CHARLOTTE CHURCH - CHARLOTTE CHURCH GOES R'N'B

Teenage opera star CHARLOTTE CHURCH is planning to complete her R'n'B makeover with the help of collaborators like STING and JILL SCOTT.

The 17-year-old Welsh singer, who dates amateur dance DJ STEVEN JOHNSON, wants to shed her classical image for a more modern sound - so she's enlisting the expert help of the American soul singer Scott and British singing legend Sting to help her create a progressive new LP.

Church says, "There are lots of people I'd like to work with - but my top one would be Jill Scott.

"I won't be poppy, or dancey - more R'n'B. I want to do something really different, really original - nothing classical."

Charlotte, who has sold a staggering 10 million classical albums, has drawn up a shortlist of stars she wants to help her, which also includes MS DYNAMITE and American R'n'B star NIKKA COSTA - and her record label are confident she'll get her way.

A SONY spokesperson says, "We have contacted some well known people. Normally, people in the business say, 'I'll get back to you in a couple of days.'

"But every person we've contacted regarding Charlotte got back to us within the an hour. And they all tell us that they would be prepared to drop everything to make a record with Charlotte."