Anastacia

Anastacia Lyn Newkirk (/ˌænəˈsteɪʒə/ AN-ə-STAY-zhə; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. Her first two studio albums, Not That Kind (2000) and Freak of Nature (2001), were released in quick succession to uppermost worldwide success. Spurred on by her globally-successful debut single "I'm Outta Love", Anastacia was declared the "world's best-selling new female pop artist" at the World Music Awards in 2001. Her commercial success continued with the albums' other worldwide chart-topping singles, such as "Not That Kind", "Paid My Dues" and "One Day In Your Life", as well as the official song of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, "Boom".

After recovering from breast cancer, she returned with her third album, 2004's Anastacia, which deviated from her two previous albums into a more rock sound. Peaking at number one in 11 countries, it became Europe's second-best-selling album of the year. Its first three singles, distinctly lead single "Left Outside Alone", topped the charts across Europe and Oceania, helping Anastacia launch the most successful European tour by a solo artist that same year. These first three studio albums had reached combined worldwide sales of 20 million copies by 2006.

Her duet with Eros Ramazzotti, "I Belong to You (Il Ritmo della Passione)", was a chart-topping success throughout Europe in 2006. After switching labels, she released her fourth studio album, the R&B-infused Heavy Rotation, in 2008. Her 2012 album of male rock songs covers, It's a Man's World, was followed by two studio albums that marked a return to her own pop-rock sound: Resurrection (2014), which debuted in the top ten of several European charts, and Evolution (2017), which was preceded by its lead single "Caught in the Middle". In 2023, she released an album of German songs translated to English entitled Our Songs.

With 150 million records sold worldwide and number-one singles in 19 countries, Anastacia has established herself as one of the most successful female artists that emerged in the 2000s and become known for her intense and distinct mezzo-soprano voice and small stature of 5 feet 2 inches (157 cm). She has won numerous awards, such as MTV EMAs, World Music Awards and NRJ Music Awards. During her life, Anastacia has battled many health problems, including breast cancer twice and Crohn's disease. In recognition of her charitable efforts in breast cancer awareness, Anastacia became the second woman ever to receive the Humanitarian Award at the GQ Men of the Year Awards, in 2013. She has further undergone corrective LASIK surgery, although she continues to wear glasses, which have become one of her trademarks along with the scar on her abdomen—a result of her surgery for Crohn's disease at age 13.