15 Pop Stars When They Released Their First Album Vs. Now
Spoiler alert: They ALL still look pretty damn good.
1. Miley Cyrus
Left: Cyrus in 2006, the year her first Hannah Montana album came out… though she was credited as the fictional singer, and not herself!
Right: Miley can’t stop, won’t stop being a superstar. Here she is performing at a 2014 concert, totally wrecking-balling pop music.
2. Taylor Swift
Left: Swifty in 2006, the year her debut album dropped. Remember “Our Song”?!?!
Right: TSwizzle at this year’s VMAs. She’s come a long way fashion-wise, no?
3. Beyoncé
Left: Queen B in 2003, the year she dropped her first solo album, Dangerously In Love. We’ve been crazy in love ever since.
Right: Beysus on the red carpet of this year’s VMAs, where she received the Video Vanguard Award. TRUE AMERICAN ROYALTY.
4. Nicki Minaj
Left: Nicki in 2009, the year We Are Young Money dropped. Remember “Bedrock”?!?!
Right Minaj at New York’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week earlier this year. Oh, our anacondas want some.
5. Christina Aguilera
Left: Xtina in 1999, the year her self-titled debut album dropped. #TBT to “Genie In A Bottle”!!!
Right: The Voice coach earlier this year. She’s come a long way since her Mickey Mouse Club days!
6. Kesha
Left: Kesha in 2009, the year her instant smash “Tik Tok” dropped… AND when she still had a “$” in her name!
Right: Kesha at the VMAs this year, looking FAB. U. LOUS. TIMBERRRRR!
7. Gwen Stefani
Left: Gwen on T.R.L. in 2004, the year her debut solo album Love Angel Music Baby dropped. But she had already been with No Doubt for more than a decade! Hollaback, y’all!
Right: Stefani in 2014… still looking HELLA good!
8. Lady Gaga
Left: Lady Gaga in 2008 on T.R.L., the year The Fame dropped. Throwback to the “Poker Face” days!
Right: Gaga in 2014 in Japan, still as crazy as ever — and we love her for it! Just dance, little monsters!
9. Rihanna
Left: Rihanna in 2005, the year Music of the Sun dropped. I mean, we ALL were spinning “Pon De Replay.”
Right: Bad Girl RiRi SLAYING at the Met Gala red carpet earlier this year. ELLA ELLA AY AY.
10. Katy Perry
Left: Katy in 2008, the year her first album released as Katy Perry (she previously released an album as Katy Hudson). Oh, and we were jamming to “I Kissed A Girl.”
Right: KP channelling her inner Britney on this year’s VMAs red carpet, coming at us like a dark horse.
11. Madonna
Left: The Queen of Pop in 1983, the year her debut solo album was released. ~memries~
Right: Madge on this year’s Grammys red carpet. More than three decades later, she’s STILL in the game!
12. Lana Del Rey
Left: LDR (real name: Elizabeth Grant) in 2012. She released a digital album, Lana Del Ray, in 2010, but… 2012’s Born To Die is where she was rebranded as Lana Del Rey for the masses.
Right: Lana in 2014, continuing her reign as the princess of melancholy indie pop. ~summertime sadness~
13. Kelly Clarkson
Left: Kelly in 2002, the year she won the inaugural season of American Idol. THROWBACK.
Right: Clarkson earlier this year… her moment like this has lasted for more than a decade!
14. Mariah Carey
Left: Mimi in 1990, the year she released her multiplatinum debut album that ALSO produced four consecutive Billboard No. 1 singles.
Right: The hall-of-fame diva in 2014. Remember her CLASSIC Cribs episode? Oh, and all we want for Christmas IS you, Mariah.
15. Britney Spears
Left: Britney performing 1999, the year …Baby One More Time dropped and she changed pop music FOREVER.
Right: Godney earlier this year… STILL AT THE TOP OF THE GAME. BOW DOWN.
correction
Madonna’s “1983” photo was updated as Getty mislabeled the original photo used. *Goes back to jamming out to “Like A Virgin.*