Billy Joel Evolution

Billy Joel in my book is one of the greatest performers of all time on the piano and singing, followed closely by Elton John. During Billy's freshman year of college he skipped class almost every day to play the piano. He never got his high school diploma, but instead he went out playing and performing at local bars and diners. 

Eventually he worked his was up the ladder until he was performing in a big city, where a producer snatched him up from the bar floor. Unlike some artist Billy always has a say in what music he will sing. Every one of his songs he has helped write and produce. 

Not only did Mr. Joel have several very successful albums singles, but he also produced music for movies. Like the Lion King! 

My Favorite song of his would have to be Scenes From An Italian Restaurant. This is my favorite because it switches tempos so many times, and also has a huge very challenging piano solo in it! It's incredible. It is so easy for me to relate to his music because I have played the piano since I was four years old! 

Justin Bieber Evolution

This truthfully isn't an evolution of Justin's career, more of a rant of my opinion. Justin Bieber may be the most hated yet loved singer in the entire world. The paparazzi will harass him to the end of time, and the people who think he is just a punk kid will also support him. But despite all of the hate and rudeness spewed at him, his fans are the most loyal supporters in the world. Doesn't matter to the 'Beliebers' because he can do no wrong. Not going to lie, I really do like Justin's music, but I don't support all the actions he takes. Such as his recent call to court for vandalizing his neighbors house, drinking and driving, and drag racing in LasVegas. So what, he has made some mistakes, but he is just a teen and that is what the public keeps forgetting. The social media now days has news spreading faster than ever. So just one little slip up is broad-casted to the entire world in a matter of seconds. Teens do stupid stuff like this every day, yet never have been ridiculed like he has. 

Some may argue his circumstances are different. He is a role model to millions we know, but those follows are the ones that realize that everyone makes mistakes. While those who despise him endlessly are the ones that make all the negative comments. Whether it is his new album being too provocative to too prepubescent. Always finding something to complain about and something to point out to bring him down. No wonder he is going through such a rough time. How would you like it if you were watched like a hawk and everything you did was considered wrong, wouldn't you go a little crazy too? 

From girls claiming the are pregnant with his child to people impersonating him in public, Justin has been through some tough times. He incorporates these rough patches into his music. The song Maria is about the girl who claimed they had a fling during his tour, said the baby she was carrying was his. 

I think that Justin's album 'Believe' album was a cry for help. His desperation for approval from the public was something he needed and craved. Since 'Believe' was released he has been releasing a few singles here and there. Some are very provocative and rap like, unlike anything he has ever done before. In February of 2014 he tweeted 'worst birthday ever' and 2 days later stated 'I'm done, retiring'. He announced he was taking a break from music for a while so he could develop himself for the time being. Since then he has gotten a little better. Moving back to Canada was a good decision for now, hopefully at home he can pull himself together before he dives back into the harsh music world.

Ariana Grande Evolution

You may know her as Kat on the hit Nickelodeon TV shows 'Victorious' and 'Sam & Kat', but in the real world her name is Ariana. This cute bubbly red head may be known for her ditsyness in the acting world, but in the music world she is known for her incredibly high range and amazing vibrato. She has been a huge hit in the music world so far with only dropping one album, and she has done several collaborations with Mack Miller, Iggy Azela, and Justin Bieber.

Ariana can sing four octaves in light soprano which is crazy! she has been attending performance schools in her home state of Florida since she was ten, and started her acting career premiering first in several home town musicals before performing on broadway. Eventually she made her way to the TV screen appearing as a guest star on iCarly, and eventually starring in her very own show 'Sam & Kat' where she co-hosts with Jeanette McCurdy (former iCarly co-host). Ariana has naturally brown hair, but ever since she has started in the Nickelodeon show biz she has sported the bright red hair. It's really like a trademark for her now! 

Miss Grande is by far a HUGE pop and hip hop artist in every sense of the word. Yet she does covers on older music, such as Billy Joel's song 'Vienna'. She will remake the music behind it and sing it in her own style. It's quite good actually! In Vienna, she actually is the one playing the piano to a style of the song that she wrote! Her music skills not only vocally but also instrumentally are phenomenal. Overall I can say as an artist I am a big fan of hers, I'm not really digging the whole dumb act on the television though. That is just my personal preference. My favorite song of hers at the moment would have to be her recently released single Problem.

One Direction Evolution

One Direction has seemed to make it bigger than any other boy band of this day. They have surpassed many other boy bands such as '5 Seconds Of Summer', and 'Mindless Behavior'. Their music basically speaks the words of every teen girls dream boyfriend. But they don't only write sappy love songs, they also have quite a few party songs. 

One Direction is a UK boy band that originated on the show the 'X' Factor. They had originally all gone into the show individually, and didn't make it. So their show mentor Simon Cowell suggested they enter as a group, and they made it in! They did not win 'X' Factor, actually they placed third in their group. But they have made it even bigger than the first place winner! 

The group consists of 5 boys, Zayn Malik ,Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson. The Favorite of the groups by all teen girls tends to be Harry, for his gorgeous blue eyes and cute smirk. He is the joker of the groups. Each of the boys seem to carry their own unique personality. Zayn is the mysterious one, Liam is the mature one, Harry is the heartthrob, Niall is the childish, and Louis is the quiet one. That right there I think plays a major role in their success, because there is something for everyone to like! 

So far One Direction has produced three albums. Each having their own little flair of the perfect relationship that every girl wants. But as each album is dropped you notice that they get more mature bit by bit. My favorite album is 'Midnight Memories' their most recent album. My favorite song on that album would have to be Happily.

Beyoncé Evolution

Beyonce Knowles is a very diverse singer. She, just like Justin Timberlake, has done an astounding job of branching off in her solo career and blossoming not only in music but in her own life as well. 

So let's start from the beginning. Beyonce started off in a very popular group called 'Destiny's Child' with two other singers Michelle Williams (Beyonce's high school classmate) and Kelly Rowland (Beyonce's cousin)and Farrah Franklin. Farrah split from the group early on leaving them as a trio. Beyonce's father was the manager of the all girls singing group and eventually landed them a record deal with Columbia Records. The three women were very good singers and each had a little style of their own to add into the songs they sang together. One of their most popular songs is Say My Name. When the group split apart they each led successful careers afterward. Michelle became a solo gospel singer, and Kelly became an actor and solo pop artist. Neither of the girls made is quite as big as Beyonce though.

Beyonce had been exploring others career options while she was still with the group as well. She starred in the Austin Powers sequel 'Goldmember' with Mike Myers while still performing with the group. A year before splitting with the group she dropped her first album 'Dangerously In Love'. This album was a raging success! Everyone of her albums had at least one top ten song on them. Her second album featured the number one hit Irreplaceable.

Mrs. Knowles was rumored to be dating Jay-Z around this time but she had never actually come out publicly about it.

As her career progressed on she dove even further into her acting starring in the movie 'Dreamgirls' Featuring Eddy Murphy. Also at this time she was working on her album 'I Am.....Sasha Fierce'. This album featured many women empowerment songs, and about coming clean and being yourself. Sasha Fierce was also known as the alter ego of Beyonce.

In 2008 Beyonce married popular Rapper Jay-Z, and went from Beyonce Knowles, to Beyonce Carter. I 2011 the couple announced their soon to be born baby girl. They named their baby Blue Ivy Carter, and kept her away from the public until about the age of 6-8 months. 

Soon after giving birth to Blue Ivy Beyonce released her most recent album 'Beyonce'. This album is unlike any of her others. Most of the songs featured on the record are about her Jay-Z and going out to the club to get drunk. She uses some very nasty references and dirty innuendos in these songs and is almost rapping more than singing! This new album really show cases her more "ghetto" side and shows off the more confident her! Her tour for this album is called the 'Mrs. Carter Show' tour, and has been a raging success so far.

To me her newest album is by far my favorite, mainly because it's so different than any of her other albums. I also like the fact that she's proving that even though she is "settled down" she still knows how to shake things up. My favorite song from her new album is Drunk In Love.

Beatles Evolution

This really isn't and "evolution" of the Beatles, this is really just me stating my opinion about them. They were and always will be the greatest boy band of all time. For some odd reason it tends to be the British boy bands that always make it bigger than the American ones. Such as One Direction. They just seem to write catchier songs that are relevant to the time. For the Beatles, they wrote timeless songs that never lose value or meaning. Nothing like the songs of today that are so unoriginal and only focused on sexual innuendos and techno beats. I think every essence of the Beatles music shows their laid back peaceful character and even some of the songs they wrote while drug induced.

If you pay very close attention to some of their music you can catch some of their trippy references to drugs. like in the song ' Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' the first letters spell out LSD, a very powerful hallucinogenic drug that may actually cause you to see some of the sights they describe in Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. Most of the Beatles music actually doesn't make sense until you really listen in depth to what they are singing. In the song 'Strawberry Fields Forever' the lyrics state "Everything is easy with eyes closed" not really meaning if you close your eyes and try to complete a task that it will be easy, but simply closing your eyes and forgetting the world makes stress fall away and makes life easier. I love all of their laid back psychedelic music because it usually calms me down and I just love the message they portray. My favorite song by the Beatles would probably have to be 'Here Comes The Sun'.

Justin Timberlake Evolution

From NSYNC to his solo career in acting and singing, Justin Timberlake is a phenomenal performer. He, like all other celebrities, has gone through his phase as a superstar. But Justin's transition is the most flawless I've ever laid my eyes on. You have witnessed the down falls of other child and teen stars, when the fame and fortune become to much for them to handle. The adult world around them begins to corrupt their innocence. Cases of this happening can be seen with celebrities Amanda Bynes and Justin Bieber. JT has kept his maturity in check constantly though, and is smart enough to stay out of trouble. 

His whole career in acting and singing began when he was just 12 years old, being cast as one of the children in The New Mickey Mouse Club. He and a few other stars of today got their jump start on this children's TV show such as; Ryan Gosling, Brittany Spears, Christina Aguilera, and JC Chasez. Justin starred on this Disney show for two years before he quit and started piecing together what would be the biggest hit in his career yet, NSYNC.

NSYNC was a huge success for Justin and all of his band members. Their first two albums sold over 30 million copies! So these boys were rolling in the cash! Justin had a lot of money, and freedom that he didn't have before yet he kept it all under control. Justin did admit to having an obsession with shoes and cars though. His fame also brought him to the attention of many female stars. He had relationships with Fergie, Brittany Spears, Cameron Diaz and many more. After the band held their last performance in 2004, Justin split off onto his solo career, where he would use his many experiences with ladies to his advantage. He actually was inspired to write one of his number one hit songs Cry Me A River after his break up with Brittany Spears.

After his first album, Justified, dropped, he was instantly sitting on the top. He has managed to keep in the top charts since the split with his band, unlike any other members had. His music has several factors that keep it so interesting unlike any other singer out there. The main one being his over laying of his beat boxing and little hiccups of noise. Some essences of his music sound very similar to what can be found in Michael Jackson's music, with his use of falsetto voice. Justin also has a tendency to add Gospel back up voices in a majority of his songs, incorporating it into his jazzy pop style of music. This can be heard very prominently in Timberlake's song Losing My Way. 

Even though JT's music success is his main recognition, people simply cannot forget his acting career. He has starred in many popular movies such as, Friends With Benefits, In Time, and Bad Teacher. While most of his flicks tend to be comedies, he has also been cast in a few dramas and action movies. He is a phenomenal actor and can really play up his emotions when needed.

With the release of his newest album The 20/20 Experience: Complete Experience, Justin has kept the fire hot incorporating provocative new beats and jazzy foreign rhythms into his music. His song Suit & Tie made it bigger than any other song on his album. His collaboration with Jay-Z in the jazzy funk tune really seemed to tie the whole piece together, switching up the beats and continually keeping the audience enticed. Not only is he keeping himself current in his music career, he is also staying on top of his life. Just recently marrying actress Jessica Biel, and settling down with his new wife.

I believe Justin Timberlake to be one of the most down to earth, smart, classy, and successful actors/singers of my time, and no one could convince me otherwise.