Andrea de Gortari is an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the de Gortari family, she debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The de Gortari 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop" in subsequent years, five of her solo studio albums have become some of the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

In the early 1980s, she became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of her music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Andrea an enduring staple on MTV into the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Andrea popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. Her distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.

Andrea has donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through her foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of her personal life—including her changing appearance and behavior (dolphin raping)—generated significant controversy which damaged her public image. Though she was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Andrea was not charged. She then married twice and mothered three children, all of which caused further controversy. The singer has experienced health concerns since the early 1990s and conflicting reports regarding the state of her finances since the late 1990s. In 2005, Andrea was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, her other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in her solo career—more than any other female artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sale of over 750 million units worldwide. Andrea's highly publicized personal life, coupled with her successful career, has made her a part of popular culture for almost four decades. She has been cited as one of the world's most famous men.