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Most artists who have the honor of being someone's favorite have been in the game for a while. While we often immediately think of performers like Avril Lavigne, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé at the top of their game, they didn't start there. Before they became household names, they had to cut their teeth on smaller platforms and prove their star quality to the industry.
The road to stardom usually starts with live performances on morning shows and late-night tv programming. And lucky for fans, many of their favorite artists' first televised performances can be viewed online. We've rounded up 10 artists' very first TV performances from Avril Lavigne on MTV's TRL and Beyoncé at the 2003 BET Awards, to newcomers like GAYLE and Lauv!
Several of the artists on this list including Avril, GAYLE, Lauv, and many more will be performing during the 2022 Daytime Stage at the iHeartRadio Music Festival on September 24th. Fans can tune in to stream live via iHeartMedia radio stations throughout the country across more than 150 markets, and watch via an exclusive national television broadcast special on The CW Network in October. Tickets for the Daytime Stage are available at AXS.com.
1. Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne's first televised performance is one for the books. The burgeoning pop punk artist made her debut on the now-iconic MTV TRL in August of 2002. Watch her sing her hit "Complicated" below.
2. Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta kicked off her television debut as Lady Gaga with an important message. "Pop music will never be low brow," a robotic recording of her voice declared before launching into her very first hit single "Just Dance" on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008. Nearly 15 years later, Gaga is selling out stadiums packed with adoring fans. Check out her first TV performance below.
3. WILLOW
Willow Smith was just 10 years old when she made her national television debut on the Ellen Show in 2010. Fresh off releasing her hit single "Whip My Hair," a young Willow made the whole pop star gig look as effortless as breathing. While Willow has evolved musically since then, the song still holds up over a decade later, in my humble opinion.
4. Beyoncé
So, this isn't technically Beyoncé's first televised performance but it is her first TV performance as a solo artist, separate from Destiny's Child. In 2003, the superstar made her debut as the iconic entertainer we know today with an impressive performance of her recently released single "Crazy in Love."
5. CHLÖE
I'd be remiss if I didn't follow up Beyoncé with one of her prodigies Chloe Bailey! While we got to know this talented singer in the duo Chloe X Halle with her talented sister Halle Bailey, she made her solo debut just last year. Her first solo TV performance at the 2021 MTV VMAs has mostly been scrubbed from the internet due to a wardrobe malfunction but luckily we got another stunning performance of her hit "Have Mercy" at the 2021 AMAs soon after!
6. Maggie Rogers
Musician Maggie Rogers made a huge television debut on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon back in 2017. At the time she only had an EP out but since then she's delighted fans with hits from her latest albums Heard It In A Past Life (2019) and her most recent Surrender. Check out her passionate tv debut of "Alaska" below.
7. 5 Seconds of Summer
The 5SOS boys made their live television debut on Australia's morning show Sunrise back in 2014. The high-energy performance was filled with shots of girls screaming along to the song "Don't Stop" and holding up their signs with messages of love and support. Eight years later, 5SOS is gearing up to drop their fifth studio album 5SOS5 on September 23rd.
8. Big Time Rush
This one's tricky because as we all know, Big Time Rush debuted as a fictional boy band on television. However, their stars quickly rose in real life as well. Over 10 years ago, Kendal Schmidt, Logan Henderson, James Maslow, and Carlos PenaVega made their live debut on television on the Today Show back in 2010. Check out the band performing their first single "Till I Forget About You" below.
9. GAYLE
"abcdefu" hitmaker GAYLE made her television debut just eight months ago and on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon no less! The 18-year-old musician made a stunning debut by singing her viral hit. The performance was likely great preparation for her impressive set at iHeartRadio Wango Tango months later. Check out her debut below!
10. Lauv
According to IMDB Lauv's first televised live performance happened in January 2018 on Jimmy Kimmel Live! However, video footage from the night is nowhere to be found but, luckily, Lauv made it to the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon just a few months after. The singer gave a pitch-perfect performance of his breakout hit "I Like Me Better." Check it out below!