Although initially known for her acting roles (most notably her portrayal of Blaire Waldorf, the semi-villainous heroine of Gossip Girl), Leighton Meester branched into music during the show’s second season. Citing a childhood passion for music, she signed with Universal Records in 2009 and made her official debut several months later, contributing guest vocals to Cobra Starship’s “Good Girls Go Bad.” The song became Cobra Starship’s biggest hit, cracking the Top Ten that summer and positioning Meester as pop’s newest vixen. She continued working on her debut album throughout the latter half of 2009.