There’s a lot of failure in the music industry, especially pop music. Some can hack it, others can’t. Many will go on to be mid-tier pop stars, enjoying a relative level of fame but nothing too crazy. Most artists earn a cult following, and they’re ok with that. But there are some who swim through rough waters because pop stardom is the only goal. Here are three pop stars who have been through rejection and come out with overwhelming success.
Missy Elliott
To narrow Missy Elliott’s scope down to just “pop star” does a disservice to her incredible legacy as a writer, producer, rapper, and overall icon. But she wasn’t always raking in the accolades. Her first big song was written for Raven-Symoné in 1993, featuring a verse rapped by Elliott. When it came time to make the music video for “That’s What Little Girls Are Made Of,” Elliott’s verse was lip-synced by a tall, thin, light-skinned woman instead.
Often, Elliott was reduced simply to her body type or her skin color while breaking into mainstream circles. When she was diagnosed with a thyroid condition in the late 2000s, she was praised for the significant weight loss due to the condition, with an interviewer even calling it an “upside.” After the initial crushing rejection in 1993, she devoted herself more to songwriting and producing instead of putting herself in the line of fire by performing.
As she made a name for herself, though, her creative vision started reaching unexpected audiences. Even so, there were some who still didn’t get it. For example, the response when she wore the trash bag suit for “The Rain” music video. But Elliott remains an influential pop star to this day. All this, following highs and lows and triumphant returns that prove she has always had staying power.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is one of the biggest names in pop stardom, and even as her career fluctuated, she’s never really gone away completely. But in the beginning, she dealt with rejection and constant criticism that could have ended her career before it got off the ground. She had been playing music for years, throughout high school and into college, but often experienced bullying. While she attended NYU around 2003, there was allegedly a Facebook group that claimed “Stefani Germanotta, you will never be famous.”
After dropping out of NYU, she started sending demos out around 2006. That September, she was signed to Def Jam Recordings, but dropped three months later. “I was pretty devastated. I know what it’s like being on a label when they don’t quite get it,” she told Billboard in 2008. Still, she decided to return home and focus on her image, honing the Lady Gaga persona.
Now, Gaga is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She’s often praised for her versatility and creative drive, as well as her unique, ever-changing style and strong vocals. In addition to music, she is also an actor, starring in films like A Star Is Born and earning roles on the series American Horror Story. Safe to say, Stefani Germanotta has become pretty famous.
Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan catapulted to fame in 2024 like a rocket going off. Suddenly, she drew record-breaking attendance numbers at several festivals and won Best New Artist at the Grammys. Her unique, inspired looks captivated her audience. Additionally, an unapologetic sense of identity and self led to her being wholeheartedly embraced by pop culture and especially the queer community.
But while some people called Chappell Roan an “overnight success,” the reality is that she’d been working hard for almost a decade. She started around 2013 with a YouTube channel, uploading mostly covers. Her early songs were primarily performed solo with just a keyboard piano. Around 2017, she started to gain a small following. She released an EP, supported Vance Joy and Declan McKenna on their tours, and moved to L.A. in 2018. However, even after the positive response to “Pink Pony Club” in 2020, she failed to gain more success. Atlantic Records dropped her that year.
After the rejection, Roan became an independent artist. She had worked with Dan Nigro on “Pink Pony Club,” and he returned from producing Olivia Rodrigo to produce Roan’s first full-length album. The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess dropped in 2023 to overall positive reviews. But it wasn’t until “Good Luck, Babe!” dropped in 2024 and Roan played Coachella that she really had her breakthrough. Her streaming numbers on Spotify jumped 500% in about three months.
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