Before they’d even released any music, Momsen’s ‘Gossip Girl’ fame brought attention to the band and their live shows. Little J was now very much grown up and Momsen was staking her claim as rock’s newest agent provocateur, with revealing outfits and an anything goes stage manner. The band signed to Interscope records in 2009 and a year later their first single, 'Makes Me Wanna Die' was released. The band's sound was a hard, gritty pop rock hybrid, bery much in keeping with Momsen's new look. An album soon followed ‘Light Me Up’, which received mainly positive reviews from critics. Indeed many seemed surprised that Taylor's musical offering was pretty good.  After the album's release he band also played many live gigs including a performancing at the Lollapalooza festival and support slots with Evanescance and Marilyn Manson.

Watch The Pretty Reckless 'Going to Hell' video:

Now the band are on to their second album ‘Going to Hell’. A little contraversy has already been created with Momsen appearing naked on the cover. Critics are still not fully ready to accept Taylor as rock's new poster girl. Some still feel the band lack substance and their success is more to do with their singer's provocative image. Alternative Press panned the album saying that "it seemed to have tried too hard to come across as outrageous". Other reviewers have been more favourable, seeing the band’s sound take on a positive evolution. In their critique, Rolling Stone wrote, "this New York band's brash second album rages with the upbeat, beat-wise humor that hard rock has suppressed ever since grunge."

Taylor Momsen and her band the Pretty RecklessTaylor Momsen and her band

Whether or not everybody's ready to accept Taylor the rockstar is immaterial to the singer - for her this new career is very much a rebirth rather than a side project. Indeed she's recently said, "...when I got to a place where I realized I was in control of my own life, and had found the right band, and everything was coming to fruition, it wasn’t even a question: I was going to quit my day job. I came to set every day with a guitar."

Taylor the child actress might have been sweet, but Taylor the rockstar is badass and because of that, we're happy to leave Jenny Humphrey behind also.

More: The Pretty Reckless New Album: Are Critics Rocking Out To 'Going To Hell'? [Video]