2013 has been a rather eventful year for music. It saw the emergence of some wonderful talents, great collaborations and brilliant music. Of course, none of this would be possible without the people that make the music. Whether they were in the news for good or for bad, here are some of the most talked about musicians of 2013.
Miley Cyrus
There is no doubt that 2013 had seen a lot of Miley Cyrus, and quite literally too. Cyrus started her reign of the news headlines by chopping off her beautiful brunette locks to sport an ultra short blonde pixie crop. And from there on in, the pop star made sure she became one of the most talked about musicians of the year. From her break up with ex-fiancé Liam Hemsworth to her open online row with Irish singer Sinead O’Connor, from her controversial clothing choices to her constant tongue wagging and pot-smoking on stage, Cyrus has never been out of the spotlight for long. Sure she has had some significant musical moments this year, like the immense success of her third album- ‘Bangerz’ and tracks ‘Wrecking Ball’ and ‘We Can’t Stop’. However, she has made the news more for her twerking, grinding and grating than for anything else.
Beyonce
In February 2013 ‘Queen Bee’ had Twitter exploding after her half time show at the Super Bowl XLVII, making her performance the second most tweeted about moment in Twitter history. In the same month she released a documentary film ‘Life Is But A Dream’, which gave fans a more personal look at the diva. She has also had an extremely successful Mrs Carter Show World Tour that is still going on and will commence only in March 2014. But what made the 32 year old singer one of the most talked about musicians of 2013 was the stealthy release of her latest visual album ‘Beyonce’. Although it came towards the end of the year, dropping the album without any fanfare saw her fans go crazy. It debuted at number one on Billboard’s top 200 chart and sold more than 600,000 digital copies within three days.
Justin Bieber
The teenage heartthrob who rose to fame at the age of 13 has made the news quite often in 2013, but more often than not, for his notorious behaviour. And it all started after the breakup with his sweetheart of two years Selena Gomez. The ‘Biebs’ has been in the news for spitting on fans, showing up almost two hours late for concerts, urinating in a restaurant mop bucket, shouting out “F*** You” to a poster of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and the list goes on. More recently he upped the controversy quotient by getting caught leaving a Brazilian brothel, disrespecting the Argentinean flag, engaging in scuffles with the paparazzi and spray painting graffiti in Australia and Brazil. Now he says he is retiring. Not hard to guess why.
Kanye West
Self proclaimed “genius”, Kanye West, has been in the news for a number of reasons this year. From his highly acclaimed album release ‘Yeezus’ to his over the top proposal to reality star girlfriend Kim Kardashian, West has been a prominent name in the news in 2013. But most people will probably remember the rapper for his Twitter feud with late night host- Jimmy Kimmel, allegedly assaulting a photographer at LAX airport, walking off stage in the middle of his concerts and comparing his career to that of a soldier or police officer because he “risks his life every time he gets up on stage”.
Lady Gaga
While she is better known for her whacky clothes and pushing boundaries, for 'Mother Monster' 2013 was all about her latest album ‘Artpop’. Prior to the album’s release Gaga drove her fans wild by dropping hints, asking to help design cover art and a whole lot more. Through the album Gaga channelled her love for both art and pop music (see her less than modest album cover art). Her first release ‘Applause’ was quite successful, as was her collaboration with R. Kelly ‘Do What You Want’. However, the year was not without a little bit of controversy for the pop superstar. She made the news for her spat with celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, her performance on X Factor for which she donned a skimpy outfit that included flesh coloured underwear and her raunchy performance with R. Kelly when she hosted Saturday Night Live (SNL).