Nu Soul Divas

Soul in the age of hip-hop (aka nu-soul) is a super-sexy phenomenon, dominated by 21st-century amazons who sparkle from head to toe with talent, attitude, and confidence. From Mary J. Blige to Beyonce to the Pussycat Dolls, these women play by their own rules, give as good as they get, and take womanhood to a whole new level.

Brace yourself for the talent deluge of nu-soul's class of 2005, represented here by the stunning Rihanna, whose "Pon de Replay" was the summer's cure-all party track: this is the pulsating Caribbean made urban for the pleasure of all humankind. Then, there's Devon's own Joss Stone, a soul mother in teenager's clothing.

Nu-soul diva tag teams get no hotter than the collaborative dynamite of Angie Martinez & Kelis ("Take You Home"), and few deliver a more contagious rhythm than Ciara featuring Missy Elliott ("One, Two Step"). We can only dream how high Aaliyah would have soared, and remember her with "We Need a Resolution" and "Try Again".

Not all the nu-soul wonder-women in our Essentials playlist dish it out like divas — and by that we mean a full quota of talent and Queen of Sheeba regality — but there are plenty who do. After all, where would showbiz be without the entourage of Mariah Carey or the high-maintenance backstage-rider demands of Jennifer Lopez (everything in white)? If nothing else, every woman here shares a common bond of booty-licious magnificence: these tracks will have you shaking and gyrating in no time.