By Emily Mitchell/Reported by Wendy Cole

When asked to sing in a "sexy whisper" while recording in the U.S., Japan's princess of pop was embarrassed. "Back home I have to be soft and cheerful," she says. "I feel like a doll." Seiko, 28 and a mom, is idolized by millions of adoring fans in Japan, with 14 No. 1 albums and 25 consecutive No. 1 songs to her credit. She's hoping for more conquests with her first U.S. release in May. Lending a helping voice on a duet called Right Combination is another teen rage, Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block. That makes for quite a neighborhood.