12]

In 2003 Nelly released Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention. It featured the hit single "Iz U" from the soundtrack to Walt Disney's The Haunted Mansion. The music video for "Tip Drill" became a source of controversy due to perceptions of misogynistic depictions of women. The controversy forced Nelly to cancel an appearance at a bone marrow drive at Spelman College, a historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia.[13] Similar claims of misogyny also surrounded Nelly's single "Pimp Juice".[14]RIAA have certified the album Platinum.2004–05: Sweat and Suit
On September 14, 2004, Nelly released two albums, Sweat and Suit. Suit, an R&B-oriented album, debuted at number one on the Billboard albums chart, and Sweat, a rap-oriented album, debuted at number two. From Suit, the slow ballad "Over and Over", an unlikely duet with country music star Tim McGraw, became a crossover hit.[15] On the 2004 NBC television concert special Tim McGraw: Here and Now, McGraw and Nelly performed the song.[16] A feud with another St. Louis-based rapper, Chingy, came up near the end of the year.[17] Tsunami Aid: A Concert for Hope, a 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake benefit concert special produced by NBC, featured Nelly.[18] In the winter of 2005 came Sweatsuit, a compilation of tracks from Sweat and Suit with three new tracks. "Grillz", produced by Jermaine Dupri, was a number-one hit. To date both albums have sold over 5 million units in the United States.
2008: Brass Knuckles
Brass Knuckles was released on September 16, 2008, after several delays,[19] Initial release dates for the album targeted October 16[20] and November 13.[21] Its original lead single was "Wadsyaname", a ballad-oriented track produced by Ron "NEFF-U" Feemstar and sampling the piano riff from "All My Life" by K-Ci & JoJo.[20][21] Nelly later confirmed that "Wadsyaname" was never going to be on 'Brass Knuckles'. Nelly recorded Party People",[20] featuring Fergie and produced by Polow da Don, which turned out to be his first official single off the album."[19] Stepped On My J'z" was the next single, produced by Jermaine Dupri and featuring Dupri and Ciara; following that was "Body On Me", produced by Akon and featuring Akon and Ashanti. Nelly appeared on Rick Ross's third single "Here I Am" also featuring label mate Avery Storm.

2009–present: 5.0
In the summer of 2009, Nelly made a public announcement in Las Vegas about the yet-to-be-titled album.[22] In October 2009, Nelly did an interview with SOHH.com and said that the album was going to be released sometime in 2010.[23] In a interview with Semtex TV, Nelly told reporters that he planned to release the album under the name Nelly.[24] In April 2010, Nelly's cousin Michael Johnson was murdered in Missouri, Nelly said that he delayed releasing the album because of this.[25] Nelly said that guests that were going to be featured on the album were: Janet Jackson, Diddy, Akon, St. Lunatics and Usher.[26] In May 2010, Nelly confirmed that the title of the album was 5.0.[27] The album is scheduled to be released on November 16, 2010.[28]
Rapping technique
Nelly’s rapping style has been described by Peter Shapiro as using "unforgettable hooks based on schoolyard songs, double-dutch chants, and nonsense rhymes"[29] and has a "Missouri twang"[30]. Allmusic suggests Nelly's style is based largely on where he comes from - "Nelly's locale certainly informs his rapping style, which is as much country as urban, and his dialect as well, which is as much Southern drawl as Midwestern twang"[1]. Nelly explains his method of writing in the book How to Rap, describing how he freestyles most of the lyrics before going back over them to "make it a little tighter"[31], he generally writes in the studio rather than at home[32], he normally comes up with a chorus for a song before writing the verses[33], and he likes to write to the music he will be rapping over[34]. Allmusic also notes his "tongue-twisting" hooks, which are also often sung rather than rapped[35]. Other ventures

Endorsements and business ventures
Nike and Nelly agreed on a one-year deal in 2003 to release a limited-edition sneaker called the "Air Derrty" which was a retro remake of Charles Barkley's signature sneaker.[36] Nelly later signed a shoe deal with Reebok.[37]

Nelly has done ads for Got Milk and the Ford Motor Company. His energy drink Pimp Juice sold one million cans during the first two months after its introduction in August 2003, and was criticized for its name by black consumer activists.[38] Nelly owns Apple Bottoms, a female clothing line, and Vokal, which caters to men. He was one of the owners of the Charlotte Bobcats, along with Robert L. Johnson and Michael Jordan until Jordan became the new owner in March of 2010.[39]

Nelly played in the Main Event at the 2007 World Series of Poker.[40]

In August, 2010, Nelly started a temporary stint as the afternoon host on WHHL HOT 104.1 in St. Louis. He is taking the place of regular PM drive personality, Stacy Static, who is on pregnancy leave. According STLtoday, the initial ratings for the show are very high. This gig garnered national attention in the Huffington Post and other websites.

Philanthropy
Nelly runs the non-profit organization "4Sho4Kids Foundation." The "Jes Us 4 Jackie" campaign began in March 2003 by Nelly and his sister Jackie Donahue after Donahue was diagnosed with leukemia. The campaign attempts to educate African-Americans and other minorities about the need for bone marrow transplants, and to register more donors. Donahue lost her battle with leukemia on March 24, 2005, almost two years after the campaign began.[41]

Film and television career
Nelly starred in Snipes (2001),[42] and the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock.[43] The soundtrack of the latter includes Nelly's song "Fly Away". In a June 2008 interview with Kiwibox.com, Nelly revealed that he is reluctant to continue his acting career, noting that he does not want to "take away from the culture of acting."[44] In 2008 and 2009, Nelly appeared in episodes of the CBS crime drama CSI: NY.[45]
Discography
Studio albums

* Country Grammar (2000)
* Nellyville (2002)
* Sweat (2004) * Suit (2004)
* Brass Knuckles (2008)
* Nelly 5.0 (2010)

Nelly - Interview on Jimmy Kimmel Show

Nelly Interview

TOP 10 HIP- HOP songs with a lot of bass pArT -1

Top 10 Nelly Songs

Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978; pronounced /ˈʌʃ.ər/), who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American recording artist and actor. He rose to fame in the 1990s and after releasing his albums My Way (1997) and 8701 (2001). My Way has been certified 6 times platinum by the RIAA.[1] It spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit, Nice and Slow. As well as two other highly successful singles "My Way" and "You Make Me Wanna", both of which peaked at number-two on the Billboard Hot 100. 8701 has been certified 4 times platinum by the RIAA.[1] It spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad". The albums fourth single, "U Don't Have to Call" peaked at number-three on the Billboard Hot 100. Both albums My Way and 8701 sold over 8 million copies worldwide.[2]
His success continued with Confessions (2004), which has sold over ten million copies in the United States, and been certified diamond by the RIAA. Confessions has the highest first week sales for an R&B artist in history,[3] has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, and was named the best selling R&B album of the 2000s decade.[4] It spawned a record breaking four Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits, "Yeah!", "Burn", "Confessions Part II", and "My Boo". The albums last and fifth single Caught Up peaked at number-eight on the Billboard Hot 100. In total Usher spent 28 weeks on top in a calendar year, becoming the first act to have achieved such an extended chart run on the Billboard Hot 100,[5] and with four consecutive number-one hits, he broke the record set by pop band The Beatles, who had three consecutive number-one singles in 1964.[6] His 2008 album Here I Stand has been certified platinum by the RIAA,[7] and sold over 5 million copies worldwide.[8] The albums lead single "Love In This Club" peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. It also spawned the single "Love in This Club, Part II", which peaked at number-eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100.
To date, Usher has sold over 45 million albums worldwide.[9] He has won numerous awards and accolades for his musical work. Including 5 Grammy Awards,[10] 4 World Music Awards, 4 American Music Awards, 8 Soul Train Music Awards, and 19 Billboard Music Awards.[11] In 2008, Usher was ranked as the 21st most successful Hot 100 Singles Artist of all-time by Billboard magazine.[12] The RIAA ranks Usher as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold 23 million copies in the United States alone.[13] Billboard Magazine ranked Usher the #1 Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade.[14] They also named him the most successful singer and second most successful artist of the 2000s decade.[15] His 2004 album Confessions was ranked as the top solo album and second most successful overall album of the last decade.[16] Aside from his musical career, Usher is very well known for his sex appeal and good looks. In 1998 People Magazine named him the sexiest R&B artist alive.[17] In 2010, Glamour Magazine named him one of the 50 sexiest men alive.[18]
On March 30, 2010, Usher released his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond, which became his third consecutive album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.[19] It has been certified platinum by the RIAA[1] and spawned another Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit "OMG". The song became his ninth number one in the United States, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number one singles in three consecutive decades, and only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve the feat. Usher also became the third artist to have at least one number one song from five consecutive studio albums. He has also achieved sixteen Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100.[20] Usher announced he would release an extended play and deluxe edition of "Raymond v. Raymond", entitled Versus. It's lead single "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" has peaked at number-five on the Billboard Hot 100, and became the sixteenth Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hit of his career.[21] In the UK he has achieved 11 Top 10 singles on the UK Singles Chart, as a lead artist.[22] Usher is also the first artist to have a number-one single on the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 during the 1990s, 2000s, and the 2010s.Contents
[hide]

* 1 Early life * 2 Career
o 2.1 1992–96: Early works and debut
o 2.2 1997–2003: Rising popularity
o 2.3 2004–07: Confessions era o 2.4 2008–09: Here I Stand
o 2.5 2010–present: Raymond v. Raymond and Versus
* 3 Other ventures * 4 Personal life
* 5 Philanthropy
* 6 Discography
* 7 Filmography * 8 See also * 9 References
* 10 External links

Early life
Usher was born in Dallas, Texas,[23][24] the son of Jonetta Patton (née O'Neal) and Usher Raymond III.[23] Usher spent the majority of his young life in Chattanooga: his father left the family when Usher was one year old, and they relocated to Chattanooga, where Usher lived with his mother, then-step father, and half-brother, James Lackey, born in 1984.[23] Directed by his mother, Usher joined the local church youth choir in Chattanooga when he was nine years old; there, his grandmother discovered his ability to sing, although it was not until Usher joined a singing group that she considered he could sing professionally.[25] In the belief that a bigger city would provide greater opportunities for showcasing his talent, Usher's family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where there was a more conducive environment for beginning singers.[26] While in Atlanta, Usher attended North Springs High School.[27] Usher's father died of a heart attack on January 21, 2008.

Career
1992–96: Early works and debut
At age 11, Usher joined an R&B local quintet called the NuBeginnings, which was organized by local music svengali, Darryl Wheeler. Usher recorded 10 songs with the group in 1991, and the ensuing album, Nubeginning Featuring Usher Raymond IV, was only made available regionally and by mail order.[29] However, Patton took him out because, according to her, it was a "bad experience".[25] The album was re-released nationally in April 2002 by Hip-O Records.[29][30]

At age 13, Usher competed on Star Search, where he was spotted by an A&R representative from LaFace Records, who arranged an audition for Usher to L.A. Reid, the co-founder of LaFace; Reid signed Usher a contract with the record company.[24][31] Usher's mother left her job as a medical technician to manage his career, but later broke-up their relationship as manager-client in May 2007.[23] Usher was introduced on "Call Me a Mack", a song he recorded for the soundtrack album to the 1993 drama-romance film Poetic Justice.[29]
On August 30, 1994, LaFace released Usher's self-titled debut album. Sean "P Diddy" Combs produced several of the tracks and co-executive produced the album.[24] Usher peaked at number twenty-five on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was accompanied by three singles: "Can U Get Wit It", "Think Of You", and "The Many Ways".[32] The album has sold over 500,000 copies, to date.[33]

After graduating from high school, Usher continued to develop his skills as a stage performer and laid the groundwork for his second album. He also appeared on their version of "Let's Straighten It Out", a 1995 duet with fellow Atlanta teen recording artist Monica;[34] and on "Dreamin'", from LaFace's 1996 Olympic Games benefit album Rhythm of the Games. He was also featured on "I Swear I'm In Love" off the 1996 Kazaam soundtrack.[35]

1997–2003: Rising popularity
Usher developed a friendship with American record producer, Jermaine Dupri, with whom he co-wrote and produced several tracks for his second album, My Way, released on September 16, 1997. The album's lead single, "You Make Me Wanna", reached number one in the United Kingdom, becoming Usher's first record to be top single; the record led to his popularity reaching in the country.[36][37] It also became Usher's first gold- and platinum-certified single in the United States.[38] The album's second single, "Nice & Slow", peaked in January 1998 at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Usher his first US number-one single.[39] Later in February of the same year, the single was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America; My Way has been certified six-time platinum in the United States.[38]

Usher received his first Grammy Award nomination as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "You Make Me Wanna",[26] which also won him for Best Male R&B/Soul Single at the Soul Train Music Award.[40] In the closing months of 1997, Usher embarked on a series of tour engagements including a spot on Puffy's No Way Out tour, dates with Mary J. Blige, and the opening spot on Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope tour. Usher's first concert album, Live, was released in 1999, which featured appearances by Lil' Kim, Jagged Edge, Trey Lorenz, Shanice, Twista and Manuel Seal; the album has been certified gold in the United States.[38]

Usher made his acting debut on the UPN television series Moesha, which resulted in a recurring role on the series and subsequently his first film role in 1998's The Faculty.[26][33] Usher's extracurricular activities outside of the recording industry gathered momentum over the following year as he was cast in the soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful.[26][33] He completed two more films, She's All That, and his first starring role in Light It Up.[26][33] He also appeared in the Disney TV movie "Geppetto".[41]

Usher's third studio album, originally titled All About U, was slated to be released in early 2001.[42] The first single, "Pop Ya Collar", was released in late 2000 and became a number two hit in the UK but underperformed in the United States.[43] The album was subsequently pushed back and retooled after select tracks were later leaked to the radio and Internet. After having revised and renamed to 8701, the album was released August 7, 2001 (8.7.01).[26] The first two singles "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad" each topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four and six weeks, respectively. 8701 has been certified four-time platinum in the United States.[38]

Usher appeared in the 2001 film Texas Rangers.[44] In February 2002, Usher won a Grammy for 'Best Male R&B Vocal Performance' for "U Remind Me".[45] The next year, he won the same award for "U Don't Have to Call",[26] making Usher the only artist aside from Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder to win this award consecutively. In summer 2002, Usher contributed vocals to P. Diddy's "I Need a Girl, Part I". The year closed out with a trio of TV series appearances, all in November, on The Twilight Zone, 7th Heaven, Moesha, and American Dreams, the latter in which Usher portrayed Marvin Gaye.[46][47]
2004–07: Confessions era
Usher's fourth studio album, Confessions, was released on March 23, 2004—just as its first single, "Yeah!", was in its sixth week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifth week on top of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart.[48] The album's nearly 1.1 million unit debut sales was the highest first-week numbers ever scanned by a male R&B artist and the seventh best of the Nielsen SoundScan history.[49][50] To date, the album has accumulated sales of over 20 million copies worldwide,[45] over 10 million of which were sold in the United States, earning the album a Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.[51][52]

Usher's second single, "Burn" succeeded "Yeah!" at the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Yeah!" had logged twelve weeks at the top, followed by seven consecutive weeks for "Burn" giving Usher nineteen consecutive weeks with a song in the top position. "Burn" yielded the top spot for one week to Fantasia's single "I Believe", and then rose to #1 for an eighth week before Usher's third single "Confessions Part II" hit #1 for two consecutive weeks. Usher's 19 consecutive week-run set a record broken by the Black Eyed Peas in 2009. Usher tied Glenn Miller who also spent 22 of 23 weeks in the #1 position in 2004–05. In April 2010 it re-entered the Billboard 200 chart at #195 then jumped to #114 the following week. Bringing Confessions to a total of 95 weeks spent on the Billboard 200 chart.[53]

The album's second and third singles, "Burn" and "Confessions Part II", also topped the Billboard Hot 100, the former for eight weeks. Usher became the first artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay with four consecutive number-one singles,[54] In September 2004, "My Boo", a duet with American singer-songwriter Alicia Keys, also peaked at number one at the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the album's fourth number-one single.[55] In December, the album's final single "Caught Up" peaked at number eight on the Hot 100.[43]
Confessions earned Usher numerous awards, including four American Music Awards, two MTV Europe Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and three World Music Awards.[56][57][58][59] At the 47th annual Grammy Awards ceremony in 2005, Usher won three awards, including: R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals for "My Boo", which he shared with Keys; Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Yeah!"; and Contemporary R&B Album for Confessions. At the 2004 Billboard Music Awards, Usher was recognized Artist of the Year, in addition to receiving 10 other accolades.[60]
In spring of 2005, Usher scored a number three Hot 100 hit as a featured vocalist on Lil' Jon's "Lovers & Friends".[61] In 2007, Usher also collaborated with R. Kelly on the track "Same Girl", for Kelly's album, Double Up.[62] He was also featured in a remix version of Omarion's "Ice Box".[63] Usher also appeared on the track "Shake Down" on American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige's 2007 album Growing Pains.[64]
In November 2005, Usher starred as a disc jockey named Darrell in the Lions Gate film, In the Mix.[65] On August 22, 2006, Usher took over the role of Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway musical Chicago.[66]

2008–09: Here I Stand
Here I Stand was released on May 26 in the United Kingdom and May 27, 2008 in the United States. The album debuted at #1`on the Billboard 200 Chart with first-week sales of over 433,000 copies.[67] It has been certified platinum by the RIAA. To date Here I Stand has now sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States,[68] been certified platinum by the RIAA,[69] and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.[70] The album was a good commercial success and received positive reviews from most music critics. Who praised the maturity in the album's lyrics. To promote Usher's fifth studio album, the single "Love In This Club" was sent to radio in February 2008 and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It went on to spend three consecutive weeks at the top—becoming Usher's eighth number-one single and the fastest-rising song of his career.[67][71] It also reached #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The single was another huge international success for Usher. It reached #1 on the New Zealand Singles Chart, #3 on the Irish Singles Chart, #3 on the Eurochart Hot 100, #4 on the UK Singles Chart, #5 on the Japan Hot 100, #5 on the German Singles Chart, #5 on the Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders), #6 on the Canadian Hot 100, #8 on the Swedish Singles Chart, #8 on the Australian Singles Chart, #9 on the French Singles Chart, #9 on the Swiss Singles Chart, #10 on the Norwegian Singles Chart, #12 on the Austrian Singles Chart, #13 on the Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia), and #18 on the Finnish Singles Chart. The follow-up single "Love in This Club, Part II", which features American singer Beyoncé Knowles and rapper, Lil Wayne, peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Its third single "Moving Mountains" peaked at #18 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and reached #6 on the New Zealand Singles Chart. The albums fourth single Trading Places" peaked at #4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[39] In September 2008, Usher announced he would embark on the 15-date tour One Night Stand, in which the audience is only females.[72]

On January 18, 2009, Usher performed with Stevie Wonder and Shakira at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial. He also sang "Gone Too Soon" at the memorial of Michael Jackson on July 7, 2009.[73]
2010–present: Raymond v. Raymond and Versus
Raymond v. Raymond, was released on March 26, 2010 in Germany, on March 30, 2010 in the US, and was released April 26, 2010 in the UK.[74] The album was expected to follow in Usher's Confessions album's footsteps. Raymond v. Raymond was released only months after Usher's divorce from Tameka Foster.[75] "Papers" was released as the first promotional single for the album in October 2009 on iTunes. Despite being only a promotional release, it topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for two consecutive weeks, becoming his tenth number one single on that chart. It also peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song itself appears to be loosely based on his failed relationship with his ex wife Tameka.[76] Critics praised the song for its emotion. *"Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", was released as the first official US single on December 8, 2009. The single peaked at number 24[77] on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2[78] on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was released as the second international single in July, 2010. *"Lil Freak", which was firstly released only as a promo single prior to the album's release, had been later announced as the album's official second single in the United States. Usher and Nicki Minaj shot the music video for the song on March 9, 2010 in Los Angeles with director TAJ.[79] It reached number 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart[80] and number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.[81] It became Usher's fourth Top 40 hit single from Raymond v. Raymond, when including the buzz single "Papers". *"OMG", which features will.i.am, is the third official US single and the first international single. The song received mixed reviews, complimenting the song's dance and club vibe but criticizing the Auto-Tune effect. It reached number-one in Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. The song became his ninth number one in the United States, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number one singles in three consecutive decades, and only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve the feat. Usher also became the third artist to have at least one number one song from five consecutive studio albums. The song's choreography and dance-heavy accompanying music video has been compared to that of "Yeah!". *"There Goes My Baby", which was released as the second promotional single prior to the album's release, was released to airplay as the album's fourth single in the United States on June 15, 2010.[82] The song reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, and number-one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Usher's eleventh number-one hit on that chart. All of the albums singles received incredible air play. On April 7, 2010 Raymond v. Raymond debuted at number #1 on the on the US Billboard 200 chart, becoming his third consecutive #1 album and selling an impressive 329,107 copies in its first week of release.[19] Making him the first male artist since Eminem to have three consecutive albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.[83] After one month of release the album was certified Gold by the RIAA.[84] On June 17, 2010 the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.[85] Raymond v. Raymond also dominated the International Charts. Debuting inside the top 10 in Canada, the United Kingdom, Holland, Australia, Germany, Spain, and Italy.[86] Due to the huge international success of Ushers newest single "OMG" and the good first week sales for Raymond v. Raymond Usher is considered to have repaired his mainstream image and to have made a good comeback.[87] The album reached number-two in Australia and the album has been certified gold by the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA).[88] The album debuted at number four in Canada[89] and has been certified Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA).[90] Raymond v. Raymond debuted at number-two in the United Kingdom.[91]
Usher announced on July 8, 2010,[92] a follow-up extended play to his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond called Versus, and a deluxe edition of Raymond v. Raymond, both to be released on August 24, 2010.[93] Usher described Versus as "the last chapter of Raymond v. Raymond", and that it would explore the subjects of being newly single and a father.[92] The album will include 9 tracks, including 7 new tracks, Raymond v. Raymond single "There Goes My Baby", and Justin Bieber single "Somebody to Love (Remix)". The tracks would be included on a deluxe edition of Raymond v. Raymond. The album would be preceded by the singles "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" featuring Pitbull, for mainstream audiences, and "Hot Tottie" featuring Jay-Z, for urban circuits. The first single off the album, "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love", was released to iTunes on July 13, 2010 and sent to radio on July 20, 2010. Due to strong digital sales the song debuted at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100.[94] The song became the fourth highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 of his career, behind 1997's "Nice & Slow" at number nine, 1998's "My Way" at eight, and 2010's "OMG" at number fourteen. Since its release, it has gained international success, peaking in the top 5 in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. It reached the top 10 in Canada, and Europe. It reached number-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 in its third week of release, and became the first time Usher has had two top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time since his album Confessions.[95] It also became Ushers sixteenth Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hit of his career.

Other ventures
Aside from recording, Usher ventured into other business. He had established his own record label, US Records, and is a part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise. Usher was also instrumental in starting and continuing the career of teen singer Justin Bieber. He has also been appearing in films, debuting in the 1998 film The Faculty. While also starring in Light It Up and In the Mix. Usher founded his record label US Records, a vanity label, in 2002. The label is a subsidiary of Clive Davis's J Records, which is distributed by Sony BMG. The first album released by US was the soundtrack to In the Mix in late 2005, which was used to introduce the label's acts, such as rapper Rico Love, Canadian teen R&B artist Justin Bieber, R&B vocal group One Chance, and singer Rayan. Usher served as songwriter-producer in the project.[96][97]

Usher, whose group bought with a reported total purchase price of $375 million, is a part owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise. He became the third pop artist to own a large stake in an NBA team.[98] In addition to this, Usher has opened several restaurants.[99]

Usher server as the contestant mentor for the Top 10 Week of Season 9 of American Idol. He has recently appeared on the ITV1 show Britain's Got Talent on 5 June 2010.
Personal life

In 2001, Usher began dating former TLC member Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, who had a child with producer Dallas Austin. Their relationship lasted for two years: they broke up in December 2003, followed by a media frenzy surrounding the personal nature of Usher's fourth album, Confessions. His fans inferred the reason he and Thomas split is due to infidelity on his part, giving allusions to the lyrics of the songs.[25] In an interview on The Bert Show on Atlanta's Q100 in February 2004, Thomas claimed that Usher cheated on her: "Usher did the ultimate no-no to me ... I will never be with him again, and that is that".[100] Usher defended: "... it just didn't work out. But cheating is not what caused the relationship to collide and crash. That ain't what broke it up".[25] Following their break-up, Usher briefly dated English model-actress Naomi Campbell in September 2004.[23]

In January 2007, he proposed to his then stylist girlfriend Tameka Foster. She has a son from when she was a teenager, as well as two sons with Atlanta clothier Ryan Glover. In February 2007, Usher announced their engagement. After the sudden cancellation of a planned July wedding due to medical concerns, the two were wed on August 3, 2007 in a private ceremony.[101] Their son Usher Raymond V was born on November 26 of the same year.[102] On December 10, 2008, Tameka gave birth to their second child, Naviyd Ely Raymond.[103] In February 2009, in São Paulo, Brazil, Tameka Raymond suffered a cardiac arrest prior to having cosmetic surgery. The procedure, reportedly liposuction[104] was never performed, and Raymond was put into a medically induced coma to aid her recovery. She was later transferred to a larger hospital.[105] Usher canceled his performance at the Recording Academy and Clive Davis's pre-Grammy Gala. Davis told party-goers the singer had to bow out due to a "serious injury in the family ".[106] After a week of recovery, Raymond's surgeon issued a statement saying that she "is doing very well".[107][108] In June 2009, Usher filed for divorce from Foster after claiming they lived separately for nearly a year.[109][110] However Tameka's family and friends claim the two were never separated and he was living in their Atlanta home until March 2009.[111] The two were seen together holding hands in January 2009 during President Obama's Inauguration in Washington, DC.[112] Insiders speculated that when images of him alongside Def Jam Music employee Grace Miguel began to surface in Los Angeles, the singer promptly filed for divorce.


Philanthropy
Usher had founded New Look, a non-profit charity organization which aims to "provide young people with a new look on life through education and real-world experience". Its flagship project, camp New Look, ran from July 11 to July 23, 2005 in Clark Atlanta University.[114] In 2006, the charity started an initiative called Our Block, for which it helped rebuild and revitalize city blocks in New Orleans. The project went on one street at a time, and the funding was helped through part of the proceeds of Usher's team-up with Armani Exchange in creating "Love 4 Life" dog tags, which were made available at the company's stores and Web site.[115]

In 1999, Usher participated in "Challenge for the Children", a benefit basketball game hosted by American boy band 'N Sync. The event, which was held on the campus of Georgia State University, had raised an estimated $50,000 for several local charities.[116] In 2005, Usher is one among the artists who signed on for a Hurricane Katrina relief concert.[117] He has also performed a public service announcement to promote Do Something's campaign for civic engagement.[118]

Discography
Main article: Usher discography

* Usher (1994)
* My Way (1997)
* 8701 (2001)
* Confessions (2004)
* Here I Stand (2008)
* Raymond v. Raymond (2010)
* Versus (2010)


Filmography
* Moesha as Jeremy (1997–1998)
* The Bold And The Beautiful as Raymond (1998)
* The Faculty (1998)
* She's All That (1999)
* Light It Up (1999)
* Texas Rangers (2001)
* In the Mix (2005)....Darrell
* Killers (2010)....Kevin

MTV News Extended Play - Usher

Usher - Hey Daddy [FULL SONG PROMOTE] [HQ]

Taio Cruz (pronounced /ˌtaɪ.oʊ ˈkruːz/ TYE-oh KREWZ[2]; born 23 April 1982) is a British singer, songwriter and music producer.[1][3]
In 2008 he released his debut album Departure. Written, arranged and produced by himself, it achieved initial success in the UK and earned him a MOBO Award nomination. In October 2009, he released his follow up album Rokstarr in the UK. It included his UK and US No. 1 single "Break Your Heart" (his US debut single).Contents
[hide]
* 1 Music career
o 1.1 Early life and career beginnings
o 1.2 Departure (2006-2008) o 1.3 Rokstarr (2009–present)
o 1.4 Writing and producing * 2 Other ventures
o 2.1 Rokstarr brand
* 3 Discography
* 4 References * 5 External links

Music careerEarly life and career beginnings
Cruz was born in London, England, to a Nigerian father and a Brazilian mother.[3] His song writing career began at age of 18 as part of Tricky Stewart's writing collective, RedZone Entertainment.[4] He achieved notability at the age of 21 when he was awarded a BRIT Award for co-writing Will Young's 2004 single, "Your Game".[1][4] He is the founder and C.E.O. of Rokstarr Music London, which in 2006 released his debut single "I Just Wanna Know". Also in 2006, he signed a joint-venture partnership deal with Universal Music Group Companies, the US branch of Mercury Records and the UK branch of Island Records.
Departure (2006-2008)Cruz released his second single "Moving On" in September 2007 which made the top 30 in the UK. In March 2008 his next single, "Come On Girl," featuring Luciana, peaked at No. 5 on the UK charts. The related album Departure appeared on 17 March and peaked at No. 17.[6][7] This was followed by the single "I Can Be," which reached No. 18 in May. On 18 August, "She's Like a Star" was released, which was a remix of the previous single and featured American rapper Busta Rhymes and girl-group Sugababes. The remix later appeared on the Sugababes studio album Catfights & Spotlights, which peaked at No. 20. It was later revealed that Cruz narrowly missed out on the chance to record the song "Umbrella" which was eventually recorded by Rihanna and ended up topping charts around the world.
Rokstarr (2009–present)
Cruz was featured on Tinchy Stryder's breakout single "Take Me Back" which peaked at No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart. According to Cruz's official MySpace blog, as of 1 January 2009, Rokstarr Music London officially changed its name to Rokstarr Entertainment Division and abbreviated to R.E.D Inc. Cruz also modified his US deal by leaving Republic Records, instead opting for a signing with Island Def Jam Music Group's Mercury Records.

During 2009 he worked on his follow up album originally titled T.W.O. (This Way Out) but later changed to Rokstarr.[8] It was released on 12 October through R.E.D Inc/Island Records and is entirely written and produced by Cruz, with co-writes and co-productions predominantly with UK producer Fraser T Smith. The album's lead single "Break Your Heart" was released on 14 September and reached number one in the UK, where it stayed for three weeks.[6] The single spent six weeks in the top-ten. It also reached the top spot in the US for one week on the Billboard charts.[9] In an interview for The Guardian it was stated that "Cruz was clever to have hooked up with a US rapper [ Ludacris ] on his breakthrough hit".[10] The album spawned to other non-American singles, "No Other One" which failed to reach the success of its predecessor and the UK top-ten hit "Dirty Picture" featuring American electropop singer Kesha. Cruz originally intended for Lady Gaga to feature on the song.[11] The album's fourth single (second in the US) is titled "Dynamite" and debuted at number four on the US charts.[9]

In July 2010 Cruz played at the 'Midlands Festival'[12] and then in September 2010 Cruz will perform at the 'Orange Rock Corps' in London.[13] This is due to be followed by a compilation album, The Rockstarr Collection which will include songs from Cruz's debut album and both the US and international versions of Rokstarr.
Writing and producing
Cruz has worked on Tinchy Stryder's album. He wrote a song on Cheryl Cole's album 3 Words. He has also contributed to JLS's self-titled album[15] as well as featuring on The Jersey Shore soundtrack.[16][17] He also writes and produces all his own work including his hit No. 1, "Break Your Heart". He has written one of the songs on the upcoming debut album of new British boyband, The Wanted.[18] British girlgroup The Saturdays have also been working with Cruz on several songs for their third studio album[19] as have McFly who recorded the song "Shine a Light" that was penned by Cruz for their upcoming fifth album.[20] He is also writing Justin Bieber's new album. This album is due for a 2011 release date. Other ventures
Rokstarr brand
On 1 September 2009, Cruz launched the brand Rokstarr, the fashion and accessories brand has a focus on sunglasses. Musicians such as Kanye West, Shontelle, Keri Hilson and Kelly Rowland have been seen wearing a pair. Speaking in October to R&B writer Pete Lewis, Cruz stated: "There's a load of US celebrities that are all rocking the sunglasses already – Kid Cudi, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West... Then in the UK we have The Saturdays, JLS, Daniel Merriweather – who've all been twittering and writing on their blogs how much they love them. So yeah, it's definitely my new album 'Rokstarr' and the fashion brand that are my two main focuses at the moment."[21]

Meanwhile, speaking again to Lewis, in April 2010 Cruz revealed: "We're currently looking to expand the brand and possibly go into things like watches. I've also got a new subsidiary of Rokstarr called 'Rok By Rokstarr'. And we've just started doing things like jeans and T-shirts, and stuff that more of the fans of Taio Cruz can buy. Because with Rokstarr in itself being so expensive, a lot of the kids out there who want to buy Rokstarr things can't. So we're bringing in stuff that's a little bit more High Street and more affordable.
Discography
Main article: Taio Cruz discography

Studio albums

* Departure (2008)
* Rokstarr (2009


Taio Cruz - I'll Never Love Again HQ





Ne-Yo Interview On New Album Libra Scale




KIIS FM's 2010 Wango Tango Concert

Peter Hernandez Jr. (born October 8, 1986[citation needed]), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and music producer.[2] He is well known for lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on You"[3] by B.o.B, and "Billionaire"[4] by Travis McCoy. He also co-wrote the international hits "Right Round" by Flo Rida and "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan.
Contents[hide]
* 1 Life and career
* 2 Discography
o 2.1 Studio albums
o 2.2 Extended plays o 2.3 Singles
o 2.4 Featured singles o 2.5 Music videos
* 3 References
* 4 External links
Life and careerPeter Hernandez Jr. was born and raised in Hawaii by parents Peter Hernandez and Bernadette "Bernie"[5] of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent.[6] Hernandez was one of 6 children, (brother Eric and sisters Jaime "Kailani", Tiara, Tahiti and Presley). He came from a musical family giving him a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B.[7] From a young age, he was impersonating and performing songs by influential artists such as Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. In 1990 Hernandez was featured in MidWeek magazine as "Little Elvis". He played Little Elvis in the movie Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992. He attended President Theodore Roosevelt High School, graduating in 2003 at age 17, and shortly after moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career. His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far*East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D", produced by The Stereotypes.
Before becoming a successful solo artist, he was an acknowledged music producer,[8] penning songs for the likes of Flo Rida, Alexandra Burke, Travis McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston and he also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7. He reached prominence as a solo artist after not only writing, but featuring on "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire". He said of them, "I think those songs weren't meant to be full-sung songs. If I'd sung all of "Nothin' on You", it might've sounded like some '90s R&B."[9] It was soon announced after this success that Mars would be releasing his debut EP, titled It's Better If You Don't Understand[10] on May 11, 2010.[11] Although Mars has been referenced as "soft" because of his light, angelic, falsetto voice, his friend says "What people don't know is there's a darker underbelly to Bruno Mars,". Mars himself says " I blame that on me singing to girls back in high school..." [12]
Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, will be released on October 5, 2010.[13][14] The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010,[15] and has so far peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.[16] Other confirmed tracks on the record include "Marry You" and "Grenades".[17] The album cover was officially released on August 30, 2010.[18] He will open for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010. Mars will also co-headline with Travie McCoy an a European tour starting October 18, 2010.[14]
Discography

Studio albums

Year Album details
2010 Doo-Wops & Hooligans

* To be released: October 5, 2010
* Label: Elektra

Extended plays

Year Album details Peak positions
US
[19]
2010 It's Better If You Don't Understand

* Release date: May 11, 2010
* Label: Elektra

99
Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US
[20] US Pop
[21] AUS
[22] CAN
[23] NZ
[24]
2010 "The Other Side" (featuring Cee-Lo Green & B.o.B) — — — — — It's Better If You Don't Understand
"Just the Way You Are" 9 15 43 19 5 Doo-Wops & Hooligans
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Music videos

Year Video Director(s)
2010 "Nothin' on You" (B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars) Ethan Lader[34]
"Billionaire" (Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars) Mark Staubach[35]
"The Other Side" (featuring Cee-Lo Green & B.o.B) Nick Bilardello and Cameron Duddy[36]
"Just the Way You Are" Ethan Lader[14]


Spotlight Interview: B.o.B aka Bobby Ray






B.o.B. - Airplanes + EXCLUSIVE BACKSTAGE INTERVIEW!




Ne-Yo Interview On New Album Libra Scale




Shyne Interview He Did with 50 Cent (The Real Version)




PinBoardBlog.com Exclusive: The B.o.B. Interview

Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), better known by her stage name Katy Perry, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Perry was born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents; she grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in church as a child. After earning a GED during her freshman year of high school, she began to pursue a music career. She released a self-titled gospel album in 2001 as Katy Hudson which failed with the closing of its record label that year. She recorded an album with production team The Matrix and completed most of a solo album from 2004–2005, neither of which were released.
After signing on with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry and released her first Internet single, "Ur So Gay", that November, which garnered attention but did not chart. She rose to fame with her second single "I Kissed a Girl" in 2008, which topped international charts. Perry's first mainstream album, One of the Boys, followed later that year and was eventually announced to be the thirty-third best selling album of 2008 worldwide.[1] It was accredited platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America; "I Kissed a Girl" and her second single "Hot n Cold" both received multi-platinum certifications. Perry was ranked the 97th Artist of the 2000–10 decade by Billboard.[2] She became known for wearing unconventional style of dress, often combining bold colors and vintage fashion. Her next album, Teenage Dream, was released on August 24, 2010 in the United States.
Perry had a long relationship with Travis McCoy; she is currently engaged to Russell Brand.
Contents[hide]

* 1 Early life
* 2 Recording career o 2.1 2001–07: Beginnings
o 2.2 2008–09: One of the Boys
o 2.3 2009–present: MTV Unplugged, Teenage Dream, and film debut
* 3 Music and themes
* 4 Style and image * 5 Personal life * 6 Discography
* 7 Filmography
* 8 See also
* 9 References * 10 External links

Early life

Katy Perry was born Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson in Santa Barbara, California.[3] The second child of two pastors,[4] she has an older sister and younger brother.[5] Her Evangelical mother, Mary Hudson (née Perry), grew up in Southern California and had "a tempestuous first marriage in Zimbabwe."[5] Her father, Keith Hudson, was a West Coast scenester in the 1960s.[5] Perry's maternal aunt and uncle were screenwriter Eleanor Perry and director Frank Perry,[6] through whom she is also related to Charles M. Schwab, the founder of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation.[7] Perry is of Portuguese[8] and German[9] ancestry on her mother's side, and English descent on her fathers side.

Perry was incorporated into her parents' ministry;[4] she sang in their church from ages 9 to 17.[3][10] She grew up listening to gospel music[11] and was not allowed to listen to what her mother called secular music.[10][12] Perry attended Christian schools and camps.[4] As a child, Perry learned how to dance in a recreation building in Santa Barbara. She was taught by seasoned dancers and began with swing, Lindy Hop, and jitterbug.[13] She took her GED after her freshman year of high school and decided to leave school to pursue a career in music.[14] Perry initially started singing "because I was at that point in my childhood where I was copycatting my sister and everything she did."[14] Her sister practiced with cassette tapes, and Perry took the tapes herself when her sister was not around. She rehearsed the songs and performed it to her parents, who suggested she should take voice lessons. She grabbed the opportunity and began taking lessons at age nine to 16. She enrolled in at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, and studied Italian opera for a short time.[14]
Recording career
2001–07: Beginnings

At the age of 15, Perry's singing in church attracted the attention of rock veterans from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to polish her writing skills.[15] In Nashville, Perry started recording demos and was taught by country music veterans on how to craft songs and play guitar.[10][12] Perry signed to the Christian music label Red Hill, under which she recorded her first album at the age of 15.[16] Performing as Katy Hudson, she released the self-titled Gospel-rock album in 2001.[5][15] The album was unsuccessful, however, after the label ceased operations at the end of 2001.[16] She later changed her surname to Perry, her mother's maiden name, because "Katy Hudson" was too close to film actress Kate Hudson.[15][17] At the age of 17, Perry left her home for Los Angeles, where she worked with Glen Ballard on an album for record label Island.[18] The album was due for release in 2005,[3][15][16] but Billboard reported it also went nowhere.[16] Perry was dropped by Island Def Jam Music Group.[5] Some of Perry and Ballard's collaborations included "Box", "Diamonds" and "Long Shot", were posted on her official MySpace page. "Simple", one of the songs she recorded with Ballard, was released on the soundtrack to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.[19]

Perry signed to Columbia Records in 2004. However, the label was not amenable with her vision, not putting her in the "driver's seat".[16] Instead, one of Columbia's ideas was to pair Perry with the record production team The Matrix, who was working on an album, to serve as its female vocalist. Although the album was later shelved,[20] she caught the attention of the music press: Her burgeoning music career led to her being named "The Next Big Thing" in October 2004 by Blender magazine.[3][16] With no album project ongoing, Perry began recording her own. Eighty percent completed, however, Columbia decided not to finish it and dropped her off the label.[16]
While waiting to find another label, she worked in an independent A&R company called Taxi Music. In 2006, Perry was featured in the tail-end of the video to P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now".[21] She made a cameo appearance in Carbon Leaf's video, "Learn to Fly", and in Gym Class Heroes' video, "Cupid's Chokehold", playing the eventual love interest of lead singer Travis McCoy. Her songs eventually captured the attention of Virgin Records CEO Jason Flom, then head of Capitol Music Group, who signed her to Capitol Music in early 2007.[16]

2008–09: One of the Boys
After signing to Capitol Records, Perry began recording tracks for her official mainstream debut album, One of the Boys, and establishing her image was one of the immediate concerns of her management.[16] A campaign was started in November 2007 with the release of the video to "Ur So Gay", aimed at introducing her to the music market. A digital EP led by "Ur So Gay" was later released to create online buzz.[4][16] This was a successful move that resulted in bringing Perry to the attention of Madonna,[16] who mentioned her on KISS FM and KRQ's JohnJay & Rich morning show in Arizona. On March 10, 2008, she appeared as herself on the ABC Family television series, Wildfire, on the episode "Life's Too Short".[22]

While the buzz over Perry was building, she went on the next step of promoting the album, undertaking a two-month tour of radio stations. The album's official lead single, "I Kissed a Girl", was released on May 6, 2008. With the song climbing atop the charts, Perry embarked on the annual Warped Tour music festival, which her management used to "establish her as a credible performer and make sure she wasn't seen as just a one-hit wonder."[16] The single was a commercial success, peaking at number one for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.[16] It has since become a major worldwide hit, topping charts in 30 countries,[20] including Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.[23] On June 12, 2008, Perry appeared as herself on the daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless,[22] and poses for the cover to the June 2008 issue of the fictional magazine Restless Style.[24]
Katy Perry performs live in Berlin, September 2008.

One of the Boys was released on June 17, 2008 to mixed critical reviews.[25] The album has reached number nine on the Billboard 200,[26] and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[27] Perry released her second single, "Hot n Cold", which became her second top three single in dozens of countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100,[16] as well as topping the charts in Germany, Canada, and Denmark. After Perry wrapped up her appearance at the Warped Tour, she went on tours in Europe. She later launched her first headlining tour, the Hello Katy Tour, in January 2009.[16] "I Kissed a Girl" earned Perry a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards.[28] Perry was nominated in five categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Female Video, but lost to Britney Spears.[29] She won Best New Act at the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards, which she co-hosted,[30] and Best International Female Artist at the 2009 BRIT Awards.[31] On February 9, 2009, both "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot n Cold" were certified three-time platinum by Recording Industry Association of America for individual digital sales of over three million.[32]
The Matrix's self-titled debut album, which features Perry, was later released via the team's label, Let's Hear It, during Perry's solo tour. When the release date was scheduled, "I Kissed a Girl" had been charting well. Matrix member Lauren Christy spoke to Perry about the decision, but she wanted to hold the release until the fourth single of One of the Boys had been dispatched. Despite their communication, The Matrix was released on January 27, 2009, via iTunes Store.[33]

In December 2008, Perry apologized to British singer Lily Allen for remarks in which she called herself a "skinnier version" of her, saying she meant it as a joke.[34] Allen retaliated and told a British radio station that she "happen[ed] to know for a fact that she [Perry] was an American version" of her because their record company needed "to find something controversial and 'kooky'" like her.[35]
Katy Perry performing at the 2009 Life Ball in Vienna
On May 16, 2009, Perry performed at the opening ceremony of the annual Life Ball in Vienna, Austria.[36] In June 2009, lawyers acting for Katy Perry opposed the recent trademark of Australian fashion designer Katie Perry who uses her own name to market loungewear.[37] Some media outlets reported this as a lawsuit, which Katy Perry has denied on her blog.[38] Katie Perry the designer reports on her blog that at a hearing with IP Australia on 10 July 2009, the singer's lawyers withdrew their opposition to the trademark.[39]

2009–present: MTV Unplugged, Teenage Dream, and film debut

In 2009, Perry was featured on two singles: a remix of Colorado-based band 3OH!3's song "Starstrukk" in August (the idea for the collaboration came after Perry's tour that featured 3OH!3 as the supporting act). The song was released over iTunes on September 8, 2009; and "If We Ever Meet Again", the fourth single off Timbaland's album Shock Value II in December.[40]

In October 2009, MTV Unplugged revealed that Perry was one of the artists to perform for them, and that she would be releasing a live album of the performance, including two new tracks, "Brick by Brick" and Fountains of Wayne cover "Hackensack".[41] The album was released on November 17, and includes both a CD and a DVD.[42]
Perry's new album is titled Teenage Dream [43] and it will be out August 24, 2010 in North America and August 30 worldwide.[44] The first single from the album is titled "California Gurls".[45] Capitol Records sent the song to U.S. radio on May 7, 2010.[46] The single took only four weeks to reach the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the fastest rising single from a Capitol Records artist since Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" in 1967.[47] On July 22, Perry released the cover art for Teenage Dream, a painting by Will Cotton, which resembles the shots of Perry in the "California Gurls" video where she is lying naked on the cotton candy clouds.[48] Perry also revealed that the booklet of the physical edition of the album will smell like cotton candy.[49] On July 22, 2010, the album's second single "Teenage Dream" was leaked onto the web. It was officially released on iTunes the following day.[50] On August 3, "Not Like the Movies" was released on iTunes as the first of three planned promotional singles.[51] A week later on August 10, the second planned single, "Circle the Drain", was released on iTunes. The following week, on August 17, the album's final promotional single, "E.T." was released on iTunes.
Perry has announced her own fragrance to be released in autumn of this year, named "Purr". It will come in a cat-shaped bottle, and will be available through Nordstrom stores.[52][53]

Perry is set to make her film début, starring in the 2011 film The Smurfs, as Smurfette, alongside Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Winters, Alan Cumming, and George Lopez.[54]

Music and themes

Perry has a contralto vocal range.[55] Among Perry's musical influences are Alanis Morissette,[11][20] pop rockers Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Shirley Manson,[56] and Freddie Mercury,[10] the late frontman of the British band Queen. Growing up listening to gospel music, Perry had few references when she began recording songs.[10] Asked by the producer with whom she would like to collaborate, Perry had no idea. That night, she went with her mother to a hotel. Inside, she turned on VH1 and saw producer Glen Ballard talking about Morissette;[10] Ballard produced Morissette's Jagged Little Pill, the album that had a "huge influence" on Perry.[15] She told her initial collaborator that she had decided to work with Ballard. The producer arranged a meeting for her and Ballard in Los Angeles. Perry presented him a song, and a day later she was called. Ballard developed Perry for a few years.[10]

Perry described her music by saying, "Someone kind of penned it for me the other day, and I've been using it ever since."[10] According to her, she has "changed a lot between the ages of 15 to 23."[4] Her first album dwells on Gospel music.[4][16] She related that her perspective in music was "a bit enclosed and very strict", and everything she did was church-related.[4] Her second album, One of the Boys, is described as "secular" and "rock," and reflects a departure from her religious musical roots.[57] Perry expects to record more pop songs for her next album.[13][58]
Perry is artistically involved in her projects, especially in the writing process. Since she could play guitar, she would start writing songs at home and present it to her producers. Perry is mostly inspired by specific moments of her life. She said it is easy for her to write songs about heartbreak.[10] Most of the themes in One of the Boys deal with heartbreak, teen adventure, and "puking into toilets".[15]

Perry's mother reportedly told British tabloid Daily Mail that she dislikes her daughter's music, calling it "shameful and disgusting".[4][59] Perry said her mother was misquoted and told MTV that it was false information.[59] Her songs "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed a Girl" have received negative reactions from both religious and gay sectors.[59] The songs have been respectively labeled as being homophobic and promoting homosexuality, as well as "lezploitational".[4] MTV mentioned criticism suggesting that Perry is using "bi-curiosity" as a way to sell records.[59] Perry responded to the controversy surrounding "Ur So Gay": "It's not a negative connotation. It's not, 'you're so gay,' like, 'you're so lame,' but the fact of the matter is that this boy should've been gay. I totally understand how it could be misconstrued or whatever ... It wasn't stereotyping anyone in particular, I was talking about ex-boyfriends."[60]

Style and image
Perry is known for her unconventional style of dress.[13] It is often humorous, bright in color, and reminiscent of different decades, and she frequently uses fruit-shaped accessories, mainly watermelon, as part of her outfits.[56] Having learned dancing at an early age, she fancied about having her own style. Perry's transformation into an artist began with fashion, inspired by American film actress Dominique Swain's portrayal in 1997 film adaptation of the novel Lolita.[15] She defines her fashion style as "a bit of a concoction of different things".[13] Johnny Wujek, Perry's stylist, described her style, upon meeting her for the first time, as "very colorful and vintage".[61] Her fashion has caught the attention of designers, who were giving her nearly as much attention as fans of her music.[4][56]

In June 2008, a publicity photo that showed Perry posing with a switchblade was criticized.[62] The picture was defended as only an effort to give Perry a "sexy, harder edge".[62] The criticism leveled at her was mocked by Perry who subsequently posed with a spoon instead.[63]

Personal life

Perry dated Gym Class Heroes frontman Travis McCoy, whom she met in a recording studio in New York,[17] on and off for several years. After more than a year of friendship and casual dating, they became serious with their relationship right before they embarked into the 2008 Warped Tour. Perry and McCoy broke up in December 2008.[64] The two began dating again in early 2009 and broke up again a few months later. Perry is now engaged to British comedian Russell Brand after he proposed in December 2009.[65][66] In a YouTube interview, she said Brand would be a "perfect" father.[67]

Discography
* Katy Hudson (2001)
* One of the Boys (2008)
* Teenage Dream (2010)

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2008 The Young and the Restless Herself Episode 8,914
Wildfire Herself "Life's Too Short" (season 4, episode 8)
2010 The X Factor Guest Judge Series 7, Episode 2
Film
Year Title Role Notes
2011 The Smurfs Smurfette Voice

See also
* List of artists who reached number one in the United States
* List of awards and nominations received by Katy Perry



Katy Perry interview about her life



Song

Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born February 2, 1977),[2] known professionally as Shakira (pronounced /ʃəˈkɪərə/, Spanish: [tʃaˈkiɾa] or [ʃaˈkiɾa]),[3] is a Colombian singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, and philanthropist who emerged as a musical prodigy in the music scene of Latin America in the early 1990s. Born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira revealed many of her talents in school as a live performer, demonstrating her vocal ability with rock and roll, Latin and Middle Eastern influences with her own original twist on belly dancing. Shakira is a native Spanish speaker and also speaks fluent English and Portuguese.
After commercial flops with local producers on her first two albums, and being little-known outside Colombia, Shakira decided to produce her own brand of music. In 1995 she released Pies Descalzos, which brought her great fame in Latin America and Spain, and her 1998 album ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones? was a critical success. Since then she has gained many fans in semi-Hispanophone countries, and many non-Spanish-speaking countries, especially the United States. In 2001, aided by the extreme popularity of the music video for "Whenever, Wherever", she broke through into the English-speaking world with the release of Laundry Service, which sold over 13 million copies worldwide.[5][6] Four years later, Shakira released two album projects called Fijación Oral Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation Vol. 2. Both reinforced her success, particularly with the most successful song in the 21st century to date, "Hips Don't Lie".

She has won two Grammy Awards,[5] seven Latin Grammy Awards,[5] twelve Billboard Latin Music Awards[5] and has been Golden Globe-nominated.[5] She is also the highest-selling Colombian artist of all time, and the second most successful female Latin singer after Gloria Estefan, having sold over 50 million albums worldwide according to BMI.[8] Additionally, she is the only artist from South America to reach the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the Australian ARIA chart, and the UK Singles Chart.[9] Shakira is to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well.[10][11] In the fall of 2009, Shakira released her sixth album She Wolf worldwide.

Shakira's latest track is the successful "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, along with its Spanish language version, titled "Waka Waka (Esto es África)".[13] The song has received generally positive critical reception, and has become a worldwide smash hit.[14] On YouTube, the english version of the music video is the fourth most watched video, and third most watched music video of all-time with over 165 million views.
Her next studio album, the bilingual Sale El Sol, is due for an October, 2010 release, and will see her return to pop rock music
Contents

* 1 Early life
* 2 Career
o 2.1 1990–1994: Magia and Peligro
o 2.2 1995–1997: Pies Descalzos
o 2.3 1998–2000: ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?
o 2.4 2001–2004: Laundry Service
o 2.5 2005–2007: Fijación Oral Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation Vol. 2
o 2.6 2008–present: She Wolf, 2010 FIFA World Cup and Sale El Sol
o 2.7 Collaborations and other work
* 3 Personal life
* 4 Philanthropy and humanitarian work
* 5 Style
o 5.1 Music and voice o 5.2 Influences
* 6 Dancing
* 7 Acting
* 8 Records and achievements
* 9 Discography
* 10 Tours
* 11 Awards* 12 See also
* 13 Notes
* 14 References
* 15 External links

Early life

Shakira was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the only child of Nidya del Carmen Ripoll Torrado and William Mebarak Chadid, who are of Lebanese, Spanish (specifically Catalan) and Italian descent.[2][17][18] She has eight older half-siblings from her father's previous marriage
Shakira means "thankful" in Arabic.[20][21] It is the feminine form of the name Shakir. Her second name, Isabel, is also that of her paternal grandmother, meaning "my God is my oath", "my God's house" or "my God is abundance", and her name is a Spanish given name for Elizabeth. Her second surname name Ripoll is Catalan. She spent much of her youth in Barranquilla, a city located in northern Colombia. Shakira's business acumen is often attributed to a high IQ, which is reported in the entertainment press to be 140.[22]

Shakira wrote her first poem, entitled "La Rosa De Cristal" ("The Crystal Rose") when she was only four years old. As she was growing up, she was fascinated watching her father writing stories on a typewriter, and asked for one as a Christmas gift. She got her wish at age seven and continued writing poetry. These poems eventually evolved into songs. At the age of two, an older half-brother was killed in a motorcycle accident and at the age of eight, Shakira wrote her first song entitled "Tus gafas oscuras" ("Your dark glasses") which was inspired by her father, who for years wore dark glasses, to hide his grief.[23]

When Shakira was four, her father took her to a local Middle Eastern restaurant, where Shakira first heard the doumbek, a traditional drum used in Arabic music and which typically accompanied belly dancing.[24] Before she knew it, Shakira was dancing on the table, as restaurant patrons responded by clapping enthusiastically. It was then that Shakira said she knew she wanted to be a performer. She enjoyed singing for schoolmates and teachers (and even the nuns) at her Catholic school, but in the second grade was rejected for the school choir because her vibrato was too strong. The music teacher told her that she sounded "like a goat".[24][25] At school, she says she had been known as "the belly dancer girl", as she would demonstrate every Friday at school a number she had learned.[24] "That's how I discovered my passion for live performance," she says.[22]

When she was eight, Shakira's father declared bankruptcy. While the details were sorted out, she stayed with relatives in Los Angeles. On returning to Barranquilla, she was shocked to find that much of what her parents owned had been sold; as she later said "In my childish head, this was the end of the world."[19] To show her that things could be worse, her father took her to a local park to see orphans who lived there. The images stayed with her and she said to herself "one day I’m going to help these kids when I become a famous artist."[19]

Between the ages of ten and thirteen Shakira was invited to various events in Barranquilla and gained some recognition in the area.[26] It was at about this time that she met local theater producer Monica Ariza, who was impressed with her and as a result tried to help her career. During a flight from Barranquilla to Bogotá, Ariza convinced Sony Colombia executive Ciro Vargas to hold an audition for Shakira in a hotel lobby. Vargas held Shakira in high regard and, returning to the Sony office, gave the cassette to a song and artist director. However, the director was not overly excited and thought Shakira was something of "a lost cause". Vargas, not daunted, was still convinced that Shakira had talent, and set up an audition in Bogotá. He arranged for Sony Colombia executives to arrive at the audition, with the idea of surprising them with Shakira's performance. She performed three songs for the executives and impressed them enough for her to be signed to record three albums.[27]

Career

1990–1994: Magia and Peligro

Shakira's debut album, Magia, was recorded with Sony Music in 1990 when she was only thirteen years old.[5] The songs are a collection penned by her since she was 8, mixed pop-rock ballads and disco uptempo songs with electronic accompaniment, however it was hampered by a lack of recording and production cohesion. The album was released in June 1991 and featured "Magia" and three other singles. Though it fared well on Colombian radio and gave the young Shakira much exposure, the album did not fare well commercially as only 1,200 copies were sold worldwide.[24] After the poor performance of Magia, Shakira's label urged her to return to the studio to release a follow-up record.

Although little known outside of her native Colombia, Shakira was invited to perform at Chile's Viña del Mar International Song Festival in February 1993. The festival gave aspiring Latin American singers a chance to perform their songs, and the winner was then chosen by a panel of judges. Shakira performed the ballad "Eres" ("You Are") and won the trophy for third place. One of the judges who voted for her to win was then 20-year-old Ricky Martin.[5]

Shakira's second studio album Peligro was released in March 1993, but Shakira was not pleased with the final result, mainly taking issue with the production. The album was better received than Magia, though it was also considered a commercial failure due to Shakira's refusal to advertise it. Shakira then decided to take a hiatus from recording so that she could graduate from high school.[5] In the same year, Shakira starred in the Colombian TV Series "The Oasis", loosely based on the Armero tragedy in 1985.[28] Since then, the albums have been pulled from release and are not considered official Shakira albums but rather promotional albums.
1995–1997: Pies Descalzos

Shakira originally recorded the song "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" (later released on her album Pies Descalzos) for the compilation album Nuestro Rock in 1995, released exclusively in Colombia.[29] “Pies Descalzos” album brought her great popularity in Latin America by the hit singles "Estoy Aquí," "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" and "Dónde Estás Corazón."[5] Shakira also recorded three tracks in Portuguese titled “Estou Aqui”, “Um Pouco de Amor”, and “Pés Descalços”.

Shakira returned to recording music under Sony Music along with Columbia in 1995 with Luis F. Ochoa, using musical influences from a number of countries and an Alanis Morissette-oriented persona which affected two of her next albums.[30] These recordings spawned her third studio album but first official, Pies Descalzos. Recording for the album began in February 1995, after the success of her single "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?". Sony gave Shakira $100,000 to produce the album since they predicted that the album would not sell past 100,000 copies. Starting with this album, Shakira began producing her own music, perfecting her vocals and most of all, practicing creative control over her music. Highly influenced by the American alternative market and British groups such as The Pretenders, the album's songs are melodic, musically surprising and gritty, with intellectual lyrics and an electronic/acoustic blend that effectively broke the formulaic mold of Latin pop with an authentic sound that hadn’t been heard before.

The album Pies Descalzos, was released in October 1995 in South America and in February 1996 internationally. It debuted at number one in eight different countries. However, it only managed to reach number one-hundred-eighty on the U.S. Billboard 200 but reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. The album spawned six hit singles, "Estoy Aqui" which reached number two on the U.S. Latin chart, "¿Dónde Estás Corazón?" which reached numebr five on the U.S. Latin chart, "Pies Descalzos, Sueños Blancos" which reached number eleven on the U.S. Latin chart, "Un Poco De Amor" which reached number six on the U.S. Latin chart, "Antologia" which reached number fifteen on the U.S. Latin Pop Songs chart and "Se Quiere, Se Mata" which reached number eight on the U.S. Latin chart.[31] In August 1996, RIAA certified the album platinum status.[32]

In March 1996, Shakira went on to her first international tour named simply the Tour Pies Descalzos. The tour consisted of 20 shows and ended in 1997. Also in that year, Shakira received three Billboard Latin Music Awards for Album of the Year for Pies Descalzos, Video of the Year for "Estoy Aqui" and Best New Artist.[33]

Pies Descalzos later sold over 5 million copies,[34][35] prompting the release of a remix album, simply titled The Remixes. The Remixes also included Portuguese versions of some of her well known songs, which were recorded as a result of her success in the Brazilian market, where Pies Descalzos sold nearly one million copies.[26]

1998–2000: ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?

Having received a World Music Award as the best selling Latin artist of that time, Shakira began preparing new material for her second studio album. She was also chosen from dozens of Latin singers to grace the cover of Time magazine in the article titled Era of the Rockera.

Her second official studio album, ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?, produced entirely by Shakira herself and Emilio Estefan, Jr. as the executive producer, was released in September 1998. The album, inspired by an incident in an airport in which a suitcase full of her written lyrics was stolen, became a bigger hit than Pies Descalzos. Allmusic and Rolling Stone both gave the album a four out of five stars rating. The album has reached a peak position of number one-hundred-thirty-one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and held the top spot on the U.S. Latin Albums chart for eleven weeks. It has since sold over 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone, making it one of the best selling Spanish albums in the U.S. Eight of the album's eleven tracks became singles, including "Ciega, Sordomuda", "Moscas En La Casa", "No Creo" which became her first single to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, "Inevitable", "Tú", "Si Te Vas", "Octavo Día", and the world-famous, Arabic tinged "Ojos Así". The latter two songs won Shakira one Latin Grammy each with six of the eight singles reaching the top 40 on the U.S. Latin chart.

As of 2010, ¿Donde Estan Los Ladrones? has sold ten million copies worldwide.[36] Shakira also received her first Grammy Award nomination in 1999 for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.[37] Shakira's first live album, MTV Unplugged was recorded in New York City on August 12, 1999. Highly acclaimed by American critics, it is rated as one of her best-ever live performances.[38] The live album earned the Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album in 2001 and gained sales of five million worldwide.[39] In March 2000, Shakira embarked on her Tour Anfibio, a two-month tour of Latin America and the United States. In August 2000, she won an MTV Video Music Award in the now-defunct category of People's Choice — Favorite International Artist for "Ojos Asi". On September 9, 2000, Shakira performed "Ojos Así" at the inaugural ceremony of the Latin Grammy Awards, where she was nominated in five categories: Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for MTV Unplugged, Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for "Octavo Dia", Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Short Form Music Video for the video for "Ojos Asi",[40] but she won only two of the awards. Shakira's performance of "Ojos Asi" at the awards show was voted as the Greatest Latin Grammy performance of all time.
[edit] 2001–2004: Laundry Service

Upon the success of ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? and MTV Unplugged, Shakira began working on an English crossover album. Thanks to other successful crossover acts, most notably that of Ricky Martin, Selena and Enrique Iglesias, the crossover of Spanish artists to the English market had a great surge of popularity in mainstream music and it was the next logical step to Shakira and her label for her career.[41] Shakira worked for over a year on new material for the album.

"Whenever, Wherever" ("Suerte" in Spanish countries) was released as the first and lead single from Shakira's first English album and third studio album throughout the period of August 2001 and February 2002. The song took heavy influence from Andean music, including the charango and panpipes in its instrumentation. The track was produced by Shakira, and it was an international success by reaching number one in most countries. It was also her first success in the U.S., by reaching number six on the Hot 100.

Shakira's third studio album and first English language album Laundry Service (Servicio De Lavanderia in Latin America and Spain) was released on November 13, 2001. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart selling over 200,000 records in its first week. Laundry Service was later certified triple platinum by the RIAA in June 2004 as well.[42] and thus helped to establish Shakira's musical presence in the mainstream North American market. Seven songs from the album became international singles: "Whenever, Wherever" / "Suerte", "Underneath Your Clothes", "Objection (Tango)" / "Te Aviso, Te Anuncio (Tango)", "The One", "Te Dejo Madrid", "Que Me Quedes Tú" and "Poem To A Horse", with four of the singles becoming largely successful.

Because the album was created for the English language market, the rock and Spanish dance-influenced album gained mild critical success with some critics claimed that her English skills were too weak for her to write songs for it with Rolling Stone stating "she sounds downright silly" or "Shakira's magic is lost in translation." Shakira also was criticized by her Latin fans for seemingly abandoning her folk and rock roots in favor of contemporary American pop music. Despite this fact, the album became the best selling album of 2002, selling more than 13 million copies worldwide.[5][6] and became the most successful album of her career to date. Around this time, Shakira also released four songs for Pepsi for her promotion in the English markets: "Ask for More", "Pide Mas", "Knock on My Door" and "Pideme El Sol", included in the extended play, Pepsi CD.

In November 2002, Shakira embarked on the Tour of the Mongoose with 61 shows occurring by May 2003. The tour was also her first worldwide tour, as legs were played in North and South America as well as Europe and Asia. At Aerosmith's MTV Icon in April 2002, Shakira performed "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)". Also in 2002, Shakira joined the likes of Cher, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, Anastacia, and the Dixie Chicks for VH1 Divas Live Las Vegas. In September 2002, Shakira won the now-defunct International Viewer's Choice Award at the MTV Video Music Awards with "Whenever, Wherever". Shakira also won the Latin Grammy Award for the category of Best Short Form Music Video for the Spanish version of the video. In October of that year, she won five MTV Video Music Awards Latin America for Best Female Artist, Best Pop Artist, Best Artist — North (Region), Video of the Year (for "Suerte"), and Artist of the Year.

In November 2002, Shakira’s label Sony BMG released her Spanish greatest hits compilation Grandes Éxitos. A DVD and ten-track live album, called Live & Off the Record, was also released in 2004, reaching sales of 3 million worldwide, and commemorating the Tour of the Mongoose.

2005–2007: Fijación Oral Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation Vol. 2

After promotion for Shakira's third studio album ended in 2003, Shakira chose to step out of the spotlight to record new music. Many possible release dates for her fourth studio album were announced but later delayed until early 2005 when Shakira announced the title of her fourth record and that Rick Rubin would be the executive producer of the album. It was later announced that the album would instead be two albums.

Shakira's fourth studio album, Fijación Oral Vol. 1, was released in June 2005. The lead single from the album, "La Tortura" reached the top 40 of on the Hot 100 after being released in April 2005 and receiving large scale success on radio. The song also featured the Spanish balladeer Alejandro Sanz. It also spent a record of twenty-five weeks at number one on the U.S. Latin chart. Shakira became the first artist to perform a Spanish language song at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2005 as well.

Contrary to low expectations, Fijación Oral Vol. 1 was extremely well-received. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 157,000 copies in its first week. It has since sold over two million copies in the U.S., earning a 2x Platinum certification from the RIAA. Due to its first week sales, the album became the highest debut ever for a Spanish language album. After only a day of release in Latin America, the album earned certifications. In Venezuela, it earned a Platinum certification, in Colombia, a triple Platinum certification while in Mexico, the album exceeded shipments and was unavailable after only one day of release. The album sold over one million copies in three days worldwide. Four other singles were also released from the album. "No", "Dia De Enero", "La Pared" and "Las De La Intuición", with each single reaching number one in countries worldwide.

On February 8, 2006, Shakira won her second Grammy Award with the win of Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album for Fijación Oral Vol. 1.[43] Shakira received four Latin Grammy Awards in November 2006, winning the awards for Record of the Year, Song of the Year for "La Tortura", Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Fijación Oral Vol. 1.[44] Fijación Oral Vol. 1 has since sold over 5 million copies worldwide.[45]

Before the release of Oral Fixation Vol. 2, Shakira's second bilingual studio album, Shakira appeared at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2005 in Lisbon, Portugal, where she performed "Don't Bother", the lead single from the album, minutes before winning an award in the category of Best Female Artist. "Don't Bother", however, failed to achieve chart success in the U.S. by missing the top 40 on the Hot 100. It did, however, reach the top 20 in most countries worldwide.

Shakira's second English studio album and fifth studio album, Oral Fixation Vol. 2 was released on November 29, 2005. The album debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. The album has gone on to sell 1.8 million records in the U.S., earning a Platinum certification from the RIAA. Oddly enough, the album didn't fare as well as its Spanish counterpart in the U.S., selling a few hundred thousand less records overall. Oral Fixation Vol. 2 has also gone on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide.[46] The cover of the album featured Shakira as Eve with forbidden fruit was also considered controversial, and had to be altered in several countries which would not sell the album with that cover.

Despite the commercial failure of the album's lead single in the U.S., it went on to spawn two more singles. "Hips Don't Lie", featuring Wyclef Jean, was released as the album's second single in February 2006. The song went on to become the highest selling single of the 21st century and became Shakira's first number one single on the Billboard Hot 100, in addition to reaching number one in over fifty-five countries. Shakira and Wyclef Jean also recorded a Bamboo version of the song to serve as the official theme of the FIFA World Cup 2006. Shakira, along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, received the most nominations for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards with "Hips Don't Lie", but she won only the award for Best Choreography. Shakira later released the third and final single from the album, "Illegal" featuring Carlos Santana, in November 2006. The single reached number one in some European countries and on the U.S. dance chart, though it failed to reach the Hot 100.

Shakira embarked on the Oral Fixation Tour, in June 2006. The tour consisted of 125 shows between June 2006 and July 2007. The concert also visited all six continents. One show in Mexico City was performed for free, and earned an audience of over 200,000. This concert sets the record for the highest attendance of any concert in Mexican history. Shakira also performed on July 9, 2006 at the FIFA World Cup final in Germany. In November 2007, the Oral Fixation Tour DVD was released and is also available in High Definition Blu-Ray format.[47] The two versions of the DVD have sold over 16 million copies worldwide.

In February 2007, Shakira performed at the Gramy Awards for the first time at the 49th Grammy Awards and earned the nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Hips Don’t Lie" with Wyclef Jean, though she did not win the award.
2008–present: She Wolf, 2010 FIFA World Cup and Sale El Sol

During an online chat with her fans in El Heraldo in February 2008,[48] Shakira revealed that work on her sixth studio album was about to begin. Furthermore, at Shakira's cousin Isa Mebarak's album release party in Colombia, Shakira's father William Mebarak stated that Shakira was currently at work writing and producing new songs for her upcoming album. This was being done in "her own studio", which many fans thought to mean the studio at her home in the Bahamas.[49] Shakira recorded 2005's Fijación Oral Vol. 1 and 2006's Oral Fixation Vol. 2 there as well.

After spending two weeks in London, Shakira flew to Colombia for a peace-promoting concert in Leticia (at the three way border of Colombia, Peru and Brazil) with Carlos Vives. Followed by hundreds of thousands of fellow Colombians, Shakira was calling for the release of hostages being held by rebels in Colombia and an end to similar kidnappings in the region.[50] Afterward, it was reported by Noticias Caracol in Colombia that Shakira returned to her home studio in the Bahamas and continued recording "a little something" with members of Vives' band. It was later confirmed that Shakira was working with the likes of RedOne, Wyclef Jean and Luis F. Ochoa on her sixth studio album. RedOne later stated that Shakira was in "an experimental phase" and that she had been working on the album in Los Angeles, Miami, Vancouver, London, Uruguay and the Bahamas.[51][52]

In early 2008, Forbes named Shakira the fourth top-earning female artist in music industry.[53] Then, in July 2008, Shakira signed a 10-year contract with Live Nation, an international touring giant.[54] The touring group also doubles as a record label which promotes but does control the music that their artists release. Regarding Shakira's contract, Jason Garner, the global music chief of Live Nation stated that: "Shakira is one of the few truly global artists. She can sell music and tickets in nearly every corner of the globe."[55] Neither Shakira's representatives nor Live Nation would confirm the value of the deal, but people close to the negotiations said that depending on Shakira's performance over the 10 years, it is likely to be worth between $70 million and $100 million. Shakira's contract with Epic Records calls for three more albums as well - one in English, one in Spanish, and a compilation, but the touring and other rights of the Live Nation deal were confirmed to begin immediately.

"She Wolf", the lead single from Shakira's sixth studio album, premiered on July 13, 2009.[56][57][58][59] Shakira wrote and produced the song with John Hill, and Sam Endicott (lead singer and songwriter of The Bravery).[60] The Spanish version titled, "Loba", premiered on the same day as well. "She Wolf" and "Loba" then became available for digital download the following day.[61] The video for "She Wolf" premiered on MTV on July 30, 2009.[61] The single was successful worldwide, reaching number one in Latin America, number two in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Estonia and Spain, number three in Switzerland and Austria, number four in the UK, France and Greece, number five in Canada and Belgium, number six in Finland, number nine in Japan, and number eleven in the US.

Also in July 2009, Shakira's official website announced that "The full album is She Wolf due out in October 2009 from Epic" and it "features a predominantly English track list".[62] The site also announced that a Spanish album will be released in 2010.[62]

She Wolf was released in October 2009 internationally and then on November 23, 2009 in the U.S. The album received mainly positive reviews from critics, but only managed to sell 89,000 copies in its first week in the U.S., earning the number fifteen spot on the Billboard 200. It has gone on to sell only 300,000 records in the U.S., becoming her least successful album there. However, the album has been moderately successful worldwide, having been certified Gold in Russia, Ireland, Switzerland, Poland, France, Argentina, Greece, and Hungary, Platinum in Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East, 2x Platinum in Colombia and Mexico, and 3x Platinum in Taiwan. To date the album has sold 1.5 million records worldwide, becoming Shakira's least successful studio album to date in terms of sales.

The album's second single, "Did It Again", was released in October 2009 and was originally due for a U.S. release, though this was later canceled. The single reached the top 40 in most countries worldwide. "Give It Up To Me", featuring Lil Wayne was released as the album's second U.S. single in November 2009 and reached the top 40 in Canada and on the Hot 100. The album's U.S. release was delayed in order for Shakira to record the song, which was originally due to be featured on its producer Timbaland's album, Timbaland Presents Shock Value II and would have featured Shakira. However, she chose to record it for her album with Timbaland's rap verse being scrapped in favor of a verse from Flo Rida. Plans for the single changed again when Lil Wayne requested to be featured on the song, with this later happening. The album's third and final single, "Gypsy", was released in February 2010 and reached the top 40 in Europe but failed to reach the top 40 in the U.S. or in South America, becoming a mildly successful single.

In May 2010, it was confirmed through Shakira's official website that she will embark on a global tour. The site announced that the tour will begin in North America in September 2010. The post also announced the first three confirmed dates and stated that additional dates will be announced soon, adding that "The tour will bring Shakira's spectacular show to top arenas and a host of additional cities throughout the summer and fall".[63]

It was initially announced that Shakira would release a Spanish album in 2010 after the release of She Wolf, similar to what she did with Oral Fixation, but Shakira later stated that the album would instead be a bilingual project, which will contain Spanish and English songs. She also stated that it was due for a September, 2010 release.[64]

Shakira collaborated with the South African group Freshlyground to create the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", which is based on a traditional Cameroonian soldiers' Fang song named "Zangalewa" by the group Zangalewa or Golden Sounds. The song was made popular in her native Colombia in 1987 through west African DJs in Colombia.[65] The single later reached the top 20 in Europe, South America and Africa and the top 40 in the U.S. and was performed by Shakira at the World Cup kick-off and closing.

Sale El Sol will be released as Shakira's seventh studio album on November 2, 2010.[16] In June 2010, during an interview with Billboard magazine, Shakira announced that her new album would be released in September.[66] She stated in the magazine that "I see it [the new album] as having two currents," she stated. "One is a lot about love and love experiences and emotions. And the other side of it is very joyful, and upbeat." Shakira also revealed that the music on the album would reflect influences from both the Dominican Republic and Colombia. "It’s a little more Latin on one side and a little more rock ‘n roll on the other side," she stated. She later compared her new material to the Oral Fixation era's music, stating that she was "going back to basics" for the record.[67] The album has since been delayed to a November release with the lead single "Loca" currently due for an early September release.[16] She shot the video for the lead single in Barcelona in August, and is expected to be released sometime in September.

Collaborations and other work

In 2003, Shakira wrote a song called "Come Down Love" with Tom Mitchell for the Hollywood movie The Italian Job starring South African actress Charlize Theron and Mark Wahlberg, but the song was not included on the soundtrack of the same name.

In late 2006, Shakira and Alejandro Sanz collaborated for the duet Te lo Agradezco, Pero No, which is featured on Sanz' album El Tren de los Momentos. The song was a top ten hit in Latin America, and topped "Billboard" Hot Latin Tracks chart. Shakira also collaborated with Miguel Bosé on the duet "Si Tú No Vuelves", which was released in Bosé's album Papito, which celebrates his thirty-year career.

In early 2007, Shakira worked with American R&B singer Beyoncé for the track "Beautiful Liar", which was released as the second single from the deluxe edition of Knowles' B'Day. In April 2007, the single jumped ninety-one positions, from ninety-four to three, on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, setting the record for the largest upward movement in the history of the chart at the time. It was also number one on the official UK Singles Chart. The song earned them a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. The song was one of Knowles' most successful worldwide, as it was particularly popular in Spanish-speaking countries such as Argentina and Spain, where it topped charts.

According to Billboard, Shakira, along with Lil Wayne would collaborate on a new track for Carlos Santana's greatest hits CD titled Ultimate Santana.[68] However, this collaboration was cancelled, and Shakira and Lil Wayne were replaced by Jennifer Lopez and Baby Bash.[69]

Shakira is featured on Annie Lennox's song "Sing", from the album Songs of Mass Destruction, which also features other twenty-three other female singers such as Madonna, KT Tunstall, Faith Hill, Dido, Celine Dion, Melissa Etheridge, Joss Stone, Fergie, Anastacia and Pink.[70][70]

In late 2007, Shakira and Wyclef Jean recorded their second duet "King and Queen". The song was featured on Wyclef Jean’s 2007 album Carnival Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant.
Shakira performing with Usher and Stevie Wonder at the We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial

Shakira performed on January 18, 2009 at the Lincoln Memorial "We Are One" festivities in honor of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. She performed "Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder and Usher. She also performed during the evening of January 20, 2009 at the Neighborhood Ball for the President's inauguration. The song she performed was Van Morrison's "Bright Side of the Road". It featured Shakira on harmonica.

In March 2009, Shakira appeared on the album Cantora 1 by the Argentinian folk singer Mercedes Sosa on the song "La Maza", which both singers sang at the ALAS concert in Buenos Aires in May 2008.[71] Shakira wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music for two new songs that are featured in the movie Love in the Time of Cholera, based on the acclaimed novel by Colombian author Gabriel García Marquez. García Marquez himself asked Shakira to write the songs.[72] The songs that Shakira lent to the soundtrack were "Pienso en ti", a song from Shakira's breakthrough album Pies Descalzos, "Hay Amores" and "Despedida". "Despedida" was nominated for Best Original Song at the 65th Golden Globe Awards but did not win. It was rumored that the song would also be nominated for an Academy Award, but it was not, with a source calling the fact that it was left off the nominees the Academy's "worst snub.[73]

Shakira collaborated with the South African group Freshlyground to create the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)". She headlined the closing ceremony on July 11, 2010 as well.[74][75][76]

In August of 2010, Shakira recorded a song with Dora the Explorer called "Todos Juntos." The song is featured on the soundtrack We Did It! Dora's Greatest Hits, which was released on August 17, 2010. The song will also be featured on a Dora television special titled "Dora's Explorer Girls" to air on November 7, 2010 on Nickelodeon.[77][78]

Personal life

Shakira was raised Roman Catholic.[79] Shakira currently lives in The Bahamas. In 2000, she started dating Antonio de la Rúa, the son of the then President of Argentina Fernando de la Rúa, a romance that made headline news throughout Latin America. In March 2001, he proposed to her. There have been many rumors regarding the couple over the years. In June 2007, Latin American media speculated that the couple had finally split up. On the previous days, Shakira and Antonio were seen in a restaurant in New York City, facing and denying the rumors one more time.[80] Shakira's future mother-in-law Inés Pertiné claimed the wedding would take place in September 2007 in the mansion which Shakira owns in the Dominican Republic, but the wedding did not happen. She also said that Shakira has already ordered Argentine designer María Pryor to design her wedding dress.[81] All this was denied by Shakira herself in Mexico.[82]

De la Rúa and Shakira remain engaged.[83] A Twitter update from her on September 4, 2009 stated (translated from the Spanish) "We are neither married nor fighting [contrary to rumors]. We are very together and very good. 9 years!"[84] Shakira has stated their relationship already works as a married couple, and that "they don't need papers for that."[85]

Shakira is interested in world history and frequently studies the history and languages of the countries she visits.[86] After her Oral Fixation tour ended in summer 2007, Shakira attended a class in Los Angeles at UCLA, on the History of Western Civilization. She used her middle and last names, Isabel Mebarak, and told the professor she was visiting from Colombia so as to avoid being recognized as a celebrity.[87][88] Shakira is a cousin of model and 2005–2006 Miss Colombia, Valerie Domínguez.[89][90]


Philanthropy and humanitarian work


In 1995, Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation. It is a Colombian charity with special schools for poor children all around Colombia. It was funded by Shakira and other international groups and individuals. The name of the foundation is taken from Shakira's third studio album called Pies Descalzos, released in 1995.

During her career, Shakira has performed at a large number of benefit concerts. In 2002 she sang at a Party in the Park concert fundraising for the Prince's Trust. That same year she performed at Divas Live which support VH1's Save the Music Foundation. On July 2, 2005 she performed her hits "Whenever, Wherever" and "La Tortura" on the Live 8 benefit concert at the Palace of Versailles, near Paris. On July 7, 2007, the singer opened the German leg of Live Earth in Hamburg. Her set included "Don't Bother", "Inevitable", "Día Especial" (with Gustavo Cerati) and "Hips Don't Lie".[91] Shakira also performed at the "Clinton Global Initiative", where she performed her hits "Underneath Your Clothes", "Inevitable" and "Hips Don't Lie". On May 17, 2008 Shakira and twenty other Latin American and Spanish artists performed in Buenos Aires and Mexico City to raise money for Shakira's Latin America in Solidarity Action "America Latina en Accion Solidaria" (ALAS Foundation) charity.[92] This concert attracted 150,000 people in Buenos Aires. Although tickets were free, the demand exceeded the supply; some fans who were fortunate enough to secure free tickets resold them.[93]
Shakira, Alejandro Sanz and the King of Spain during the IberoAmerican Summit of El Salvador

She has agitated against the implementation of the Arizona statute SB1070 against illegal immigration.[94]

Shakira is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is one of their global representatives. "Shakira, like all our Goodwill Ambassadors, was chosen based on her compassion, her involvement in global issues, her deep commitment to helping children, and her appeal to young people around the world. We're very pleased to have Shakira join the UNICEF family. I know she'll help bring UNICEF's mission to the audience who will have the most impact on our future – young people themselves", said UNICEF's Executive Director Carol Bellamy.[95]

On April 3, 2006, Shakira was honored at a United Nations ceremony for creating the Pies Descalzos Foundation. At the event, the singer said, "Let's not forget that at the end of this day when we all go home, 960 children will have died in Latin America."[96]

On September 28, 2007 at the Clinton Global Initiative, it was revealed that Shakira received a commitment of $40 million from the Spanish government to help the victims of natural disasters. An additional $5 million was to be donated to four Latin American countries, to be spent on education and health. As part of the May 2007 concerts, her ALAS Foundation was able to solicit commitments of US$ 200 million from philanthropists Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest man, and Howard Buffett, son of U.S. investment guru Warren Buffett, the singer announced on April 15, 2008.[97]

In December 2007, Shakira visited Bangladesh to appeal for the victims of Cyclone Sidr. She spent 3 days with the victims and visited children affected by the disaster in schools built by UNICEF and participated in the distribution of family kits and warm clothes. She said that little was left of the school she visited in the village of Mirzapur, but it still provided an "oasis" for the children. "I am more convinced than ever that education is the key to so many of the difficulties that our children face in countries like mine or in developing countries like this one. It's the key to a better and safer world," she said.[98]

Shakira served as the Honorary Chairperson for "Action Week" 2008 (April 21–27). The event is sponsored by the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), to generate awareness about the Education for All Act. She spoke with the U.S. Congress, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and World Bank President Robert Zoellick to promote a move towards Global Education. Angelina Jolie served as last year's chair.

People En Español announced in their December 2008/January 2009 issue that Shakira is the "Humanitarian of the Year" as part of their "Las Estrellas del Año" (Stars of the Year) awards.[99] Shakira was also ranked at number 48 on the list of Top 50 Most Charitable Celebrities by OK! magazine. It reported that she donates approximately $55,000 to charity yearly.[100]

On her 32nd birthday, Shakira opened a new $6-Million school in her hometown Barranquilla, which was sponsored by herself and her Pies Descalzos Foundation.[101]

On December 7, 2009 Shakira was honored as a guest at the University of Oxford to give a speech about her work with children and education. She was chosen by the Oxford Union and joined the ranks of Albert Einstein, several US Presidents, Mother Teresa, and the Dalai Lama XIV, as a chosen speaker. During the speech, Shakira said, "That is how I want the youth of 2060 to see us: That our mission for global peace consisted of sending 30,000 educators to Afghanistan, not 30,000 soldiers. That in 2010, world education became more important than world domination."[102]

In March 2010, she was awarded a medal by the United Nations' International Labor Organization in recognition of being, as UN Labor Chief Juan Somavia put it, a "true ambassador for children and young people, for quality education and social justice."[103]


Style

Music and voice

Shakira is known to have adopted many genres, including folk, mainstream pop and rock. In an interview with Rolling Stone she said: "My music, I think, is a fusion of many different elements. And I'm always experimenting. So I try not to limit myself, or put myself in a category, or... be the architect of my own jail".[104] Her earlier Spanish albums, including Pies Descalzos and ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? were a mix of folk music and Latin rock, while her cross-over English album, Laundry Service and her later albums were influenced by pop rock and pop Latino.[105] Her 2009 album, She Wolf is more like electropop and dance music.[106]

Influences


Shakira has told many interviewers that she had grown fond to listening to oriental music, which influenced many of her earlier works. For example, Shakira used the Indian theme for her performance of "Hips Don’t Lie" at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City.[107] She has also been influenced by her Arabic heritage, which was a major inspiration for her breakthrough world hit "Ojos Así".[108] She told Portuguese TV "Many of my movements belong to Arab culture."[108] She also cites her parents as major contributors to her musical style.[108]

In childhood, Shakira preferred rock and roll music, listening heavily to her favorite rock bands like Led Zeppelin,[109] The Beatles, Nirvana, The Police and U2.[110] She lists John Lennon as her #1 musical influence. She was also deeply influenced by The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, The Who, The Pretenders, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Cure, Tom Petty, Depeche Mode, The Clash, Ramones, who influenced on her many prominent songs.[111] In a recent interview to Elenco magazine, she noted that in her opinion the perfect songs are "Imagine" by John Lennon and "No Woman, No Cry" by Bob Marley.[112]

Shakira made several covers of prominent artists such AC/DC and Aerosmith, using them to sing in her tours, resulting in performances of "Back in Black"[113] and "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" during her Tour of the Mongoose. She also sang the classic Elvis Presley song "Always On My Mind" at the VH1 Divas Live.[citation needed]

She also has strongly influenced by Andean music and South American folk music, using her native instrumentation for the Latin dance-pop "Whenever, Wherever" and in more serious and mournful "Despedida", marking it the song of my dreams.[114] Shakira recently performed two songs for two separate Haiti benefit events: "I'll Stand By You", by The Pretenders, and "Solo le Pido a Dios" by Mercedes Sosa.

Dancing

Shakira is well known for her dancing in various music videos and in concert. Her moves are based on the art of Arabic belly dancing, a part of her Lebanese heritage. She often performs barefoot. Shakira says she learned this form of dance as a young teen to overcome her shyness. She also mentioned in a MTV interview that she learned how to belly dance by trying to flip a coin with her belly.[115] The intense training has afforded her a fluidity in her body movement most seen in the videos to her hits "Ojos Así", "La Tortura", "Hips Don't Lie", "Whenever, Wherever / Suerte", "Beautiful Liar" "and "She Wolf / Loba". She has had several belly dance choreographers, including award-winning Bellydance Superstar Boženka.[116] As the MTV Making the Video for "La Tortura" reveals, she worked with Jamie King on the choreography, but ended up creating most of it herself.

Acting

Shakira appeared in the Colombian telenovela El Oasis in 1995, playing the character of Luisa Maria.[117] In December 2009, Shakira appeared as herself in the Ugly Betty episode "The Bahamas Triangle".[118] In 2010, Shakira appeared as herself in an episode of Wizards of Waverly Place.[119]

She was invited personally by Gabriel Garcia Marquez to play a role in Love in the Time of Cholera, but declined due to the nudity involved.[120]
Records and achievements

According to BMI, Shakira is the highest-selling Colombian artist of all time, having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.[121] According to Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems, "Hips Don't Lie" was the most-played pop song in a single week in American radio history. It was played 9,637 times in one week.[122] Shakira became the first artist in the history of the Billboard charts to earn the coveted number one spots on both the Top 40 Mainstream and Latin Chart in the same week doing so with "Hips Don't Lie".[122]

"La Tortura" broke the record on the Billboard's Hot Latin Tracks chart, appearing at #1 more than any other single (a total of 25 non-consecutive weeks).[123] According to Yahoo!, "Hips Don't Lie" is the Best-Selling Single of the Last 10 Years, which is apparently the best-selling single since 2000.[124] According to Forbes Magazine, Shakira was the fourth highest-earning woman in music for 2008 behind Madonna, Barbra Streisand and Celine Dion.[125] According to Nokia, Shakira has topped up more music downloads in the last year than any other Latino artist, and She Wolf topped the Top 10 Latino downloads.[126]


Discography

Main article: Shakira discography

* Pies Descalzos (1995)
* ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (1998)
* Laundry Service (2001)
* Fijación Oral Vol. 1 (2005)
* Oral Fixation Vol. 2 (2005)
* She Wolf (2009)
* Sale El Sol (2010)


Tours


* 1996–1997: Tour Pies Descalzos
* 2000: Tour Anfibio
* 2002–2003: Tour of the Mongoose
* 2006–2007: Oral Fixation Tour
* 2010–2011: Tour of Earthly Delights











Shakira Interview About Her Life





WAKA WAKA