And the award for Best New Artist goes to Chrisette Michele. This spiritually enlightened, Long Island-bred songstress has a cool raspy voice that oddly generates a smooth sound. Her colorful style blends genres, like R&B and jazz, while her lyrics are quite poetic and even seductive at times. CM has a vibe that is both artsy and rhythmic, unquestionably gaining her a top spot on the charts for months to come. I haven't played a new artist through like this one since John Legend's Get Lifted. -yvette caslin

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