Joss Stone

THE BASICS Before Amy Winehouse, Adele and Duffy, the artist who first held the torch of Britain's 21st Century girl-soul revival was Jocelyn Eve Stoker: she had barely turned 16 when she stunned the world with a presence, and supremely emotive delivery, that seemed years — if not decades — older. Raised on Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield, she was quickly snapped up by the S-Curve label in 2002, and launched into the soul stratosphere, powered by a talent that seemed unearthly. Check out the Stone magic for yourself with early signature track "You Had Me", her stunning and exquisitely perfumed Nat King Cole cover "L-O-V-E", and gritty, sassy, funky 2009 single, "Free Me". Take a close look at the Stone collaboration guest list, in Next Steps.

After starting out so strongly, Stone was under pressure to make her third release Introducing Joss Stone (2007) something really special . . . and she delivered. Recorded principally in the Bahamas with producer Raphael Saadiq (known for his work with Mary J. Blige and John Legend), the album gave us a plethora of highlights including "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now" (a collaboration with cultured hip-hop star, Common) and "Music" (featuring a Fugees sample and sterling vocal support from Lauryn Hill). More dazzling hook-ups would follow on 2009's Colour Me Free!: cue up "Governmentalist" (with Nas) and "I Believe It to My Soul" (with sax man David Sanborn).

It would be easy to believe that Joss Stone was created on the Island of Dr. Moreau, the result of an experiment that somehow equipped the body of a teenage Devon girl with the soul and lungs of Aretha Franklin. Her talent is so blissfully astonishing, it's plain scary, as the hyper-driven acceleration of her career through her early 20s has so gloriously confirmed: sure, it's been a rocket ride so far, but it now looks like she's settled comfortably into the star-dusted orbit she was destined to follow. Use our Essentials to acquaint yourself with the woman who covered a bunch of '70s classics — 2003's The Soul Sessions EP — and then slayed the mainstream with White Stripes overhaul "Fell In Love With a Boy", before debuting at the top of the charts with Mind, Body & Soul (2004). Her most recent release, 2009's Colour Me Free! has added the patina of womanly experience to all that early brilliance, and stands as her most complete recording to date. Totally phenomenal.