This or That (or That): The Miley/Demi/Selena Showdown of 2013

They're all pretty fucking content with themselves.

So basically for like all of 2013, I've been talking about how pretty much every pop princess is doing whatever it takes to be alpha bitch of the music scene. And while Britney is going to slay all these bitches come December 3, one cannot deny that there are several contenders deserving of second place.

Three horses in the running — Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez —are also involved in their own competition (or so I'd like to think) to see who can come out as the most successful Disney star. So, in a special edition of This or That, let's take a closer to look to see who came out on top.

Album sales & charts

• Demi debuted at #3 with 110,000 copies sold.
• Stars Dance debuted at #1 with 97,000 copies sold.
• Bangerz debuted at #1 with 270,000 copies sold.

While Demi managed to outsell Selena in their opening weeks, Selena reached the top position. But it doesn't matter, because Miley blew them both out of the water.

Single sales & charts

• "Heart Attack" reached #10 and has sold over 2 million copies.
• "Made in the USA" reached #80 and its sales haven't been released.
• "Come & Get It" reached #6 and has sold over 2 million copies.
• "Slow Down" reached #36 and has sold over 200,000 copies.
• "We Can't Stop" reached #2 and has sold over 2 million copies.
• "Wrecking Ball" reached #1 and has sold over 2 million copies.

So obviously Miley came out on top here, having two singles smash in both sales and charting.

Critical reception

• Demi received "mostly positive" reviews, scoring 64/100 on Metacritic, an aggregate of professional reviews.
• Stars Dance received "mixed" reviews, earning a score of 59/100.
• Bangerz had "mostly positive" reviews, scoring 62/100.

It's a marginal victory, but Demi seems to have pleased the critics most.

Tommy Time reception

• Demi: "Though Demi fails to take the singer forward in her musical journey, it proves to be a solid pop album. Those hoping for Taylor Swift-level personal details will be disappointed, but Lovatics will be more than satisfied, and Demi's impressive voice alone is enough to win over new converts."
• Stars Dance: "Stars Dance... [traps] Selena in the same anonymity and incohesiveness she struggled with earlier in her career. The final verdict: Selena gets major brownie points for her impressive musical risks, but that same ambition costs the album the presence of its star." 
• Bangerz: "Every song on Bangerz is a banger: a loud, colorful, trashy depiction of how the singer lives (or at least how she wants us to think she lives). But it's in that chaos that the album works; even when it's bad, it's so bad, it's almost good."

While I respected Miley and Selena for taking risks, I think Demi won out by playing it safe and creating the best album between the three of them.

So who came out on top? There's no denying that Miley, with the biggest sales and loudest headlines, is the most successful of the Disney darlings. It's history repeating itself, tbqfh, as you'll see below. I've taken the liberty of color coding the girls' chart positions from over the years so you have a visual of who's on top. (And to be generous, I've omitted Miley's releases as Hannah Montana.)

Album charts

• #1 Bangerz (2013)
• #1 Breakout (2008)
• #1 Here We Go Again (2009)
• #1 Meet Miley Cyrus (2007)
• #1 Stars Dance (2013)
• #2 Don't Forget (2008)
• #2 The Time of Our Lives (2009)
• #3 Can't Be Tamed (2010)
• #3 Demi (2013)
• #3 When the Sun Goes Down (2011)
• #4 Unbroken (2011)
• #4 A Year Without Rain (2010)
• #9 Kiss & Tell (2009)

Singles charts

• #1 "Wrecking Ball" (2013)
• #2 "Party in the USA" (2009)
• #2 "We Can't Stop" (2013)
• #4 "The Climb" (2009) 
• #6 "Come & Get It" (2013)
• #8 "Can't Be Tamed" (2010)
• #9 "7 Things" (2008)
• #9 "This Is Me" (2008)
• #10 "Heart Attack" (2013)
• #10 "See You Again" (2008) 
• #10 "Skyscraper" (2011)
• #15 "Here We Go Again" (2009)
• #16 "Give Your Heart a Break" (2012)
• #16 "When I Look at You" (2010)
• #18 "Hoedown Throwdown" (2009)
• #21 "Who Says" (2011)
• #22 "Love You Like a Love Song" (2011)
• #24 "Round & Round" (2010)
• #29 "Naturally" (2010)
• #35 "A Year Without Rain" (2010)
• #36 "Slow Down" (2013)
• #41 "Don't Forget" (2009)
• #43 "Get Back" (2008)
• #52 "La La Land" (2009)
• #68 "Start All Over" (2008) 
• #80 "Made in the USA" (2013)
• #82 "Falling Down" (2009) 
• #84 "Fly On the Wall" (2008)
• #103 "Hit the Lights" (2011)