One singer, many personalities

The double album “I Am ... Sasha Fierce” unveiled Beyonce‘s wilder, crazier, leg-stomping other side. The disc itself was too long -- cut half of Beyonce’s songs and it would have been perfect -- but the introduction to her twin, Sasha, was enlightening, as was seeing Sasha let loose in the music video for “Single Ladies.” Clearly, Sasha did all the writing on “Bootylicious” and “Survivor.”  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

As far as album titles go “The Emancipation of Mimi” was already a vast improvement on “Charmbracelet” and “Rainbow.” (It’s a shame she went back to something like “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” for her latest.) But unleashing the more “mature” Mimi -- the name she says she goes by with family and friends -- scored Mariah the best reviews she’s had in years. Send Mariah away for good? Keep Mimi and songs like “We Belong Together.”  (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

One of Prince’s numerous unreleased projects was the 1986 album “Camille,” the moniker chosen for his female persona. The tracks were recorded with the Purple One’s voice sped up, but the project was eventually canceled, and promotional efforts were focused on the release of his masterpiece “Sign O the Times” instead. Most of the music from “Camille” ended up being released in various ways, and the single “If I was Your Girlfriend” was eventually covered by ‘90s hip-hop girl group TLC.  (Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times)

The RZA has long been a hardcore beatmaster and member of the Wu Tang Clan, but when he wants to cool down and take it easy, Bobby Digital comes out to play. The artist calls the persona a “pre-Rza” version of himself.

“... I felt like I was in high-speed, where everything was digital, in numbers, mathematics. I said to myself at the same time that as Bobby Digital, I could use a character to describe some of the earlier days of my own life.”  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Janet Jackson‘s eighth studio album was called “Damita Jo,” and though it is Janet’s middle name, it popularized what Jackson called “one of the characters that lives inside of me.”

From gaining control to social commentary to sexual freedom to talking about love and more, Janet reinvents herself with almost every album.  (Carlo Allegri / Getty Images)