• Viral badge

What Pop Stars Looked Like When They Released Their First Album

Spoiler alert: They ALL still look pretty damn good.

1. Miley Cyrus

Left: Cyrus in 2006, the year her first Hannah Montana album came out...though she was credited as the fictional singer, and not herself!

Right: Miley can't stop, won't stop being a superstar. Here she is performing at a 2014 concert, totally wrecking-balling pop music.

2. Taylor Swift

Left: Swifty in 2006, the year her debut album dropped. Remember "Our Song"?!?!

Right: TSwizzle at this year's VMAs. She's come a long way fashion-wise, no?

3. Beyoncé

Left: Queen B in 2003, the year she dropped her first solo album, Dangerously in Love. We've been crazy in love ever since.

Right: Beysus on the red carpet of this year's VMAs, where she received the Video Vanguard Award. TRUE AMERICAN ROYALTY.

4. Nicki Minaj

Left: Nicki in 2009, the year We Are Young Money dropped. Remember "Bedrock"?!?!

Right Minaj at New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week earlier this year. Oh, our anacondas want some.

5. Christina Aguilera

Left: Xtina in 1999, the year her self-titled debut album dropped. #TBT to "Genie in a Bottle"!!!

Right: The Voice coach earlier this year. She's come a long way since her Mickey Mouse Club days!

6. Kesha

Left: Kesha in 2009, the year her instant smash "Tik Tok" dropped... AND when she still had a "$" in her name!

Right: Kesha at the VMAs this year, looking FAB. U. LOUS. TIMBERRRRR!

7. Gwen Stefani

Left: Gwen on TRL in 2004, the year her debut solo album Love Angel Music Baby dropped. But she had already been with No Doubt for more than a decade! Hollaback, y'all!

Right: Stefani in 2014...still looking HELLA good!

8. Lady Gaga

Left: Lady Gaga in 2008 on TRL, the year The Fame dropped. Throwback to the "Poker Face" days!

Right: Gaga in 2014 in Japan, still as crazy as ever — and we love her for it! Just dance, little monsters!

9. Rihanna

Left: Rihanna in 2005, the year Music of the Sun dropped. I mean, we ALL were spinning "Pon De Replay."

Right: Bad Girl RiRi SLAYING at the Met Gala red carpet earlier this year. ELLA ELLA AY AY.

10. Katy Perry

Left: Katy in 2008, the year her first album released as Katy Perry (she previously released an album as Katy Hudson). Oh, and we were jamming to "I Kissed a Girl."

Right: KP channelling her inner Britney on this year's VMAs red carpet, coming at us like a dark horse.

11. Madonna

Left: The queen of pop in 1983, the year her debut solo album was released. ~memories~

Right: Madge on this year's Grammys red carpet. More than three decades later, she's STILL in the game!

12. Lana Del Rey

Left: LDR (real name: Elizabeth Grant) in 2012. She released a digital album, Lana Del Ray, in 2010, but...2012's Born to Die is where she was rebranded as Lana Del Rey for the masses.

Right: Lana in 2014, continuing her reign as the princess of melancholy indie pop. ~summertime sadness~

13. Kelly Clarkson

Left: Kelly in 2002, the year she won the inaugural season of American Idol. THROWBACK.

Right: Clarkson earlier this year... Her moment like this has lasted for more than a decade!

14. Mariah Carey

Left: Mimi in 1990, the year she released her multiplatinum debut album that ALSO produced four consecutive Billboard No. 1 singles.

Right: The hall-of-fame diva in 2014. Remember her CLASSIC Cribs episode? Oh, and all we want for Christmas IS you, Mariah.

15. Britney Spears

Left: Britney performing 1999, the year ...Baby One More Time dropped and she changed pop music FOREVER.

Right: Godney earlier this year... STILL AT THE TOP OF THE GAME. BOW DOWN.

Madonna's "1983" photo was updated as Getty mislabeled the original photo used. *Goes back to jamming out to "Like a Virgin."*