This New York City native has always been ahead of the pack. At 16, Alicia graduated early from high school and enrolled at Columbia University. Just four years later, she's an R&B star with a multiplatinum debut CD, Songs in A Minor (the first No. 1 album for her label, J Records), and a 2001 Best New Artist MTV Video Music Award.

BIRTHDATE: January 25, 1981

SIGN: Aquarius

HOMETOWN: Hell's Kitchen, New York, New York

A LITTLE HELP FROM HER FRIENDS: A friend of the family gave Alicia a piano when she was seven years old

GIDDY GIRL: Learned about her MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best New Artist while doing a chat at the TeenPeople.com office. Excitedly exclaimed, "Holy ****!!!"

FAMILY PORTRAIT: Alicia's mom is Italian-American; her dad is African-American

PRINCE PLEASER: The notoriously hard-to-please Prince liked her cover of "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore"

QUOTE: "Practice, practice, practice!"
-- Alicia, when asked how she learned to play the piano so well, on TeenPeople.com