A girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a ''young woman''.

Etymology

The word ''girl'' first appeared during the Middle Ages between 1250 and 1300 CE and came from the Anglo-Saxon words ''gerle'' (also spelled ''girle'' or ''gurle''). The Anglo-Saxon word ''gerela'' meaning ''dress'' or ''clothing item'' also seems to have been used as a metonym in some sense. ''Girl'' has meant ''any young unmarried woman'' since about 1530. Its first noted meaning for ''sweetheart'' is 1648. The earliest known appearance of ''girl-friend'' is in 1892 and ''girl next door'', meant as a teenaged female or young woman with a kind of wholesome appeal, dates only to 1961.

Usage for adults

The word ''girl'' is sometimes used to refer to an adult female. This usage may be considered derogatory or disrespectful in professional or other formal contexts, just as the term ''boy'' can be considered disparaging when applied to an adult man. Hence, this usage is often deprecative. It can also be used deprecatively when used to discriminate against children ("''you're just a girl''").

In casual context, the word has positive uses, as evidenced by its use in titles of popular music. It has been used playfully for people acting in an energetic fashion (Furtado's "Promiscuous Girl") or as a way of unifying women of all ages on the basis of their once having been girls (McBride's "This One's for the Girls"). These positive uses mean ''gender'' rather than ''age''.

Demographics

Slightly more boys are born than girls (in the US this ratio is about 105 boys born for every 100 girls), but girls are slightly less likely to die than boys, during childhood, so that the ratio for under 15 years of age is 104 boys for every 100 girls. Since the 18th century the human sex ratio has been observed as about 1,050 boys for every 1,000 girls born and sex selection on the part of parents further lessens the number of female births. Although the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has asserted "primary education shall be compulsory and available free to all" girls are slightly less likely to be enrolled as students in primary and secondary schools (70%:74% and 59%:65%). Worldwide efforts have been made to end this disparity (such as through the Millennium Development Goals) and the gap has closed since 1990.

Gender and environment

Biological gender interacts with environment in ways not fully understood. Identical twin girls separated at birth and reunited decades later have shown both startling similarities and differences. In 2005 Kim Wallen of Emory University noted, "I think the 'nature versus nurture' question is not meaningful, because it treats them as independent factors, whereas in fact everything is nature and nurture." Wallen said gender differences emerge very early and come about through an underlying preference males and females have for their chosen activities.

According to Wallen, expectations will nonetheless play a role in how girls perform academically. For example, if females skilled in math are told a test is "gender neutral" they achieve high scores, but if they are told males outperformed females in the past, the females will do much worse. "What’s strange is," Wallen observed, "according to the research, all one apparently has to do is tell a woman who has a lifetime of socialization of being poor in math that a math test is gender neutral, and all effects of that socialization go away." Author Judith Harris has said that aside from their genetic contribution, the nurturing provided by parents likely has less long-term influence over their offspring than other environmental aspects such as the children's peer group. In England, studies by the National Literacy Trust have shown girls score consistently higher than boys in all scholastic areas from the ages of 7 through 16, with the most striking differences noted in reading and writing skills. Historically, girls lagged on standardized tests. In 1996 the average score of 503 for US girls from all races on the SAT verbal test was 4 points lower than boys. In math, the average for girls was 492, which was 35 points lower than boys. "When girls take the exact same courses," commented Wayne Camara, a research scientist with the College Board, "that 35-point gap dissipates quite a bit." At the time Leslie R. Wolfe, president of the Center for Women Policy Studies said girls scored differently on the math tests because they tend to work the problems out while boys use "test-taking tricks" such as immediately checking the answers already given in multiple-choice questions. Wolfe said girls are steady and thorough while "boys play this test like a pin-ball machine." Wolfe also said although girls had lower SAT scores they consistently get higher grades than boys across all courses their first year in college. By 2006 girls were outscoring boys on the verbal portion of the SAT by 11 points. A 2005 University of Chicago study showed that a majority presence of girls in the classroom tends to enhance the academic performance of boys.

Art and literature

Egyptian murals included sympathetic portraits of young girls who were daughters of royalty. Sappho's poetry carries love poems addressed to girls.

In Europe, some early paintings featuring girls were Petrus Christus' ''Portrait of a Young Girl'' (about 1460), Juan de Flandes' ''Portrait of a Young Girl'' (about 1505), Frans Hals' ''Die Amme mit dem Kind'' in 1620, Diego Velázquez' ''Las Meninas'' in 1656, Jan Steen's ''The Feast of St. Nicolas'' (about 1660) and Johannes Vermeer's ''Girl with a Pearl Earring'' along with ''Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window''. Later paintings of girls include Albert Anker's portrait of a ''Girl with a Domino Tower'' and Camille Pissarro's 1883 ''Portrait of a Felix Daughter''.

American paintings featuring girls include Mary Cassatt's 1884 ''Children on the Beach'' and Whistler's ''Harmony in Gray and Green: Miss Cicely Alexander'' and ''The White Girl'' (shown at right).

Many novels begin with the childhood of their heroine, such as ''Jane Eyre'' who suffers ill treatment or Natasha in ''War and Peace'', who is sentimentalized. Other novels include Harper Lee's ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' in which a young girl is protagonist. Vladimir Nabokov's controversial book ''Lolita'' (1955) is about a doomed relationship between a 12 year old girl and an adult scholar as they travel across the United States. ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' by Arthur Golden begins as the female main character and her sister are dropped off in the pleasure district after being separated from their family.

''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' by Lewis Carroll featured a widely noted female protagonist. Moreover, Carroll's photographs of girls are often cited in histories of photographic art.

Popular culture

European fairy tales have preserved memorable stories about girls. Among these are ''Goldilocks and the Three Bears'', ''Rapunzel'', Hans Christian Andersen's ''The Little Match Girl'', ''The Little Mermaid'', ''The Princess and the Pea'' and the Brothers Grimm's ''Little Red Riding Hood''.

Children's books about girls include ''Alice in Wonderland'', ''Heidi'', ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', the Nancy Drew series, ''Little House on the Prairie'', ''Madeline'', ''Pippi Longstocking'', ''A Wrinkle in Time'', ''Dragonsong'', and Little Women. Books which have both boy and girl protagonists have tended to focus more on the boys, but important girl characters appear in ''Knight's Castle'', ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', ''The Book of Three'' and the Harry Potter series.

There have been many American comic books and comic strips featuring a girl as the main character such as Little Lulu and Little Orphan Annie. In superhero comic books an early girl character was Etta Candy, one of Wonder Woman's sidekicks. In the Peanuts series (by Charles Schulz) girl characters include Peppermint Patty, Lucy van Pelt and Sally Brown.

In Japanese animated cartoons and comic books girls are often protagonists. Most of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films feature a young girl heroine, as in ''Majo no takkyūbin'' (Kiki's Delivery Service). There are many other girl protagonists in the Shōjo style of manga, which is targeted to girls as an audience. Among these are ''The Wallflower'', ''Ceres, Celestial Legend'', Tokyo Mew Mew and ''Full Moon o Sagashite''. Meanwhile, some genres of Japanese cartoons may feature sexualized and objectified portrayals of girls.

The term ''girl'' is widely heard in the lyrics of popular music (such as with the song "About a Girl"), most often meaning a young adult or teenaged female.

See also

Boy

Female infanticide

Girl group

Girl Guides

Girl Power

Tomboy

Woman

Notes

Category:Childhood Category:Terms for females

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name	Jennifer Lopez
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jennifer Lynn Lopez
alias	J.Lo
birth date	}}

| origin = | genre = Pop, R&B | occupation = Actress, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer, television producer | years_active = 1986, 1991–present | label = Epic, Island, Work | website = }} Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969) is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, fashion designer, and television producer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color''. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller ''Money Train''. Her first leading role was in the biographical film ''Selena'' (1997), in which she earned an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in ''Out of Sight'' (1998). She has since starred in various films, including ''The Wedding Planner'' (2001), ''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002), ''Shall We Dance?'' (2004), ''Monster-in-Law'' (2005), and ''The Back-up Plan'' (2010).

Lopez came to prominence within the music industry following the release of her debut studio album ''On the 6'' (1999), which spawned the number one hit single "If You Had My Love". Her second studio album, ''J.Lo'' (2001), was a commercial success, selling eight million copies worldwide. ''J to tha L–O!: The Remixes'' (2002) became her second consecutive album to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, while her third and fourth studio albums – ''This Is Me... Then'' (2002) and ''Rebirth'' (2005) – peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. In 2007 she released two albums, including her first full Spanish-language album, ''Como ama una Mujer'', and her fifth English studio album, ''Brave''. Lopez returned to music and released her seventh studio album, titled ''Love?'', on April 19, 2011. Its single, "On the Floor", has impacted charts worldwide. Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements, including two Grammy Award nominations; two Latin Grammy Award nominations; three American Music Awards, amongst six nominations; and the estimated sale of over 55 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000s decade. Lopez is currently a member of the judging panel of American reality television competition ''American Idol''.

She led ''People en Español''s list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" in February 2007. She has parlayed her media fame into a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement. A fashion icon, several of her dresses have received considerable media attention, most notably the Jungle green Versace dress which she wore at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2000—voted the fifth most iconic dress of all time. Outside of her work in the entertainment industry, Lopez advocates for human rights and vaccinations, and is a supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2011 she was named the most "Beautiful Person" by ''People'' magazine in its annual issue.

Early life

Jennifer Lopez was born on July 24, 1969, in the Bronx, New York, and was raised on Blackrock Avenue in the borough's Castle Hill neighborhood. She is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe (née Rodríguez), a kindergarten teacher, and David Lopez, a computer specialist, both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Lopez was raised as a Roman Catholic. She has two siblings, Lynda and Leslie. Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School in the Bronx. She financed singing and dancing lessons for herself from the age of 19. After attending Baruch College for one semester, Lopez divided her time between working as a notary public in a legal office, dance classes, and dance performances in Manhattan night clubs. She had a small part in the 1987 film ''My Little Girl'' at the age of sixteen. After months of auditioning for dance roles, Lopez was selected as a dancer for various rap music videos, a 1990 episode of ''Yo! MTV Raps'', and as a backup dancer for the New Kids on the Block and their performance of their song "Games" for the American Music Awards in 1991. She gained her first regular high-profile job as a "Fly Girl" dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color'' from 1991–1993. Soon after, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and made an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes".

Music career

1999–01: ''On the 6'' and ''J.Lo''

Lopez's debut album ''On the 6'', a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200. The album featured the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one lead single, "If You Had My Love", as well as the top ten hit "Waiting for Tonight". The album also featured a Spanish language, Latin-flavored duet "No Me Ames" with Marc Anthony (who later would become her husband.) Though "No Me Ames" never had a commercial release, it reached number one on the U.S. Hot Latin Tracks. ''On the 6'' featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good", which had moderate success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Let's Get Loud", the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category in 2001 Grammy Awards. "Waiting for Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year. "No Me Ames" received two nominations at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards – "Best Pop Duo/Group with Vocal Performance" and "Best Music Video".

Lopez's second album, ''J.Lo'', was released on January 23, 2001 and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. This album was more urban oriented than ''On the 6''. When Lopez film ''The Wedding Planner'', a film in which Lopez falls in love with the groom of the wedding she is planning, achieved number one shortly after, Lopez become the first actress-singer to have a film and an album at number one in the same week. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK. Her next two singles were "I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny" which were quickly rising up the charts. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs, which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Cadillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). Both remixes reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for several weeks. She re-released ''J. Lo'' on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the ''Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert''.

2002–04: ''J to tha L–O!: The Remixes'' and ''This Is Me... Then''

Following the success of the re-release of ''J. Lo'', Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remixing effort, releasing ''J to tha L–O!: The Remixes'', on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart. Featured artists on ''J to tha L-O!: The Remixes'' included P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the fourth all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's ''Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'', The Beatles' ''Love'' and Madonna's ''You Can Dance''.

Lopez released her third studio album, ''This Is Me... Then'', on November 26, 2002 which reached number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and spawned four singles: "Jenny from the Block" (featuring Jadakiss and Styles P), which reached number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100; "All I Have" (featuring LL Cool J), which spent multiple weeks at number one; "I'm Glad"; and "Baby I Love U!". The album included a cover of Carly Simon's 1978 "You Belong to Me". The video for "I'm Glad" recreated scenes from the 1983 film ''Flashdance'', leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed.

2005–08: ''Rebirth'', ''Como ama una Mujer'' and ''Brave''

After a year away from the music scene, Lopez released her fourth studio album, ''Rebirth'', on March 1, 2005. Although debuting and peaking at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, the album quickly fell off the charts. It spawned the hit "Get Right", which reached the top 15 in the U.S. and became her second Platinum hit (after "If You Had My Love"). "Get Right" was also successful in the UK, becoming her second number-one single there. The second single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number 64 on the U.S. Hot 100; it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top 20 in Australia. Another song, "Cherry Pie", was slated for a release in late 2005, but the plans to make a video were canceled. It was released to radio stations in Spain. ''Rebirth'' was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA. Lopez was then featured on LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was Lopez's first U.S. top ten hit in three years. Rebirth has had most success in the UK, where overall most of her singles have reached the top five.

Lopez officially released her first full Spanish-language album, ''Como ama una Mujer'', in March 2007. Her husband, singer Marc Anthony, produced the album with Estefano, except for "Qué Hiciste", which Anthony co-produced with Julio Reyes. The album peaked at number ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, number one on the U.S. Top Latin Albums for four straight weeks and on the U.S. Latin Pop Albums for seven straight weeks. The album did well in Europe peaking at number three on the albums chart, mainly due to the big success in countries like Switzerland, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Greece, Germany, Austria, and Portugal. On July 24, 2007 ''Billboard'' magazine reported that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony would "co-headline" a worldwide tour called "Juntos en Concierto" starting in New Jersey on September 29. Tickets went on sale August 10. The tour was a mix of her current music, older tunes and Spanish music. In a later press release, Lopez announced a detailed itinerary. The tour launched September 28, 2007 at the Mark G. Etess Arena and ended on November 7, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The lead single, "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do"), was officially released to radio stations in January 2007. Since then, it has peaked at 86 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play. It also went top ten on the European chart. The video for the song was the first Spanish-language video to peak at number one on MTV's ''Total Request Live'' daily countdown. The second single released is called "Me Haces Falta" and the third is "Por Arriesgarnos". Lopez won an American Music Award as the Favorite Latin Artist in 2007. With ''Como ama una Mujer'', Jennifer Lopez is one of the few performers to debut in the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200 with a Spanish album.

Lopez released her fifth English studio album (sixth studio album overall) ''Brave'' on October 9, 2007, six months after ''Como Ama una Mujer'' was released. She collaborated with producers Midi Mafia, J. R. Rotem, Lynn and Wade and Ryan Tedder, with Rotem working on some tracks with writing partner Evan "Kidd" Bogart. Earlier, on August 26, 2007, ABC premiered a promo for the fourth season of ''Desperate Housewives'', featuring a snippet of the song "Mile in These Shoes". "Do It Well" was released as the lead single and reached the top 20 in many countries. "Hold It, Don't Drop It" was released as the second single in certain European territories only. The third single was set to be the title track "Brave", and it was even posted on director Michael Haussman's official website that filming of the music video for the song had completed, however, the release of "Brave" as a single was eventually scrapped, most likely due to low album sales.

2009–present: Departure from Sony and ''Love?''

From her 2007 pregnancy Lopez had been writing her seventh studio album, ''Love?''; release had been planned for Summer 2010. It features productions from Danja, Jim Jonsin, Darkchild, Chris n Teeb (from Dropzone), Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, D'Mile Mike Caren, Jean Baptiste and The Neptunes. A song titled "Fresh Out the Oven" featuring Miami rapper Pitbull surfaced online in October 2009 but her record label said that it was simply a buzz single. It has since topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The project's official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23, 2009, following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song only managed to enter the ''Hot Dance Club Play'' chart six weeks after release and reaching number 1, however, it failed to enter any other chart, including the ''Billboard Hot 100''. In late February 2010, it was confirmed that Lopez and Epic Records have parted ways.

Lopez's manager, Benny Medina confirmed the news saying "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist, she is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together." Lopez later released a statement to the media where she said that she had already completed her contractual obligations with Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records and decided it was for the best to end the partnership on amicable terms. She added that she found a new "home" [record label] for the album 'Love?' and it will be coming out Summer 2010. Shortly after being spotted talking to Island Def Jam Music Group's chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, it was confirmed on March 19, 2010 that Lopez signed with Island Def Jam, and is working on new material for ''Love?'' with RedZone Entertainment (Kuk Harrell, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart). In January 2011, Lopez released a new lead single titled "On the Floor" featuring Pitbull, it achieved worldwide success on the charts, peaking at No. 3 on the ''Billboard Hot 100'', giving Lopez her first top ten on the chart since "All I Have" in 2003. The album ''Love?'' was released on May 3, 2011.

Other work

''American Idol''

In June 2010, following the departure of Ellen DeGeneres from ''American Idol'', it was reported that Lopez was in talks to join season ten's judging panel. However, it was then reported that Lopez was out of the running due to "outrageous demands", something which returning ''Idol'' producer, Nigel Lythgoe responded to by saying "[Jennifer] is in no way a diva, I've worked with her on quite a few occasions and I have never yet seen her be a diva." He did not confirm or deny reports of the contract negotiations between Lopez and the other ''Idol'' producers. It was then revealed then reported that both Lopez and husband, Marc Anthony, were being considering for a role on ''The X Factor'' for their appeal to 'Latin' and 'International' markets. Lopez's involvement in ''The X Factor'' was ruled out when the media reported that she had accepted an offer to become a judge on season ten of ''Idol'', despite being offered roles on both shows. The announcement was made official on September 22, 2010. MTV said "the deal was mutually beneficial to all those involved" whilst CNN reported that Lopez was viewing it as a decision to revive her career while ''Idol'' producers believe Lopez and Steven Tyler's appointments will strengthen viewing figures. Alongside this, Brad Falchuk, executive producer of the music-based series ''Glee'', confirmed that Lopez had entered discussions to appear in the next season of ''Glee'' as a cafeteria worker.

Acting career

Lopez's first television job as an actress was on the Fox series ''South Central''. She also made guest appearances in ''Second Chances'' and ''Hotel Malibu''. She then appeared in the made-for-television film ''Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7''. Lopez's first serious screen role was in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama ''My Family'', playing the character of Young Maria in the 1920s. After starring alongside Jimmy Smits and Edward James Olmos in ''My Family'', Lopez starred in the action film ''Money Train'' opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. In 1996, she reportedly beat out Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly for the supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy ''Jack'' starring Robin Williams. She then starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Bob Rafelson's well-received noir thriller ''Blood and Wine''.

Lopez's first big break came in 1997, when she was chosen to play the title role in ''Selena'', a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena. Despite having previously worked with Nava on ''Mi Familia'', Lopez was subjected to an intense auditioning process before landing the role. She earned widespread praise for her performance, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy". Later that year, Lopez appeared in two major films. She starred in the horror film ''Anaconda'' alongside Ice Cube and Jon Voight, playing the role of Terri Flores, a director who is shooting a documentary while traveling through the Amazon River. Despite being a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned. Lopez then starred as the leading actress in the neo-noir film ''U Turn'', which is based on the book ''Stray Dogs'', starring alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton.

In 1998, she had one of her most acclaimed roles, starring opposite George Clooney in ''Out of Sight'', Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, Lopez won rave reviews for her tough performance and in the process she became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role. That same year, she provided the voice for Azteca on the computer-animated film ''Antz''. Lopez then starred opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, in the psychological thriller film ''The Cell''. She portrayed Catherine Deane, a child psychologist who uses virtual reality to enter into the minds of her patients to coax them out of their comas. The film was released in August 2000 and became a box office success opening at number one. The following year, Lopez took a break from acting in films, in order to work on her music career.

In 2001, Lopez starred alongside Matthew McConaughey in the romantic comedy ''The Wedding Planner''. The film debuted at number one, making her the first actress and singer in history to have a film and an album, ''J.Lo'', at number one in the same week. Her next roles were in the supernatural romance ''Angel Eyes'' (2001), and in the psychological revenge thriller ''Enough'' (2002). Both failed to find an audience, and were met with a negative response from critics. She appeared alongside Ralph Fiennes in the romantic comedy film ''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002). Her character, Marisa Ventura, is a struggling single mother who lives in the Bronx and makes her living cleaning rooms in a super-luxurious Manhattan hotel, and gets mistaken for a socialite by a princely politician. ''Maid in Manhattan'' was a box office hit, opening at number one. ''The New York Times'' compared the film's storyline to her 2002 song, "Jenny from the Block", commenting, "In her new single, ''Jenny From the Block,'' Jennifer Lopez declares that despite her enormous wealth and global fame, she has not lost touch with her roots."

Some of her other critically acclaimed films include ''An Unfinished Life'' and ''Shall We Dance?''. Two independent films produced by Lopez were well-received at film festivals: ''El Cantante'' at the Toronto International Film Festival, and ''Bordertown'' at the Brussels film festival. Her modestly successful film career includes ''Monster-in-Law'' (2005). ''Gigli'', however, would become a notorious box office bomb.

In 2006, Jennifer was awarded the Women in Film Crystal Award along with Lauren Shuler Donner and Diane Warren.

In August 2007, Lopez collaborated on the feature film, ''El Cantante'', with her husband – singer-actor Marc Anthony. Ms. Lopez, who's also a producer of the film, "does enough acting for the two of them in her role as Puchi, Héctor’s wife" while creating a very interesting and edgy performance. The film is in English, with creative use of subtitles for songs with Spanish lyrics. In 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy ''The Back-up Plan''.

Lopez is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood history, though she's never had a film grossing over $100 million in the USA. She was on ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s list of the top ten actress salaries in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Lopez received $15 million for her role in ''Monster-in-Law''. Her top-grossing film domestically is ''Maid in Manhattan'' which grossed $94,011,225, and her most successful international film, ''Shall We Dance?'', grossed $112,238,000, at the international box office. Domestically, ''Shall We Dance?'' grossed $57,890,460 and a total of $170,128,460 worldwide. In 2007, Lopez made the ''Forbes'' magazine's list of "The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment," ranking ninth. Her wealth was estimated to be $110 million in 2007.

On January 27, 2010, it was announced that Lopez would guest-star on an episode of ''How I Met Your Mother'' as Anita Appleby, a no-nonsense author of self-help books that teach women how to mold men into "relationship machines" through the power of denial. After Robin informs Anita of Barney's womanizing ways, Anita sets out to "break" him.

Entrepreneurship

Lopez launched a clothing line in 2003. Named JLO by Jennifer Lopez, the line included different types of clothing for young women, including jeans, T-shirts, coats, belts, purses, and lingerie, a jewelry line, and an accessory line that includes hats, gloves, and scarves. Lopez participated in the Louis Vuitton Winter 2003 campaign. In 2005, she launched a new clothing line called Sweetface. In late 2007, Lopez retired JLO by Jennifer Lopez and launched a new juniors' line called JustSweet. Her fashion lines have featured at many New York Fashion Week events.

Lopez's frequent use of animal fur in her clothing lines and personal wardrobe has brought the scorn of people concerned with animal rights. At the Los Angeles premiere of ''Monster-in-Law'', more than 100 protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a demonstration to highlight their concerns.

On April 12, 2002, Lopez opened a Cuban restaurant in the South Lake district of Pasadena, California named Madre's.

Lopez ventured in the perfume industry with her debut "Glow by J.Lo". In October 2003, Lopez introduced a perfume called "Still", having revisited "Glow" the previous year by creating a limited edition spin-off, "Miami Glow by J.Lo", in homage to her adopted hometown of Miami, Florida. Lopez also marketed a "Glow" line of body lotions and bronzing products. For the Christmas season of 2005, she launched another fragrance, "Live by Jennifer Lopez". For 2006 Valentine's Day, "Miami Glow" was replaced by yet another "Glow" spin-off, "Love at First Glow by J.Lo". Her following fragrance, "Live Luxe", was released in August 2006, with "Glow After Dark" following in January 2007. The next fragrances by Jennifer Lopez were "Deseo", "Deseo Forever" for Asian market and first fragrance for men called "Deseo for men". In February 2009 Lopez released "Sunkissed Glow". The last perfume is "My Glow", available from October 2009. Lopez is a spokesperson for Lux shampoo in Japan, appearing in the product's television commercials.

Lopez owns the film and television production company Nuyorican Productions. It was co-founded with her manager Benny Medina, who was supposed to receive half the producing revenue from the company. Lopez split with Medina shortly after the company was founded, but they later restored their business relationship.

Lopez has been recognized by ''People en Español'' magazine as both the cover subject for the "50 Most Beautiful" issue in 2006 and the "100 Most Influential Hispanics" issue in February 2007.

On April 10, 2007, Lopez made an appearance as a mentor on ''American Idol''. Lopez also became the executive producer of the eight-episode reality show, ''DanceLife'', which ran on MTV and began on January 15, 2007. Lopez helped select the show's participants and made cameo appearances. She then served as executive producer of a mini-series broadcast on Univisión. Named after her CD ''Como Ama Una Mujer'', it ran in five episodes from October 30 to November 27, 2007, and starred Adriana Cruz.

Lopez signed a contract as star and executive producer of an unscripted reality series for TLC, a division of Discovery Communications Inc. The series was to show the launching of her new fragrance, and not focus on her family. The series never materialized.

Philanthropy

Lopez is an avid supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and was presented with the Children's Humanitarian Award at the hospital's inaugural Noche de Niños gala in September 2004. Lopez continues to attend the annual red carpet event and is a regular visitor to the hospital. The singer participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon benefiting the hospital in 2008. In May 2009, Lopez formed The Maribel Foundation, with the goal of supporting Children's Hospital Los Angeles and improving health care internationally.

On February 14, 2007, Lopez received the Artists for Amnesty International award "in recognition of her work as producer and star of ''Bordertown'', a film exposing the ongoing murders of hundreds of women in the border city of Juárez, Mexico". Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta presented the award to Lopez at the Berlin International Film Festival. She also received special recognition and thanks from Norma Andrade, co-founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May Our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association"), an organization consisting of mothers and families of the murdered women of Juárez.

Lopez has also been involved in promoting vaccination for whooping cough. Lopez is working with Sounds of Pertussis and March of Dimes to promote awareness about the disease and encourage vaccination of adults to prevent spread of disease to infants.

Personal life

Relationships and family

Media attention has focused on her personal life. She has had high-profile relationships with Ojani Noa, Sean Combs, Cris Judd, Ben Affleck, and Marc Anthony. Starting in 1984, when Lopez was 15 and in high school, she began dating David Cruz. They split up in 1994, but remained close; Lopez said in 2004, "He's a friend and he probably knows me better than anyone else".

Lopez's first marriage was to Cuban-born Ojani Noa on February 22, 1997. Lopez met Noa while he worked as a waiter at a Miami restaurant. They divorced in January 1998. Lopez later employed Noa as the manager of her Pasadena restaurant Madre's in April 2002, but he was fired in October 2002. After Noa sued Lopez over the termination, they drew up a confidentiality agreement. In April 2006, Lopez sued to prevent Noa from publishing a book containing personal details about their marriage, contending it violated their confidentiality agreement. In August 2007, a court-appointed arbitrator issued a permanent injunction forbidding Ojani Noa from "criticizing, denigrating, casting in a negative light or otherwise disparaging" Lopez. She was awarded $545,000 in compensatory damages, which included nearly $300,000 in legal fees and almost $48,000 in arbitration costs. Noa was also ordered to hand over all copies of materials related to the book to Lopez or her attorney. In November 2009, Lopez sued Noa for breach of contract and invasion of privacy, citing a previous confidentiality agreement between the two, to prevent Noa from releasing his planned film, "How I Married Jennifer Lopez: The JLo and Ojani Noa Story", and alleged "previously unseen home video footage". On December 1, 2009, judge James Chalfant granted a temporary injunction against Noa and his agent, Ed Meyer, barring them from distributing the footage in any forum. Because the injunction is only temporary, Lopez's lawyer, Jay Lavely, said that he will return to court to make it permanent. Lavely stressed that "there wasn't anything even close" to a sex tape in Noa's possession: "It's private and personal, but it wasn't a sex tape. They are innocent and they have been misrepresented... to increase value and media attention". After the hearing, Noa told E! that he plans to fight the injunction: "It's not about the money, it's about my life".

Lopez next had a two-and-a-half-year relationship with hip-hop mogul Sean Combs. On December 27, 1999, Lopez and Combs were at Club New York, a midtown Manhattan nightclub, when gunfire erupted between Combs' entourage and another group. Lopez and Combs were being driven away from the scene when they were chased and stopped by the police. A gun was found in the front seat of their vehicle. Combs was charged with felony gun possession. Stress over Combs' trial and pursuit by the press multiplied their problems, and Lopez terminated her involvement with Combs one year later. During a related civil suit in 2008, the plaintiff's lawyer said Lopez had “nothing to contribute to the case”.

Her second marriage was to her former backup dancer, Cris Judd. She met Judd while filming the music video for her single "Love Don't Cost a Thing." The two were married on September 29, 2001, at a home in the L.A. suburbs. Their marriage effectively ended in June 2002, when Lopez began publicly dating Ben Affleck. They were divorced in January 2003.

Her relationship with Affleck was highly publicized, with the media dubbing the couple "Bennifer". Lopez announced her engagement to Affleck in November 2002, after Affleck gave her a six-carat pink diamond ring worth a reported $1.2 million. Lopez promised interviewers that Affleck was indeed "the one", and that they would soon have a family. The marriage, planned for September 14, 2003 in Santa Barbara, California, was called off just hours before the event. They announced the end of their engagement in January 2004. Their relationship was parodied on the ''South Park'' episode "Fat Butt and Pancake Head", which aired on April 16, 2003. In 2003, Lopez and Affleck acted together in the film ''Gigli'' and in the 2004 film ''Jersey Girl''. He also appeared in her "Jenny from the Block" video.

Less than two months after her break-up with Affleck, Lopez was seen with singer Marc Anthony, a long-time friend with whom she had worked in music videos. They had briefly dated in the late 1990s, before his first marriage and her second. Lopez and Anthony were recording a duet together in early 2004, for Lopez's then-upcoming film ''Shall We Dance?''. In October 2003, Anthony became separated, for the second time, from his first wife, former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, with whom he has two children. Torres filed for divorce three months later. Lopez and Anthony married in a quiet home wedding on June 5, 2004, four days after his divorce from Torres was final.

Lopez's guests had been invited to an "afternoon party" at Lopez's house and had not been made aware that they were actually going to her wedding. The couple had planned not to publicize their marriage early on, allowing more privacy and time together in an otherwise intrusive environment. Days after the wedding, Anthony refused to comment on their marriage during interviews which were scheduled earlier to promote a new album "Amar Sin Mentiras" (To Love Without Lies). In February 2005, Lopez confirmed the marriage, and added that "everyone knows. It's not a secret". A few months later, Anthony's daughter, Ariana, appeared at the end of Lopez's music video "Get Right" as her little sister. Regarding his marriage and family life, Anthony maintains a private and sometimes defensive stance with the media, which has influenced Lopez to set some boundaries with interviewers.

On November 7, 2007, the last night of her "En Concierto" tour, Lopez confirmed she was expecting her first child with husband Marc. The announcement ended months of speculation over the pregnancy. Her father later confirmed on February 5, 2008, that she was expecting twins. Lopez gave birth on February 22, 2008 to fraternal twins, a girl and a boy, Emme Maribel Muñiz, and Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz. The twins were introduced in the March 11, 2008 issue of ''People'' magazine, for which the magazine paid $6 million. Lopez is also a practitioner of Krav Maga.

As of at least January 2008, Lopez lives with her family in Brookville, New York, on Long Island. Her mother, Guadalupe Lopez, moved into the gated home in June that year. On July 15, 2011, following seven years of marriage to Anthony, the couple's representative told ''US Weekly'' that their marriage was over and as painful as it would be for all those involved, the couple were separating.

Religion

It was reported that Lopez and Marc Anthony were taking professional business meetings at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, California, in late 2006. It was also rumored that Lopez and Anthony became Scientologists during that period with the help of Angelo Pagan, the husband of ''The King of Queens'' actress and Scientologist Leah Remini. Just prior to those reports, Lopez said to NBC, "I'm not a Scientologist, I was raised Catholic. But it's funny the way people come at it. To me it's so strange. These are some of the best people I've ever met in my life." She added, "My dad has been a Scientologist for 20 years. He's the best man that I know in my life and so, it's weird to me that people want to paint it in a negative way." It has been reported that a factor in Lopez's break with Anthony was over the religious education of their twins; Lopez desired to send the children to a "specialist Scientology school" a position Anthony disagreed with.

Discography

1999: ''On the 6''

2001: ''J.Lo''

2002: ''This Is Me... Then''

2005: ''Rebirth''

2007: ''Como ama una Mujer''

2007: ''Brave''

2011: ''Love?''

Filmography

See also

List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Lopez

Green Versace "jungle" dress of Jennifer Lopez

References

External links

Official website for Jennifer Lopez fragrances

Category:1969 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American dance musicians Category:American dancers Category:American fashion businesspeople Category:American fashion designers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:City University of New York people Category:English-language singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Idol series judges Category:Krav Maga practitioners Category:Latin pop singers Category:Living people Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Notaries Category:People from the Bronx Category:Puerto Rican actors Category:Puerto Rican female singers Category:Spanish-language singers Category:Hispanic and Latino American women

ar:جينيفر لوبيز az:Cennifer Lopez zh-min-nan:Jennifer Lopez be:Джэніфер Лопес bg:Дженифър Лопес ca:Jennifer Lopez cs:Jennifer Lopez cy:Jennifer Lopez da:Jennifer Lopez de:Jennifer Lopez et:Jennifer Lopez el:Τζένιφερ Λόπεζ es:Jennifer Lopez eo:Jennifer Lopez eu:Jennifer Lopez fa:جنیفر لوپز fr:Jennifer Lopez fy:Jennifer Lopez ga:Jennifer Lopez gv:Jennifer Lopez gl:Jennifer Lopez ko:제니퍼 로페즈 hy:Ջենիֆեր Լոպեզ hi:जेनिफ़र लोपेज़ hr:Jennifer Lopez io:Jennifer López id:Jennifer Lopez is:Jennifer Lopez it:Jennifer Lopez he:ג'ניפר לופז jv:Jennifer Lopez kn:ಜೆನ್ನಿಫರ್ ಲೋಪೆಜ ka:ჯენიფერ ლოპესი csb:Jennifer López sw:Jennifer Lopez la:Guenevera López lv:Dženifera Lopesa lb:Jennifer Lopez lt:Jennifer Lopez hu:Jennifer Lopez mk:Џенифер Лопез mr:जेनिफर लोपेझ nl:Jennifer Lopez ja:ジェニファー・ロペス no:Jennifer Lopez oc:Jennifer López pl:Jennifer Lopez pt:Jennifer Lopez ro:Jennifer López ru:Лопес, Дженнифер sq:Jennifer Lopez simple:Jennifer Lopez sk:Jennifer Lopezová sl:Jennifer Lopez sr:Џенифер Лопез sh:Jennifer Lopez fi:Jennifer Lopez sv:Jennifer Lopez tl:Jennifer Lopez ta:ஜெனிஃபர் லோபஸ் th:เจนนิเฟอร์ โลเปซ tr:Jennifer Lopez uk:Дженніфер Лопес vi:Jennifer Lopez yi:זשענאפער לאפעז bat-smg:Dženėfer Luopez zh:珍妮弗·洛佩兹

name	Park Sandara
background	solo_singer
birth name file:sandara.jpg	Park Sandara
nicknames	DaraSandyDarongSanTokkiDaRabbitKrung-Krung
birth date	November 12, 1984
birth place	Busan, South Korea
origin	Busan, South Korea
genre	Pop, K-pop, R&B, Hip hop
occupation	Singer, Actress, Director of Communications, Rapper, Dancer, Television Host, Model
years active	2004–present
label	YG Entertainment (2009-Present)
associated acts	2NE1, Big Bang, Gummy
website	,
notable instruments	}}

Color	khaki
Title	Korean name
Hangul	박산다라
Hanja	산다라
Rr	Bak Sandara
Mr	Pak Sandara
Tablewidth	248 }}

Park Sandara (, born November 12, 1984), better known as Dara (), is a South Korean singer, actress, television host and model. She is best known as being a member and the Director of Communications of the Korean girl group 2NE1. However, she first gained major popularity on a show called Star Circle Quest during her stay in the Philippines. Her younger brother, Park Sang-Hyun (Thunder), is also in the entertainment industry as a member of a Korean boy band, MBLAQ in J.Tune Entertainment.

Early life

Sandara Park was born in Busan, South Korea. Park's family moved to The Philippines in 1995 to try their luck and change their way of living.

2004-2007: Career beginnings

In 2004, Park was involved in a talent survival show, known as Star Circle Quest of the ABS-CBN Network where she came 2nd place behind Hero Angeles. Although there was public speculation that Park and Angeles were a romantic couple during their stint in the Philippine media, it was later revealed that they were paired up as a "love team" appearing in commercial films, dramas and movies together to meet the interest of the public and the local industry. Soon later, she revealed her boyfriend to be Joseph Bitangcol in which she had starred in a movie with entitled ''D' Lucky Ones''.

While appearing in dramas, movies and commercial spots, Park released a song collection, which achieved 2x platinum status in sales.

On December 2004, Yang Hyun Suk of YG Entertainment offered Park workshop classes in Korea after seeing the KBS Documentary 'My Name Is Sandara Park'. On March 2005, Park took a hiatus from the Philippine Entertainment Industry to take acting workshops in Korea. Six months later she went back to the Philippines to continue her career.

Photoshoot

In 2006, Park was featured on the cover of the July–August volume of UNO Magazine, a popular male catered publication. Park was pictured wearing heavy makeup, a black corset, and a bikini. It was later revealed in an interview with Park that she was rather reluctant to do the sexy spread, and that it was not until the day of the photoshoot that she was demanded to do a bikini shoot. Park had originally agreed to work with the magazine assuming she'd only have to wear a skirt and a top, following the customs and norms of the Philippine entertainment business. Without an agent, the experience to rectify the situation, and facing pressure of all the preparations having been already made, Park conceded. She said, "I had the photoshoot because I wanted to show a brand new side of myself.

Return to Korea

Park returned to South Korea on August 1, 2007 with her mother and siblings. The next day, August 2, 2007, YG Entertainment reported that they had signed a contract with Sandara Park.

2009–present: Debut with 2NE1

YG Entertainment announced that the new group would consist of four members and debut sometime in May 2009. The company stated that the group had trained for four years, and that their debut album would contain songs produced by 1TYM leader, Teddy Park and G-Dragon of Big Bang. The group's name was initially announced as "21"; however, due to the discovery of a singer with the same name, the group was renamed "2NE1", which "NE" is the abbreviation of "New Evolution". Sandara Park completed the list of members.

2NE1 debuted in SBS ''The Music Trend'' on May 17, 2009 where they performed their digital single ''Fire'' produced by Teddy Park of 1TYM. With the release of their self-titled mini album, ''2NE1'' started the promotions of their title track ''I Don’t Care''. Their mini album hit the no. 3 spot at the Hanteo's "Best-selling album of 2009".

After a hiatus, 2NE1 returned with their first full-length studio album ''To Anyone''. , which was released on September 9, 2011. Promotions started with the simultaneous showcase of the three title tracks of the album, ''Clap Your Hands'', ''Go Away'' and ''Can't Nobody''. Following those promotions, another song ''It Hurts (Slow)'' was released on October 31, for Halloween. The album garnered huge success and 2NE1 won an overall 11 times on various music shows from their promotions.

Solo activities

During her pre-debut, she was featured in a TV drama ''The Return of Iljimae'' as Rie, and she also appeared as the lead actress in Gummy's music video for "I'm Sorry", together with labelmate T.O.P, one of the members of Big Bang.

In August 2009, Park was featured on G-Dragon's solo album ''Heartbreaker'', with their song entitled "Hello". They performed a couple of times on music events, shows, and also during G-Dragon's two-day solo concert entitled ''Shine A Light'' in December 2009.

On September 7, 2009, Park was the first among the members of 2NE1 to release a digital single. Entitled "Kiss", the song was produced by Teddy Park and was featured in Park's first commercial for Cass Beer along side K-Drama actor Lee Min Ho.

In July 2010, Park was featured as the female lead in Taeyang's "I Need A Girl" music video. They made two versions of the music video. Her latest endeavor was an endorsement for make-up brand Etude House.

In April 18 2011, Park announced that she has been officially promoted the Communications Director of 2NE1. In order officialize her promotion, YG Entertainment gave Park her own Certificate of Appointment.

Discography

Extended Plays

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" !style="width:4em;"|Year !style="width:16em;"|Title !style="width:9em;"|Label !style="width:9em;"|Certifications |- |align="center"|2004 |align="left"|"Sandara" | rowspan="3"| Star Records |PH: 2× Platinum |- |align="center"|2004 |align="left"|"Sandara: Walang Sabit" | |- |align="center"|2006 |align="left"|"Sandara: Ang Ganda Ko" | |- |}

Singles

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" ! rowspan="2" style="width: 4em;"|Year ! rowspan="2" style="width: 12em;"|Title ! colspan="2" style="width: 10em;"|Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" style="width: 151px;"|Album |- ! align="center" style="width: 5em;"|KOR ! align="center" style="width: 5em;"|PHI |- |align="center"|2004 |align="left"| In Or Out |align="center"|— |align="center"|1 |align="center"|''Sandara'' |- |align="center"|2005 |align="left"| Walang Sabit |align="center"|— |align="center"|1 |align="center"|''Sandara: Walang Sabit'' |- |align="center"|2006 |align="left"| Ang Ganda Ko |align="center"|— |align="center"|1 |align="center"|''Sandara: Ang Ganda Ko'' |- |align="center"|2009 |align="left"| Kiss (feat. CL) |align="center"|5 |align="center"|— |align="center"|''Digital Single'' |- |colspan="14" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region. |}

Filmography

Films

2009: ''Girlfriends'' () (cameo)

2007: ''Super Noypi''

2006: ''D' Lucky Ones''

2005: ''Can This Be Love''

2004: ''Bcuz of U''

2004: ''Volta'' (cameo)

Television

2011: ''2NE1 TV Season 3'' (Mnet)

2010: ''2NE1 TV Season 2'' (Mnet)

2009: ''2NE1 TV'' (Mnet)

2009: ''Style'' (, SBS) (cameo) 2009: ''The Return of Iljimae'' (, MBC)

2007: ''Dalawag Tisoy'' (RPN)

2007: ''Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho'' (GMA)

2006: ''Nuts Entertainment'' (GMA)

2006: ''O-Ha!'' (TV5)

2006: ''Gudtaym'' (ABS-CBN)

2006: ''Crazy for You'' (ABS-CBN)

2006: ''Abt Ur Luv'' (ABS-CBN)

2006: ''Star Circle Presents'' (ABS-CBN)

2006: ''Your Song'' (ABS-CBN)

2006: ''Komiks: Machete'' (ABS-CBN)

2005: ''Ang Pambansang Krung-Krung ng Pilipinas'' (ABS-CBN)

2005: ''Farewell Lovers: A Lover in Paris Special'' (ABS-CBN)

2005: ''Maalaala Mo Kaya'' (ABS-CBN) (cameo)

2004: ''My Name is Sandara Park'' (ABS-CBN)

2004: ''Krystala'' (ABS-CBN)

2004: ''SCQ Reload: OK Ako!'' (ABS-CBN)

2004: ''ASAP Fanatic'' (ABS-CBN)

2004: ''Sandara's Romance'' (ABS-CBN)

2004: ''Star Circle Quest'' (ABS-CBN)

Awards

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1" ! width="40"|Year ! width="250"|Nominated work ! width="275"|Award ! width="90"|Result |- |align="center" |2005 |align="center" | Bcuz of U |align="center" | 21st PMPC Star Awards for Movies for Best New Actress | |- |}

References

External links

YGfamily.com

vbnm,

Category:1984 births Category:Korean expatriates in the Philippines Category:Star Circle Quest Category:Living people Category:People from Busan Category:South Korean actors Category:South Korean idols Category:South Korean female singers Category:K-pop singers Category:2NE1 members

es:Sandara Park fr:Dara (chanteuse) ko:박산다라 it:Sandara Park ja:パク・サンダラ fi:Sandara Park tl:Sandara Park

name	Dong Young Bae
background	solo_singer
birth name	Dong Youngbae
alias	Sol
birth date	May 18, 1988
birth place	Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
instrument	Vocals, piano
genre	R&B, hip hop, pop, k-pop
occupation	Singer, dancer, actor
associated acts	Big Bang
years active	2006–present
label	YG Entertainment (South Korea)YGEX (Japan)
website	100pxTaeyang's signature }}

Color	khaki
Title	Birth name
Hangul	동영배
Hanja
Rr	Dong Yeong-bae
Mr	Tong Yŏngbae
Hangulstage	태양
Hanjastage
Rrstage	Taeyang
Mrstage	T'aeyang
Tablewidth	245 }}

Dong Youngbae, better known by his stage name Taeyang (Hangul: 태양, Hanja: 太陽, meaning ''Solar'') or SOL, is a South Korean recording artist, entertainer. After appearing in Jinusean's music video "A-yo", Taeyang began training under YG Entertainment at the age of 12 alongside fellow member and leader G-Dragon. After six years of vocal and dance training he made his debut in 2006 as a member of Big Bang.

Career

2000—2008: Early beginnings and debut with Big Bang

Dong's first appearance in the entertainment industry was in the hip-hop group Jinusean's music video "A-yo". The collaboration eventually lead him to successfully auditioning into the group's record label YG Entertainment, where he became one of the rappers alongside fellow trainee G-Dragon. The two were later coined as GDYB. In 2003, Dong provided the rap verse in singer Wheesung’s single "Player" on the latter's second album.

Although Dong was scheduled to debut alongside G-Dragon as the duo GDYB, the plan was scrapped by their record label. Instead, they were joined by four other trainees (T.O.P., Daesung, Seungri, and Hyun Seung) to form the group Big Bang. Before their official debut, however, Hyun Seung was dropped and their final lineup consisted of five members. Choosing the stage-name Taeyang (Korean: 태양, meaning ''sun''), Dong abandoned the idea of rapping to focus on singing. The group's formation was documented on television. Although their debut was fairly successful, the group reached mainstream success with the release of their mini-album ''Always'', which yielded the number-one song "Lies" (Korean: 거짓말; Revised Romanization: ''Geojitmal''). followed by "Last Farewell" (Korean: 마지막 인사; Revised Romanization: ''Majimak Insa'') from the mini-album ''Hot Issue'' and "Day by Day" (Korean: 하루하루; Revised Romanization: ''Haru Haru'') from ''Stand Up'', both chart-toppers.

2008—present: Solo career establishment

After contributions to singer Lexy's album, Taeyang was scheduled to release a solo album. Initially scheduled for a September release, the project was pushed back due to conflicting schedules with his group. Moving beyond the hip-hop genre of Big Bang, Taeyang incorporated mainly R&B songs into his album, stating that it was his "main focus". G-Dragon later recorded a "Part Two" version to the song. The second single was "Prayer (Korean: 기도)" which featured Teddy of 1TYM. Promotional videos were shot for both. In support of his album, he also staged his first solo concert, ''Hot''. Later on, Taeyang received two awards from the 7th Korean Music Awards: Best R&B/Soul Song for "Only Look At Me" and Best R&B/Soul Album.

Throughout the majority of 2009, Taeyang contributed to his group's activities, recording the song "Lollipop" with his group and labelmate 2NE1. He later flew to Japan to promote the group's Japanese albums. After activities ended, he went back to the studio to record and release his first digital single "Where U At", followed by another digital single, "Wedding Dress". Promotional videos were filmed for both "Where U At" and "Wedding Dress." "Wedding Dress" was voted #3 on an online poll for a Dutch radio station.

Taeyang's first full-length album ''Solar'' was released on July 1, 2010. Two versions of this album - the “Regular Edition” and the “Deluxe Edition” - was released. The regular edition contained 11 songs, while the deluxe edition, limited to 30,000 copies worldwide, had 13 songs, including “Only Look At Me” and “Prayer" from ''Hot''. On the first day of sales for the limited deluxe edition, the 30,000 copies released by YG entertainment were sold out in online and offline stores. The album was later released on iTunes, charting at the number-two spot on the iTunes' Top R&B-Soul albums chart in the United States and number-one in Canada, making him the first Asian musician to do so. Two singles were released for promotion: "I Need A Girl" featuring his bandmate G-Dragon and "I'll Be There." Taeyang is scheduled to release a solo album during the second half of 2011, although, the exact date is unknown.

Discography

EPs

''Hot''

Albums

''Solar'' (2010)

''Solar International'' (2010)

Awards

{|class="wikitable" !Years !Awards |- |2008 |

The 6th Korean Music Awards: Best R&B/Soul Song - 나만 바라봐 (Only Look At Me)

The 6th Korean Music Awards: Best R&B/Soul Album - ''Hot''

2008 Naver Music Song of the Year – "Only Look At Me"

|- |2010 |

12th Mnet Asian Music Awards: Best Male Singer Award

|- |2011 |

8th Korean Music Awards: Male Musician of the Year Netizen Vote

|}

Notes

References

External links

Official Website

Official Youtube Channel

Official Twitter

Official Facebook

Official me2day

Category:1988 births Category:Big Bang (Korean band) members Category:Chung-Ang University alumni Category:K-pop singers Category:Korean-language singers Category:Living people Category:South Korean idols Category:South Korean male singers Category:South Korean pop singers Category:South Korean rhythm and blues singers Category:South Korean dance musicians Category:South Korean television actors Category:South Korean child actors Category:YG Entertainment artists Category:South Korean hip hop musicians

fr:Taeyang ko:태양 (가수) it:Taeyang fi:Dong Young-bae tl:Taeyang th:แท ยัง vi:Taeyang zh:太陽 (歌手)