CATCHING UP WITH BRITNEY'S RIVALS
Britney Spears rose to the top of the pop heap in the late '90s - but she was not alone, as a sort of rivalry broke out between her and other, young female singers of the day.
As Spears gears up for a major comeback bid with the release of her next album, "Circus'' on Dec. 2, it begs the question: where are her contemporaries now?
• Christina Aguilera was withouta doubta major competitor during the height of Spears' early career. No matter how much Spears dominated the pop scene at the time, as soon as Aguilera hit the market, true success-related rivalry began. "Genie in a Bottle," the first single off of Aguilera's self-titled debut album, shot straight to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999. "Genie in a bottle" earned the then 18-year-old a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and won her the Grammy for Best New Artist. Singles "I Turn To You," "Lady Marmalade," and "Dirrty," came out over the next few years, letting the world know that this genie wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. According to her official Web site, Aguilera plans to release her sixth studio album in November, appropriately titled "Keeps Gettin' Better - A Decade of Hits."
• In 2000, Mandy Moore hit the pop scene with "Candy." The video of her first single off of her debut album "So Real," featured the 15-year-old singing seductively to the camera while giving it the 'come get me' look - a little much for someone who still had yet to obtain a driver's license. Moore's next single, however, redeemed her dignity and credibility as an entertainer. "I Wanna Be With You," was featured on the soundtrack for "Center Stage" and, in 2002, Moore starred in a chick-flick of her own, "A Walk to Remember," which brought in an impressive $41,227,069 at the box office in the US, according to Yahoo! Movies. Not bad for the 18-year-old pop star, who also won an MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Female Performance that summer. Moore has since been in more than a dozen films and has starred in films including "Saved," "Chasing Liberty," and "License to Wed."
• Self-proclaimed "Bad Bitch of Pop" Willa Ford hit the scene in 2001 with her hit "I Wanna Be Bad," the only single off of her only album ever recorded, "Willa Was Here." Ford, whose real name is Amanda Lee Williford, has made several television appearances since 2001, mainly appearing as herself on various talk shows. Most notably, Ford also competed on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" in 2006. She didn't win. But what does every "bad bitch of pop" do when they realize they have no chance at true success? Exactly what we want them to do: they pose for Playboy. Ford's most recent accomplishment was portraying the one and only Anna Nicole Smith in the 2008 biographical movie, "Anna Nicole."
• Jessica Simpson, that sweet Southern belle known best for her high intellect regarding common kitchen foods, released "I Wanna Love You Forever" in 1999, putting her on the map as one of the newest female entertainers who seemed to have everything it took to succeed in the industry. She had high moral standards, a preacher/father for a manager, and was dating Nick Lachey, a fellow pop-star who she was "saving herself for," until marriage. Simpson released her second single, "Where You Are," a duet with Lachey, in 2000 and two years later, the two tied the knot. In 2003, MTV aired the hit reality show, "Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica," which lasted for two years. In 2005, Simpson began her film career starring in "The Dukes of Hazzard," and trouble began for the then 25-year-old and her husband. Within two years, their marriage had crumbled and Simpson was flying solo continuing to make music and work on more films. To date, the publicly de-virginized pop-princess has released five studio albums, and has made appearances in seven films, only two of which she starred in, a public romance with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and has attempted to reinvent herself as country singer.
• The name Tatyana Ali probably rings a bell in your head for one of two reasons: the song "Daydreamin'" back in 1998, or as innocent little Ashley Banks, Will Smith's younger cousin on "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Either way, there is no doubt Ali has made a name for herself in the entertainment industry, starting when she was just a child. The young star joined the cast of "Fresh Prince," and continued to play the character for six years, appearing in 129 of the 148 produced episodes, according to TV.com. In 1998, her album, "Kiss the Sky" was certified Gold and her single "Daydreamin'" peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ali later proved to be more than just a great singer and actress. In 2002, Ali graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor's degree in Government and African American Studies. Ali's official Web site confirms that a new album, "The Light," is coming soon. You can also catch Ali playing Roxanne on "The Young and the Restless," weekdays at 12:30 p.m. on CBS.
- By Ashleey Williamson, For Weekly Surge