Making it in the music industry is definitely not easy — even for the most talented singers out there. And making it in the music industry at a very young age is even harder, especially if one does not have Disney Channel as a platform to jump from.
Today's list takes a look at famous musicians who have managed to rise to fame before turning 18, and no — they did not do it through the Disney Channel. From iconic lady bosses such as Beyoncé and Rihanna to Canadian heartthrobs like Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes — keep on scrolling to see just who made it onto our list!
10 Billie Eilish
Kicking the list off his 19-year-old Billie Eilish who first gained attention in 2015 when she uploaded the song "Ocean Eyes" to SoundCloud. Billie — who is 13 at the time — certainly could not predict how well the song would do. Since then, the young musician released her debut EP Don't Smile at Me in 2017 as well as her debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? in 2019.
9 Justin Bieber
Next on the list is Canadian musician Justin Bieber who also rose to fame at a very early age. Talent manager Scooter Brown discovered Justin at the age of 13, and he released his debut EP My World in 2009. That same year Justin also released his debut single "One Time" which was a major success for the at the time 15-year-old. Of course, the rest is history, and nowadays Justin is one of the most successful male pop artists in the world!
8 Taylor Swift
Another famous musician who rose to fame before the age of 18 is Taylor Swift. In 2006 Taylor Swift release or her self-titled debut studio album and at the time she was only 16 years old.
The album included hits such as "Tim McGraw" and "Teardrops on My Guitar" which paved Taylor's way towards becoming one of the most well-known pop and country musicians. Today, Taylor is a lady boss who still writes incredibly relatable lyrics.
7 Rihanna
Speaking of super famous ladies who rose to fame before the age of 18 — next on the list is Barbadian musician Rihanna. When Rihanna's debut single "Pon de Replay" was released in 2005, the singer was only 17 years old and she was certainly not ready for the fame that was about to come her way. Today, RiRi is one of the most talented musicians of her generation and fans just can’t get enough of her music!
6 Shawn Mendes
While Shawn Mendes has done quite a lot in the past couple of years, his fans surely remember that Shawn actually rose to fame in 2014 with his first single "Life of the Party" released when the musician was only 15. Prior to that, Shawn — just like fellow Candian Justin Bieber — was relating videos of himself singing, mostly on YouTube.
5 Lorde
Next on the list is New Zealand singer Lorde who was only 16 when she rose to fame in 2013 with her debut single "Royals". Since then, the musician has released two successful studio albums — but considering that her latest one Melodrama was released in 2017 it's safe to say that fans are impatiently waiting for some new Lorde music!
4 Avril Lavigne
Another musician that many may have forgotten rose to fame before the age of 18 is Canadian singer Avril Lavigne. Her debut single "Complicated" came out in 2002 when Avril was only 15 years old.
Related: The Artist Formerly Known As: 10 Musicians/Bands Who Changed Their Names
Since then the musician released six studio albums and there is no doubt that her fans are just as obsessed with her music now as they were back in the early 2000s.
3 Harry Styles
Former One Direction member Harry Styles technically rose to fame before the age of 18 — even though he did it in a group and not as a solo artist. When the boy band's debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" came out in 2011 Harry was 17 years old — and the rest of the band members were also certainly very young. However, out of all of them, the very fashionable musician has so far had the most impressive career — which is why he’s the one we picked for today’s list.
2 Willow Smith
Let’s move on to Will Smith and Jade Pinkett Smith's daughter Willow who released her debut single "Whip My Hair" in 2010 when she was only nine years old — yes, you read that correctly. Granted, Willow did have quite a lot of help as she already had very famous parents, but still — there are plenty of celebrity kids who don’t make it out there, especially not as early as Willow did!
1 And Lastly, Beyoncé
Wrapping the list is none other than singer Beyoncé who has over the past decades become a true queen in the industry. As Beyoncé‘s fans surely remember, the star started out as a member of Destiny’s Child and Destiny’s Child rose to fame in 1997 when the hit "No, No, No" from their self-titled debut album was released. At the time of the release, Beyoncé was 16 years old, and with plenty of talent and incredibly hard work she managed to become one of the greatest female musicians of all time!
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