Tenacious D, or "The D" as they are also known by fans,[1] is an American rock band duo composed of musician/actors Kyle Gass and Jack Black.[2] Their music fuses vulgar absurdist comedy with rock music in a style that critics have described as "mock rock". Tenacious D's music showcases Black's theatrical vocals and Gass' acoustic guitar playing abilities. Many of their songs discuss the duo's purported musical and sexual prowess, as well as their friendship and intake of cannabis. Their albums feature absurd and humorous sketches. Music critics have compared the storyteller-style lyrics of their songs to lyrics of rock opera.
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born February 2, 1977), known simply as Shakira (IPA pronunciation: [ʃaˈkiːra][2]), is a Colombian singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, record producer, dancer and occasional actress who has been a major figure in the pop music scene of Latin America since the mid-1990s. In 2001, she broke through into the English-speaking world with the release of Laundry Service, which sold over fifteen million copies worldwide.[3] A two-time Grammy Award-winning and eight-time Latin Grammy Award-winning artist, Shakira is the highest-selling Colombian artist of all time, having sold more than 58 million albums worldwide.
John Legend (born John Stephens, 28 December 1978, Columbus, Ohio) is an R&B singer, songwriter, and pianist. His debut studio album, the platinum-selling Get Lifted, was released in late 2004, and features collaborations with rap artist and producer Kanye West as well as rapper Snoop Dogg. Get Lifted produced two singles: "Used to Love U" (U.S. top 100, UK top 30) and "Ordinary People" (U.S. and UK top 30). Legend has won five Grammy Awards. Prior to the release of his debut album, Legend's career gained momentum through a series of successful collaborations with more established artists. Notably, Legend sang the hooks for hits by Slum Village ("Selfish", also featuring Kanye West), Jay-Z ("Encore"), and Dilated Peoples ("This Way"); played piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything is Everything"; and sang background vocals on Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name" and Fort Minor's "High Road."
John Clayton Mayer (born October 16, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Originally from Connecticut, he briefly attended Berklee College of Music before moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 1998, where he refined his skills and began gaining a following. His first two studio albums, Room for Squares and Heavier Things, did well commercially, achieving multi-platinum status. In 2003, he won a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy for his signature song, "Your Body Is a Wonderland". Mayer began his career performing mainly acoustic rock, but gradually made a transition towards the blues genre in 2005 (including collaborations with renowned blues artists such as BB King) and formed the John Mayer Trio. The blues influence can be seen on his album Continuum, released in September 2006. Mayer won Best Pop Vocal Album for Continuum and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Waiting on the World to Change" at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007.
