You’ve heard the lead single, now new news regarding Rihanna sixth studio album has begun to treacle out. Namely its release date.

Want to know when Ms. Fenty will be snatching that cheesy tray of fast-food goodies from the microwave?

Find out below…

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Guess who wore these eye grabbing red shoes at the Pampers Cruisers with 3-Way Fit launch at New York City last night.

Hint: Her baby’s father is responsible some of the world’s highest selling singles.

Find out who the mystery mama is below…

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As one of music’s biggest forces, naturally Rihanna finds herself the topic of intense debate. Is she actually talented? Can she sing? Why is she so successful? These are questions which find themselves a staple on message boards, phone convo’s, BBM, and even right here on your favourite site and mine!

Ever keen to hear what the masses are thinking, That Grape Juice TV hit the streets of Louisville (on the eve of the release of the singer’s new single ‘We Found Love’) to find out just what the people are saying about the Bajan sensation.

Hit ‘PLAY’ to get ‘The Word’ on Rihanna…

Last night saw New York City catch Beyonce fever when the entertainer stopped by to launch her latest fragrance ‘Pulse’.

Greeted by hundreds of fans at the PH-D at Dream Downtown , the ‘Independent Woman’s baby bump was almost impossible to make out underneath the glittery blue number she wore in honor of the fragrance’s bottle.

More shots below…

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You asked in your droves, and we had no choice but to listen! Today we’re happy to announce the launch of…

That Grape Juice Mobile!

http://m.thatgrapejuice.net/

From here on out, browsing your favourite site and mine from your handheld will be easier than ever. Benefits include:

* 80% faster load time

* Reduced battery consumption

* Ability to do everything you can on the desktop site (comment, view pics, videos, stories and all that good stuff!)

So, want to keep up on the latest Urban music news while on the move? Simply visit the That Grape Juice from your mobile and you’ll be automatically redirected to the new platform. No stress, no sweat.

Be it from your iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or desktop…be sure to keep it locked on…

That Grape Juice!

In support of her single ‘4am‘ and her upcoming mixtape and album, Melanie Fiona treated fans last night to a performance at Summerstage at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park.

Dressed in blue and performing some of her well loved material, she is also reported to have enjoyed the company of the group Jagged Edge, who were also in attendance.

Watch cuts from her performance below…

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Peep Pop vocalist Jessie J in this hot shot of her taking a hot shot of herself last night in Paris.

Performing for fans at the city’s VIP Room Theatre, the Brit School alum delivered live renditions of her hits ‘Price Tag‘, ‘Dude‘ and ‘Nobody’s Perfect‘ to name a few.

More snaps from the night below…

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In addition to serving up our original content, we’re  happy to announce that each week you can now watch BET‘s newest reality series ‘Born To Dance’ right here on That Grape Juice TV!

Hosted by Laurieann ‘Boomkack’ Gibson, the show seeks out and give the 20 aspiring young dancers the tools they need to take their careers to the next level; allowing them to battle it out for the number one spot and the ultimate prize of $50,000!

From week to week, they dance their way through a variety of creative challenges including: a music video competition, a commercial, and ultimately the chance to perform live with Lady Gaga in front of a packed arena in The Monster Ball Tour.

Hit ‘PLAY’ and get into episode 8 below!

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R&B is on a respirator.  Once a celebrated genre that has given the music industry some of its most praised acts (see Luther, Whitney, Aretha, Marvin), the musical styling has unquestionably lost its identity to hip hop and now Electro-Pop.

The question at hand: is R&B on its last breath or is revival in its future?  In a three part series, That Grape Juice will analyze three sectors of the fallen genre:  ladies (songstresses), males (crooners), and groups (both male and female) to determine if resurrection is in its future or if it will find permanent rest in the history books

Ladies first, gentlemen next.  So, last, but certainly not least, groups.

Recently browsing a Billboard chart, I was tempted to do an R&B roll call. Single ladies? (spare, but here). Fellas? (few but still there). Groups? (*insert cricket sound*). Let’s face it, the R&B group is extinct. Gone are the glory days of Motown where The Temptations and Smokey Robinson & The Miracles dominated airwaves and The Supremes reigned supremely on radio and charts alike. The Motown movement paved a precedent by which the 70s (Isley Brothers, O’Jays, too many to mention) and 80s (Levert, Debarge, Guy, New Edition) eased on down the road to chart success. Assisting R&B’s lead solo acts in solidifying the African American presence on Billboard, they effortlessly constructed the soundtrack to this generation (and its parents’) ‘old school’.

But, while the groups of yesteryear provided launching pads for some of R&B’s brightest stars (The Supremes – Diana Ross, Levert – Gerald Levert, Labelle – Patti Labelle, Jackson 5 – Michael Jackson), the 90s saw a new brand of R&B group. While Boyz II Men and En Vogue led the pack and were arguably the greatest grandchildren of their R&B forefathers (in terms of comparability), many other 90s groups unveiled an unparalleled blend of sass, attitude, and sex appeal. TLC, SWV, and Jodeci, later followed by Dru Hill, 112, and Jagged Edge are just a few of the groups from that era who helped redefine R&B while fusing with other popular genres of the era. And with the late 90s and early 2000s being dominated by Destiny’s Child, R&B groups were still proving that they were truly ‘survivors’.

Oh, how the times change. With Destiny’s Child’s subsequent disbanding, rebanding, then re-disbanding, no other R&B groups have risen to such pop prominence since. The mid-2000s saw B2K and later Danity Kane be sole representatives of the genre on the Pop charts. That, however, was surely short-lived.

Where, oh where, did the groups go?

We’ve seen many-a-90s group reband (SWV, Jodeci, TLC, Dru Hill), while some never left. But even collectively, their presence on Pop charts is nondescript. And with no noteworthy new class in waiting to take the reins:

That Grape Juice wants to know:

Is there room for a new class of R&B groups on the charts?

or

Will this sector of the genre become permanently absent?

While fans may be used to Usher burning up with charts, the R&B veteran is the latest hitmaker feeling the heat – heading from the charts to the court over a plagiarism claim.  Joining Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Leona Lewis, the ‘My Way’ maestro will soon be making his way to defend his case after songwriter Ernest Lee Straughter convinced a judge that Mr. Raymond’s 2004 Jermaine Dupri-produced ‘Burn’ plagiarized a work of his.

Billboard reports:

Last month, a California federal judge found there to be sufficient possibility that Usher and co-defendants who produced the song had access to Slaughter’s work, “Reasons,” created in 1998. The judge accepted a musicologist’s report that noted substantial similarity between the songs and denied a motion to dismiss the case on summary judgment.

Take a listen to both cuts after the jump and you be the judge:

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Anticipation is mounting for ‘SOS’ singer Rihanna‘s new single ‘We Found Love’ – set to be released tomorrow.  Fans are no doubt on pins and needles waiting for the latest sounds from the Navy’s commander herself.  In the meantime, check out the artwork for the lead single from the yet-titled album.

Keep it locked to That Grape Juice for your first listen.

Your thoughts?