Sam Smith v Selena Gomez Pop Slam!

Get ready, because two of the biggest pop stars in the universe

are about to go into battle.

The singing powerhouse, Sam Smith

versus the American pop princess, Selena Gomez.

There can only be one winner, so stay right here.

I'm Amberley Lobo and this is Pop Slam!

Going head-to-head, we've got...

MUSIC: La La La by Sam Smith

..Sam Smith. The UK soulful singer

whose stunning voice has taken the world by storm.

He's hugely talented, but how will he do against the might of...

MUSIC: Slow Down by Selena Gomez

..Selena Gomez?

She's the Disney mega star who has it all -

style, a killer voice and millions of fans all over the world.

This is going to be one epic Pop Slam, people!

So, whose team are you on?

Team Sam, or Team Selena?

Can't decide? Who can, between these two?

That's where I come in.

I'm going to be delving into the lives of these superstars

to find out who has what it takes to win the ultimate prize in pop -

the Ambo!

There's only one way to win the Ambo,

and that's by gaining as many of my Ambo points as possible.

I'll be dishing them out over three slamming rounds of popocity,

where I meet the people who knew the stars back in the day.

Then, I check out how hard they've been working

and finally, I scrutinise their style -

all before the big moment.

And the winner of the Ambo is...

Now, you might not agree with the outcome

and, if so, get online and tell us whose team you're on.

BOTH: We're on Team Sam Smith.

I love his songs and the way he sings.

His music is honestly just amazing.

Go Sam Smith!

I'm on the team of Selena Gomez, cos she's a really good singer

and her songs are always bright and different.

I love most of her films and I love all her music.

Go, Team Selena Gomez, pop!

It's going to be so close. I mean, Sam is pretty much

one of the hottest things in pop music right now.

And then, there's Little Miss Gomez, who can sing, act,

and travels the world with her music.

Who do you think's going to win?

There's only one way to find out.

It's time for Pop Slam!

Round one, Pop Potential.

This is all about how our stars made it big.

First up, Sam Smith.

# I don't have money on my mind

# Money on my mind

# I do it for I do it for the love. #

Sam is hands down one of the hottest singers in the world right now.

But before he scaled the heights of pop stardom,

he grew up here - in the village of Great Chishill, in Cambridgeshire!

# I do it for I do it for the love

# I don't have money on my mind...#

This is the very street where Samuel Frederick Smith grew up.

Back in the day, he'd walk around

listening to his music, singing along.

Little did he know that one day

his voice would be listened to all over the world.

Here's how it all happened.

MUSIC: Like I Can by Sam Smith

# There may be lovers who hold out their hands but

# They'll never love you like I can can can. #

The village that Sam grew up in is really small -

so small that everyone pretty much knows everyone.

I mean, I've been here five minutes and I know everyone.

Hey, Rebecca!

Chazza, Andy, Keith!

-Hi, Amberley!

-All right.

AMBERLEY WHISTLES

-Carl, Oli?

-All right, mate?

Hey, two hands!

MUSIC: Leave Your Lover by Sam Smith

# Pack up and leave everything

# Don't you see what I can bring?

# Can't keep this beating heart at bay. #

Back when Sam was 12, it was clear that he could sing,

so he decided to take his voice to the next level

and join the Cantate Youth Choir.

Check this out. This is the school where they used to rehearse.

# Leave your lover

# Leave him for me. #

The Cantate Youth Choir is one of the most successful

youth choirs in the UK.

Sam, you can have two Ambo points

for getting some early singing experience.

# Leave him for me. #

In the choir, Sam's voice was getting bigger,

but it was outside the choir that Sam would meet someone

who would help him craft a voice that would wow the world.

That was singing coach Joanna Eden and I'm off to get all the goss.

The choir was great, but Sam needed some one-on-one training

and Joanna was on hand to help take his voice to the next level.

-Joanna!

-Hey, nice to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

What was a nine-year-old Sam like?

He was very sweet, very polite - a really nice boy,

and I thought, he's probably going to be shy about singing.

But he opened his voice and it was so relaxed and so confident.

He would just sort of fly up to a high note with no fear,

which is quite rare in children.

So was Sam writing songs all the way back then?

No, not at 9. When he got to about 17, his mum rang me up and said,

"Sam wants to come and make some demos with you."

He came along and the first song he brought me was called

Hold On Tight and it was just the perfect little pop song.

Well, Joanna, thank you so much. It has been a pleasure.

One more time, give me another hug. Aw, yes!

MUSIC: Restart by Sam Smith

# It was a Monday night and you told me it was over, babe. #

For writing great songs at the age of 17, have two Ambo Points, Sam.

# I knew that I would be OK. #

Sam's talent was growing,

but his hometown wasn't getting any bigger.

Time for a change.

And when he turned 18, he moved here to London, to make it as a singer.

But it's never that easy, is it?

# When I'm the one playing the fool. #

In fact, to make ends meet, Sam got a job in a pub,

where he had to clean the loos.

When he wasn't scrubbing the dunny,

Sam would go check out gigs in London.

And it was at an Adele gig

where he got his foot in the door, by putting his foot in his mouth.

# The truth is I'm better on my own. #

The story goes that whilst Sam was at an Adele gig,

he heckled one of the support acts, a guy called Elvin Smith.

Heckling is a bit naughty and our Sam felt pretty bad about it.

So, he got in contact with Elvin online to say sorry.

A few years later, they met again and Sam sent him one of his songs.

Elvin put him in contact with a producer, who in turn

put him in contact with a little-known music duo -

Disclosure!

MUSIC: White Noise by Disclosure feat AlunaGeorge

The Disclosure boys may be huge now,

but back in 2012 they were just two lads on the trail of pop stardom

and they were working on the future mega-hit called Latch.

Latch wasn't meant to have any singing on it, but Sam asked

the Disclosure boys if he could write some words for the song.

They loved his voice, so they agreed.

Nice choice boys, because the song went on to be huge!

# Now I've got you in my space...

# I won't let go of you. #

Sam, have four Ambo Points for helping to create a massive hit

with your buddies, Disclosure. Tune!

# Now I've got you in my space

# I won't let go of you. #

The UK had been introduced

to the Cambridgeshire choirboy's unforgettable voice,

and soon he would become a household name all around the world.

# Got you shackled in my embrace

# I'm latching onto you. #

That's how Sam LATCHED onto stardom.

Now, let's head across the Atlantic to find out how Selena made it.

MUSIC: Slow Down by Selena Gomez

# Now that I have captured your attention

# I wanna steal ya for a rhythm intervention... #

Selena Gomez is the super-talented singing sensation

who's had hits all over the globe.

But before all that, she was a cheeky little girl,

living right here in Dallas, Texas!

# Cos I just wanna party all night in the neon lights

# Till you can't let me go. #

Selena Marie Gomez was born in 1992 -

the same year as Sam Smith -

and she lived on this very street.

Back when Selena was a kid, money was pretty tight

and her mum had to work three jobs to provide for her.

This is the story of how Miss Gomez went from a Texan girl

to one of the biggest superstars in the world.

# Yeah, baby, slow down the song

# Oh oh oh oh

# Yeah, baby, slow down the song. #

Selena used to watch her mum act in local theatre

and that inspired her to become an actress.

And in 1999 she got her first big audition.

MUSIC: Who Says by Selena Gomez & The Scene

# Who says, who says you're not perfect

# Who says you're not worth it

# Who says you're not beautiful

# Who says? #

Selena went for an audition for a kids' show

called Barney and Friends.

And guess who was there? Only Demi Lovato.

The two girls bonded over colouring-in.

Now, I wasn't there at the time,

but I can imagine it went a little something like this.

Dream sequence....

Hi, my name is Selena Gomez.

Hi, I'm Demi Lovato.

Wicked name.

So, like, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Well, I want to appear on a massive Disney show.

Then I want to become a massive pop star

and tour the world singing my songs.

No way! Like, same here.

Girl, let's be BFFs.

Oh! So keen.

-TANNOY:

-'Selena Gomez.'

That's me.

I got it!

# Yeah, who says

# Who says Who says you're not perfect? #

Barney And Friends was a massive TV programme

which was shown all over the world.

Both Selena and Demi got parts on the show,

putting both of them on the road to superstardom.

# Who says you're not beautiful Who says? #

Selena, have four Ambo Points for bagging a humungous TV role

and getting a new showbiz BFF.

Selena worked with Barney The Dinosaur for two years.

And then, at age 11, she got another audition -

this time with Disney!

And this is footage of Selena auditioning back in 2004.

Um, I'm trying to get into my singing career and my acting career, so...

-You can sing too?

-Yeah. I want to do that when I get older.

-I want to be both.

-Were you born here in Austin?

No, I was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, in Dallas.

MUSIC: Music Feels Better by Selena Gomez

I want to know everything I can about Selena back then,

so I've come to meet Cathryn Sullivan,

her acting coach from back in the day,

to find out more about her awesome skills.

Tricky door.

Cathy is an acting coach with a bucket-load of experience.

She's taught loads of people, including Selena's old mate, Demi.

-Hi.

-How are you?

-I'm good.

Thank you so much for having me.

So, Cathryn, you used to coach Selena. Is she that good an actress?

-Yes! Yes, she is.

-What is it about her?

Even at nine years old, she had, like, this work ethic.

Every time she got a pilot, she prepared fabulously.

She would come over and we'd sit there

and she'd go over every single page of the pilot,

so that when she went on set, she would be prepared.

One thing that a lot of people don't know about Selena

and her family - she really is a rags-to-riches kind of story,

because her family didn't have a lot of money back then.

Her mother would drive the car over and give me 25 cheques,

and once in a while they'd try to pay for it.

You could tell she had talent.

She was a really good student,

so she picked up on things really quickly.

I didn't know she was going to be this much,

but I knew she was going to work.

# The music feels better with you. #

With Cathy's training, Selena's acting got even better

and, in 2007, all the hard work paid off big-time,

when she got the biggest role of her career -

Alex Russo in Wizards Of Waverly Place. Boom!

MUSIC: Magic by Selena Gomez

Ms Gomez, have three Ambo Points for getting the lead role

in a massive Disney show.

# It's magic... #

We know Selena's an awesome actress,

but how did she become a massive pop star?

Well, in 2009, Disney released a Wizards Of Waverley Place album.

Selena sang the show's theme tune and this bad boy.

# Leaning on my pillow in the morning. #

Selena, have two Ambo Points

for unveiling your awesome voice to the world.

The world had finally been introduced

to Selena's singing skills.

But she didn't want to be any old pop princess.

Selena loved bands like Paramore and Fall Out Boy

and wanted to follow in their footsteps.

So, in 2008,

Selena Gomez & The Scene were born.

MUSIC: Naturally by Selena Gomez & The Scene

# Everything comes naturally

# It comes naturally when you're with me, baby... #

Selena, I'm giving you three Ambo Points

for being the lead singer in your own pop band.

# Ba-ba-baby... #

Selena smashed into the US charts in 2010 with Naturally.

And NATURALLY, the US folks loved it.

But Selena wanted more than just America.

Next up, the world!

# Everything comes naturally

# It comes naturally When you're with me, baby. #

And that brings us to the end of round one.

Let's take a look at the scores.

These are two seriously talented pop stars,

but it's Selena Gomez who takes an early lead.

We've seen how our stars got famous,

but how hard have they been working?

Who's ready for round two?

Round two, Pop Success.

This is all about what our stars have been up to

to make sure that they stay at the top of the charts.

First up, Sam Smith.

MUSIC: Latch by Disclosure, feat Sam Smith

# Now I've got you in my space

# I won't let go of you

# Got you shackled in my embrace

# I'm latching onto you. #

His first single, Latch,

had him knocking on the doors of pop stardom,

but it wasn't until 2013 that he smashed it open with La La La.

MUSIC: La La La by Naughty Boy, feat Sam Smith

# I'm covering my ears like a kid

# When your words mean nothing I go La la la. #

This track by Naughty Boy featuring Sam

went to the top of the charts,

selling 145,000 copies in the first week alone!

MUSIC: Money On My Mind by Sam Smith

# I don't have money on my mind Money on my mind

# I do it for I do it for the love... #

After being the man who sings on other people's songs,

Sam started to make a name for himself with this track.

Money On My Mind went straight to number one in 2014.

MUSIC: Stay With Me by Sam Smith

# Oh, won't you stay with me? #

And Sam went back to the top spot with his next track,

the epic Stay With Me.

That's three quickfire number one hits in just one year.

Sam, have three Ambo Points, you legend.

Check out this little snippet of pop goss.

On the chorus of Stay With Me,

it sounds like there's a choir singing behind Sam's voice.

# Oh, won't you stay with me? #

That's no choir, people.

That is 20 takes of Sam's voice, layered on top of each other.

20 Sams for the price of one. That's a good deal.

# It's clear to see

# But darling stay with me. #

Making a full choir out of just one voice

deserves another two Ambo Points.

But what about Miss Gomez?

MUSIC: Hit The Lights by Selena Gomez & The Scene

# Hit the lights Let the music move you

# Lose yourself tonight... #

Once Selena Gomez & The Scene hit the scene,

they released an album every year for three years.

# Hit the lights

# Let the music move you

# Lose yourself tonight. #

First up was Kiss & Tell, in 2009.

They followed this up with A Year Without Rain in 2010

and finally,

When The Sun Goes Down, in 2011.

For working ridiculously hard and getting loads of music out there,

have three Ambo Points.

# Lose yourself tonight. #

In 2012, and after four years with the band,

Selena decided to go solo.

A brave move, but it paid off big-time.

Her debut single Come & Get It gave her

her first top ten hit right here in the UK.

Go, girl!

MUSIC: Come & Get It by Selena Gomez

# When you're ready come and get it Na na na na

# Na na na na Na na na na... #

It wasn't just chart success the song brought her.

She also received an MTV award for Best Pop Video.

# When you're ready... #

Have another two Ambo Points for making an award-winning vid.

And Selena's not the only one with an award on her mantelpiece.

What's the biggest accolade you can receive

if you're an up-and-coming pop star?

How about the BBC Sound of 2014?

Previous winners have included Adele, Ellie Goulding and Jessie J.

# I'm so encaptured Got me wrapped up in your love... #

Sammy boy, you can have three Ambo Points

for becoming the sound of an entire year.

# Feel so enamoured

# Hold me tight within your clutch. #

But Sam wasn't just happy with cracking the UK.

Oh, no. This guy wanted world domination -

and it all started when he performed

on one of the biggest TV shows in the US -

Saturday Night Live.

# Can I lay by your side

# Next to you? #

As if this wasn't impressive enough, Sam was the only artist in the world

to sell one million albums in both the UK and USA in 2014.

And his takeover of America was complete

when he won four Grammys in 2015.

The Grammys are the biggest awards in pop

and artists dream of winning one, never mind four!

That's got to be five Ambo points.

And Sam's not the only one working hard to get his music out there.

MUSIC: Love You Like A Love Song Baby by Selena Gomez

# I, I love you like a love song, baby

# I, I love you like a love song, baby... #

Selena Gomez loves a bit of globe-trotting too.

# And I keep hittin' re-peat-peat-peat-peat-peat. #

In 2013, she went on a massive tour all around the world,

hitting 15 countries and doing a whopping 57 shows!

Wow, this girl!

CHEERING

Miss Gomez works her socks off to keep her fans happy.

Before every gig, she tries to meet as many fans as possible

and her family and friends will grab a bunch of peeps

to come and meet her backstage.

Have four Ambo Points for being BFFs with your fans, Selena.

And it's not just Selena Gomez who gives it all for her fans.

# Oh, baby, oh, baby We both know the truth... #

Sam's live performances are pretty special too.

When Sam's performing, he brings some serious emotion to the stage.

But sometimes he can go a little bit too far -

like this one time at a gig in New York.

Now, I wasn't there,

but I imagine it went down a little bit like this...

Hi, everyone. My name is Sam Smith and this actually my last tune.

It's called Leave Your Lover, and, just as a warning,

it might get a little bit emotional.

Let's get in the zone. Let's think some sad thoughts.

Ooh, I've got one. OK, so you've bought some ice cream

and you've dropped a chocolate flavour on the ground.

Ooh, that's sad. Sad, sad, sad. OK, need some more, need some more.

Ooh, I've got it. You bought a balloon and you've let it go

and you're watching it fly away. Ooh! Sad, sad, sad.

Oh...

I'm already in the zone.

You've bought a toy and then you've got home and you realise

you have no batteries and the shops are closed!

-So sad!

-SHE SOBS

Oh, no - sad, sad!

That's right. Apparently, Sam got a little too emotional

at one of his gigs and he actually started crying.

# Will you take me to nirvana? #

Actually, it was only a tear or two Sam shed that night,

but for getting in the zone with your music,

have three Ambo Points, Mr Smith.

And that's round two done. Let's take a look at the scores.

This is a mega close one,

but Sam's pop success has taken him into the lead.

If you don't agree with me,

then get onto the CBBC website and have your say!

We've found out how our pop royalty made it big,

and how successful they've been.

It's now time to see how glam they've become in round three.

Round three, Pop Style.

This is all about our celebrities' lives.

Clothes, cars, pets or whatever else they splash their cash on.

First up, Selena Gomez.

# Round and round

# We're never gonna stop

# Always round and round

# We'll never get where we're going. #

When it comes to fashion, Selena Gomez is off the hook

and she can rock a variety of looks.

She looks great when working the classic Hollywood style...

..and she looks fantastic as a rock chick.

She even looks fab when dressed as a spy.

Let's face it, this girl can wear anything and look fantastic.

Miss Gomez, I'm awarding you four Ambo Points for your amazing style.

But she's not the only one

who knows how to rock a trendy outfit or two.

Sam is a fan of the classic look

and, if I do say so myself, I think he scrubs up pretty well.

# And they say I'm crazy

# Cos you don't think I know what you've done. #

Sam Smith's voice is so clean and it's so lovely

and it's so heartfelt.

I think the way that he dresses almost...

I don't know, maybe it takes less attention away from him

and puts the focus on the music.

# I know I'm not the only one... #

Sam, have one Ambo Point for your smart, down-to-earth wardrobe.

Both of these guys know how to rock a stylish look,

but how do they get around town?

Selena Gomez may be a multi-millionaire

Hollywood superstar and she probably has her fair share of flashy cars,

but this Texan girl loves nothing more than riding a quad bike.

MUSIC: Falling Down by Selena Gomez & The Scene

Selena, you can have two Ambo Points for rocking the quad

and burning some rubber.

When she's not tearing up the back yard,

Selena loves hanging out with her dogs.

And she's adopted not one, but six rescue dogs!

Yes, six.

I'm giving you three Ambo Points for all those walkies.

And hey, it's not just Selena's dogs who like a good stroll.

Sam loves to walk.

It's where he gets inspiration for a lot of his songs.

In fact, he wrote the lyrics to La La La

whilst walking home from work by the River Thames in London.

Sam, have three Ambo Points for mixing exercise

with genius songwriting skills.

Sam loves to write songs when he's strolling,

but he'll sing them anywhere, including the shower.

MUFFLED SINGING

This is actually him singing in the shower.

See? Sam's no different to you and me.

Mr Smith, take two Ambo Points for staying in tune

even when you're washing your hair.

And that, my friends, is the end of round three.

Well, it's been quite a journey, hey, guys?

But it's time we got a little bit serious.

And the winner of the Ambo will be revealed

straight after we take a look back at what we've learnt.

It's been a battle of Sam's stunning vocals

versus Selena's pop sass.

Both have wowed the crowds on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean

and have built up seriously big fan bases.

This Pop Slam is too close to call.

Ladies and gentlemen, the moment is finally upon us.

The Ambo Points have been counted and independently verified by me.

And the winner of the Ambo is...

Oh, no, wait! It's a draw! Oh, guys, this is so exciting!

You're both winners! Bring it in.

Oh, so much love. Let's take a look at both of you in action.

# Can I lay by your side

# Next to you? #

Who saw that coming? How good was that?

Make sure you tune in next time

to see more of your favourite pop stars go head-to-head.

MUSIC: I Want You To Know by Zedd, feat Selena Gomez

# I want you to know that I'm all yours

# You and me run the same course. #