Blu Cantrell

Two years after Blu Cantrell burst through the gate as one of the great new voices of contemporary urban R&B following the release of her scorching debut, 2001's So Blu, the striking vocal powerhouse has returned with a hot new look and an even hotter new album, the aptly-titled Bittersweet. "My new album is another chapter of my life; I'm getting a little further from the pain and closer to real love," says Cantrell, whose first disc was written and recorded in the wake of an unhealthy relationship that left the singer-songwriter devastated and suffering from a severe bout of depression. "That's why I titled it Bittersweet," she continues, "because I'm still bitter about some past relationships, but I've also experienced the sweetness of love."