With just two months separating movie lovers from the long-awaited premiere of the big screen Aretha Franklin biopic, ‘Respect,’ expect to see much of its star – Academy & GRAMMY Award-winning star Jennifer Hudson – across TV screens, print, Web and radio over the coming weeks in its support.

As it pertains to tackling the latter platforms, Hudson has already lifted the lid on ‘Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)’ – the first official single from the film’s soundtrack.

Co-written with legendary singer-songwriter Carole King (who famously penned Franklin’s ‘Natural Woman’) and produced by Will.i.am, ‘Here I Am’ serves as the soundtrack’s only original song – a bid in the right direction for 2022 Oscar glory.

“Music is such a living and breathing character in this film, as it was in Ms. Franklin’s life,” Hudson revealed in a statement. “The process of creating this song was like constructing the greatest tribute I could possibly offer to her spirit. It was the final exhale of this extraordinary project and one that I let out with complete fulfillment. Being able to do so with Carole and Jamie was an incredible privilege…Our goal was to show that music was always the anchor for Ms. Franklin, in all that she did, and I hope this song illustrates the strength of her voice – both literally and figuratively – which always brought her home.”

Look inside to hear ‘Here’ and tell us if it lives up to J.Hud’s declaration.

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The arrival of the ‘Liberated / Music For The Movement Vol. 3’ EP couldn’t be more timely as it lands on digital shelves just a day after President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.

A sonic fusion of jazz, funk, neo-soul, hip-hop and R&B as well as spoken word, the project – branded a celebration of “Black beauty, self-love, Afrofuturism, and Black empowerment” – features contributions from the likes of Cordae & Common, Lucky Daye, Yara Shahidi, Kamasi Washington, and Chloe Bailey (of Chloe x Halle fame).

Related to the latter, the GRAMMY nominee stunned with a riveting cover of Nina Simone‘s classic ‘Feeling Good’ for the ‘Movement’s third installment.

Curious to hear how she fared? Hear it inside:

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In a historic move, Joe Biden has signed a bill into law that will see Juneteenth become a federal holiday in the United States.

Full story below…

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Once hailed as the preeminent performer of her generation, Britney Spears is no stranger to deafening calls from fans to return to stage to remind music lovers of why she was exalted as such.

But, if a recent video uploaded to the 39-year-old’s official Instagram is any indication, she has other plans.

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‘Loyal’ singer Chris Brown may have recently announced he has every intention on making his loyal fan base (affectionately called #TeamBreezy) ‘miss him’ before he adds new music to his lengthy discography, but that hasn’t slowed his contributions to the catalogs of others.

In addition to adding his signature vocal stylings to new songs from the likes of Tory Lanez, Sevyn Streeter, H.E.R., Jack Harlow, Mooski, and others over just the last few months (as we’ve reported here), the 32-year-old can most recently be found aboard Wale‘s new single, ‘Angles.’

No strangers to collaborations as they’ve tag teamed on the likes of ‘Pretty Girls (Remix),’ ‘Body 2 Body (Remix),’ ‘Heaven On Earth,’ ‘Angles’ – produced by OG Parker – contains a prominent sample of Diddy’s 2002 hit, ‘I Need a Girl’ (which featured Usher and Loon).

Hear Wale and Brown’s summer-ready bop inside:

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While DaBaby has made his presence felt all over charts and radio courtesy of a slew of features (see: the latest efforts from Boosie, Polo G, Tory Lanez, and more), the rapper (born Jonathan Kirk) hasn’t shone by his lonesome since dropping his single ‘Masterpiece’ earlier this year.

If his newest drop, ‘Ball If I Want To,’ is any indication, it appears he’s ready for some solo time in the spotlight again.

Produced by dope, the braggadocious bop serves as reminder to naysayers that Kirk doesn’t need a reason to splurge on the finer things in life.

“B*tch, it ain’t even my birthday but I can ball if I want to (Ball) / Pull up, foreign cars if I want to (Skrrt) / Hop out that bitch with that iron in my jumpsuit (Go) / Just do what I say and I love you (Okay?) / I get this sh*t from my uncle,” he raps on the sizzling cut.

Look inside to hear the new track and watch its self-directed music video.

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Just a week before the latest ‘Fast & Furious’ movie, ‘F9: The Fast Saga,’ races into theaters, the film’s official soundtrack can be found parked on digital streaming services.

Featuring appearances from the likes of Pop Smoke, A$AP Rocky, Juicy J, Project Pat, Ty Dolla $ign, Jack Harlow, Latto, 24Goldn, and many more, the star-studded effort comes as a Hip Hop heavy affair.

Having already given fans a listen to housed cuts ‘I Won’ and ‘Fast Lane’ (as we previously reported here), now music lovers are invited to give the full 14-track set a listen.

Hear it inside courtesy of Apple Music.

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As the long-awaited arrival of her debut album evinces, Gabriella Wilson, better known by her stage name H.E.R., has had one of the most unique launches in music history.

At just 23-years-young, the songstress – well on her way to veteran status – not only already boasts a lengthy catalog of chart-topping EPs and compilation albums but also has a mantel full of industry honors that includes an Academy Award, numerous GRAMMYs, and more.

Now, she’s only putting the cherry on top with her inaugural LP – ‘Back of My Mind.’ 

Soaring onto digital shelves on the wings of housed tunes ‘Hold On,’ ‘Come Through,’ ‘My Own,’ and her highest charting hits as a leader to date, ‘Slide’ and ‘Damage,’ ‘Mind’ comes as a 21-track effort that sees H.E.R. take center stage as performer, writer, and producer while also calling on help from industry friends Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Baby, DJ Khaled, and more.

Curious to see what the collective cooked up for Wilson’s first official swing at bat?  Look inside:

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Fans of ‘Stir Fry’ hitmakers Migos were stunned to learn the trio had already cooked up a deluxe edition to the long-awaited third installment of their ‘Culture’ musical series.

The set’s original incarnation (released June 11) launched on the backs of singles ‘Avalanche’ and ‘Straightenin’ and was headed straight to the #2 spot on the Billboard 200 based on analyst predictions, blocked only by fellow HIp Hop heavyweight Polo G‘s third studio album, ‘Hall of Fame.’

To turn the tide or at least close the sales gap between those respective efforts, Quavo, Takeoff, & Offset not only hit the promo trail on a media blitz but they have announced the arrival of the LP’s official deluxe edition with five new songs.

Stream it via Apple Music and Spotify inside:

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Jennifer Lopez has landed her next big role.

For, the multi-talented superstar is set to star in and produce the upcoming Netflix sci-fi thriller ‘Atlas.’

More details below…

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Tyler, The Creator sprung a surprise on fans moments ago with the announcement of new album ‘Call Me If You Get Lost.’

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The BET Awards 2021 are almost upon us. So, it’s fitting that the first list of performers has been unveiled. 

In a major move, this year’s ceremony – which boasts the theme ‘Year of the Black Woman’ – will mark the most ever performances on the televised broadcast.

Some of the names set to take the stage include DaBaby (who leads this year’s nominations) and Jazmine Sullivan. 

Full list below…

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