Grégoire

Grégoire is a Parisian singer/songwriter who, without any initial major-label support, broke through to mainstream success in the French-language world in 2008 with his smash hit single "Toi + Moi." Born Grégoire Boissenot on April 3, 1979, he began his musical career on the piano, learning to play songs such as the Beatles' "Let It Be," Elton John's "Your Song," and John Lennon's "Imagine." He cites the Beatles, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Cat Stevens, Elton John, and David Bowie among his primary influences. Grégoire's rise to fame began in association with My Major Company (MMC), an innovative online music company in France that operates almost entirely outside the major-label music system.

Kelly Rowland

Kelly Rowland rose to fame with the success of Destiny's Child during the late '90s. During that time, Destiny's Child catapulted into the new millennium as one of the best-selling female musical groups in history. Rowland, who was barely in her twenties, had been imagining such stardom for a long time. Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, Rowland began singing as soon as she heard the vocal beauty of Whitney Houston. She was only four at the time, but Houston's 1985 self-titled debut was enough to motivate the little girl.

Alicia Keys

By mixing R&B with a sultry dose of neo-soul, Alicia Keys became an international star in 2001 with the release of her debut album. Songs in A Minor sold more than 50,000 copies during its first day of availability and eventually moved over ten million units worldwide, thus setting the stage for the 20 year-old's long career. Although she shared the charts with R&B contemporaries like Destiny's Child, Keys' talent distinguished her as a different sort of diva, one who played a variety of instruments and penned the majority of her songs without outside help. The Diary of Alicia Keys cemented her popularity two years later, and Alicia Keys spent the rest of the decade refining her now-signature sound. Alicia Augello Cook was born in Harlem in early 1981. Raised by her Italian-American mother, she enrolled in classical piano lessons at the age of seven and began writing songs four years later. An education at the Professional Performance Arts School helped develop her vocal skills, and Alicia graduated at the age of 16 as the class valedictorian.

Giusy Ferreri

Giusy Ferreri is a pop singer from Italy who rose to fame with a second-place showing on the reality show X Factor. Born on April 17, 1979, in Palermo, Italy, she originally made her recording debut as Gaetana in 2005 with the largely unsuccessful single "Il Party." A few years later she auditioned for the first season of X Factor, a televised talent show that had originated in the United Kingdom, where it propelled Leona Lewis to fame in 2006. Not only was Ferreri selected to appear on the show, she proceeded to compete strongly throughout the 12-week season, ultimately finishing runner-up behind the winner, Aram Quartet. In the wake of her strong finish on the show, she signed a recording contract with Sony BMG and released the six-song EP Non Ti Scordar Mai di Me. Both the title track (written by Italian pop star Tiziano Ferro) and the EP itself were chart-topping smash hits.

Pixie Lott

Soulful R&B-influenced pop vocalist Pixie Lott was born Victoria Louise Lott on January 12, 1991 in Kent, England. Nicknamed Pixie by her mother, she first began singing in church. Later, Lott attended an arts school and appeared in several West End musical productions. One of her early demo recordings eventually caught the ear of producer L.A. Reid, who signed her to Island Def Jam Records when she was just 15 years old. However, songs posted to her MySpace page began drawing even more industry attention, and a bidding war ensued. Lott ultimately left Island, partnering instead with Mercury in the U.K. and Interscope in the United States. Her debut album, Turn It Up, was released in 2009 and became a hit in the U.K., where it reached platinum status on the strength of five consecutive Top 20 singles (including a pair of chart-topping hits, "Mama Do [Uh Oh, Uh Oh]" and "Boys and Girls").

Michael Bublé

Michael Bublé's introduction to the music of the swing era came to him through his grandfather, who filled his grandson's ears with the sounds of the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and others. As Bublé eagerly absorbed the recordings, he began to realize that he wanted to be a singer and that this style of music, virtually foreign to his own generation, was what he wanted to perform. With his grandfather's assistance, Bublé soon learned a whole catalog of tunes and gained experience and exposure by singing as a guest with several local bands. While still in his teen years, he won the Canadian Youth Talent Search, released several independent albums, and performed in a musical revue titled Swing that traveled across the U.S. It wasn't long before Bublé was introduced to Grammy-winning producer David Foster and signed his first major recording contract with Reprise Records.

Little Boots

Little Boots formed in 2007 as a solo vehicle for Victoria Hesketh, the ex-lead singer/keyboardist of English dance-pop outfit Dead Disco. Hesketh's first single under the new pseudonym was "Stuck on Repeat," an infectious club hit produced by Hot Chip's Joe Goddard that arrived on limited-edition 12" white-label vinyl. Released in early 2008, it was followed in August by the limited-edition 7" "Meddle," again produced by Goddard with help from Greg Kurstin of the Bird and the Bee. Little Boots' full-length debut, Hands, arrived in 2009 and peaked at number five on the UK Albums Chart. It was followed later in the year by the Illuminations EP. Hands arrived in the United States on March 2, 2010.

Owl City

Owl City is the electronic brainchild of Adam Young, who launched the project in 2007 while living at his parents' home in Owatonna, MN. Troubled by insomnia, Young began spending his evenings in the household basement, where a computer and several instruments provided a welcome diversion from his sleeping patterns. He eventually combined those diversions into a blend of electronica and emo-pop, using little more than his computer and various keyboards to record the material.

The Gossip

Originally from Searcy, Arkansas, this punk trio moved to Olympia, WA, joining the roster of the indie rock label K Records. Guitarist Nathan (aka Brace Paine), drummer Kathy, and singer Beth proclaimed, "We started a band 'cause we were bored. Our mission is to make you dance, and if you're not gonna dance, just stay at home and listen to the oldies station." K released a self-titled 7" in 1999, and their full-length debut, That's Not What I Heard, was distributed by Kill Rock Stars in late 2000.

Calvin Harris

Favoring a naughty schoolboy look that makes him seem even younger than his already tender years (22 when his first major-label album was released), Scottish artist, producer, and remixer Calvin Harris has a similarly youthful and forward-looking approach to his music. Skipping the usual apprenticeship in the clubs or on indie labels, Harris went from posting his own D.I.Y. electroclash music online through MySpace and similar sites to signing with the multinational giant EMI almost in a single step. Born on January 17, 1984, in the southern Scotland city of Dumfries, Harris was first attracted to electronic music in his teens and was recording bedroom demos by 1999. Two of these songs, "Da Bongos" and "Brighter Days," were released as a 12" club single and CD-EP by the Prima Facie label in early 2002 under the artist name Stouffer.

Simply Red

The British soul-pop band Simply Red were formed in 1984 by singer Mick "Red" Hucknall (born Michael James Hucknall, June 8, 1960, Manchester, England) with three ex-members of Durutti Column -- bassist Tony Bowers (born October 31, 1952), drummer Chris Joyce (born October 11, 1957, Manchester, England), and keyboardist/brass player Tim Kellett (born July 23, 1964, Knaresborough, England) -- plus guitarist Sylvan Richardson and keyboardist Fritz McIntyre (born September 2, 1956, Birmingham, England). The group signed to Elektra Records and released Picture Book (October 1985), which featured "Money's Too Tight (To Mention)," a Top 40 cover of a 1982 R&B chart single by the Valentine Brothers, and "Holding Back the Years," a Hucknall original that topped the U.S. charts. The single caused the album to go platinum, and made the group one of the major successes of 1986. Men and Women (March 1987), which featured two collaborations between Hucknall and soul songwriter Lamont Dozier, was less popular, though it generated the Top 40 hit "The Right Thing." (In the U.K., "Infidelity" and a cover of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" also made the Top 40.) Richardson left in 1987 and was replaced by guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, who was replaced by Heitor T.P. (born in Brazil).

Sylver - One world one dream

Belgian electronica duo Sylver (formerly known as Liquid ft. Sylvie) emerged in 2000. Their debut single, called "Turn the Tide," climbed to the top of the official local club/dance chart soon after its release. Producer Regi Penxten and DJ/keyboardist Wout van Dessel (born 1974) were joined by singer Silvy De Bie (born 1981) to assemble an electronica-oriented act and join the Europop scene. After the huge success of their first single, "Skin" followed in January and "Forever In Love" in April 2001. Sylver's album Chances featured their hit songs and remixes.

Ke$ha

A brash and driven pop singer/songwriter, Ke$ha (Kesha Rose Sebert) was born in Los Angeles but moved at the age of four to Nashville, where her mother -- a longtime songwriter -- had inked a publishing deal. (Over a decade prior to that, Pebe Sebert's biggest success had come with "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You," originally recorded by Joe Sun and later by Dolly Parton.) Before finishing high school, Ke$ha returned to L.A. for the sake of jump-starting her own music career, despite being set up to study psychology at Columbia. She came into contact with Dr. Luke, the co-writer and co-producer of Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" (among several other hits), who was impressed with her demo recordings. Ke$ha penned the Veronicas' "This Love" and later contributed background vocals to Britney Spears' "Lace and Leather," both of which were released in 2008, but the biggest turning point came in 2009, when she was tapped to contribute vocals on Flo Rida's Dr. Luke-produced "Right Round," a number one Hot 100 hit. She subsequently signed to RCA, and her debut album, Animal -- featuring collaborations with Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Benny Blanco -- was released in early 2010. Animal proved to be a big hit, reaching the top of the Billboard 200 and spinning off the number one single "TiK ToK."

Eminem

To call Eminem hip-hop’s Elvis is correct to a degree, but it’s largely inaccurate. Certainly, Eminem was the first white rapper since the Beastie Boys to garner both sales and critical respect, but his impact exceeded this confining distinction. On sheer verbal skills, Eminem was one of the greatest MCs of his generation -- rapid, fluid, dexterous, and unpredictable, as capable of pulling off long-form narrative as he was delivering a withering aside -- and thanks to his mentor Dr. Dre, he had music to match: thick, muscular loops that evoked the terror and paranoia Em’s music conjured. And, to be certain, a great deal of the controversy Eminem courted -- and during the turn of the millennium, there was no greater pop cultural bogeyman than Marshall Mathers -- came through in how his violent fantasias, often directed at his mother or his wife, intertwined with flights of absurdity that appealed to listeners too young to absorb the psychodramas Eminem explored on his hit albums, The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP.

Inna

Inna is an electronic dance music vocalist from Romania whose debut single, "Hot," was a European club smash in 2009. Born Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu on October 16, 1986, in Mangalia, Romania, she is closely affiliated with Play & Win, a Romanian production trio comprised of Marcel Botezan, Radu Bolfea, and Alexandru Barac, who have an impressive track record of commercial success as club music hitmakers. Inna made her commercial debut in 2008 with the Play & Win-produced single "Hot." Originally released domestically, "Hot" topped the Romanian singles chart and was released internationally in 2009. While the song was most successful in Eastern Europe, it also proved popular in some Western European countries such as Spain, where it reached number one in July, and in the Netherlands, where it reached the Top Five in September. The full-length album Hot (2009) was released in the midst of the title track's international success. Produced by Play & Win, the album includes the follow-up singles "Love," "Déjà Vu," and "Amazing."

Swedish House Mafia

Swedish House Mafia is a house music supergroup comprised of DJ/producers Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso. Each of the group members is an accomplished DJ/producer and label owner in his own right. The Swedish group initially teamed up in the mid-2000s, when they toured together as DJs and collaborated from time to time on one another's productions. Eric Prydz was also a member of the group for a while. Axwell, Angello, and Ingrosso's breakout performance as Swedish House Mafia came on August 12, 2008, when they played the Main Room at Cream Amnesia in Ibiza, Spain, as part of Radio 1's Essential Mix Ibiza. A couple years later the trio signed a major-label recording contract with EMI and made their commercial production debut with the summer 2010 anthem "One," also known as "One (Your Name)," the latter version featuring Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes on vocals. The song was a Top Ten hit in the United Kingdom, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Ne-Yo

Songwriter, arranger, and vocalist Ne-Yo was born Shaffer Smith in Arkansas and raised in Las Vegas, NV. His start in the music industry came as a songwriter. Prior to exiting his teenage years, he penned material for Youngstown and broke through in 2004 with Mario's "Let Me Love You," one of the most-played songs on urban radio stations across the U.S. In My Own Words, the second album he recorded but the first one to be released, came out in early 2006 and reached the top of the charts, supported by the number one hit "So Sick." During the same year, he appeared on Remy Ma's There's Something About Remy and Ghostface Killah's Fishscale, and he had a hand in writing a pair of Top Ten hits: Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" and Rihanna's "Unfaithful.

Brandon Flowers

Brandon Flowers was the most popular frontman of the new wave revival, which swept through America and England during the early 2000s. As frontman of the Killers, he helped popularize a genre that hadn’t been fashionable for nearly two decades, drawing influence from a number of '80s synth pop bands -- including New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, and the Psychedelic Furs -- while writing the songs that comprised his band’s multi-platinum debut, Hot Fuss. Flowers also proved to be a super-sized media personality, gathering headlines for his clothing choices (which ran the gamut from neatly tailored suits to bizarrely feathered shoulder pads) and controversial, outspoken opinions on rival bands. Although the Killers retooled their sound with each album, the group rarely subscribed to convention -- and Flowers, who launched a solo career in 2010, seemed happy to be the most unconventional of them all. Flowers grew up in the southwest, spending his first eight years in the Las Vegas suburbs before moving to Utah with his parents.

Yolanda Be Cool

Yolanda Be Cool is an Australian electronic dance music duo who scored an international chart-topping hit with the house smash "We No Speak Americano" in 2010. Comprised of Sylvester Martinez and Johnson Peterson, the duo hails from Sydney, Australia, and is affiliated with producer DCUP (born Duncan MacLennan). Yolanda Be Cool made their commercial recording debut with the Afro Nuts EP on the Australian independent label Sweat It Out in 2009. The following year they teamed up with DCUP on the house track "We No Speak Americano," which notably samples the 1956 song "Tu Vuò Fà l'Americano" by legendary Italian singer/songwriter Renato Carosone. Initially released on Sweat It Out and later licensed for release by numerous other labels, "We No Speak Americano" was an international smash hit in summer 2010, topping the charts in over a dozen countries, including most of Europe.

Roll Deep

Roll Deep were the preeminent, pioneering grime crew before the genre was even called grime. The East London blend of hip-hop and techy electronic music -- in which the beat bounces around like it's got the hiccups and the rhymes skitter erratically over the top -- evolved out of the U.K. garage rap scene, inspiring critic Simon Reynolds to dub it gabba-gangsta-garage. The group's informal lead MC and producer, Wiley, preferred to call his sound "eski," but he was doomed to be dubbed "the Godfather of Grime" whether he liked it or not. The extended crew fluctuated up to as many as 20 members, though it averages around 14, only half of whom represent the core group on any given album. Alongside Wiley are Flow Dan (who gave the crew its name), Skepta, Scratchy, Manga, Riko, J2K, Breeze, Brazen, Killa P, Little Dee, and DJ Karnage as well as producer Target.