Rihanna

For her third disc, "Lil Miss Sunshine" stakes a claim as the queen of RnB by turning to the '80s. On "Shut Up and Drive," she samples New Order's classic "Blue Monday," while lead single "Umbrella" -- with Rihanna's understated, nasal vocals wrapping around dramatic strings -- would fit nicely a John Hughes flick. The restless, spunky "Breakin' Dishes" is more fun than bitter, and "Rehab" overcomes its rather mawkish sentiments to be an effective break-up ballad. There's hardly a throwaway track on here, and Rihanna continues to evolve and improve.