Since bursting onto the scene late last year, Pop sensation Jason Derulo has taken the charts by storm, notching up #1’s both in the US (‘Whatcha Say’) and the UK (‘In My Head’). With Derulo’s self-titled debut album being released today, That Grape Juice caught up with the 20 year old in London last week. The singer/songwriter talks with us about his musical journey thus far, his LP being like ‘Thriller’, comparisons to Usher and Chris Brown, his family background, touring with Lady GaGa, and much more. Check out the interview below {Special thanks to: Seye Iizsik and Mr Damaje!}:

That Grape Juice Rising Star: Jason Derulo

Your thoughts?

The video for Estelle‘s new single ‘Freak’ debuted literally moments ago. Check out the Nabil Elderkin directed clip above…

Though I’m finding it hard to stop singing the song since hearing it (yes, it’s that addictive), the video didn’t ‘wow’ me as I hoped it would. I mean after watching the behind the scenes footage last week, I was anticipating something with a bit more polish and better special effects, as opposed to ‘this’.

However, luckily for the Londoner, the video just about manages to do the song justice, with its visuals and editing pretty much embodying the essence of the song. Not great, yet not an atrocity either.

Estelle’s new album ‘All of Me’ hits stores later this year.

What do you think of the video?

This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend ‘The Official Michael Jackson Exhibition’ at London’s 02 Arena. Somewhat bittersweet in that the venue is where the King of Pop was set to perform a record-breaking 50-concerts as part of his ill-fated ‘This Is It’ project, the exhibition was like no other I’ve been to before. Simply amazing.

The classy, well put-together showcase, featured priceless Jackson memorabilia such as his original, signed Motown contract, countless worn video outfits and props, his ’This Is It’ costumes, and even the Neverland gates!

At each turning, it felt like I stood before a small piece of my childhood; and for the first time since Michael’s passing, I felt legitimately able to really celebrate the life of what is (present tense) the greatest entertainer of all-time.

Perhaps the best thing of all though, was seeing young children, who were dressed as Michael, emulating his famous moves. This really warmed my spirit; after all, here were kids who were no doubt born long after Michael’s last album was released, yet here they were singing and dancing along to all his classic hits. It simply serves as a testament to Michael’s lasting legacy. No scandal, no naysayer, no nothing, can take away from the enduring impact Michael has had and will continue to have.

With the exhibition having finished its run here in London, reports say it is headed to the States next. Though it goes without saying, I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone able to attend. A great celebration of a life which touched so many. Long live the King!

Check out the gallery of my snaps from the event below:

Your thoughts?

After conquering her home turf, Pop sensation Alexandra Burke is promoting her hit LP ‘Overcome’ in Europe, most recently performing on Poland’s ’20 Years Of RMF FM Radio’ show. Peep her performance of ‘Bad Boys’ above…

Granted we’ve seen her perform this song a million times here in the UK, I never tire of seeing Ms. Burke on stage. Considering how demanding the routine is, it really reinforces how talented she is, considering she remained on-key as well as belted through out. It’s also great to see that her rocking a new and improved weave (thank goodness!!! LOL).

Tidbit: Burke, 21, will be hitting the promo rounds soon in support of her new single ‘The Silence’, the video for which she’s filming as I type. The 21 year old Londoner took a break from re-recording her album in the US with hitmaker Red One (for her Stateside debut within the coming months), to film the video, as well as to embark on a very brief European promo tour.

What do you think of the performance?

It has been confirmed that Lady GaGa and Beyonce‘s hotly anticipated video for new single ‘Telephone’ will premiere next Monday (March 8th). {Source}

About time! With the song having already charted in the top 10 in countless countries, its accompanying video has been long overdue (the ‘Bad Romance’ vid was released 4 months ago).  With GaGa dubbing yesterday dubbing the clip a ‘masterpiece’ on Twitter recently, we sure can’t wait to see it. Roll on Monday!

Your thoughts?

Our good friends over at Rap-Up.com recently caught up with hitmaker Sean Garret, who revealed more about Rihanna‘s forthcoming album – which he has been enlisted to work on. As previously reported, the popular model is set to release an entirely new LP this summer – less than a year after the release of the relatively successful ‘Rated R’. Check out what Garrett had to say after the jump…

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Sam

1) Scream – Michael & Janet Jackson

2) She’s A Mess – Sugababes

3) OMG – Sabrina Washington

4) Even Angels – Fantasia

5) Hands Tied – Toni Braxton

Trent

1) How Low Can You Go – Ludacris (ft. Shawna)

2) Rude Boy – Rihanna

3) My Chick’s Bad – Ludacris (ft. Nicki Minaj)

4) It’s A Wrap – Mariah Carey

5) Side Effect – Mariah Carey (ft. Young Jeezy)

What are Your Top 5 Songs of The Moment?

Pussycat Doll front-woman Nicole Scherzinger has been confirmed as one of the contestants in the 10th season of ‘Dancing With The Stars’. The show kicks off on ABC on March 22nd.

While in the past the show has revolved around turning novice dancers into professionals, Scherzinger joins the growing list of more experienced dancers who have taken part in the show (see: Mya, and to a less extent Toni Braxton). {Source}

I must say this has caught me a little off-guard, as usually participants careers usually have waned to the level by which they stand to gain much more than they’d lose. However, irrespective of Nicole’s futile efforts as a solo star, she’s still regarded rather highly in the industry due to her Pussycat Doll fame; something evident in her securing lead parts in ‘We Are The World 25’ and ‘Stand Up (To Cancer)’. Hence, her joining the cast of this particular show is a little surprising.

Still, I’m imagining her team are hoping her stint on the show will warm people towards her ahead of her solo debut. Time will tell…

Your thoughts?

Soulful songstress Sade covers the April issue of Ebony magazine. As ever, she looks stunning…even more so when considering the fact she’s 51! More power to her.

Tidbit: Sade’s ‘Solider of Love’ LP has been certified Gold, with more than 600,000 copies sold – in two weeks. The album also remains #1 on the Billboard 200.

Your thoughts?

R&B star Christina Milian and hit-maker hubby The-Dream are celebrating the birth of their first child. The couple welcomed a daughter, who they named Violet, on Friday (February 26th). According to the delighted pair, the child has “a full head of hair”.

While the child is Milian’s first, she is The-Dream’s fourth – the singer/songwriter has three children with ex-wife, singer Nivea.

Milian and Dream, real name Terius Nash, married in October last year, announcing the pregnancy a few weeks prior to tying the knot in Las Vegas.

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Congratulations to them!

Your thoughts?

As Whitney Houston continues to dazzle audiences in Australia with her ‘Nothing But Love Tour’, a new video of the singer performing  ‘For The Lovers’ – a fan favourite from her Platinum-selling ‘I Look To You’ LP – has surfaced. The clip, which you can view below, is from the 46 year old’s Hunter Valley show over the weekend:

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There appears to be no stopping R&B crooner Trey Songz; the 25 year old premièred the video for ‘Neighbours Know My Name’ – the sixth single to be lifted from his Gold selling ‘Ready’ LP. Check out the Yolande Geralds directed video above…

While I enjoy both the song, as well as Trey’s album (after giving it another chance), I’m gonna need to see a bit more versatility lyrically from the Atlantic Records artist before I hop aboard the Trey-train. For, thus far, next to all of his songs and their accompanying videos revolve around the same three-letter word.

What do you think of the song / video?