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Though yet to prove he can shift albums, the ‘Hot 100‘ chart-slayer that is Jason Derulo most certainly proved his worth as a live act recently, heating up the ‘Hot 99.5 Jingle Ball’ with a performance of his infectious jam ‘Trumpets.

Why we’d say the show’s attendees got more than their money’s worth?

A charismatic Derulo below…

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It’ll take more than a slip-up or vocal hiccup to keep the force that is Mariah Carey down, seemingly unbothered by talk of her voice not being what it was  as she rides high on her annual ‘All I Want For Christmas Is Youwave.

So, with the star’s resilient nature in mind, one shouldn’t be too surprised to learn what happened when the she slipped and fell on stage during a performance at the ‘Beacon Theatre’ two nights ago.

Watch what happens below…

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Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora rocked the ‘iHeart Radio Jingle Ball 2014’ with a performance of their smash hit single ‘Black Widow’ recently, taking to the event’s stage in support of Azalea’s debut album ‘The New Classic.’

How the ladies fared?

Press play to find out below…

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While most are tweet-watching to see if the “Anonymous” hacker threats against rap starlet Iggy Azalea will manifest into anything more, her mentor – rap mogul T.I. – comes to her aid again.

Indeed, after calming the bark of legendary rapper Snoop Dogg just weeks ago, now Tip is clapping back at rapper Q-Tip on behalf of Azalea after the ‘Breathe and Stop’ beau lent her a stinging lesson in hip hop history (see that here if you missed it).

In a lengthy Twitter lecture, Tip refutes some of Q-Tip’s claims about Azalea’s intent with hip hop, the fear of white people embezzling from Black culture, and more.  Tuck in below, read his rant, and tell us if you agree:

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Mariah Carey + Lady Gaga = diva domination indeed!

As seen via a hot shot lifted to social media not long ago, #Lambs and #LittleMonsters rejoiced as their powerhouse leaders united for the ultimate selfie moments after Mariah wrapped up a stunning set at the Beacon Theater.

With star siblings Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen amongst big names out to support the 5 octave songbird during her holiday-themed trek, we’re keen to see what other familiar faces will pop up in the audience as her short residency at the venue draws nearer to its close.

Until we find out, peep one more of New York’s own Mariah and Gaga below:

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“Time goes by… so slowly”
While this week has found Queen Of Pop Madonna forced to share details about her much anticipated 13th album ‘Rebel Heart’, From The Vault journeys back to her most sonically sound effort in recent years. This week’s pick is the glorious ‘Hung Up’.
Released almost a decade ago, ‘Hung Up’ was the very first offering of the artist’s disco-heavy tenth album, the delicious ‘Confessions On A Dance Floor’. Helmed by British producer Stuart Price and the diva herself, it is famously built on a sample of ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)’ by legendary Swedish group ABBA.
Released in a ‘We Belong Together’ reality, the song still managed to achieve major success on a global scale peaking at #1 in 41 countries including the UK, France, Canada and Australia – it reached #7 in the US – and has sold over 9 millions unit since its release.
Johan Renck was in charge of directing the track’s visual. Featuring many dancers – including several of the krumpers seen in David LaChapelle’s documentary ‘Rize’ as well some of her own documentary ‘I’m Going To Tell You a Secret’ – the video succeeds in relaying a raw street aura while keeping up with the glam of the late 70s/early 80s which were explored during that album campaign. From the fashion and the lighting, to the beauty shots and choreography, all comes together and explodes into a euphoric final scene where Madge is seen dancing up a storm.
Perhaps it’s us, but from where we’re standing ‘Confessions’ was the last real “Madonna” album. Indeed, much of what came after has reeked of desperation and tackiness (see: ‘MDNA’, shuffling with LMFAO at the Superbowl, reductive-gate). We’re all for exploring different sounds and textures, and clearly that’s what M-Dolla is famous for; still, we wish she would maintain some sort of regality in her music. In wanting to cater to the younger generation, it feels like the artist is continuously losing the very elements that made her the Queen Of Pop in the first place. So much to the point where she is making the same music the very artists she gave birth to are churning out —- ironically with less tasty results.
Here’s hoping the remaining 13 tracks of ‘Rebel Heart’ give back to us that very artist who has been Pop’s definitive blueprint.
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Your thoughts?

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Ever keen to broaden our musical scope, recent months have seen That Grape Juice venture into a number of new musical landscapes including, most recently, gospel.

Spearheaded by well-received interviews with gospel singers Yolanda AdamsHezekiah WalkerTwinkie ClarkFred HammondKierra SheardDorinda Clark ColeIsrael HoughtonMarvin SappMicah StampleyJoshua Rogers, J. Moss, and more, TGJ is now offering readers ‘The Overflow’ – a collection of the top gospel-themed news stories from the week.

Tuck in below for the latest news on Richard Smallwood, Karen Clark Sheard, Jason Nelson, Israel Houghton & New Breed, Lecrae, and more:

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Is Lady GaGa cooking up the follow-up to ‘ARTPOP’?

The superstar singer was spotted in the studio with music legends Nile Rogers and Diane Warren yesterday.

And while it’s unknown what exactly the mega-watt trio working were on, both Rogers and Warren (who has penned smashes such as ‘Un-break My Heart’ and ‘I Was Here’) were ultra endorsing of the ‘Applause’ singer:

Regardless of what they’re working on, the fact she’s baking new material (with such esteemed talent)  lends yet more credence to GaGa’s status as one of Pop’s hardest working women.

Beyond recently wrapping up her ‘artRAVE’ world tour, the 28-year-old is currently in the midst of promotion for her collaboration album, ‘Cheek To Cheek’, with Tony Bennett. Busy times. More power to her.

Your thoughts?

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“B*tch I’m Madonna”

If you thought the quote above meant nothing, you’re in for a rude awakening.

As the weekend brought with it the unexpected release of 6 songs from her newest project ‘Rebel Heart’ (now available for pre-order), fans awaiting the follow-up to her 2012 release ‘MDNA’ apparently couldn’t wait to get their hands on what the diva had been cooking up with Diplo, Alicia Keys, Nas, Nicki Minaj, and more.

Now, after #Rebelheart has been trending all weekend long, reports are surfacing that Madge is making major moves on digital charts around the world – namely iTunes USA?  Don’t just take our word for it, check below:

 

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Dawn Richard is no stranger to controversy.

After all, it’s the very word that has defined 2014 for her following the messiest of break-ups from Danity Kanedawn-richard-111

In hoping to put the muddiness of that drama behind her, Richard is gearing up to release her latest solo album, ‘Blackheart’ on January 15th.

And while buzz has been growing for the independent set, the spotlight was intensified all the more this week when the singer unveiled the newest promo shot for the project.

Viewable above, the snap features the performer posing it up looking much different to the “her” fans have come to know and love over the years (pictured left).

We’re all for evolution, but surely folk should be able to recognise who they’re actually supporting?

It’s a question some took to Instagram to voice. See their words below…

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As recent years have taught us, Mariah Carey‘s “new” voice is as unpredictable as the lottery.

One day she’ll hit the jackpot only to miss the mark entirely the next.

An instance of the latter hit headlines recently when mic-feed audio from her performance at New York’s Rockefeller Center went viral for all the wrong reasons.

In a bid to perhaps remind the masses of her gravitas, the seasoned diva took to Instagram last night to share a series of interestingly timed clips of vocals warm-ups before hitting the stage for a Christmas concert.

Has Mimi still got it? You be the judge below…

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Usher may be re-working his new album for a 2015 release, but that hasn’t stopped the star from shining light on the set’s buzz singles.

This week saw the crooner hit the UK to perform the Grammy nominated ‘Good Kisser’ on ‘The Graham Norton Show’.

Random seeming perhaps, given that the song was released way back in April, however with the crooner’s new tour ‘The UR Experience’ set to hit Europe early next year, the showing served as a teaser of sorts to what Euro fans can expect.

Peep the performance below…

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