Gwen Stefani On Rihanna & Katy Perry

Gwen Stefani became a style icon in the mid 1990s through the 2000s with her punky-but-sexy image and girl-power persona. Now at 40, Stefani's influence is being reflected in younger artists, but how much so? The No Doubt frontwoman recently revealed to Elle magazine that she doesn't see much of her influence on today's young starlets--she was too much of a tomboy.

"I don’t see myself in those girls," she says of comparisons to the Rihannas and Katy Perrys of the world. "I usually put pants on. I see these girls as more going for the sex-symbol thing. I was more, in the band, like a tomboy. Of course, I think every girl is sexy, so there’s going to be a little of that. But I see a lot of younger artists going more toward the sexy thing."

Nicki Minaj Is No Sidekick

Nicki Minaj covers the latest issue of Elle magazine along with fellow music stars Gwen Stefani, Robyn, and the legendary Aretha Franklin. For the cover shoot, Nicki toned down her famously outlandish outfits and wigs and goes for a more conservative (for her) look. In the interview, Nicki also reveals that she has never had any desire to be 'Bonnie' to a male rapper's 'Clyde.' Ms. Minaj had bigger aspirations than that.

“I always wanted to play with the boys," Minaj says. "I didn’t want to be a pawn in their game or have a sidekick role. I wanted to be more of a lead character – a superhero.”