FBF: The First Singers and Groups I Ever Loved

If you’ve learned anything about me over these last seven months, it’s that I’ve always loved books. Well, there’s something else I’ve loved just as long: music. Alas, aside from a brief year of piano lessons and half a semester of saxophone class, I have no skill for it. Regardless, music has always meant the world to me. And, ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had favorite singers and groups. Today I’d like to talk to you about a few that really stuck with me. From pop to… well, mostly just pop, these five artists were my world for one time or another and I never want to forget those days:

1. Aaron Carter: I first heard about Aaron Carter in the third grade and immediately fell in love with him. I listened to his music on repeat. I had an Aaron Carter doll and his poster on my wall. I guess technically he was my first celebrity crush (albeit due to compulsory heterosexuality). Among my favorites of his songs were “Baby, It’s You,” “To All the Girls,” and “Girl You Shine.” I once tried to kick a boy who saw me wearing an Aaron Carter shirt and told me he sucked and then I ran when he went to go tell on me. It was hilarious. But I dropped that bitch as soon as he cheated on Hilary Duff. Now, as an adult, I can freely say Aaron was never that good. But he meant a lot to me then, even if he’s messy now.
2. Shania Twain: My mom introduced me to Shania when I was in kindergarten. She used to play the cassette tapes of The Woman in Me and Come on Over. And then I made her play them every time we were in the car for the next five years. She was the first musician I was ever obsessed with. She truly paved the way for the pop country artists that followed (i.e. Taylor Swift). I still love her music, though I’ve grown far less attached to her over the years. I even finally got to see her live in 2015. And I can confirm she is, in fact, still amazing. (And my review of Now is coming, I promise. But I’m probably going to review Kelly Clarkson’s new album first.)
3. Hilary Duff: Like millions of young kids across the globe, I fell in love with Hilary because of Lizzie McGuire. And then I fell completely in love with her music. I played every album on repeat. In my games of pretend, it was her music my character always sang. Hilary was also my first concert. I was eleven and it changed my life. I bought all her merch and watched all her movies too. Like Shania, I still love her. But that love has faded in favor of pop stars with better vocals. But she’ll always have a special place in my heart and I thank her for being such a big part of my childhood.
4. Backstreet Boys: I grew up in a Backstreet Boys household. So that’s the side of that war I was on. And I loved their music. They were too old for me to crush on (at least, I thought so), but their songs were bops. My favorite Backstreet Boys memory is probably this: in the song “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” they ask, “Am I sexual.” Somehow, as a child, I heard this correctly. I had no idea what it meant, but I understood the words. My mom told me they were saying, “Am I so special” and I used to feel so smart knowing the real words when she didn’t. It wasn’t until years later I realized she was just trying to make her eight-year-old stop singing the word “sexual.” Whoops. Also, one time they were on Arthur for some reason. So that was… a thing.
5. Spice Girls: I’ve mentioned this before, but I fucking loved the Spice Girls in first grade. I listened to their music, saw their movie, had a Spice Girls bike, and had Spice Girls dolls. Posh was my favorite. I literally only remember “Wannabe,” but they were still my whole world for a time. I miss them. When will they make a comeback?

What were some of the first singers or groups you liked? Let me know in the comments!