Madonna is set to unleash her ‘MDNA’ in a matter of days.

And while the last few weeks have seen the superstar serve up snippets of tracks from the LP, today sees Material Madge serve up a meatier taste of what we can expect – in the way of ‘I F*cked Up’.

The candid midtempo premiered on Perez Hilton literally seconds ago. As ever, That Grape Juice has you covered. Take a listen after the jump…

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Review of R&B charts of late boasts an alarming diva deficiency.  A circumstance all the more alarming when just a few years ago so many showed promise.  Arguably, none more than LeToya Luckett.  The comeback kid, whose tale (reportedly) told of triumph, tragedy, betrayal, and rebirth, seemed to finally have the stars aligned in her order when suddenly, it seemed no more.

Such is a circumstance the young singer is no means unfamiliar with.  For, some say it was luck or maybe destiny that this Houston-bred beauty would find her star initially rising with the most successful girl group of all time.  As fate would have it, Luckett aligned with Pop megastar Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Latavia Roberson to ascend to the top of charts as Destiny’s Child – a fierce R&B foursome with heavenly looks, voices, and moves to match.  But, as the 2000s rolled on, the very rocket that launched her into stardom ultimately left her behind in what came as an unceremonious ousting from the group.  Accompanied by a host of headlines citing tension, contention, and Matthew Knowles‘ interventions as the cause of dissension, the remaining group members still rose above to find themselves topping charts again while Luckett and Roberson stayed behind.

Trying their hand as the group Angel – the two later disbanded finding Luckett at square one yet again.  That is, until 2006 when Lady Luck tore up the charts with ‘Torn’ – the ‘You Are Everything’-sampled R&B groove that obviously struck a chord with listeners as it propelled the singer’s debut solo album ‘Letoya’ to the top of the charts.  Critics hailed the underdog the champion as she made her rounds performing the hit single.  And, while its follow-up ‘She Don’t’…well…didn’t, Ms. Luckett’s debut was still widely received as a success, earning the singer her first (solo) platinum plaque.

On the other hand, her 2009 sophomore album ‘Lady Love’ didn’t receive much love from record buyers.  Despite boasting an all star collaboration list (Ludacris, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo) and a more mature sound, Luckett’s gamble at “refined” showed promise but quickly fell on deaf ears.  And though shortly reigning at #1 on Billboard’s R&B charts, the singer, who at the time was very vocal about her label’s mishandling of the project, also cited the length of time between albums as the blame for its failure.  The past weeks have seen the singer work her way back into the spotlight, taking promotion into her own hands.  And, with album #3 reportedly due this year…

That Grape Juice wants to know – who (or what’s) to blame? Are the shortcomings a musical misstep or a mix of marketing mishaps? The talent is certainly there and, unlike so many artists, was clearly being cultured.  The growth in vocal showings alone from album 1 to album 2 was noteworthy.  Add on an all-star team for production (on album 1 and 2) and killer looks, one would think the ‘Regret’ singer had the perfect recipe for success.  But alas, such was not the case.

Now you weigh in:  Has Luckett’s luck run out or will destiny see her on top again?   In other words:

Product vs. Promotion?  What’s to blame?

Your thoughts?

‘The Game’ season 5 continues next Tuesday in an all new episode.

Airing next Tuesday at 10pm EST on BET, episode 11 of the hit sitcom sees all of the drama, laughs, and sexy you’ve come to expect from the show.

Peep the sneak peek below…

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It’s finally here!

With only three weeks to go before the release of ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’, Nicki Minaj has released the LP’s official track list.

Peep the Hip Hop flavored list below…

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Say what you will, but it takes some kinda fierce fashionista to make a bowling alley look like a runway.  Such feat is one ‘I Decided’ diva Solange Knowles can be seen doing with ease in the latest edition of London’s ‘Evening Standard’.

Donning designer duds, the youngest of the Knowles clan was certainly on the ball as she imparted a candid interview for the mag outlining her current label situation, her thoughts on the media circus surrounding niece Blue Ivy‘s arrival, and what fans can expect for her next album.

Slowly but surely bringing the broth to a boil on the promo of the ‘Solangel and the Hadley St. Dreams’ followup, see more shots from set and find out what else Miss Solo shared below:

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Ever keen on keeping the masses abreast of fresh and/or often underrated talent, That Grape Juice presents ‘The Spill’ – a renewed look at not-so-new, yet active, acts.  Much like its ‘Freshly Squeezed’ sister segment, this assay aims to put the magnifying glass on talents who may not appeal to the buying public on a broad scale yet are still serving material that could easily spin side-by-side with some of today’s top hits.

Covering a kaleidoscope of genres, ‘The Spill’ is set to feature some names you probably know and love as well as some you’ll (soon) be glad to know.

The last 5 years may have seen the term ‘tweet’ take on a new meaning, but ten years ago superproducer team Timbaland & Missy Elliott unleashed Tweet – the soulful guitarist who, under their wings, served soul, folk, blues, and hip hop blends for all types of fans’ tastes.

Self-branded the ‘southern hummingbird’, it seemed no accident that ‘Oops’, the singer’s first solo single, would find her perched atop R&B and pop charts.

Listen:

Now, after 2005’s critically acclaimed ‘It’s Me Again’ and a number of buzz singles and guest appearances, the songstress is said to be readying an official LP for release in the coming year.  Until then, her recent offerings have found her playing assistant to sister soulstresses Syleena Johnson (‘Angry Girl’) and now Lil’ Mo.  Get into it after the jump:

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As shown here, ‘Headlines’ hitmaker Drake was recently tapped to front GQ’s new ‘Style Bible’ issue.  There, the Young Money maestro dished on his personal style, misconceptions, and more.

Certainly winning over new fans with his brazen honesty (and his designer threads definitely didn’t hurt the cause), the Torontoian may get more ovation when viewers get into the behind the scenes action of the shoot.

See all the action below:

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Monica and Brandy have been making their rounds to various radio stations and music networks promoting their latest duet ‘It All Belongs To Me’ this past week.

It’s a far cry from the teenage drama filled romp that was 1998’s record-breaking chart topper ‘The Boy Is Mine’. When ‘Boy’ was released, rumors swirled that the two R&B newcomers did not care for each other, let stand to be alone in the same room together–these reports were later fueled by their refusal to perform the song or even promote together.

Their feud allegedly reached a fever pitch during the MTV Video Music Awards when a verbal argument backstage turned dangerously physical.

Listen to Brandy and Monica open up to Hot 97‘s Angie Martinez about the night in question after the jump and sound-off below.

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Yes, we know.  Shots like this usually excite the Lambs awaiting new material from pop icon Mariah Carey, but this time MCC is singing a different tune.  Uploaded to her Facebook handle, the ‘Touch My Body’ singer informed fans she was putting some finishing touches on a special project:

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‘Sandcastle Disco’ diva Solange Knowles may have seen the last 3 years land her more headlines for her threads and shopping than chart topping, but word has it that is soon set to change.  Readying her 3rd solo, yet titled project, the youngest of the Knowles clan is already hyping fans up for the self-proclaimed ‘sexy 80s/retro’ sounding follow-up to her 2008 critically acclaimed ‘Solangel and the Hadley Street Dreams’.

But, before her faithful followers can get their hands on new music, they can check the songstress out in ‘Time Out New York’ magazine.  There, as ever, Miss Knowles strikes a feverishly fierce pose in her vintage duds and chatting on everything from the New York night life to what fans can expect of her new album.

Get into some of the set’s shots and behind the scenes action below:

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As summer draws nearer, so does the release of hotly anticipated movie ‘Sparkle’.

Starring the late Whitney Houston, the big-screen remake of the 70’s musical sees Jordin Sparks take centre stage as Sparkle. – a young girl on her rise the big time.

Joining Sparks to re-tell the tale for a new generation are Tika Sumpner, Carmen Ejogo, Cee-Lo Green, Derek Luke and Mike Epps. 

Peep these newly released press shots for the film (which arrives on August 17th) above and below (via The YBF)…

Also check out these previously released shots of Whitney doing her thing…

Needless to say, we’ll be seeing this…

Will you be seeing ‘Sparkle’?

Today, in support of her upcoming LP ‘MDNA’, Madonna released yet another snippet from the album.

So, without any further delay, tuck into ‘Beautiful Killer‘ below…

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