Lily Allen

Yes, it's common knowledge her dad's comedian Keith Allen, and most of her entire extended family's in showbiz, but there's so much going on with England's Lily Allen that pop superstardom was a stone-cold banker from the moment she started posting her demos on MySpace back in 2005. Her lyrical skills are outstanding, whether she's telling her little brother to do something with his life ("Alfie") or documenting a street mugging on the chirpy, sweetly-sung "LDN," and musically she's completely on top of her game, expertly bending the catchiest of melodies to her will. And with 2009's It's Not Me, It's You — which went to #1 both here and in her homeland — she's only getting better, skewering everything from celebrities to drugs to useless men. Also worth a mention is her charity cover of the Clash's "Straight to Hell," featuring Mick Jones.