Amerie

It'd be easy to mistake Amerie for another Beyonce clone, a sassy yet safe R&B Barbie whose voice, like her looks, is almost too perfect. But while new single "Take Control" echoes some of B's buzz, it also finds Amerie taking risks. She demands someone "take control of me" in some of her most assertive vocals to date, and joins co-producer Cee-Lo Green in strapping the track down with a quirky, fuzzy bassline and some vintage beats copped from the pre-debased King of Pop.