Taylor Swift

Country singer Taylor Swift broke through in 2006 with her hit song "Tim McGraw," recorded when she was still 16 years old. Raised just outside of Reading, Pennsylvania, Swift began singing at local events when she was a kid, and even sang the national anthem at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game when she was 11. To pursue her career in country music, Swift and her family moved near Nashville, Tennessee when she was 13. Her beauty-pageant looks and surprisingly seasoned country vocal style made her a star on Country Music Television, and her video for "Tim McGraw" -- a wistful ballad of romantic longing ("When you think Tim McGraw / I hope you think of me") -- was voted a fan favorite. She released her self-titled debut album in late 2006 and quickly became a star singer and songwriter, nominated for a Grammy Award and by the Academy of Country Music as best new female vocalist. Before she was even 18 Swift was touring nationally with top stars such as Brad Paisley and Rascal Flatts. Her 2008 album Fearless produced the hit singles "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me."

Extra credit: Swift was stunned by Kanye West at the MTV Music Video Awards on 13 September 2009. Swift was accepting her video for Best Female Video when Kanye grabbed the microphone and announced to the crowd, "I'm sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!"