[Kevin]

As much as I hate their politics, the Dixie Chicks are talented.

Rascal Flats is talented.

The entire Dave Matthews band is talented.

Compared to Spears, Aguilara is talented (actually capable of some vocal acrobatics). Spears likes to speak her songs these days.

It's hard to say vocalists are "talented". I've seen better singers than most of your pop stars out of the University of Central Oklahoma music school. It's the lucky breaks that mean everything in that business.