X Factor star Alexandra recently performed a set for MTV Europe’s new channel VIVA. You can watch her performance of album cut ‘They Don’t Know’ above, as well as her #1 hit ‘Bad Boys’ below:

I’m glad that she’s starting to perform more of the material from ‘Overcome’. The only problem is that that material isn’t very good

‘They Don’t Know’ left me so bored that I was hoping that the video would stop working halfway through. Alex has a great voice, but this album does not feature engaging enough material. Furthermore, although I really like ‘Bad Boys’ I’m growing a lil’ tired of watching her perform it, although it’s a plus that she’s singing it live now.

What do you think of the Alexandra’s performance?

Exactly one month ago, superstar Mariah Carey released her 12th studio album ‘Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel’ with a far from fantastic debut on the Billboard charts. Not only did the record fail to capture the top spot, but it spawned the lowest first week sales of her career with only 168, 000 units sold. To date, the album has managed to sell only a dismal 275, 000 copies.

This is beyond random. ‘Obsessed’ is a certified platinum hit (which I’m sure made a certain other poster on this site gag) and the album got way better reviews than the lukewarm ‘E=MC²’. Add that to strong material and impressive live vocal performances, many thought the album would have been a huge hit.

I sense the real downfall of the album came with the choice of ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ as the “first” single (o please). The label thought it would be a guaranteed ‘stone-groove smash hit wonder’. However, just because critics favour a track does not mean that the DJ’s or radio will support it. The same thing happened with the garbage that was ‘Bye Bye’.

It’s a fact that Mariah herself was pushing for ‘H.A.T.E.U’ to be released instead, voicing her annoyance almost every time she sang ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ in concert. No wonder there have been murmurings of her planning to leave Def Jam for a while now. I’d imagine an artist of Mariah’s caliber does not like to be told what to do in the vein a random R&B chick would, especially when they are proven right. Whether this album will even go Gold remains to be seen…

What do you think went wrong?

‘Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart’, the 2nd single to be lifted from Alicia Keys’ fourth studio album ‘The Element of Freedom’ (due December 15th), premiered a few moments ago on US radio. Produced by Jeff Bhasker, the song is surprisingly new territory for Keys, with its Synth-meets thumping Hip-Hop production. Still, Keys manages to put her own stamp on it, which results in a winner of the track. After getting somewhat bored with Alicia’s ‘samey-ness’, this is awesomely refreshing. I’m actually checking for her ‘Element of Freedom’ now. Great track.

Hit or Miss?

According to Video Static, Janet Jackson is preparing to shoot the video for new promotional single ‘Make Me’. The cut is being used to promote her new greatest hits compilation ‘Number Ones’:

BOOKED: Janet Jackson – Robert Hales, director

To support the new Janet hits compilation, Number Ones…

artist: Janet Jackson
song: “Make Me”
label: A&M/Interscope
director(s): Robert Hales
production co: HSI
producer: Oualid Mouaness
exec producer: Coleen Haynes
commissioner: Kathy Angstadt

Go Janet! Though she’s served up better cuts in recent years, I’ve had the song on ‘repeat’ recently – the bridge is killer!

In other Janet news, we have reliable word that Ms. Jackson is *very* close to signing (or has already signed) a new record deal with Jimmy Iovine’s Interscope Records, home to Lady GaGa, Eminem, Pussycat Dolls, 50 Cent, and the Black Eyed Peas. Notice how all of the aforementioned are promoted to the high heavens. Could this be the ‘comeback’ we’ve been waiting on?

Do you think Janet can make a comeback?

Today saw the premiere of Ne-Yo’s video for ‘Never Knew I Needed’, his contribution to Disney’s animated movie ‘The Princess & The Frog: Tiana and Her Princess Friends’. Though I doubt this will be setting charts alight anywhere, hats off to Ne-Yo for expanding his market. The video itself is pretty cool too.

What do you think of the song / video?

With this week having ushered in the worldwide release of the hotly anticipated Michael Jackson documentary ‘This Is It’, we here at That Grape Juice want to hear what those who have seen it think of it (and boy have folk been going in their droves to see it. $2.2 million grossed in the US – on the first day!)

While, I, myself, will be seeing it sometime within the next few days, we want to know whether you think it does Michael any justice? A befitting curtain call for the King of Pop? Not seen it yet…will you be? Drop a line in the comments section…

Your thoughts?

Check out this new promotional shot of Lady GaGa for album re-release ‘The Fame Monster’.

Is it me or does she look a little too thin? Just saying…

Your thoughts?

R&B singer and Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Kandi Burrus hit up The Mo’Nique Show this week. Burrus, who finance AJ Jewell was killed last month, spoke candidly to the comic about how she’s coping with her loss, her role on Real Housewives of Atlanta, her new song ‘I Fly Above’, her new store and much more. It’s really inspiring to see her pressing on in the midst of all that’s happened.

UPDATE: Performance of ‘Fly Above’ added:

Tidbit: Is it me or is Mo’Nique not as funny as you’d have expected she’d be as a host? If anything, her screaming and hollering is a tad annoying. Still love her all the same.

Your thoughts?

Ousted Sugababe Keisha Buchanan, has promised that her solo material will be, quote on quote, “fierce”. Buchanan, 25, signed a deal with Island Records following her now-infamous departure from the UK’s top girl group in September.

Speaking more about her future plans, the talented singer-songwriter ruled out a reformation of the original Sugababes line-up, despite former member Mutya Buena reaching out to her:

The star, who insisted that she has no hard feelings towards the current Sugababes members, admitted that she turned to former bandmate Mutya Buena after leaving the group.

“I’m happy, Mutya’s been very supportive. It’s been good to talk with her and have so many friends look out for me,” she said, adding: “We’re not forming another band, that is out of the question. But we are friends, of course.” {Source}

I’m really hopeful Keisha succeeds solo; I legitimately believe she can with the right material and handling. Moving beyond the whole ‘whose side are you on’ hoo-haa, Ms. Buchanan is immensely talented in her own right, hence it’d be great to have a genuinely talented talent at the top of the charts here. More power to her.

Your thoughts?

Peep this brief preview of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ video for their smash ‘Empire State Of Mind’. While the clip looks pretty good and the song is growing on me, I must ask, am I the only one who doesn’t get the hype about this song?

Your thoughts?

The run-away success of LeToya Luckett current single ‘Regret’ on the Billboard Hip-Hop & R&B chart (current peak of #12) apparently forced label Capitol to commission a video for the Ludacris assisted song, after they had pulled the plug on her ‘Lady Love’ project after quite dismal sales (the fault of which ironically is theirs IMO). Peep Ms. Luckett and Luda on the set of the video, which was shot recently in LA. The clip was directed by Parris.

Looks good…

Your thoughts?

‘It’ singer of the moment, Lady GaGa, is offering a lock of her hair with each purchase of the ‘Super Deluxe‘ edition of her latest release, ‘The Fame Monster’. The album, priced at a whopping $100, is a re-release of her platinum-selling debut ‘The Fame’ and will include 8 new songs, including a duet with Beyonce.

People have been saying that this chick was crazy since she first came on the scene with her Kermit The Frog and Hello Kitty outfits, and now I seriously believe it. First of all, who pays $100 for an album? Yes she’s offering a bunch of trinkets along with the record but unless there’s going to be a block of gold in that box, she is not getting my money.

I know artists have to go the extra mile to survive in the given sales climate but this is just too much. GaGa is certainly a gifted singer, songwriter and entertainer but she relies far too much on gimmicks to sell records. That’s a damn shame.

Tidbit: How can we be sure that we’ll be getting her actual hair with the album and not strands from one of her wigs?

Would you pay for a piece of Lady

GaGa’s hair?