Profiling some of the movers and shakers of the decade in music, starting with some very special ladies.
LILY ALLEN
Lily Rose Allen had been trying for a while to make it in pop, but in 2005 when she popped a few demos online and, with a little help from MySpace, soon became almost the 'face' of the site, and this helped secure her easy entry into the UK charts in the summer of 2006 with her debut single Smile and soundtrack the rest of the year with her Alright, Still album, which earned her a string of award nominations. Unafraid to speak her mind, Lily has become something of a celebrity, and ‘rewarded’ with an ever-present paparazzi stalking her every move. Since releasing her second album – 2009s It's Not Me It's You, Lily has become one of the smartest and sassiest pop stars in the UK and the message has begun to spread worldwide. More awards followed, as did a spot of controversy regarding her opinion on file-sharing being wildly misinterpreted, and opting to leave the likes of the social networking life behind her. She’s just announced that after her co-headlining tour in the UK with Dizzee Rascal, she’s going to take a break for a bit, hopefully not for too long. www.lilyallenmusic.com/lily/
AMY WINEHOUSE
Amy released her first album in 2003, entitled Frank – it was very much that. A voice beyond its years detailed the ups and downs of men over a classy, dinnertable jazz. But it was with the release of Back To Black in 2006 when her name became known beyond the UK. It was a stone-cold classic of old soul, girl groups and blues, produced by Mark Ronson, about the break-up of a relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil. Blake re-entered her life just as things were going supernova, and there the story becomes a little darker. But with stars such as Mary J Blige and Jay-Z calling themselves fans, and four Grammy wins and several million copies sold internationally, soon every move Amy made was big news – and not always good news. Decamping to Jamaica to record her third album, due next year, we can only hope the music can once again slay the whole circus that’s sprung up around her. www.amywinehouse.com
BEYONCE
Beyonce begun the decade with Destiny's Child on the verge of world domination scoring an international hit with Independent Women, and making 2001 theirs with singles such as Survivor and Bootylicious. By 2003, she’d broadened out towards a solo career, and by summer laid her intent bare, releasing Crazy In Love, which would become one the biggest hits of that year and be deemed one of the best tracks of the decade. Her debut solo album Dangerously In Love came stacked with hits and sold bucketloads. Destiny's Child reconvened in 2005 to basically say goodbye to their fans (for a bit at least), but Beyonce continued to expand her solo empire, with the release of B Day and a role in the Oscar-winning Dreamgirls. Beyonce and her old man – Jay-Z – became the first couple of R&B. With the release of her third solo album, 2008's I Am Sasha Fierce, she had become even bigger, grabbing herself another decade-defining classic, and memorable video, in Single Ladies. www.beyonceonline.com
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