Gwen Stefani

Part exotic couture queen, part mall-rat-next-door, Gwen Stefani balances exquisitely on the fine line between the girl you want to be and the girl you want to be your best friend. Accordingly, her second solo album casts Stefani as both trendsetter and fan-girl extraordinaire: "Yummy" reminds Fergie just which Hollaback Girl pioneered stoopid, saucy white chick rap, while "U Started It" finds the "Orange County Girl" venerating her own predecessor, the Material Girl. Then there's "Wind It Up," unarguably THE hottest hip-hop tribute to The Sound of Music EVER.