The singers we listen to today didn't just appear out of nowhere.
A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into making their careers happen. For some, they even went the unconventional route to fame: reality TV.
Whether they competed on a singing competition or regular guilty pleasures, here are 10+ musicians who got their start on reality TV.
While she's known for starring on The Mickey Mouse Club as a kid, she was on Star Search even before this.
This was a music competition show that many stars today were once on. Sadly, 10-year-old Britney lost out to a singer named Mart Thomas.
The country sensation was once a contestant on the reality show, Nashville Star (this was basically a country version of American Idol).
She didn't win (she finished in third), but she did land a record deal that same year!
We have The X Factor to thank for introducing us to One Direction.
The group was formed when judge Simon Cowell put him and four other contestants together. These days, Styles is focused on his solo career.
The singer went from a small-town Oklahoman girl to the winner of American Idol in 2005.
Since then, she has become one of the most successful female country singers. She's also an author and clothing designer!
With a wild personality like hers, you can best believe that she started on reality TV!
She was the breakout star on VH1's Love & Hip Hop: New York in 2015. After two seasons, she left to launch her music career.
Like Harry Styles, the singer was a contestant on The X Factor (the US version). Also like Styles, she, along with four other contestants, were chosen to form a group. Thus, Fifth Harmony was born.
She left the group in 2016 to pursue a solo career.
While she reached new heights of fame with her "Golden Hour" album, the singer/songwriter has been around for a while.
In 2007, she competed on Nashville Star and came in seventh. Five years later, she got signed and released her first album.
Britney wasn't the only Mickey Mouse Club member to appear on Star Search!
Timberlake competed when he was 11! Of course, we all know what came after that as a grown-up: NSYNC and then a short-lived solo career.
While she's been more into acting lately, she's a singer first. She got her start in the industry after competing on American Idol in 2003.
Although Fantasia Barrino won the season, it's Jennifer's powerhouse voice who we know today.
He was only 13 when he won Best Teen Vocalist on Star Search in 1991.
While we don't hear much music from him today, he was once a huge star in R&B with several No. 1 singles on the Hot 100.
Believe it or not, the country singer's first foray into reality TV was on Survivor: Nicaragua. He even won first runner-up, walking away with $100,000.
After he became big in the music scene, he even appeared as a performer on Season 24 of The Bachelor.
In case you forgot the Pretty Little Liars star could sing, here's a reminder.
She competed on the kids' version of American Idol called American Juniors! and even came in fourth place! She released a full-length album, "Road Between" in 2014.
Unlike the other singers on this list, Gaga didn't jumpstart her career on a singing compeition.
She was actually one of the unsuspecting people caught on the MTV show, Boiling Points. She ended up losing the challenge of keeping her cool when an irritating situation went down.
Before she became a huge star, the singer was living the simple life — literally.
She appeared on Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's show, The Simple Life when her family hosted the two girls.
In 1990, the nine-year-old appeared on Star Search. Sadly, she lost to an older contestant named Christopher Eason.
"I was a good sport about it. My mom made me go back out and shake his hand and tell him I was happy he won. Tears were running down my face," Aguilera told Rolling Stone in 1999.
The country singer got her start on Star Search when she was only eight years old.
She ended up releasing her first No. 1 single "Blue" in 1996 before going on to be a force to reckon with in the country music world.
Before she was a judge on The Sing-Off, The X Factor, or The Masked Singer, she was a contestant on a show like those!
She competed on the show Popstars before going on to form the Pussycat Dolls.
Even Queen Bey had to start somewhere. For her, it was in 1993 when she and five other girls took the stage to perform as Girls Tyme on Star Search.
While they lost, Bey went on to form Destiny's Child years later.
A twist of fate led to the singer auditioning for American Idol.
After her L.A. apartment complex burned down, she drove back home to her hometown of Burleson, Texas, and soon auditioned for the show in Dallas. She would later win the show.
