Solo Act

Demi Lovato
DEMI MORE: The star wears a McA-Alexander McQueen jacket, a Theory dress, and a Fendi bracelet.

When Demi Lovato mentions that she recently bought a house in Los Angeles, it's difficult not to be impressed. She is, after all, only sixteen years old. But her role in Camp Rock, opposite the Jonas Brothers, and the release of her first album, Don't Forget, have already cemented her status among the teen-celebrity set. "It's crazy," Demi says of her remarkable, widespread success. "Now, all across the country, people know my name." The fast-rising superstar even got a chance to sing the national anthem at an NFL game on Thanksgiving in Texas. "I'm not a huge football fan," she confesses, "but I am a Dallas Cowboys fan." (With a mother who is a former cheerleader for the squad, how could Demi not be?)

This month she steals the small-screen spotlight in a new TV series. Sonny With a Chance, which airs on the Disney Channel, deals with an average girl trying to adjust to being plucked from obscurity to starring in, well, a new TV series. "My first passion is music, because it comes very naturally to me," Demi says. "Acting has been like a hobby." Perhaps, but it's turning into a career.

With Princess Protection Program—a film she'll headline with her close friend and fellow "Next Miley" Selena Gomez (whom Demi grew up with in Texas)—out this summer, and Camp Rock 2 not far behind, it doesn't seem like the teen phenom could have a free moment. But Demi, who plays both the piano and the guitar, confesses to yet another project: learning how to master the drums. "The drummer in my band taught me how to keep a beat," she admits, "but I'd like to get better at it." If the last year is any indication, then it shouldn't take her very long.

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