In the space of three short weeks, singer Frank Ocean has been catapulted from an underground star on the rise to a relative house-hold name. And while the New Orleans native’s uncanny ability as a songwriter shouldn’t be downplayed, it would be almost criminal to not attribute much of that “hype” to his “coming out” letter.

The hottest of topics, it initially appeared that the Odd Future staple was to let the music do the talking. However, as reported yesterday, the 24 year old has opened up to the UK’s Guardian newspaper about his decision to talk about his sexuality, the mass reaction, his musical process and much more.

A morsel of the chat was previewed, however the full feature has since been released.

Tasteful. Inspiring. Intriguing. For these reasons and many more, the interview is a must-read. Check it out after the jump…

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Iggy Azalea is headed to Roc Nation!

Well- that is if a recent Tweet by the ‘Murda Bizness‘ creator is anything to go by.

A tweet, which saw her confirm she was to meet the management/label who house Rihanna, MIA, Rita Ora and if reports are to be believed- Pop philanthropist Shakira.

Tweet below…

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This week’s That Grape Juice Cover Star is Ebon Lurks. Watch as the young crooner take on Chris Brown‘s latest R&B hit ‘Sweet Love’ below:

Boasting a blend of Jason Mraz and Justin Bieber (vocally), Ebon puts an interesting pop twist on a very straightforward R&B cut.  And, while not decorating the cut with the embellishments (runs, riffs) that Brown generally treats his tunes to, Lurks’ acoustic arrangement still managed to not take away from ‘Love’.  Good showing!

For more on Mr. Lurks, check out his Youtube page.

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Want to be featured on That Grape Juice’s ‘Cover Star’? Drop an email to sam@thatgrapejuice.net

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Your thoughts?

Brandy bares all!

Speaking with our friends over at The Urban Informer, the ‘Have You Ever’ hitmaker had no subject off topic!  Discussing everything from her renewed love life to present battles with stage fright, her electric 2012 BET Awards tribute performance to idol Whitney Houston, and more, Miss Norwood’s candid interview finds her also revealing a plot to return to T.V. as star of her own show.

And, while Moesha fans get excited in anticipation, the diva also sheds light on her forthcoming album ‘Two Eleven’.  Headlines revealed this week the singer’s once August-slated release has now been pushed back to October 2, much to her dismay.

Hear the ‘Vocal Bible’ voice her opinion on these topics, the highly anticipated ‘Put It Down’ video, and more below:

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While fans may be waiting on her to drop her new album as well as the highly anticipated ‘Sparkle’ remake starring the late, great Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks has been busy finding other things to drop as outlined by her August 2012 cover of ‘Shape’ magazine.

Showing off a slimmer figure, Jason Derulo‘s boo reportedly dropped 50 lbs and 4 dress sizes over the last few months since switching up her diet since her stint on American Idol.

Fans will be able to get a great view of the singer’s new bod as she struts her stuff for her major motion picture debut when ‘Sparkle’ shines in theaters on August 17th.   Find out what the singer said she learned most from Houston in a recent interview with VH1 below:

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 Guess which ‘singer’ was busy not working on her forthcoming LP in Positano last night.

Hint: Her latest LP is yet to receive a Platinum certification in the US, despite its grand release 9 months ago.

Find out who it is below…

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This Sunday, British publication ‘The Guardian’ will publish a tell-all interview taken with Def Jam‘s very own Frank Ocean, two weeks after sharing details of his sexual past with fans via Tumblr.

Set to explore a number of topics yet to be addressed by the ‘Bad Religion‘ beau, an excerpt from the article has found its way online- giving some indication as to what readers can expect upon its full release.

Read below…

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She may have lent her skills to NBC’s ‘The Voice‘ last season, but yesterday Christina Milian’s ‘Body‘ generate the most attention in Miami.

Snapped enjoying the weather with family and friends, the Young Money star was all smiles sporting a snake skin get up- more of which can be seen below…

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Soul-filled belter JoJo is pairing her new sound with a new album title.

Having whipped the Urban audience into a frenzy with her new single ‘Demonstrate’, the 21 year old has revealed that while the song will feature on her third studio effort, the LP will no longer be called ‘Jumping Trains’.

Full story after the jump…

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Following Beyonce‘s drastic reinvention this week,  ‘New Day‘ belle Alicia Keys boasted some changes of her own online some hours back.

Unveiling a brand spanking new short do, Egypt’s mother struck a number of poses flaunting the look which arrives before the launch of her new LP.

A new LP, which reportedly boasts collaborations with Babyface and Rico Love.

Your thoughts?

After almost a year of speculation, the original line-up of the Sugababes have announced their return to the charts!

All the details, including the new band-name, after the jump…

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Pop force Cheryl Cole follows up the mammoth success of recent single ‘Call My Name’ with the ‘Under The Sun’ – the confirmed next release from her third studio album ‘A Million Lights’.

The Girls Aloud stalwart has re-teamed with Anthony Mandler for the Alex Da Kid cut’s video, which serves up a taste of throwback if these newly released stills are anything to go by.

With the visual arriving on July 26th, you can get a flavour of what to expect in the shots below…

Photo credit: Cary Hammond

‘Under The Sun’ hits iTunes on September 2nd. Perhaps it’ll give the album, which currently sits at #34, a much-needed push.

Your thoughts?