Female Phenoms: High Dollar Divas

These ladies can carry a tune, but they can also carry the super-high dollar amount. They have some of the highest grossing music of all time, they achieve their success by being a solo act, and essentially, the world is at their command. Some take a little more advantage of their divalicious status, but here they are.

These four ladies have the pipes to back it up, but they haven't quite achieved world-at-their-feet status--yet. I can only imagine it's a matter of time before they get whatever they want.

Rihanna

Now, some might disagree with me--I even debated about this myself, but I still define her as an up-and-comer, rather than a solidified diva. Not because I don't think she can rock the world, but because so far, it seems her success has largely been catapulted off of Jay-Z's shoulders, and she's getting up there, but I don't think she's hit quite the numbers of the ladies below.

Why She'll Make It In a few years, she will definitely be topping this list. She has a great voice, an edgy, exotic raw sexual appeal, and she's backed by some heavy hitters in the entertainment industry. She's also made very smart career choices so far, in terms of the collaborations she's done and the timed releases of her music--she dominates the summer dance scene every year for I believe the past four years straight.

Top Songs

• Disturbia
• Take a Bow
• Don't Stop the Music
• Pon de Replay
• SOS
• Break it Off (ft Sean Paul)

My Fav Song -- Umbrella ft Jay Z Totally the soundtrack to MY summer last year, I frequently tell my friends that they can stand under my umbrella.

Leona Lewis

This girl is the hot new topic. The latest British Import, she won an Idol-esque show called The X Factor in Britain and then promptly made her debut here amid frequent references that she's the next Mariah Carey (who is DEFINITELY a Diva, and the top selling female artist of all time). On her first hit single, "Bleeding Love", Lewis exhibits some serious pipes--and if there's one thing paying music fans like, it's a girl who hits the high notes.

Why She'll Make It Raw, unadulterated talent, and the backing of Simon Cowell, a show contributor/producer for The X Factor and obviously on the short list of who's who in music. She's also got a fairly unusual look, with wide lips and a very square jaw, which I think helps her--image is always a factor. And, like the title of the show, she just has the X factor, the innate star quality.

Top Songs

• Bleeding Love

Miley Cyrus

Frankly, with her record sales and unbelievable fan base, she's really a bonafide diva already, but I believe staying power is a factor. Not that she doesn't have it, but she's young and fairly new on the scene, so she's still a demi-diva for now.

Why She'll Definitely Make It While the Disney Machine isn't usually a guarantor for future success (Lindsay Lohan tanked, none of the HSM stars can carry a solo album, Hilary Duff is successfully but by no means wildly so), this girl is by far the biggest thing Disney has ever produced, and it's definitely a money maker to bust out of the little girl shell--and all her fans will certainly follow. She's already proved she can carry more universal pop with "See You Again", which did not sound like it was sung by a fourteen year old. She has the talent, and she has her father keeping a stern eye on her career. She's not going anywhere soon.

Top Songs (as Hannah Montana OR Miley Cyrus)

• 7Things
• See You Again
• Start All Over
• Girls Night Out
• I Miss You

My Fav Song -- "Rockstar". Whatev. I'm no fifteen year old girl, but it does make me feel like a rockstar.

Jennifer Hudson

Spotted in a cycle of American Idol, Jennifer Hudson has a big voice, and big talent to back it up. She's a talented actress (a la totally stealing the show in Dreamgirls, currently in Sex and the City and upcoming in The Secret Life of Bees), and I think she's gorgeous. She remains stuck in waiting, however, for lack of a marketable, moveable album. She has yet to have a real hit single, but all the potential is DEFINITELY there.

Top Songs

• All Dressed in Love
• Spotlight

My Fav Song -- I'm totally loving her new single "Spotlight"!

Beyonce

Though far from the highest grossing female artist of all time, she's definitely up there with a commanding presence, a body that has literally had words created for it, and a fan base that spans the globe and has loved her in her group phase (Destiny's Child) and solo. This woman is the very definition of rocking your body and loving your curves, and she does it with a powerful, beautiful, wholesome spirit--sexy, never slutty or trashy (even when she's bootylicious).

Why She's in the Game to Stay -- She is a total trifecta of talent, support, and sexual appeal, the three things that I think really make a star--and it's all grounded by an ability to consistently work hard, which I respect. From her personal life to her professional life and back again, this songstress has the whole world riveted to her every move. You can't buy that sort of appeal.

Top Songs

• Irreplaceable
• Beautiful Liar
• Ring The Alarm
• Listen (from Dreamgirls)
• Deja Vu

My Fav Song "Check On It" Just so much fun to sing along to!

This woman has rocked it through the decades and proved her staying power not only as a pop icon and A-list diva, but as a business woman. Constantly riding the flow of the ever changing pop scene, Madonna has rocked her way to fabulous, outrageous, divalicious success. And, lets face it, she has more looks than Zoolander (not hard to top I realize, but you see where I'm going?). She is constantly changing and reinventing herself to forge a path for pop--and the world behind it--to follow. Hell yes, she's a diva to rock out to.

Why She's in the Game to Stay Millions. and Millions. of Dollars. Her sales already dictate that she'll be in the music business--and every hall of fame--long after she's dead. Currently she's the second highest grossing female artist of all time, narrowly missed by Mariah Carey, another diva on the list. Madge ain't going anywhere anytime soon.

Top Songs

• 4 Minutes
• Hung Up
• Ray of Light
• Sorry

My Fav Song -- "Like a Prayer" mostly because it was the video that rocked the world and defined Madonna as a rule breaker that would shoot straight to the top.

Britney Spears

Which leads me to my next diva, the girl who capitolized on school girl stereotypes as a teenager and has taken America for a ride along a white trash rollercoaster. The former Mouseketeer dirtied up her image and racked up her price bracket in the process, and she's easily one of the most famous recording artists of the 21st century.

Why She's in the Game to Stay She's married a back up dancer, broken up with Justin Timberlake, popped out two kids and was then deemed unfit to care for them, shaved her head, checked into a mental institution, danced with a snake....at this point, there really isn't anything she can do to get us to STOP buying her music.

Top Songs

• Piece of Me

• Gimme More
• Break the Ice
• Toy Soldier
• ...Baby One More Time
• Toxic

My Fav Song -- "Piece of Me" Oh come on, at least it's clever!

Mariah Carey

This diva has it dialed in. She has the number one Christmas album of all time (because apparently, All I Want for Christmas really is You.), she just married a hip new star, and, oh, right, she's the number one selling female artist of all time. She doesn't exactly reinvent herself, nor does she have a reputation for being sweet or easy to work with, but MC has one thing in droves--selling power.

Why She's in the Game to Stay Again, I feel she's earned her bid to Obvioustown. Worldwide, people can't get enough of her, and MC is still hot after all these years. No one can do it like MC.

Top Songs

• Touch My Body
• Bye Bye
• We Belong Together
• Shake it Off
• Migrate

My Personal Fav? I'm a sucker for "Always Be My Baby".

Thanks for checking out my list of divas, and you can always find me on the web here.