10 Teen Starlets Who Couldn’t Quite Make The Transition To Adult Pop Diva

Mike Wass | October 14, 2015 9:00 am
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With Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez duking it out on the charts, and Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande quietly plotting their next moves, you would be forgiven for thinking the leap from teen starlet to adult pop diva is fairly simple. The formula for success seems to go a little something like this: land a role in a Disney or Nickelodeon sitcom, record a manufactured (but generally flawless) pop album and then thoroughly reinvent yourself when you’ve reached the appropriate age.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always pan out like that. The annals of music history are littered with teen sensations that couldn’t quite connect in the first place, or simply outgrew their audience. The point of this post isn’t to name and shame, but rather to celebrate these magical divas. More often that not they delivered beloved pop treasures before finding success in other fields. Furthermore, it’s never too late for a comeback. I would buy new music from all ten of these acts!

1. Victoria Justice

Victoria Justice was supposed to be the break-out star of Nickelodeon sitcom Victorious. She played the titular character, sang lead on the show’s three massively successful soundtrack albums and worked with A-List producers like Shellback, Savan Kotecha and Toby Gad. But then, co-star Ariana Grande dropped “The Way” and Vicky faded from the musical spotlight.

Biggest hit: “Freak The Freak Out” (#50 on the Billboard Hot 100)
Best song: “Beggin’ On Your Knees”

2. Emily Osment

Emily Osment is best known for playing Miley’s friend Lily Truscott in Hannah Montana, but she will always be the pop icon behind legendary Britney Spears rip-off “Let’s Be Friends” to me. Her debut album Fight Or Flight didn’t really take off (pun intended), which doesn’t make it any less enjoyable as a companion piece to Circus. Bring on that sophomore LP!

Biggest hit: “Let’s Be Friends” (#24 in Japan)
Best song: “Let’s Be Friends”

3. Vanessa Hudgens

After rocketing to fame as the female lead in Disney’s High School Musical movies, and landing several hits from the mega-successful soundtracks, Vanessa Hudgens seemed like a sure bet for musical stardom. Her debut LP V did well enough to warrant a follow-up (largely produced by Dr. Luke), but things went a little pear-shaped when “Sneakernight” bombed and nude photos tarnished her girl-next-door image. (How quickly things change). The diva recently dabbled in electro-pop with girl group YLA, so new music isn’t entirely out of the question.

Biggest hit: “Breaking Free” (#4 on the Billboard Hot 100)
Best song: “Party On The Moon”

4. Bridgit Mendler

Brigit Mendler came closer than most to leveraging her stardom (courtesy of Lemonade Mouth) into a sustainable pop career when she landed a well-deserved hit with “Ready Or Not.” Her debut LP Hello My Name Is… even cracked the top 30, but it couldn’t produce another hit and the 22-year-old is now conspicuously absent from Disney’s roster. Something tells me it’s time for the “Hurricane” queen to return with an edgy, independently released album!

Biggest hit: “Ready Or Not” (#49 on the Billboard Hot 100)
Best song: “Ready Or Not”

5. Cheetah Girls

The Cheetah Girls were a genuine phenomenon with three Disney movies, multiple albums and a classic seasonal LP called Cheetah-licious Christmas. They tried their hand at an edgier sound on 2007 opus TCG, but it didn’t quite click and the divas went their separate ways. Raven-Symoné, Kiely Williams, Sabrina Bryan and Adrienne Bailon all went on to release solo material without much success. Time for a reunion?

Biggest hit: “Strut” (#53 on the Billboard Hot 100)
Best song: “Fuego”