Taylor Momsen
Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — OK, not everyone has a sweet-16 birthday party that was sponsored by MySpace, was held at one of Manhattan's hottest venues and was DJed by MisShapes — and doubled as your new band's homecoming show after a stint opening for the Veronicas' North American tour.

But then again, not everyone is "Gossip Girl" star/ Pretty Reckless frontwoman Taylor Momsen.

Momsen accomplished a lot in the first 15 years of her life, and, judging by the crowd at Tuesday night's party/concert, she's made a lot of friends too. Holding it down in the Hiro Ballroom's VIP section was the majority of the "Gossip Girl" cast — notably Ed Westwick (who was very close with Jessica Szhor) and Chace Crawford. The crew made their way to the front of the stage for one song to show support for their castmate before being whisked away from the screaming fans.

Arriving just in time for the concert was "NYC Prep" star Sebastian, who made sure to get front and center before sneaking away to the VIP lounge. Cheering Taylor on from downstairs included her onscreen best friend/ stepbrother, Connor Paolo and Matthew Settle, who sported a pair of glow-in-the-dark shades.

But this party was about the music, and Momsen and Pretty Reckless took the stage with authority. Backstage, Momsen warmed up by singing Britney Spears' "... Baby One More Time," and then the curtain rose to the sounds of thunder and lightning. The band thrashed through a loud, grunge-inspired and guitar-driven set; the boys wore eyeliner and Momsen channelled Hole-era Courtney Love in messy, peroxide-blonde hair and a hot pink slip dress. Her raspy singing voice sounded years beyond 16.

Momsen broke out her guitar for "Zombie," and the band closed its set with the catchy "Good Girls Go to Heaven" (a line that is followed by "bad girls go everywhere"). Not long after, Momsen's mother and sister surprised her onstage with a birthday cake (the audience got cupcakes!) and the band played one last song.

• Taylor Momsen

Taylor Momsen
Photo: MTV News

Taylor Momsen might want to consider auditioning for a role in an upcoming "Twilight" flick. The "Gossip Girl" star-turned-punk rocker has been keeping some late hours moonlighting as a rock star in her band, the Pretty Reckless.

"I'm nocturnal," Momsen told MTV News. "I'm a vampire, I decided. I write at night. I don't write a song; I write in a stream of consciousness. I never edit everything. I have books of lyrics. You can write a hundred songs from it, but I try to pick one stream."

Momsen said she had been hard at work on her music long before she formed a band and got a record deal. "I wrote the whole record first before I looked for a band, really," she said.

The debut Pretty Reckless album, which drops in the fall, will cover a wide range of topics, none of which you should analyze as direct comments about Momsen's life.

"A lot of the songs aren't specific," she said. "I write about how I feel and what I think and what's influencing me at that moment in time. It's not necessarily about a boyfriend, even though it might sound like it. Every lyric has at least four different undertones. There's a light version ... and then a really, really demented version. There's different ways to see it. That's the way I like it, 'cause I don't want you to know everything about me."

But there is one thing about her she wants to clear up. Thanks to her life on "Gossip Girl," Momsen knows how powerful rumors can be. And there's one particularly crazy rumor she insists just isn't true.

"I don't really Google myself," she said. "I try not to. I read somewhere there was this whole blog about how I shoot heroin. I was like, 'Guys, I don't shoot heroin.' Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's really obscene. I like Kurt Cobain, but I'm not trying to emulate everything about him."

• Taylor Momsen Tries To 'Bring Rock Back'

• Taylor Momsen

Miranda Cosgrove
Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

It's Pop Week here at MTV News, and that means we're catching up with and getting to know everyone who's going to make a splash in pop music and culture over the next 12 months. Whether they're just arriving on the scene or are already the name on everyone's lips, these are the artists we expect big things from in 2009. Are you ready?

Yeah, we all know who Miley Cyrus is, but there's a whole slew of up-and-coming pop princesses poised to break through. Some are triple threats, some are just focused on acting or singing, but if they plan it just right, these ladies could dethrone Miley and become America's new "it" girl.

Miranda Cosgrove
Actress/singer Miranda Cosgrove is excited about the new episodes of her Nickelodeon series, "iCarly." "I'm doing more crazy stuff," the 15-year-old revealed. "Also, I have a boyfriend [played by Drew Roy], finally. He's really cute and nice. He drives a motorcycle. It's kind of funny 'cause my character is so sweet."

When she's not busy working on her TV show, Cosgrove is in the studio working on her album, due out this year, for which she's hooked up with famous pop producers the Matrix and Dr. Luke.

"It's definitely different getting to be a part of the writing process," she said about recording the album. "Most of the songs are fun pop-rock girl empowerment. There's one ballad that's kind of sad."

Taylor Momsen
Before landing the role of fashion prodigy Jenny Humphrey on "Gossip Girl," Momsen popped up on the scene in films like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and "Paranoid Park." Now, the 15-year-old is making a name for herself as a real-life fashionista, hitting up red carpets in both Los Angeles and New York.

In 2009, she'll continue her work on "Gossip Girl" and, like her co-stars Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick, she is dabbling in music on the side.

Camilla Belle
This 22-year-old starlet has a bunch of movies coming out this year, guaranteeing her lots of face time and a big opportunity to gain some "it"-girl points. Having done everything from thrillers to dramas and worked with everyone from Daniel Day-Lewis to the Jonas Brothers on their "Lovebug" video, the "10,000 BC" star has proven she isn't afraid to take risks with her career.

On her slate this year: Bruce Willis' directorial debut "Three Stories About Joan," the sexy "A Deriva" (made in her mother's native Brazil) and "Push," co-starring Dakota Fanning.

Keke Palmer
She's the newest addition to the Nickelodeon pantheon of stars with her show "True Jackson, VP," but you may recognize 15-year-old Palmer from films like "The Longshots" and "Akeelah and the Bee." Palmer released an R&B album, So Uncool, back in 2007, but as she showed off to MTV News at the premiere of "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh," the Keke has rhyming skills she might be ready to unleash on the world soon.

This year, we'll also see her in the upcoming hip-hop film "Vapors" and "Shrink," co-starring Kevin Spacey.

Lady Gaga
After promising to "be on tour for the next 10, 20 years," Lady Gaga won't be leaving the public eye anytime soon. The 22-year-old Grammy nominee describes her music and live shows as a hybrid of "Andy Warhol concept, pop performance art, multimedia, fashion, technology, video [and] film," adding that when she hits the road in 2009, "it's going to be a traveling museum show."

Her album, The Fame, has been a worldwide hit, and having worked with artists like the Pussycat Dolls and possibly even influencing Christina Aguilera's current look, Gaga is already a tour de force.

Check out our Male Pop Rookies, and stick with us all week for more Pop Week stories on the stars to watch in 2009!

• 2009 Goes Pop

• Miranda Cosgrove
• Taylor Momsen