For fans of accomplished, catchy, teen-girl-pop, 1999 goes down as a year when good things definitely came in threes.

First, of course, there was Britney. Then there was Christina. Finally, near year's end, there's the 19-year-old Texan sensation, Jessica Simpson. Her single, "I Wanna Love You Forever," went gold in a heartbeat. She toured all over the place with 98 Degrees, and then with that old stick-in-the-mud, Ricky Martin. And despite that sudden dose of heady stardom, enough to turn even the sweetest kid into a raving monster diva, she actually seems to have her feet on the ground. Devoutly religious (her father's a minister), she brings her whole family on tour with her, where her mom's on wardrobe duty, and her younger sister dances beside her on stage.

Of course, the more-familiar, secular perks of stardom are there, too. For instance, Jessica told MTV News that she and 98 Degrees' heartthrob Nick Lachey are an item. (That she also espouses abstinence as part of her way of life is sure to send lots of young 98 Degrees fans into a confusing swirl of envy, hope, and incomprehension.)

MTV's Edward Paige had a chat with Jessica at a recent "YM" magazine photo shoot in New York City. Enjoy.

--Ben Cosgrove