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 “T

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