It’s not exactly uncommon for Hollywood stars to decide they want to put out an album, nor is it  uncommon for singers to take on big-screen roles. Say what you will about these crossovers, but some of them produce damn good results! Today I’ll be sharing a short list of three of my favorite songs sung by actresses of today who have made the move into the music world.

“L.A.” by Leighton Meester

Meester (Gossip Girl, Country Strong) took a few missteps in her music career. (I’m always trying to forget that she did a song with actual demon Robin Thicke.) But she has a lovely voice and seems to have found an authentic, true-to-self style on her new album, Heartstrings. “L.A.” is a sweet, whimsical pop song with retro influences, and I adore it. I enjoyed her work on the Country Strong soundtrack, especially the duet with Garrett Hedlund, and the new album has solidified her place amongst my favorite modern actress-turned-singers.

“Did We Live Too Fast?” by Got a Girl (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead has 41 acting credits listed in IMDb and I’ve seen less than a handful of ’em. I haven’t watched enough of her work to consider her a favorite actress, but I fell in love with her music when I stumbled across the music video for “Did We Live Too Fast?” The video is darkly humorous — a black-and-white clip in which a housewife discovers that her husband reads “Three Eyed Babes” magazine, leading her to have a third eye transplanted into her head — but more importantly, the song is great, with a late ’60s/early ’70s feel. I’ve since purchased (and am greatly enjoying) the full album, which follows that dark comedy trend with its title: I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now.

“Thieves” She & Him (Zooey Deschanel)

We’re seeing a trend here, with retro-influenced actresses popping up in my “favorites” playlist. It’s incredibly difficult for me to choose just one She & Him song to feature, for Zooey Deschanel is my favorite actress-songstress of all. (From today’s crop of stars, anyway.) I fell in love with She & Him when Volume 2 was released and have counted them among my favorite bands since. I’ve chosen “Thieves” as the song to represent them because it kicks off the album that made me fall in love with the band, and it’s very indicative of their past-influenced sound as well as their lyrical style. The band’s newest album, Classics, a collection of covers, is released today! (I may or may not have cleverly schedule this post just so I could rave about how excited I am for Classics. The band has done a number of wonderful covers in the past, making the new release one of my most-anticipated albums of the year.)

Who are your favorites? Feel free to share in the comments section!