Willow Smith built a fan base with a hit single long before releasing her debut album, which drops this month. Why do we care? Because she's just 11—and the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Parental celebrity may fuel a young star's brand, but as these comparisons show, it's no guarantee of success over competing peers.
Justin Bieber Vs. Willow Smith
Bieber
"Baby" YouTube views: 698.7 million (since February 2010)
Smith
"Whip My Hair" YouTube views: 70.4 million (since October 2010)
Dakota Fanning vs. Miley Cyrus
Fanning
I Am Sam: $98 million box-office gross (global)
Cyrus
The Last Song: 89 million box-office gross (global)
Tavi Gevinson vs. Spencer Tweedy
Gevinson
Twitter: 46,662 followers
Tweedy
Twitter: 2,773 followers
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A version of this article appeared in the April 2012 issue of Fast Company magazine.
