They had the full machine behind them — flashy marketing, A‑list collabs, viral moments and heavy label backing — yet never became the mainstream giants the industry dreamed of. From Nickelodeon-fueled teen stars to K‑pop scandals, Grammy wins that didn’t translate to solo dominance, and careers hampered by lawsuits, rebrands and backlash, we dig into the stories of JoJo Siwa, Quavo, Fifty Fifty, Cody Simpson, Jaden Smith, Sky Ferreira, Normani, Iggy Azalea, Kim Petras and Rita Ora. Which surprise do you remember most?
