IN: Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television judge. After singing in church during her childhood, she pursued a career in gospel music as a teenager. Perry signed with Red Hill Records and released her debut studio album Katy Hudson under her birth name in 2001, which was commercially unsuccessful. She moved to Los Angeles the following year to venture into secular music after Red Hill ceased operations and she subsequently began working with producers Glen Ballard, Dr. Luke, and Max Martin.

Perry completed her General Educational Development (GED) requirements at age 15, during her freshman year of high school, and left Dos Pueblos High School to pursue a musical career. She briefly studied Italian opera at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. Her singing caught the attention of rock artists Steve Thomas and Jennifer Knapp from Nashville, Tennessee, who brought her there to improve her writing skills. In Nashville, she started recording demos and learned how to write songs and play guitar. After signing with Red Hill Records, Perry recorded her debut album, a gospel record titled Katy Hudson. She released the album on March 6, 2001, and went on tour that year as part of Phil Joel's Strangely Normal Tour while also embarking on other performances of her own in the United States. Katy Hudson received positive reviews from critics, though was commercially unsuccessful and sold an estimated 200 copies before the label ceased operations in December. Transitioning from gospel music to secular music, Perry started writing songs with producer Glen Ballard, and moved to Los Angeles at age 17. In 2003, she briefly performed as Katheryn Perry to avoid confusion with actress Kate Hudson. She later adopted the stage name Katy Perry, using her mother's maiden name.  In 2004, Perry signed to Ballard's label, Java, which was then affiliated with The Island Def Jam Music Group. She began work on a solo record, but the record was shelved after Java was dropped. Ballard then introduced Perry to Tim Devine, an A&R executive at Columbia Records, and she was signed as a solo artist. Over the course of the next two years, Perry wrote and recorded material for her Columbia debut, and worked with songwriters including Desmond Child, Greg Wells, Butch Walker, Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, The Matrix, Kara DioGuardi, Max Martin and Dr. Luke. In addition, after Devine suggested that songwriting team The Matrix become a "real group", Perry recorded with them. Perry was dropped from Columbia in 2006 as her record neared completion. After the label dropped her, she worked at an independent A&R company called Taxi Music.  Perry had minor success prior to her breakthrough. One of the songs she had recorded for her album with Ballard, "Simple", was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She provided backing vocals on Mick Jagger's song "Old Habits Die Hard", which was included on the soundtrack to the 2004 film Alfie. In September 2004, Blender named Perry "The Next Big Thing". She recorded background vocals on P.O.D.'s single "Goodbye for Now" and was featured at the end of its music video in 2006. That year, Perry also appeared in the music video for "Learn to Fly" by Carbon Leaf, and played the love interest of her then-boyfriend, Gym Class Heroes lead singer Travie McCoy, in the band's music video for "Cupid's Chokehold".

Where was Perry most successful before her breakthrough?

OUT: One of the songs she had recorded for her album with Ballard, "Simple", was featured on the soundtrack to the 2005 film The Sisterhood


IN: Shinee ( SHY-nee; Korean: syaini; Japanese: shiyaini; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy group formed by S.M. Entertainment in 2008. The group is composed of four members: Onew, Key, Minho, and Taemin. Originally a five-piece group, vocalist Jonghyun died in December 2017. Shinee were introduced as a contemporary R&B boy group by their company with the goal to be trendsetters in all areas of music, fashion, dance, etc. and debuted in May 2008 with their first EP, Replay on SBS' Inkigayo with their single "Replay".

Prior to the group's debut, the label company, S.M. Entertainment, introduced an upcoming contemporary R&B boy group with its goal to be trendsetters in all areas of music, fashion and dance. The group's Korean name, Shinee is a new coined word and explained as a combination of shine meaning light, and the suffix ee, therefore meaning "one who receives the light". On May 25, 2008, the group's first EP, Replay, was released, which debuted at number ten on the Korean music charts and peaked at number eight, selling 17,957 copies in the first half of 2008. In May 2008, Shinee had their first stage performance on SBS's Inkigayo with their single "Replay".  In June 2008, the group won their first award, "Rookie of the Month" at the Cyworld Digital Music Awards, and were also awarded with the "Hot New Star" award at the Mnet 20's Choice Awards in August, 2008. In the same month, Shinee subsequently released their first full-length album, The SHINee World, which debuted at number three, selling 30,000 copies. Its title track "Sanso Gateun Neo (Love Like Oxygen)" is a cover of "Show the World" by Martin Hoberg Hedegaard, originally written by the Danish songwriting and production team of Thomas Troelsen, Remee and Lucas Secon. On September 18, 2008, the song won first place on M! Countdown making it the group's first win on Korean music shows since debut.  Shinee participated in the 5th Asia Song Festival, where they received the "Best New Artist" award along with Japanese girl group Berryz Kobo. The group attended the Style Icon Awards on October 30, 2008, where they received the "Best Style Icon Award". On the same day, a repackaged version of The Shinee World, titled A.Mi.Go, was released, which includes three new songs: "Forever or Never", a remix of "Love Should Go On", and the title track "Amigo". "A.Mi.Go" is a shortened version of the Korean phrase "Areumdaun Minyeoreul Joahamyeon Gosaenghanda", which can be translated to "The heart aches when you fall in love with a beauty".  In November 2008, Shinee won the "Best New Male Group" award at the 10th annual Mnet Asian Music Awards, beating fellow newcomers U-KISS, 2PM, 2AM and Mighty Mouth. In addition, the group also won the award for "Newcomer Album of the Year" at the 23rd Annual Golden Disk Awards.

Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?

OUT:
In November 2008, Shinee won the "Best New Male Group" award at the 10th annual Mnet Asian Music Awards,