POP PRINCESSES Covering their blond roots

Britney, Christina, Jessica, and Mandy have new identities -- and new hair.
By MALCOLM MAYHEW
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Five years ago, the only ones who could tell them apart were, possibly, their parents.
Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Mandy Moore and Jessica Simpson looked alike, sounded alike and even acted alike -- you know, each claiming that she was "different" from the other three.
At that point, whatever. Same hair color (blond), same music (fluffy, innocuous pop), same videos (looked like workout tapes).
Half a decade later, however, each has not only managed to stick around -- a feat unto itself in pop music -- but also to strike out in her own direction. Who'da thought?
BRITNEY SPEARS
UAge: 22
UFlashback: With the success of her debut, 1999's "... One More Time," Spears led the teen-pop revolution of the late '90s. The Spice Girls might have left the door ajar for her, but Spears kicked it open, wearing both high heels and sneakers, preaching the values of abstinence while at the same time sexily cavorting on MTV.
URoad she took: Unlike Aguilera, Simpson and Moore, Spears can barely sing. She has made up for it, though, becoming the most controversial female pop star since Madonna. Basically, she sells sex more than music. Just ask men's magazine FHM, which this year voted her the world's sexiest woman.
UHair is she now?: Back in March, London's "Evening Standard" reported that Spears had been spotted with brown hair, though photos this month showed her back to platinum blond.
UCurrent project: She was about to resume criss-crossing the country on her Onyx Hotel Tour, but she canceled the remaining dates after suffering a knee injury last week during a video shoot.
CHRISTINA AGUILERA
UAge: 23
UFlashback: Aguilera's first single, "Genie in a Bottle," was typical teen pop but huge, putting her in direct competition with onetime friend Spears. For a while, the two were as competitive as they were interchangeable. There still exists a McCartney-Lennon conflict between the two, only the question isn't talent as much as: "Who's hotter?"
URoad she took: Of the four, Aguilera's the one who made a serious bid to be a singer. Yes, she has changed her look more times than Marilyn Manson, and with each image change, it seems, fewer and fewer clothes are involved. Underneath the hair spray and makeup and flimsy pop music, a pretty decent voice is begging to get out.
UHair is she now?: Black. Er, brown. Um, strawberry. Well, what day is it?
UCurrent project: Recovering from vocal strain; because of it, she had to ax her Stripped Tour. Guess she has more time now to color her hair.
JESSICA SIMPSON
UAge: 22
UFlashback: Simpson had moderate success with "Sweet Kisses" and "I Wanna Love You Forever." Her biggest moment, perhaps, was opening for Ricky Martin at Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately, the show is memorable to her for another reason: She ripped her leather pants onstage. Right between her legs. And no, she was not wearing underwear. Thankfully, mom was handy with another pair of pants.
URoad she took: Simpson got lost in the blonde blitzkrieg and was pretty much a wash until she appeared in another medium, television, first with a recurring role on "That '70s Show" and then on "Newlyweds: Nick & amp; Jessica," her reality program with husband Nick Lachey. As a result of the show's popularity, sales of her latest disc, "In This Skin," have been boosted. If it were not for the show, she'd be done.
UHair is she now?: The only one who has stayed blonde. "Ditsy" and "brunette" just don't go together as well.
UCurrent project: Besides "Newlyweds," Simpson is hawking edible body creams called Dessert Beauty. What she says about the Deliciously Kissable Lip Fragrance Gloss (Juicy or Luscious): "The best ... never sticky, and my lips look full and taste sweet. Makes your breath nice, too."
ABC recently rejected "Jessica," her stab at a sitcom. But rumors are rumbling that she'll star in the big-screen version of "The Dukes of Hazzard" as, of course, Daisy Duke.
MANDY MOORE
UAge: 20
UFlashback: Moore wasn't even old enough to drive when her first record, the falsely named, dance-pop disc "So Real," came out. Hoping to capitalize on the Britney boom, her record company re-released it a year later and changed her image from innocent to not-so-innocent.
URoad she took: Moore wasn't having any of it. Not only did she change her hair color, she switched career paths, focusing on films ("A Walk To Remember," "How To Deal") rather than music. When it came time for her to do a new record, she freaked everybody out by putting out "Coverage," an all-covers disc made up of rock-folk renditions of songs by Elton John, Carole King and Joni Mitchell.
UHair is she now?: To avoid getting tagged a Britney clone, she whacked off her hair and painted it black.
UCurrent project: Her latest movie, "Saved!" just opened.