James Blunt

"You're Beautiful" was the U.K.'s biggest-selling single in the summer of 2005, and it's easy to see why. As instantly sing-alongable tales of lost love go, it's a corker. The rest of this self-penned debut album impresses, too, and should give incumbent pop stars like Robbie Williams plenty of cause to worry.

For people who like Coldplay but find them a touch abrasive, there's British
singer-songwriter James Blunt. Possessed of a beautiful voice that bleeds sincerity at
hemophiliac levels, Blunt sings heartfelt ballads accompanied by a gently chiming acoustic
guitar. Sometimes for variety, he employs a gently chiming keyboard instead. (His name is
extremely apt: Don't think "blunt" as in "cigar laced with pot" but as in "without s... More >