Maroon 5
Maroon 5 have one of the most durable current hot streaks in pop music. The group has reached the top 10 on the pop singles chart with eight consecutive singles starting with "Moves Like Jagger" back in 2011. The success has come with a combination of strong peformances, live TV placement, and a series of intriguing music videos. Led by the charisma and distinctive voice of Adam Levine, Maroon 5 are at the peak of their career thus far.
Their last four albums have all reached the top 2 on the album chart. They have just released "This Summer's Gonna Hurt Like a MotherF****r," one of the top new singles of the summer.
Taylor Swift
At age 25 it looks like the sky really is the limit for Taylor Swift's career as a pop star. She first hit the country charts in 2006 as a teenager and has been moving toward mainstream pop ever since. Her current album 1989 is her first completely pop project, and it has become the biggest success of her career so far. 1989 had the biggest opening sales week of any album since 2002, and it has spent 11 weeks at #1 and has already sold more than four million copies.
The first two singles spent a combined 11 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, and the third "Style" reached the top 10. The album's fourth single "Bad Blood" is now climbing the charts.
Ed Sheeran
When Ed Sheeran first appeared in the pop mainstream with his single "The A Team," he was a breath of fresh air. In classic singer-songwriter mode, he brought attention back to the words of the pop song with the sad story told in the lyrics of his first hit. His debut album + peaked at #5 on the charts and was ultimately certified platinum. However, it's his current sophomore collection X (pronounced "multiply") that has fulfilled his promise as a rising pop star.
The current smash ballad "Thinking Out Loud" is the second top 10 chart smash from the album and X remains in the top 10 on the album chart more than six months after release.
Wiz Khalifa
Rapper Wiz Khalifa hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his first chart hit single "Black and Yellow" back in 2010. He reached the top 10 two more times as lead artist. However, he had not reached the top 10 since 2011. The new song "See You Again" is a #1 hit around the world in tribute to actor Paul Walker, the deceased star of the hit movie Furious 7.
Meghan Trainor
2014 saw the rise of one of the most promising young female pop songwriters in recent history. 21-year-old Meghan Trainor roared to the top of the pop charts with her debut single "All About That Bass" and went on to earn Grammy Award nominations for Record and Song of the Year. Proving, she is no one hit wonder, the follow up single "Lips Are Movin" turned into a top 5 pop smash. Her debut album Title received strong positive critical reviews while opening at #1 on the album chart.
The third single from the album "Dear Future Husband" is currently climbing pop charts.
Walk the Moon
Cincinnati based pop-rock band Walk the Moon found their first chart success at alternative radio. Their single "Shut Up and Dance" has broken into the pop mainstream while also hitting #1 at alternative and rock radio. They are currently touring and will perform at multiple music festivals this summer.
Review of "Shut Up and Dance"
David Guetta
French dance music producer and artist David Guetta delivered well-received performances at the Coachella Music Festival last month. He is currently climbing the charts with "Hey Mama," his first top 40 pop hit as lead artist since 2011. The song is a worldwide hit.
Sam Smith
British singer Sam Smith emerged triumphant at this year's Grammy Awards taking home four honors. It followed an impressive breakthrough year in which his debut album In the Lonely Hour became the third biggest selling album of the year behind only Taylor Swift and the Frozen juggernaut. The two singles "Stay With Me" and "I'm Not the Only One" landed in the top 10 following the top 10 success of his featured vocals on Disclosure's "Latch." Nine months after its release, In the Lonely Hour remains in the top 10 of the album chart nearly a year after release and has sold more than a million copies in both the US and UK.
A re-recording of the single "Lay Me Down" with John Legend has helped it soar on the pop charts.
Nicki Minaj
Rapper Nicki Minaj has held on to her mass pop success while moving her music back closer to hip hop roots. Her most recent album The Pinkprint is the third consecutive solo release to reach the top 2 on the album chart and sell in excess of 500,000 copies. Nicki Minaj's current single "Truffle Butter" became her 60th to reach the Billboard Hot 100. The Pinkprint has placed three singles in the top 40 including the #2 smash "Anaconda." She is now climbing the charts as featured artist on David Guetta's "Hey Mama" and with her own solo hit "The Night Is Still Young."
The Weeknd
Singer-songwriter Charlie Puth has blasted into the pop charts as featured artist on Wiz Khalifa's chart-topping hit "See You Again." He is an alumnus of Boston's Berklee College of Music and released his first single as lead artist "Marvin Gaye" earlier this year with Meghan Trainor as a featured performer. A debut album is expected later this year.
Ellie Goulding
Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd has earned his first major pop chart success in the US as lead artist with his top 5 hit "Earned It" from the soundtrack to the hit movie Fifty Shades of Grey. He also delivered two of the most acclaimed live performances at this year's Coachella Music Festival.
Drake
In 2010 British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding earned accolades as one of the world's most promising young pop artists. In 2011 she climbed to #2 on the US pop singles chart with her single "Lights." It has taken some time to follow that success, but with the help of inclusion in the soundtrack for the highly anticipated film Fifty Shades of Grey, her song "Love Me Like You Do" has landed inside the top 3 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Jason Derulo
Rapper Drake's success far exceeds the boundaries of hip hop. His surprise release album If You're Reading This, It's Too Late sold nearly 500,000 copies in just three days of release. That comes close to matching Beyonce's success with a surprise album released during the Christmas rush. All four of his albums have topped the albums chart and the first three are all certified platinum for sales.
In addition he has reached the top 10 on the pop singles chart as lead artist with seven songs, the most recent the top 5 smash "Hold On, We're Going Home."
Ariana Grande
Jason Derulo has been one of the most consistent male solo hitmakers since he first reached the charts six years ago. His current hit "Want To Want Me" is his sixth top 10 pop hit single. Jason Derulo's next solo album Everything Is 4 hits stores June 2, 2015. It also includes the song "Broke," a collaboration with Stevie Wonder and Keith Urban.
Andy Grammer
Ariana Grande is not your ordinary Nickelodeon network star. She used her hit role in the series Sam & Cat to launch a pop music career that has far exceeded any of the TV success. Her current sophomore album My Everything is her second consecutive #1 album. The album has generated three top 10 pop hit singles, and she kicks off a triumphant concert tour later this month. The latest single "One Last Time" has continued her chart success.
Rihanna
Singer-songwriter Andy Grammer is one of the surprise breakout pop artists of spring 2015. His single "Honey, I'm Good" is nearing the pop top 10. It has already become his second top 10 hit at adult pop radio following the debut "Keep Your Head Up" back in 2012. The single success has pulled his album Magazines Or Novels into the top 20 on the album chart.
Fetty Wap
Rihanna continues to unfold one of the most impressive pop careers of all time. Her current collaboration with Kanye West and Paul McCartney on the top 5 smash hit "FourFiveSeconds" is expected to be the first single from an upcoming eighth studio album. Rihanna has sold over 150 million records worldwide. She has hit #1 on the US pop singles chart 13 times tying her with Michael Jackson. "FourFiveSeconds" is her 26th top 10 pop hit single.
All of the achievements have taken place in just over 10 years. Her latest singles are "Bitch Better Have My Money" and "American Oxygen."
Tove Lo
24-year-old Willie Maxwell, aka Fetty Wap, is one of the hottest breakout hip hop artists of 2015. He started off working as a rapper, but now sings as well. His debut single is "Trap Queen," and it has climbed all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has reached platinum certification for sales.
Fall Out Boy
Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo broke into the mainstream pop charts last year with the top 3 pop smash "Habits (Stay High)." She has followed it with the new top 20 hit "Talking Body." In addition, she has proved her songwriting talent as a co-writer of Ellie Goulding's top 3 charting hit "Love Me Like You Do."
Flo Rida
Fall Out Boy are back arguably stronger than ever following a nearly four year hiatus. They returned in 2013 with the #1 hit album Save Rock and Roll. They have followed that with "Centuries," the group's first top 10 pop hit since 2007 and another #1 album American Beauty / American Psycho. The next single "Uma Thurman" has just landed on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nick Jonas
After a series of failed singles, rapper Flo Rida is back and climbing mainstream pop charts. His single "G.D.F.R." is his 10th top 10 pop hit. The just recently released "My House," the title song of an upcoming EP, looks set to follow suit. He is also inspiring others such as protege Natalie La Rose to climb the charts as well.
Fifth Harmony
Nick Jonas is the first of the three Jonas Brothers to reach the pop top 10 as a solo artist. His single "Jealous" climbed to #7 while selling more than two million copies. It has been followed by a top 10 charting self-titled album and the single "Chains." He set out on a solo concert tour beginning in April.
Zedd
Girl group Fifth Harmony are the most successful recording act to emerge out of the short-lived US version of X Factor. Each of their four singles have been more successful than the last. The current hit "Worth It" is their first to reach the top 20. Look for the group to be one of the top touring acts of summer 2015.
Sia
Dance music producer and artist Zedd stormed on to pop charts with the single "I Want You to Know" featuring vocals from Selena Gomez. It opened at #17 making it instantly Zedd's second highest charting single as lead artist. "I Want You To Know" was co-written by Ryan Tedder. His second solo album True Colors was just released.
Sia's biggest success in the pop arena came as a songwriter and featured vocalist for other artists until last year. Her breakthrough hit "Chandelier" has been followed by the success of "Elastic Heart." The album 1000 Forms of Fear was also a #1 hit on the album chart.
Maroon 5 have one of the most durable current hot streaks in pop music. The group has reached the top 10 on the pop singles chart with eight consecutive singles starting with "Moves Like Jagger" back in 2011. The success has come with a combination of strong peformances, live TV placement, and a series of intriguing music videos. Led by the charisma and distinctive voice of Adam Levine, Maroon 5 are at the peak of their career thus far.
Their last four albums have all reached the top 2 on the album chart. They have just released "This Summer's Gonna Hurt Like a MotherF****r," one of the top new singles of the summer.
Taylor Swift
At age 25 it looks like the sky really is the limit for Taylor Swift's career as a pop star. She first hit the country charts in 2006 as a teenager and has been moving toward mainstream pop ever since. Her current album 1989 is her first completely pop project, and it has become the biggest success of her career so far. 1989 had the biggest opening sales week of any album since 2002, and it has spent 11 weeks at #1 and has already sold more than four million copies.
The first two singles spent a combined 11 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, and the third "Style" reached the top 10. The album's fourth single "Bad Blood" is now climbing the charts.
Ed Sheeran
When Ed Sheeran first appeared in the pop mainstream with his single "The A Team," he was a breath of fresh air. In classic singer-songwriter mode, he brought attention back to the words of the pop song with the sad story told in the lyrics of his first hit. His debut album + peaked at #5 on the charts and was ultimately certified platinum. However, it's his current sophomore collection X (pronounced "multiply") that has fulfilled his promise as a rising pop star.
The current smash ballad "Thinking Out Loud" is the second top 10 chart smash from the album and X remains in the top 10 on the album chart more than six months after release.
Wiz Khalifa
Rapper Wiz Khalifa hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his first chart hit single "Black and Yellow" back in 2010. He reached the top 10 two more times as lead artist. However, he had not reached the top 10 since 2011. The new song "See You Again" is a #1 hit around the world in tribute to actor Paul Walker, the deceased star of the hit movie Furious 7.
Meghan Trainor
2014 saw the rise of one of the most promising young female pop songwriters in recent history. 21-year-old Meghan Trainor roared to the top of the pop charts with her debut single "All About That Bass" and went on to earn Grammy Award nominations for Record and Song of the Year. Proving, she is no one hit wonder, the follow up single "Lips Are Movin" turned into a top 5 pop smash. Her debut album Title received strong positive critical reviews while opening at #1 on the album chart.
The third single from the album "Dear Future Husband" is currently climbing pop charts.
Walk the Moon
Cincinnati based pop-rock band Walk the Moon found their first chart success at alternative radio. Their single "Shut Up and Dance" has broken into the pop mainstream while also hitting #1 at alternative and rock radio. They are currently touring and will perform at multiple music festivals this summer.
Review of "Shut Up and Dance"
David Guetta
French dance music producer and artist David Guetta delivered well-received performances at the Coachella Music Festival last month. He is currently climbing the charts with "Hey Mama," his first top 40 pop hit as lead artist since 2011. The song is a worldwide hit.
Sam Smith
British singer Sam Smith emerged triumphant at this year's Grammy Awards taking home four honors. It followed an impressive breakthrough year in which his debut album In the Lonely Hour became the third biggest selling album of the year behind only Taylor Swift and the Frozen juggernaut. The two singles "Stay With Me" and "I'm Not the Only One" landed in the top 10 following the top 10 success of his featured vocals on Disclosure's "Latch." Nine months after its release, In the Lonely Hour remains in the top 10 of the album chart nearly a year after release and has sold more than a million copies in both the US and UK.
A re-recording of the single "Lay Me Down" with John Legend has helped it soar on the pop charts.
Nicki Minaj
Rapper Nicki Minaj has held on to her mass pop success while moving her music back closer to hip hop roots. Her most recent album The Pinkprint is the third consecutive solo release to reach the top 2 on the album chart and sell in excess of 500,000 copies. Nicki Minaj's current single "Truffle Butter" became her 60th to reach the Billboard Hot 100. The Pinkprint has placed three singles in the top 40 including the #2 smash "Anaconda." She is now climbing the charts as featured artist on David Guetta's "Hey Mama" and with her own solo hit "The Night Is Still Young."
The Weeknd
Singer-songwriter Charlie Puth has blasted into the pop charts as featured artist on Wiz Khalifa's chart-topping hit "See You Again." He is an alumnus of Boston's Berklee College of Music and released his first single as lead artist "Marvin Gaye" earlier this year with Meghan Trainor as a featured performer. A debut album is expected later this year.
Ellie Goulding
Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd has earned his first major pop chart success in the US as lead artist with his top 5 hit "Earned It" from the soundtrack to the hit movie Fifty Shades of Grey. He also delivered two of the most acclaimed live performances at this year's Coachella Music Festival.
Drake
In 2010 British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding earned accolades as one of the world's most promising young pop artists. In 2011 she climbed to #2 on the US pop singles chart with her single "Lights." It has taken some time to follow that success, but with the help of inclusion in the soundtrack for the highly anticipated film Fifty Shades of Grey, her song "Love Me Like You Do" has landed inside the top 3 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Jason Derulo
Rapper Drake's success far exceeds the boundaries of hip hop. His surprise release album If You're Reading This, It's Too Late sold nearly 500,000 copies in just three days of release. That comes close to matching Beyonce's success with a surprise album released during the Christmas rush. All four of his albums have topped the albums chart and the first three are all certified platinum for sales.
In addition he has reached the top 10 on the pop singles chart as lead artist with seven songs, the most recent the top 5 smash "Hold On, We're Going Home."
Ariana Grande
Jason Derulo has been one of the most consistent male solo hitmakers since he first reached the charts six years ago. His current hit "Want To Want Me" is his sixth top 10 pop hit single. Jason Derulo's next solo album Everything Is 4 hits stores June 2, 2015. It also includes the song "Broke," a collaboration with Stevie Wonder and Keith Urban.
Andy Grammer
Ariana Grande is not your ordinary Nickelodeon network star. She used her hit role in the series Sam & Cat to launch a pop music career that has far exceeded any of the TV success. Her current sophomore album My Everything is her second consecutive #1 album. The album has generated three top 10 pop hit singles, and she kicks off a triumphant concert tour later this month. The latest single "One Last Time" has continued her chart success.
Rihanna
Singer-songwriter Andy Grammer is one of the surprise breakout pop artists of spring 2015. His single "Honey, I'm Good" is nearing the pop top 10. It has already become his second top 10 hit at adult pop radio following the debut "Keep Your Head Up" back in 2012. The single success has pulled his album Magazines Or Novels into the top 20 on the album chart.
Fetty Wap
Rihanna continues to unfold one of the most impressive pop careers of all time. Her current collaboration with Kanye West and Paul McCartney on the top 5 smash hit "FourFiveSeconds" is expected to be the first single from an upcoming eighth studio album. Rihanna has sold over 150 million records worldwide. She has hit #1 on the US pop singles chart 13 times tying her with Michael Jackson. "FourFiveSeconds" is her 26th top 10 pop hit single.
All of the achievements have taken place in just over 10 years. Her latest singles are "Bitch Better Have My Money" and "American Oxygen."
Tove Lo
24-year-old Willie Maxwell, aka Fetty Wap, is one of the hottest breakout hip hop artists of 2015. He started off working as a rapper, but now sings as well. His debut single is "Trap Queen," and it has climbed all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has reached platinum certification for sales.
Fall Out Boy
Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo broke into the mainstream pop charts last year with the top 3 pop smash "Habits (Stay High)." She has followed it with the new top 20 hit "Talking Body." In addition, she has proved her songwriting talent as a co-writer of Ellie Goulding's top 3 charting hit "Love Me Like You Do."
Flo Rida
Fall Out Boy are back arguably stronger than ever following a nearly four year hiatus. They returned in 2013 with the #1 hit album Save Rock and Roll. They have followed that with "Centuries," the group's first top 10 pop hit since 2007 and another #1 album American Beauty / American Psycho. The next single "Uma Thurman" has just landed on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nick Jonas
After a series of failed singles, rapper Flo Rida is back and climbing mainstream pop charts. His single "G.D.F.R." is his 10th top 10 pop hit. The just recently released "My House," the title song of an upcoming EP, looks set to follow suit. He is also inspiring others such as protege Natalie La Rose to climb the charts as well.
Fifth Harmony
Nick Jonas is the first of the three Jonas Brothers to reach the pop top 10 as a solo artist. His single "Jealous" climbed to #7 while selling more than two million copies. It has been followed by a top 10 charting self-titled album and the single "Chains." He set out on a solo concert tour beginning in April.
Zedd
Girl group Fifth Harmony are the most successful recording act to emerge out of the short-lived US version of X Factor. Each of their four singles have been more successful than the last. The current hit "Worth It" is their first to reach the top 20. Look for the group to be one of the top touring acts of summer 2015.
Sia
Dance music producer and artist Zedd stormed on to pop charts with the single "I Want You to Know" featuring vocals from Selena Gomez. It opened at #17 making it instantly Zedd's second highest charting single as lead artist. "I Want You To Know" was co-written by Ryan Tedder. His second solo album True Colors was just released.
Sia's biggest success in the pop arena came as a songwriter and featured vocalist for other artists until last year. Her breakthrough hit "Chandelier" has been followed by the success of "Elastic Heart." The album 1000 Forms of Fear was also a #1 hit on the album chart.
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