2007'S PRODIGIES: RIHANNA

Rihanna's No. 1 hit, ''Umbrella,'' was the jam of summer 2007. On May 30, the single topped the Hot 100, Pop 100, and Hot Digital Songs charts — and set a record for digital downloads in an opening week. Days later, the 19-year-old songstress dropped Good Girl Gone Bad, her third CD in less than two years, which has sold some 800,000 copies to date. And in September, ''Umbrella'' earned Rihanna a double win at MTV's Video Music Awards. — Margeaux Watson

The best part about being so successful at such a young age is...
''I have a lot more business sense — things that you usually learn when you leave college and you're in your 20s. I've also learned common sense things like keeping good people around me who help me avoid making mistakes. But the best part about starting so early in this business is that I have more time to grow.''

The moment she knew she had become successful was...
''It really overwhelmed me when 'Umbrella' was No. 1 for so many weeks all over the world, not only in America, and broke records and made history. 'Umbrella' just went way ahead of me and where my mind was a lot quicker and earlier than I expected it to.''

How success has changed things for her...
''It doesn't affect me as much as people may assume. I'm in my own world most of the time and all of this is happening around me, but it isn't getting to me. The people around me keep me grounded and sane. I'm just in the middle of it all and they try to keep me away from the negativity and chaos. So they'll probably be the ones who go crazy before I do.''

Favorite career moment of the year...
''The VMAs. I was so honored. I could not believe that I won one of the biggest awards of the night, Video of the Year. Monster Single of the Year, I thought I had a chance. But Video of the Year was definitely the one I was like, There's no way. There are too many good videos and big artists in this category.''

Celebrity fan she was most surprised by...
''Celine Dion. I've been in Europe for maybe a couple weeks now, traveling and doing a lot of press and tour rehearsal. We've done, like, three TV shows at the same time. And every time she sees me, she's always singing one of my songs. I just love her! She is a legend. And if she only knew how starstruck I was meeting her.''

The career she'd most like to have besides her own...
''Kate Moss'. She just looks like she has a fun job. I know it's hard work, but she's a very successful model. I would like to try something different instead of just singing. If I had to spend a day in the life of another career, it would be hers.''

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