Why of course! Norah took her time with her followup, and released the more country inspired Feels Like Home in 2004. (It even included a collaboration with Dolly Parton, which, obviously, was Grammy nominated.) The lead single, Sunrise, won her a second Female Pop Vocal Performance Grammy.
At this time, legends, icons, and current hitmakers were reaching out to work with Norah. She got the opportunity to collaborate with one of her idols, the one and only Ray Charles. Here We Go Again (and Ray's album, Genius Loves Company), won Norah THREE more Grammys.
A year later, the world was saddened, shocked, and outraged by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Wyclef Jean wrote a song to express his fury and hope, and asked Norah to be his duet partner - she took him up on his offer.
In the summer of 2006, Norah suffered a tremendous loss - her record producer, Arif Martin, passed away. Devastated at first, she eventually found a freedom in this - and Not Too Late, her third album, was entirely written/co-written by her.
Thinking About You was a song she had recorded originally for the last album - it didn't fit. Released in 2007, it cracked the Hot 100. (That was something none of the FLH could do.)
Norah also attracted the attention of artists from other media. Noted filmmaker/Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-Wai saw something in Norah, and, with no other experience under her belt, offered her the role in his first English language film. My Blueberry Nights premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2007. Although underwhelming in comparison to his past efforts, critics credited Norah for having an engaging screen presence - and holding her own against Oscar winner Rachel Weisz, and soon to be two-time Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman.
Never one to leave fans behind, Gwen had something for fans who loved her ND sound - Cool. For fans of the band, it was the perfect musical capper to the tortured tales of Gwen and guitarist/first boyfriend Tony Kanal. For pop fans, it was something that got ahead of one 80s trend yet to come, and synced in perfectly to what The Killers were attempting. For fans of sorcery, it was quite a feat to see how 35 year old Gwen so perfectly managed to play a 21 year old in the video!
I love this performance even though it's not that great vocally.
Let's talk about two women who defined my Noughties. (I guess the rest of you had to suffer with Ashanti. Sorry about that. )
Sophie Michelle Ellis-Bextor. Born to a very famous English TV host and a producer, Sophie grew up with the idea that the creative pursuits were worthwhile! At seventeen, she joined a band that was hoping on the BritPop trend - theaudience. The band's videos were directed by her father, and Sophie soon found an audience as a "hot girl." The band's label didn't like what the second album was becoming, though, and they were dropped!