ONE DIRECTION

One Direction

One Direction are an English-Irish boy band formed in London in 2010, consisting of members Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson. They signed with Simon Cowell's record label Syco Records after being formed and finishing third in the seventh series of British television singing competition The X Factor. They subsequently signed in North America with Columbia Records.

The release of One Direction's debut studio album Up All Night (2011) established their international breakthrough. In addition, the album marked the first time a debut album by a British group had bowed at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and features the global chart-topping single "What Makes You Beautiful". After embarking on the Up All Night Tour, they followed the album with their second studio album Take Me Home (2012), which generated another record with One Direction becoming the youngest act in UK chart history to have a number one album and single simultaneously. The accompanying 2013 World Tour is set to begin in February 2013, with tickets grossing US$15.7 million for their Australian and New Zealand dates.

One Direction have been described as sparking the resurgence in the boy band concept, and of forming part of a new "British Invasion" in the United States. As of August 2012, One Direction have sold over 12 million albums, singles, and videos worldwide. Their achievements include a BRIT Award and 3 MTV Video Music Awards. Through combined music, merchandising, and touring sales, according to Nick Gatfield, the chairman and chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment UK, as of June 2012, One Direction represented a $50 million business empire. The Huffington Post proclaimed 2012 "The Year of One Direction".

Origin: London, England

Genres: Dance-pop, pop rock, power pop, teen pop

Years active: 2010–present

Labels: Syco, Columbia

Associated acts: The X Factor finalists 2010

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One Direction Up All Night Live Tour DVD HD - Full (US Version)

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One Direction Up all Night Full Album

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P!NK

P!nk

Alecia Beth Moore (born September 8, 1979), better known by her stage name Pink (often stylized as P!nk), is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress. After her three-year career with the contemporary R&B girl group Choice, in 2000 she released her first single "There You Go," from her debut album Can't Take Me Home. The song garnered commercial success, peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2001, she released her second, more pop rock-oriented, studio album, Missundaztood. The album went on to become a critical and commercial success. The album produced four singles, "Get the Party Started," "Don't Let Me Get Me," "Just Like a Pill" and "Family Portrait," each entering the Top 20, with "Get the Party Started" being her highest charting solo single (tied with "Most Girls") until "So What" in 2008, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In November 2003, Pink released her third album Try This. The album was, commercially, less successful than her previous album, making it Pink's least successful album to date. It produced three singles, "Trouble," "God Is a DJ" and "Last to Know," with the first receiving a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. After taking a short break, she released I'm Not Dead, her fourth studio album, on April 4, 2006. It marked her comeback after the poor performance of her previous album. The album debuted and peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, Pink's highest debut on the chart. It was preceded by the controversial single, "Stupid Girls", which garnered commercial success. The second single, "Who Knew," was virtually ignored on American radio, but after the huge success of "U + Ur Hand," was re-released, peaking at #9 on the charts. "U + Ur Hand" is credited to have revived Pink's career in the US, and also to have brought the album back to the charts. Her fifth album, Funhouse, was released in late October 2008. It was preceded by her first solo number one on the Billboard Hot 100, "So What." The album notched three other Top 20 hits: "Sober," "Please Don't Leave Me" and "Glitter in the Air." On November 15, 2010, she released her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!. The album produced two singles, "Raise Your Glass" and "Fuckin' Perfect," the former reaching the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In January 2012, Nielsen Soundscan reported that Pink was the 4th most played artist of 2011. Pink is scheduled to release her sixth studio album entitled The Truth About Love on September 18 2012 and features the hit single Blow Me (One Last Kiss).

By the end of 2009, Billboard magazine named Pink the number one Pop Artist of the decade, as well as naming her the 13th overall music artist of the decade. A few months later, in June 2010, Forbes magazine named Pink the 27th most powerful celebrity in the world. Pink's career accomplishments include three Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards and two Brit Awards. In June 2011 Pink and her husband, Carey Hart, welcomed their first child, Willow Sage. As of January 2012, Pink has sold over 40 million albums and 70 million singles worldwide, making her one of the best-selling artists of all time.

Birth name: Alecia Beth Moore

Born: September 8, 1979. Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States

Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Genres: Pop rock, pop, rock, R&B, dance-pop

Occupations: Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, dancer, actress

Instruments: Vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, drums

Years active: 1995–present

Labels: LaFace, Arista, Jive, RCA, Zomba

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CHRISTINA AGUILERA

Christina Aguilera

Christina María Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994. Aguilera signed to RCA Records after recording "Reflection", the theme song for the animated film Mulan (1998).

In 1999, Aguilera came to prominence following her debut album Christina Aguilera, which was a commercial success spawning three number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—"Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)." Her sophomore and her debut Latin-pop album, Mi Reflejo (2000), a Christmas third studio album, My Kind of Christmas (2000), and several collaborations followed which garnered Aguilera worldwide success, though she was displeased with her lack of input in her music and image. After parting from her management, Aguilera took creative control over her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). The album's second single, "Beautiful", was a commercial success and helped the album's commercial performance amidst controversy over Aguilera's image. Aguilera followed up Stripped with the soul, jazz and blues inspired, Back to Basics (2006), released to positive critical acclaim. The album produced three singles "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman". Four years later Aguilera released her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010), which incorporated aspects of R&B, electropop, and synthpop and was met with mixed reviews and low sales. Aguilera's seventh studio album is set to be released in 2012.

Aside from being known for her vocal ability, music videos and image, musically, she includes themes of dealing with public scrutiny, her childhood, and female empowerment in her music. Apart from her work in music, she has also dedicated much of her time as a philanthropist for charities, human rights and world issues which include her work as a UN ambassador for the World Food Programme. She made her feature film debut in the musical Burlesque (2010), earning Aguilera a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song. Aguilera's work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, four Grammy Awards and one Latin Grammy Award, amongst seventeen and three nominations respectively. Rolling Stone ranked her number fifty-eight on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, ranking as the youngest and only artist on the list under the age of thirty. She was ranked the 20th Artist of the 2000–09 decade by Billboard and is the second top selling single artist of the 2000s behind Madonna. Aguilera's albums sales are estimated at over 50 million units worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Aguilera is currently a coach and judge on The Voice.

Birth name: Christina María Aguilera

Born: December 18, 1980 (age 31), Staten Island, New York, U.S.

Origin: Wexford, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Genres: Pop, R&B, soul, dance-pop

Occupations: Singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, television personality, actress

Instruments: Vocals

Years active: 1993–present

Labels: RCA

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Christina Aguilera - Stripped Live in the U.K.

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Christina Aguilera - Stripped (2002) - Full Album

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THE BLACK EYED PEAS

The Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas are an American hip hop group (originally an alternative hip hop group, they have since added R&B, pop, dance, electro and techno influences). Though founded in Los Angeles, California in 1995, it was not until the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003 that the group found widespread acclaim and achieved high record sales. Since that time, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide. According to Nielsen SoundScan, The Black Eyed Peas are the second-best-selling artist or group for downloaded tracks, with over 42 million sales as of the end of 2011.

Their first major hit was the 2003 single "Where Is the Love?" from Elephunk, which topped 13 international charts. Another European hit single from the album was "Shut Up". Their fourth album Monkey Business, was an even bigger worldwide success, certified 4× Platinum in the U.S., and spawning two singles, "My Humps" and "Don't Phunk with My Heart". In 2009, the group became one of only 11 artists to have simultaneously held the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, with their singles "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling"; which topped the chart for an unprecedented 26 consecutive weeks. The album later produced a third Hot 100 number-one placement with "Imma Be", making the group one of few to ever place three number one singles on the chart from the same album before being followed with "Rock That Body" and "Meet Me Halfway" which managed to peak in the Top 10 of Hot 100. "I Gotta Feeling" became the first single to sell more than 1 million downloads in the United Kingdom. The Black Eyed Peas were ranked 12th on the Billboard's Decade-End Chart Artist of the Decade, and 7th in the Hot 100 Artists of the Decade. On the 52nd Grammy Awards ceremony, which held in January, 2010 they won 3 awards out of 6 nominations.

In November 2010, they released the album The Beginning. In February 2011, the group performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show. The album's first two singles "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and "Just Can't Get Enough" became international hits and topped the charts in many countries.

Origin: Los Angeles, California, United States

Genres: Alternative hip hop, hip hop, R&B, pop, dance, electro, house, electropop, techno, trance, dance-pop

Years active: 1995–present; (hiatuses: 2007–08, 2011–present)

Labels: A&M, Interscope, will.i.am

Associated acts: Atban Klann, Wild Orchid, Richie Londres

Members: will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo, Fergie.

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