Prince‘s ‘Purple Rain’ reigns again.

After selling more albums than any other artist in 2016, the Purple One’s magnum opus – the ‘Purple Rain’ soundtrack – is looking to help him lay claim to the title again in 2017.

Last week’s deluxe reissue of the 1984 classic (which hit #1 the year of its debut) includes remastered versions of the original album with unreleased bonus tracks, B-sides, and other rarities.  The “new and improved” edition of the set was just enough to get the late entertainer’s beloved fans out in droves to purchase and hoist it right into the Billboard 200’s DJ Khaled-led top 5.

According to Billboard:

The album — combining all versions of Purple Rain, past and present — earned 52,000 units in the tracking frame (of which 48,000 were in traditional album sales). The set collected a 3,633 percent gain in units for the week, and a 4,767 percent leap in album sales.

Purple Rain was reissued in a variety of formats, including a 20-track deluxe edition with unreleased bonus tracks and a 35-track expanded edition with additional B-sides, rarities and a live DVD of the Purple Rain Tour from 1985.

Billboard 200 This Week

Your thoughts?

Christina Aguilera seeks to set the net ablaze with her latest set of snaps today.

After sporting a thicker and fuller frame in recent years, the sensational vocalist rocked Instagram minutes ago when she unwrapped herself to reveal her brand new look.

Have fun and be safe everyone!!????

A post shared by Christina Aguilera (@xtina) on Jul 4, 2017 at 12:04pm PDT

A post shared by Christina Aguilera (@xtina) on Jul 4, 2017 at 8:48am PDT

?

A post shared by Christina Aguilera (@xtina) on Jul 4, 2017 at 11:56am PDT

Still no official word on when she’ll release the follow-up to 2012’s ‘Lotus’.

Fortunately, if the response to the snaps are anything to go by, the project will be well-received by fans who eagerly await details on the set and its supporting era.

Want more news on the ‘Burlesque’ belle?

Click here!

Your thoughts?

Azealia Banks is a woman of many talents, but who knew business building was one of them?

The ‘212’ rapper has taken to social media to offer her services to JAY-Z and his TIDAL streaming service.

(Re)Launched in 2015 after the mogul acquired its parent company, the service has had a rollercoaster trajectory; indeed, it’s enjoyed growth spurts following major releases but is largely lagging behind popular competitors such as Spotify and Apple Music.

According to Banks, she has the remedy. She wrote…

LET ME SHAKE THE TABLE.

A post shared by Azealia Banks (@azealiabanks) on Jul 4, 2017 at 9:23am PDT

Azealia undoubtedly has burned many a bridge in her time, but what’s your take on her “offer.” Should Jigga take it?

Your thoughts?

Fergie, Monica, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, Justin Timberlake.

First mention of the aforementioned names usually evokes memories of some of the past two decades’ top pop hits.  However, as our list below details, even some of music’s most prized hitmakers have had their fair share of misses.

Every year on U.S. ‘Independence Day’ the likes of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, and Beyonce are oft-praised for their awe-inspiring renditions of the country’s national anthem, ‘The Star Spangled Banner’, while other renditions of the historical number will go down in history for some *ahem* less flattering reasons.

Forgotten words, bum notes, and all around embarrassment await below.  See our top 10 list of the “best of the worst” ‘Star Spangled Banner’ performances and tell us your pick:

(more…)

After pulling the plug on her relationship with Future, the Grammy-winning singer Ciara made headlines when she moved on to start a relationship with the athlete Russell Wilson.

How? By way of the heat she faced for allowing the devout Christian to help her raise the son she bore with Future.

The drama didn’t go unnoticed by Ciara’s former touring buddy Jay-Z who referenced it on a cut placed on his new album ‘4:44.’

The way Jay Z just referenced the Future/Ciara/Russell Wilson situation was IMMACULATE

— ♍ cozy boy 47 (@97PuffDaddy) June 30, 2017

How Future has responded?

By mocking another line on the album which mocks rappers who pose in pictures with large sums of money…

Do you think Future has a right to be offended?

Thanks to a little help from friends Rihanna, Drake, Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj, Alicia Keys, and many more, DJ Khaled‘s scored ‘another one.’

That’s right, not even a year after landing his first Billboard 200 chart-topper, ‘Major Key,’ Khaled’s latest album – ‘Grateful’ – has made major moves in its own right by following suit.  As we previously reported, the ‘Wild Thoughts’-supported set was on course to move 135-150,000k SPS its first week (with 40-50,000 of that figure made up of pure sales).

Now, after a week of conflicting reports and close calls with its nearest competitor, Imagine Dragon‘s latest, ‘Grateful’ has not only emerged the victor in the chart battle but has also given the ‘We the Best’ beau the best first week sum of his career to date.

Via Billboard:

The set — which was released on June 23 through We the Best/Epic Records — earned 149,000 equivalent album units in the week ending June 29, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 50,000 were in traditional album sales.

The new album is powered by streams, as it logged a robust 81,000 SEA units — the largest SEA haul for an album since the May 27-dated list, when Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN. tallied 86,000 SEA units in its fourth week on the list. (Grateful’s 81,000 SEA units equates to 121.19 million on-demand audio streams for the collected tracks on the album during the tracking week.)

‘Grateful’ marks the DJ’s seventh top 10-charting effort; his first set to enter the chart’s topmost dectet was 2007’s ‘We the Best’ (which debuted and peaked at No. 8).

Congratz are in order to Khaled!

Your thoughts?

With top ten singles and R&B chart-topping albums to their credit, B2K easily rank as one of the (if not the) most successful Black boy band of the 2000s before their unexpected breakup in 2004.

And, while each of the group’s members has managed to keep his name in headlines since the mid-2000s to varying degrees of success, any mention of “B2K as a group” has mostly been related to drama and/or some jaw-dropping allegations.

Well, that’s set to change if a recent conversation involving Raz is to be believed:

(more…)

For many, the Brazilian superstar Gretchen is the face of many a retweet-pulling social media meme.

Now, after dominating her market for decades, the star receives what may be her biggest international look thanks to Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj.

How so?

They’ve made her the star of their ‘Swish Swish’ lyric video!

Watch below…

The full clip is yet to be released.

Unfamiliar with Gretchen’s work?

Your thoughts?

Following a blazing performance at the BET Awards, a reunited and rejuvenated Xscape made their triumphant return to the live circuit last night at the Essence Music Festival.

Backed by a full band, Kandi, Tiny, Tamika, and LaTocha played to a sold-out crowd (with hundreds more trying to get in) and rocked the house.

Journeying through their referred catalogue, the ladies soared with hits such as ‘Understanding’ and ‘Who Can I Run To.’

Like many, we’re oh so amped for their new reality show and this elevated our excitement…

They slayed.

Vocally, the group sounded even better than their BET showing and the cohesion was undeniable.

Buzzed to see what’s to come: a new album? A tour? Whatever the case, we’re living and loving this reunion.

Your thoughts?

There’s no way of getting around it…sales of Remy Ma‘s solo material are putrid.

Fortunately, the same can’t be said for her public image, elevated and revered by those who see her as the antithesis of her more commercially viable rival Nicki Minaj.

How Ma hopes to remedy this?

By baring her soul on her new album ‘ ‘7 Winters & 6 Summers’.

Speaking to press at the Essence Festival she shared:

When I was incarcerated, I could not fathom counting the time and the years that they had given me.  I was given 8 years with 5 years post-supervision, which was technically 13 years and I just couldn’t find myself counting like that.

When I left, my son was 7 years old, so to count to 8 or 13 was just like crazy to me.  So I would count based on what I saw outside my window.

Out of my little window, I would see green, which would mean it was Summer… or bare trees, which meant it was Winter.

So if it was green outside and it was like 2010, I was like… ‘just 4 more Summers to go’…

Ultimately by the time I was released, I had did 7 Winters and 6 Summers.

A release date for the album is yet to be locked in.

Will Remy have your support when her album drops?

JAY-Z set social media alight upon the release of his new album ‘4:44’ last week.

Easily Jigga’s most truth-baring offering yet, the 10-song set saw him wax honest about his infidelity failings, family secrets, and much more.

The candidness of the LP made for immediate connections to his wife Beyonce‘s 2016 release ‘Lemonade,’ which explored similar themes – from the perspective of the wronged woman.

It also saw many sympathize with her plight and celebrate her strength, on the assumption that everything Jay rapped about was fact.

If indeed so, Mrs. Carter certainly is as strong as they come. Especially, as the executive producer of ‘4:44’ has revealed she was heavily involved in the project.

Speaking to the New York Times, No I.D said:

I always call Bey our de facto A&R. Pillow talk is the strongest conversation on the planet. Every song has to get past her ears, in my eyes. She came by a lot and played a good part in helping us get over hurdles on certain records. Of course she’s genius-level with that.

Given the content on ‘4:44,’ it is somewhat surprising to see Beyonce able to approach the record from a purely professional perspective rather than personal.

That said, as a billion dollar empire, a lot of thought clearly goes into the “Carter” brand.

Once built on the premise of “perfection,” the years since “elevator-gate” have seen a shift towards the willing projection of their flaws and fractures. The by-product f which has seen folk become even more fascinated by music’s first family.

Viewed this way, it’d almost be odd if Bey wasn’t involved in ‘4:44’ somehow. It’s their collective life story and, given their artistic chemistry and respect for one another, it figures why she’d be consulted in some capacity.

Anyway, enough of our ranting. What are…

Your thoughts?

From The Vault is back this week with a hit that never was.

Join us as we journey back a decade to 2007 with Nicole Scherzinger, who was eyeing solo domination with her first single ‘Whatever U Like.’

Produced by Polow Da Don and penned by Sean Garrett (two names synonymous with countless hits during that time), the track featured rapper T.I. – who too was at the top of his game.

With all of those ingredients, one would think Nicole had cooked up chart monster, right? Wrong! ‘Like’ peaked at #4… on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. It was the first single from Nic’s equally ill-fated album debut ‘Her Name Is Nicole.’

*********

The single’s smoking hot video was directed by Paul Hunter and boasted a subtle spy theme. Ever arresting on camera, Scherzinger sizzled in solo dance scenes and showcased ample chemistry with T.I.

*********

Sadly for this tower of talent, she has never quite been able to achieve her full potential as a soloist. Nicole is the perfect example of just how uncertain and unfair the music industry can be: clearly she has the full package, yet she has never “happened” in the way anticipated.

Still, numbers (or the lack there of) can’t extinguish authentic hotness and this remains fire.

Here’s hoping Scherzy, who celebrated her 39th birthday this week, will one day someday have her “moment.”If not, there’s always a reboot of the Pussycat Dolls?

Your thoughts?