While she may have been popular from the jump, there’s no denying the powerful hand Roc Nation played in turning Rihanna into the Pop force she is today.

Of course, while this force has undoubtedly been driven by the work of her writers and producers and not her own ‘voice’, last year saw Riri  showcase her ‘inner singer’ with ‘Unapologetic‘, crafted by the likes of Elijah Blake, Sia and Mike Will Made It.

This move, albeit long overdue, has now seen the star do what many of her contemporaries would find impossible and reach #1 on iTunes USA with a traditional ballad. A ballad, named ‘Stay‘.

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As the poster child for fourth wave feminism, recent years have seen Beyonce’s brand built on the right balance of inner strength and overt sexuality.

Proving that the term ‘bad b*tch‘ isn’t all that derogatory when used to praise her endless list of achievements, her last LP ‘4’ saw her ditch the fire and pizzazz that was 2006’s ‘B’Day’ and fully embrace a romantic vulnerability we hadn’t heard since ‘Gift From Virgo’.

Now, in a conversation with ‘Vogue’, she has revealed that her new album will be both sensual and empowering.

Full story below…

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When it comes to pulling in impressive numbers, very few R&B dons do it better than ‘Pink Matter‘ heart throb Frank Ocean.

However, in the event any of his contemporaries believed sales of his debut LP ‘Channel Orange’ would simmer as it reached its first birthday, the star’s fans have gone a long way to prove their support for him goes far beyond they could have imagined.

Find out how below…

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Actress Alfre Woodard has amassed a body of work over the past two decades that knows few rivals amongst actresses of color. Despite a number of acclaim-winning roles, Woodard now looks to add another with ‘The Door’.  Also starring ‘Think Like A Man’ beauty Gabrielle Union, the two unite to tell a passionate story of sisterhood where Union’s character is being assisted through a romantic breakup.

Via Essence:

“Characters arrive at the door of a friend in need, bringing something of themselves,” DuVernay explains. “Eventually, we witness our heroine ready to walk through the door on her own. The door in the film represents a pathway to who we are.”

See all the action above:

Your thoughts?

We see Team Timberlake is playing no games in respects to his forthcoming ’20/20 Experience’.

Yes, after rocking the Grammy house with a Jay Z-assisted performance this past Sunday, JT dropped ‘Mirrors’ – the second single from his soon-to-be-released third solo LP.

Instantly winning over long-term fans with its throwback ode to the Timbaland-produced ‘Cry Me A River’, today saw the 8 minute number cut down to half size and served with an accompanying artwork – confirming rumors of its “single” appointment.

Hear the radio version and see the cover artwork below:

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As reported here, in addition to her lengthy pop/R&B resume, ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ starlet Kandi Burruss is flexing her highly touted pen to craft hits for the gospel charts as well.

Enlisting ‘Praise Him In Advance’ performer Marvin Sapp for the one-time affair, Kandi is hoping to help fans create joyful noises in every arena – from the bedroom and now to the church with her latest single ‘Stay Prayed Up’ (artwork seen above).

As the date to its release nears, you know you can keep it locked to That Grape Juice for your first listen when the single drops.

Your thoughts?

As reported here, R&B majesty Mary J. Blige can be seen afront the February issue of ‘VIBE’ magazine.  There, the ‘Be Without You’ beauty dished on a number of topics including her 20 year tenure in the industry and recent ventures into acting.

However, it was her weigh in on the current state of the genre that brought her to prominence that has been splashed across headlines across the net.  Never one to bite her tongue, Blige offers interesting insight into her thoughts on the reviving genre, its key players, and the never-ending Chris Brown/Rihanna saga.

See what the ‘All That I Can Say‘ singer had to say below:

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‘Poker Face’ performer Lady Gaga has recently had to face the music regarding a well-hidden injury.

Indeed, despite thrilling fans on every corner of the globe with her wildly successful ‘Born This Way Ball’ Tour, the Mother Monster delivered devastating news to her devoted fans via Twitter today when she announced the cancellation of some of her forthcoming dates on the trek.

Citing ‘joint inflammation’ as the cause, tuck in below to read Gaga’s full statement regarding the sudden drop from this week’s dates:

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Fans of former stageblazer Britney Spears were certainly ready to scream & shout after reports the pop princess was on board to join the star-studded remix of her most recent top 10 hit with ‘Black Eyed Peas’ frontman Will.I.Am.

Dubbed the ‘urban remix’, the Hitboy-produced venture is said to feature hip hop heavy hitters Lil’ Wayne, Diddy, and Waka Flocka.  And, while we anxiously await what the sixsome have cooked up, Spears took to Twitter today to announce when fans will get their first glance at the revamped visual of ‘Scream’…

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Teen heartthrobs Mindless Behavior have set the net ablaze with the unveiling of the visual for their latest single ‘Keep Her On the Low’.  The Sean Garrett-enlisted number comes as the first lifted from their forthcoming sophomore album ‘All Around the World’ due March 12.

Featuring their signature infectious R&B/pop fusion with slick choreography to match,  get into ‘Low’ below and tell us what you think:

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Beyonce season is well and truly upon us.

Having wrapped up her brief stint Los Angeles for Grammy week, the singer jetted back to New York today for the press premiere of her new HBO special ‘Life Is But A Dream’.

Set to air this Sunday at 9pm, the documentary provides an up-close-and-personal look at the life and times of the fiercely private megastar.

Working the press pit like she works the stage, King B was joined by personal videographer Ed Burke (pictured in hat below) and Oprah Winfrey. The latter was there to shoot an Oprah’s Next Chapter episode with the star – which also airs on Sunday at 8pm on OWN.

With all this positive press, we sure hope the all-important single is nigh. Sources say it’s all sorts of epic, yet we’re keen to judge for ourselves.

Pending its arrival peep more pics below…

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Lil Wayne embraces her inner romantic in ‘Love Me‘, the latest video used to push his forthcoming ‘I Am Not A Human Being II’– due out March 26th.

Hitting fans on February 14th (see where we were going with the romantic thing?), today saw the unveiling of a 30 second clip pulled from the video, which features ‘Started From The Bottom‘ champ Drake and Ciara‘s alleged boyfriend, Future.

Teaser below…

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