Idina Menzel

The problem with pop albums by musical theatre stars is that they tend to retain all the sturm und drang of their day jobs, but without the glitter and pizzazz of the stage, so all that drama just feels kind of forced. And so, on her third album, we find Wicked's Elphaba singing tunes with titles like..."Perfume and Promises"? All right, so Menzel could use a lyricist, but she saves the day with another technique she picked up on the stage: voice control. She belts, she soars, she croons, she whispers. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to buy tickets and take your grandma when she visits.