Some of our favorite solo pop stars like Beyonce, Usher and Adam Lambert were not always entities onto themselves. Believe it our not, some of our most beloved and intriguing musical acts at one time were part of a supporting cast of players.

If you're like us, imagining Pink or Nicki Minaj play second fiddle to anyone makes us feel like we are living in an alternate universe, even if just for a few seconds. Then there are artists like Skrillex who made a complete 180 in their musical development. However, a guy like Max George transitioning from his old band to the Wanted doesn't seem that crazy seeing as they are both five-member boy bands. Hey, nothing wrong with sticking with what you know!

So, without further ado, check out these videos of pop stars in their respective pre-fame bands / groups!

  • Pink

    Former Group: Choice

    If you remember back to Pink's debut track 'There You Go,' it had a definite urban flavor, so it wasn't all that skocking that she was a part of an R&B girl group who called themselves Choice.

    In the clip below, Pink is singing lead vocals on the uber-'90s track 'Key to My Heart.' She sounds amazing, but it's hard to tell it's her! We're just glad she has that famous rebellious flair and took her career in a different direction. There's plenty of female R&B singers, but only one Pink!

  • Maroon 5

    Former Group: Kara's Flowers

    The difference between Kara's Flowers and every other band on this list is that they truly just changed their name to Maroon 5 and tweaked their sound a bit. Other than that, Kara's Flowers and Maroon 5 are one in the same.

    The original members of Kara's Flowers included Adam Levine, Jesse Carmichael, Mickey Madden and Ryan Dusick. Ryan left the band and the guys added James Valentine and Matt Flynn -- and we have Maroon 5 as we know it! Though, we must admit that we miss their dapper suits and Adam Levine playing the guitar. Could he be anymore swoon-worthy in the video below?

    Fun fact: They got the name Kara's Flowers from one of their groupies!

  • Beyonce

    Former Group: Girls Tyme

    As far as we're concerned, the only group Beyonce needs would be called Beyonce and the Divalicious Beyonces. But if you can believe it, there was a point in time where even Queen Bey needed some backup from bandmates... And we're not talking about Destiny's Child.

    Way before she ever had to pay 'Bills, Bills, Bills,' Bey was in a Houston-based girl group called Girls Tyme that appeared on Star Search! Of course, even when she was but a tween, Bey had a commanding stage presence. Skeleton Crew came out with the win on Star Search, but Beyonce is definitely getting the last laugh.

  • Adam Lambert

    Former Group: Citizen Vein

    Adam Lambert has always had a rock n' roll attitude, so it honestly does not surprise us that he was the lead singer of a band that performed under the name Citizen Vein. The band definitely had a hard edge, sort of like Lambert's brand of edgy pop.

    However, Glambert just wasn't feelin' his former outfit, saying, "We did three gigs and that was it and we recorded a couple things, like rough recordings, and I don't know, it didn't quite click."

  • Skrillex

    Former Group: From First to Last

    For most artist's on this list, you can see a little bit of their signature musical style in their previous bands. Then there's Skrillex, who went through a complete transformation when he, then known as Sonny, made the move from his hardcore band, From First to Last, into his dubstep alter-ego, Skrillex.

    While, fans of Skrillex may not be fans of From First to Last and vice versa, here's what we admire most Mr. Moore: He shows that it's cool for people (musician or not) to be into all types of genres! Just because you're in a hardcore band doesn't mean you can't make the transish to electronic music. After all, Skrillex has done quite well for himself as a result of his metamorphosis.

  • Jessie J

    Former Group: Soul Deep

    Jessie J has a crazy positive sound on her songs, but we also know she has a heart of gold (see shaving her head for charity as an example). So when we saw her former group Soul Deep's video for 'Why,' it was not stunning to us that Jessie J and her cohorts were singing about a serious topic like gun violence. Keep in mind, the pop star was only 17 years old when she was in Soul Deep.

    The British pop star hasn't much changed her attitude from her Soul Deep days, but her sound has transformed from a heavy R&B-influence to upbeat, dance-y pop. Just goes to show, the 'Domino' songstress can evolve with the times!

  • Nicki Minaj

    Former Group: Hoodstar$

    Contrary to popular belief, Nicki Minaj did not grow up in a bright pink Barbie Dream House -- she was reared in Queens, N.Y. by way of Trinidad and Tobago. She honed her rap skills in New York City and it was there that she joined her first rap group called the Hoodstar$. This is also where she met her hype man/boyfriend/friend Safaree Samuels (or Scaff Breezy, as he was called back then).

    If you don't want to watch a video that is randomly glorifying the Segway as a legitimate means of transportation, then we advise to skip to the 2:30 mark of the video to get a glimpse of Ms. Minaj in her old-school, rap group glory.

  • Max George

    Former Group: Avenue

    Before Max George joined forces with the other guys of the Wanted to sing 'Glad You Came,' he had a previous taste of the boy band life with his group Avenue.

    Avenue actually appeared on the third season of the UK's 'X Factor' and even made it to boot camp before they were kicked off for violating the rules. Post-show, Avenue had some commercial success with their single 'Last Goodbye' before disbanding.

    Now the real question is, would Lindsay Lohan still crush on Max George if he was in Avenue as opposed to the Wanted? Probably.

  • Fergie

    Former Group: Wild Orchid

    Fergie is a pop star who has been in the public eye from a young age. She got her start on 'Kids Incorporated,' but she had quite the gap between that gig and the Black Eyes Peas. So what did Stacy Ferguson do to fill her time? She sang in a group called Wild Orchid!

    All we can say about Wild Orchid is that they are probably the most '90s group on this list. Don't believe us? Then why not take a look at their appearance on MTV's 'Singled Out' and get back to us...

  • Usher

    Former Group: Nubeginning

    There's no arguing that Usher is chock full of talent. He was so talented as a young kid, that his original group named their debut album 'Nubeginning Featuring Usher Raymond IV.' See? He got special billing!

    However, Usher's run with Nubeggining was short-lived, as his mother removed her son from the group saying it was a "bad experience." After that, Usher went onto 'Star Search,' where he was discovered. The rest is history...

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