‘The wait is finally over’, according to Rihanna’s PR folk (although I’m a little confused though, as no one told me I was waiting on anything). In any case, Rihanna’s brand new single ‘Russian Roulette’, the first from new LP ‘Rated R’ (due November 23rd) made it’s worldwide premiere moments ago. As a sceptic of Rihanna’s artistry and longevity, I’d be lying if I said I went into listening to this expecting it to be any good.
Unfortunately, true-to-form, Ms. Fenty did not live up to her hype (which is surprisingly off-the-charts this time, for what reason I don’t know). The Ne-Yo penned track sounds as if it’s trying to sound ‘epic’, but falls kinda short. Ballads really aren’t her forte, so it baffles me why they didn’t go with something more her (i.e. uptempo, sing-songy).
In the interest of fairness, Ms. Fenty’s vocals, in parts, do sound better. Mind you, I’m not convinced we’ve heard the last of her sheep-bleating (I’ve still got many a prayer meeting to attend before that ever happens). That said, off the hype alone, I imagine this will do pretty well. Hell, I’ll probably be humming this one once the Def Jam promo machine is done (ever heard of the phrase: “eat sh*t enough times and you’ll begin to like the taste!”). Errr…welcome back Ms. Fenty…
Alexandra Burke stopped by GMTV this morning for a chat, as well as perform her smash hit single ‘Bad Boys’. Peep the interview above, and the performance below:
Awesome performance! She really is giving everything and then some with these live showings; she really performs with the swagger of an older, more seasoned artist.
I must touch upon, however, the fact that she was lip-synching. No, not a big deal at all, because we all know she can sing – no questions about that. However, with the audio here sounding almost exactly the same as the X-Factor performance (aside from the new bridge – which I love, by the way), it’s pretty evident this was a pre-recorded live vocal. Anyone who watched the X-Factor the year she won will know that the beauty of her voice is that it’s raw and not necessarily a polished Pop voice – hence the odd off-note here and there as well as spontaneous adlibbing – none of which have featured in her note perfect -even though she’s dancing – performances. Not downing her at all, just stating the facts. Great performance!
Shakira continues to promote her smash ‘She Wolf’ in Europe, recently stopping by popular French show Le Grand Journal to perform it.
While her previous live offerings of the song have been decent, they’ve dually been kinda ‘just there’; however, the Columbian beauty nailed this particular performance. Spurred on, I’m sure, by the uber receptive crowd, this IMO stands as her best live showing of the song to date. Fierce, sassy, and oozing sex appeal, she nailed it. It was also great to see her actually attempt to sing the verses as opposed to lip-synch as she had done so previously (there’s no need to deny she sucks live vocally, but browny points for trying…plus she is one hell of a ‘performer’). Good stuff.
British singing sensations The Noisette’s are continuing their assault on the US charts with new single ‘Never Forget You’, which the trio, fronted by eccentric Shingai, stopped by the Late Show With David Letterman recently to perform.
Great song, even better performance! It’s so refreshing to have such a unique act performing on the main-stage in today’s era of standardised, non-qualitative Pop.
It’s that time of the month again, That Grape Juice wants to know: Which 5 tracks have you got on constant rotation at the moment? This time, however, in light of the passing of the King of Pop Michael Jackson, we want to know which MJ tracks you’ve been playing non-stop. Michael and his musical genius gave to the world music we will never forget. Music that, like himself, will live forever. With that said, here are mine – in no particular order:
Kelly Rowland is doing the promotional rounds here in Europe for her collaboration with David Guetta – ‘When Love Takes Over’. Their most recent stop being in Guetta’s native France on popular show Le Grand Journal last night, where they performed the single. Check it out above.
Loved it! Ms. Kelly really is taking it to the next level with the vocals, the confidence, the look (she looked stunning, right?)…everything. I’m itching now more so than ever for that 3rd album of hers.
In other Kelly news, ‘When Love Takes Over’ is way ahead of the pack in the mid-week chart over here in the UK, which means it’s pretty much a cert that it will be #1 come Sunday on the Official UK Singles Chart. Go Kelly!
Lastly, in a recent interview Kelly confirmed that she worked with Ne-Yo for the first time recently in a collaboration between herself, the ‘Closer’ singer, and David Guetta for the latter’s album. Fingers crossed they Kelly and Ne-Yo work together on her record; for, I think they’d conjure up something great. {Source}
R&B star Kelly Rowland has been busy as of late promoting her smash collaboration with David Guetta ‘When Love Takes Over’, as well as her hit Bravo reality series ‘The Fashion Show’. According to new reports, things have been equally as busy behind the scenes in the world of Ms. Kelly:
Big changes are going down with Kelly Rowland, Beyonce’s partner in Destiny’s Child, where the two lifelong friends teamed up to become the top-selling female group of all time. Rowland is out of her own Sony deal, and the planets are lining up for this free-agent diva, who’s the vocalist and co-writer of a single by French star DJ David Guetta that is already a smash in Europe and blowing up in Britain. It’s already #17 in U.K. airplay and the week’s highest climber, while racking up the biggest audience increase, with major adds including Radio One and Capital. The single’s also breaking in the U.S., where it’s on Astralwerks/EMI, with multi-format airplay at Z100, WXRK, WKTU and WNYZ New York, B96 Chicago, KNGY and KMVQ San Francisco and KNHC Seattle.
Rowland has also parted ways with Matthew Knowles, and named Jeff Rabhan new manager while the well-respected Gary Stiffelman takes over her legal representation from Destiny’s Child/Beyonce attorney Ken Hertz. She remains an unsigned artist whose albums have sold tens of millions, so expect plenty of action. {Source}
More power to her! Things really are popping off for this immensely talented, and oft underrated, star. Go Kelly!
In other Kelly news, Brandy posted the following on her Twitter last night:
“On the phone with @kelly__rowland..I am so blessed to have her back in my life:)
Some of you may remember, Kelly and Brandy used to be good friends several years ago. However for reasons neither has addressed (although we did ask Brandy in our interview with her a few months back), they stopped speaking. It’s great to see the ladies have put the past behind them. A duet, perhaps?
*Apologies for the delay guys. Rest assured it won’t be happening again. An end the ‘Sam roasting’? LOL*
In part 2 of our look into the demise of Danity Kane, we caught up with former member Dawn Richard. As a big supporter of That Grape Juice, Dawn was keen to use the site as a platform to set the record straight about a number of things, including the rumours of a solo deal, being Diddy’s ‘favourite’, the future of Danity Kane, her romance with Day26’s Qwannel and much much more. As ever, we ask the questions you really want answers to – no beating about any bushes. A great read, if I must say so myself LOL. Enjoy.
Interview by: Sam – That Grape Juice // Transcription: Bisi Kade
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Dawn Richard Shouts Out That Grape Juice
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Sam: Hey Dawn, how are you?
Dawn: I’m good, how are you? I’m great thank you.
Sam: It’s great to finally speak with you. How are you doing?
Dawn: I’m good, working in the studio as we speak.
Sam: What are you working on?
Dawn: I’m just writing. I’m doing a lot of writing for a couple of albums out right now, including my independent one for my soundtrack that I have with my comic book – Danity Kane comics. So (I’ve) been busy, doing a lot of writing.
Sam: With the whirlwind that has been the drama surrounding Danity Kane, you recently confirmed that the group has indeed parted ways…
Dawn: I didn’t confirm that we parted ways. I think everybody got it confused. I never confirmed it, I just told what happened, as regards when we had to show up for the recording of the new season of Making The Band. But I never confirmed whether or not we’re together or not. Because I’m still in touch with Aundrea; she and I are still moving forward with our work and stuff. So I just told the truth, as pertains to what happened in the show.
Sam: In terms of like public opinion and public perception a lot of people seem to think the whole case of like Danity Kane is like a… they didn’t see that as being resolved. What is your take on the whole apparent demise of Danity Kane?
Dawn: I don’t think of it as a demise, I think of it as ‘everything happens for a reason’. (What went down) is not at all I wanted. I wanted to walk away (from the ‘final meeting’) with all my girls because that was a formula that worked for us. That was giving us an opportunity to live our dreams. But that didn’t happen and that’s ok. And whatever happens for everybody I wish them well. You just have to move forward. You can’t keep looking in the past. So for me now I’m just looking forward and just trying to be positive in the situation I’m in.
Sam: The media and fans alike have been debating, since the climatic season finale last year, the reason for the breakup of what many looked at as one of the most promising girl collectives to emerge in recent years. What would you say was the root cause of DK split?
Dawn: I think we all made it very clear what we thought was the reason for us separating. I think the fans and a lot of people just tend to just want to believe in their head what they feel it is. And that’s totally fine and that’s totally fine because that’s opinion. But I think we told everyone that it wasn’t just one thing, it wasn’t a person who broke up Danity Kane. There were a lot of situations that happened and that we were fighting with. Whether it was bad management, people being unhappy, or you know…there was more than one thing. It wasn’t just one person it was over a period of time that it happened. But I think fans and people in general just want to have a specific answer, when a situation happens. So, when they don’t get one they tend to choose an answer for themselves.
Sam: How do you feel that the spilt could have been prevented?
Dawn: I really don’t know. I mean a lot of things in life could have been prevented, If we choose the ‘shudda coulda woulda’ way of looking at things. I mean in this case, it doesn’t really help anything. I think at the end of the day it happened and do I wish a lot of things were different. However, life happens like that, not just with our situation, but generally. The biggest thing I wish is that we didn’t have the fans so separated and segregated. I wish we didn’t have to make people pick and choose who they like, who they’re gonna follow, what story there gonna stick to and believe that story. I wish we never had to do that to our fans; that’s my biggest gripe. (Because) I really wish they could just support us no matter what and not really pick a side, as it’s really hard for us to watch fans do that.
Sam: During last season’s finale of Making The Band, it was expressed by other members of the group that they felt you were receiving preferential treatment from Diddy and was being groomed for a solo deal…
Dawn:…I think if people know Puff…like Puff does not treat people preferentially. I’ve never known him to ever treat someone preferentially. I’ve seen him treat his businesses preferentially (laughs), but not a person. And I think that if I was treated preferentially, I feel that the girls maybe would have seen me laced in new things, you know what I mean? Let’s just all be honest and real, you know. I’m real on things. If I was treated in a certain way, I would have been like ‘I’m being treated in a certain way’, you know. But I wasn’t. Puff was all for DK [Danity Kane] and I feel like till this day, he will be for DK. For people who choose to believe that, I appreciate that and people who don’t, that is there opinion. But I can’t keep trying to tell people, I don’t know how many times I can say that is not true. If people are not gonna believe me then there just not gonna believe me.
Sam: Most [loyal] fans do believe that all of the members, including youself, had a hand in the demise of DK, but how does it feel when certain people make it seem like it was 100% your fault? There was talk of a solo deal for and you being groomed for a solo deal. What would you say to those saying such things?
Dawn: It’s hurting, it’s hurting but like I said I can’t force people to believe me. But it is hurting because you know I just I went through the process. Those who really know and those who were really there know where my heart has always been. It is very frustrating when you have different things like a TV show surrounding your situation, which kinda forces people to see a certain thing and that’s the whole picture – when in reality it’s not. So I can’t be mad at the people for feeling a certain way because if they were given a perception. That said, I can be hurt because I know what it is and what it was. You know, I think if anybody else was in the situation I’m in now, and had to live it and see it, they would be feeling a little bad. You have to live it to understand it.
Sam: What was your personal take on Diddy’s initial ousting of D. Woods and Aubrey? How did you deal with their departing from the group?
Dawn: I felt awful. That’s like you having a formula that works for you, you’ve been in the situation where you’ve had a dream that’s come true for you, then you see that same dream being demolished in a second.
Just because you don’t get along with people in your life and in your work, doesn’t mean…What I’m saying is that you don’t, for example, always have the best business partners. Yet, that doesn’t mean you want to get rid of something that’s working for you and your company. That’s the person I am. We don’t have to get along at the end of the day, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t have anybody else working with me because these people are the reason why my dream is coming true. So I was devastated because those were the girls that helped me get to my dreams. People can chose whether they want to be believe that, but I know in my heart that’s the reality of how I felt.
Sam: Were recruiting new members something ever discussed?
Dawn: On the show I did mention that to Drea [Aundrea] but she said she felt uncomfortable about that and Diddy said he would address that in the next meeting. So everyone has to watch the show. It’s on tomorrow Thursday at 9pm. Check it out and see what happens!
Sam: With making the band being such an integral part of the Danity Kane movement, what do you feel was left out from the show which would have conveyed ‘the reality of Danity Kane’ to your fans, particularly in light of the recent situation – as it has come as a surprise to many. With many believing it to be a publicity stunt initially.
Dawn: Well you guys didn’t see us when we were on the road, you didn’t see the moments when you know our business manager was indicted (laughs). You didn’t see, you know (laughs), those big moments where we lost our manager twice; you know you guys didn’t see those things. So you didn’t see us at our worst moments when we had to try and pick up the pieces, sewing our own outfits on tour. You guys didn’t see those moments. So you guys didn’t see how hard it was for us to try and make it work when we had so many odds against us.
Like honestly, honestly I don’t know, I don’t know. Because I feel like if the whole thing would have been shown they (the public) still would have made the interpretation the way they wanted to make it. Like I don’t know what, because I thought that from what people saw they would get it quite easily and they didn’t (laughs). I’m getting emails the next day like ‘I hope you die’. I mean I thought it was quite clear, that it was quite obvious. I think if you were a true fan and you followed Danity Kane, you saw events and you saw how the situation went down. I don’t know, I don’t know! What else could have been seen? I think at the end people found it hard to understand what was going on, hence pledged allegiances to the members they loved most and came to their own conclusions.
Sam: You say on the current season trailer, when talking to Day26, that Danity Kane fought physically. Could you elaborate on that?
Dawn: We had arguments; of course everybody has had arguments. I meant we fought like that and that didn’t get us anywhere, so (I was telling Day26) ‘please don’t do that’. That’s what I meant.
Sam: Ok. Prior to the season which saw Danity Kane return to Making The Band, you announced via your Myspace that D.woods and Aubrey had chosen to leave the group and the remaining three members would continue as Danity Kane. Since then we saw all five girls return. Many are keen to find out what exactly was the situation behind this?
Dawn: No I never said that. I know exactly what you’re talking about No! When D and Aubrey were rumoured to being going solo (as well as leaving the group), we didn’t want people to think that was true. We hadn’t talked to each other, so we said, and I’m quoting exactly what we said, ‘we support any endeavours that D. Woods and Aubrey embark on. Meanwhile, while they’re doing them, we will continue to hold down the fort.’ And everybody was like ‘Dawn has confirmed…’ You see what I’m saying… how people… I’m still learning in this business how to say things because I’m just so real, I’ll just say the reality of things, but people will take it and twist it. Then I get in trouble and I’m like ‘that’s not what I was saying’ and people start going ‘she said…’ It’s like I never said they were gone, I never said that. I said that ‘I was supporting any endeavour they embark on’. We were trying to make right for all them bad rumours that were coming up, so we were trying to ensure people that Danity Kane were still together, and that even though they were doing solo ventures we still were supporting them. But people was like ‘Dawn’s confirmed it’ and it just made me so mad. I can’t win.
Sam: I hear you. What’s your take on the handling of the group as well as the group’s success in the short while you were together?
Dawn: You know, I think it’s just not Bad Boy. I think people have it twisted, because they see certain things and just tend to put things on one label. All labels and all artist go through the same thing. I can name a couple of artist that have had first singles and the second singles take forever (to be released) and it dies out or the promotion isn’t as big on the second single and they die out. I can name a whole bunch of artists that this has happened to. That’s just the reality of this business. It’s a recession right now. Labels are losing money, artist are losing money. It’s political. There’s a lot of politics in this business. We can have a great first single then maybe for some reason another artist comes out on the label and they become top priority, so then our single is pushed to the side. That’s business. It’s just not our label, that’s every label. You know, I think people get it confused with just ours. That’s just dealing with the label it’s competitive and that’s just what you have to deal with.
Sam: Do you feel the fact you were made on a reality show impacted your credibility i.e. in the way of radio play, awards? I ask as many hail ‘Welcome To The Dollhouse’ as a great album, yet you all got very little back in the way of awards or nominations?
Dawn: Of course. We’re taken for as a joke. Our peers don’t really respect us as musicians. We had to totally fight every 5 seconds to make people believe that we did deserve to be in this industry. Our fans were amazing, we had great fans. But our peers and people that worked in the industry didn’t want to work with us, didn’t want to put us in those categories, and didn’t want to nominate us for things. I mean ‘Damaged’ did so well, yet we never got nominated for anything with that record. I mean we did get that one MTV nomination [2008 MTV Best Pop Video] and we lost to it. But it was like one of the biggest records of the summer. We just couldn’t win. It was like, no matter how much we try, how many steps we take up with our writing skills or our music, we just take 10 steps back because of the show. No, our peers don’t take us seriously at all.
Sam: Is that something you felt frustrated about or did you just feel you needed to continue striving to earn your credibility?
Dawn: I’ve learned that I’m I don’t feel frustrated about those things. I just continuously try keep walking in the light. I felt like ‘if you don’t respect my artistry now, you will eventually’. And I’ll just work for you to get it, I’m not going to be waiting for people to get it. I’m just gonna make myself better until they get it. That’s how I felt like we needed to be and I still feel like that now about myself, about the group. Some of us didn’t handle it that way, some of us did.
Sam: What’s your current status with each of the girls?
Dawn: My current status with Danity Kane is I wish them nothing but the best. And that’s for the record. I wish them nothing but the best in anything that they do cause they’ll be great in it.
Sam: Your take on Aubrey’s playboy spread?
Dawn: I’m glad she’s doing what she does. I’m glad she’s happy, I’m glad she’s doing what she loves. As long as she’s happy, I’m supportive.
Sam: You’ve gone on record to say you felt certain parts of Aubrey’s image weren’t inline with what the group were trying to perpetuate to your young audience. Yet we have songs such as ‘Bad Girl’, ‘Striptease’ and ‘Ecstacy’ from ‘Welcome To The Dollhouse’, which arguably also aren’t for that audience. Your take on this?
Dawn: I never, once again… I can’t stand this (laughs). I never had a problem with Aubrey’s status or what Aubrey does. Someone asked me ‘why did Aubrey get kicked out of Danity Kane?’ and I said what was quoted from the show! I didn’t say ‘I don’t like what she wore!’ I said ‘the reason why she was put out was because of what Puff said in the interview,’ and I wasn’t making anything up, I was just saying what was said on the show. And people said that I said it and that I was it’s like I can’t win. I didn’t ever have a problem with Aubrey… I love my group. I know who my group are – individually. I don’t have a problem with anyone. My issues were laid with the brand of the group. As long as the brand was taken care of and we were doing the right things, then I was cool. If we had an issue with our brand, that’s when I had something to say about it. Now, people ask me questions and I say exactly what was said from the man who did it and all of a sudden it was me who said it! I don’t have an issue with her in doing that. If that’s what she wants to do, then she’ll be great at what she does and that’s it.
Sam: Thanks for clearing that up.
You have evidently been blessed with an abundance of talent. What does the future hold for you? Solo deal, writing for others etc?
Dawn: Well, right now I’m working on an independent comic book soundtrack. And I have a single for it called ‘Falls Away’, which is on MySpace right now and it’s doing extremely well. It has almost 500,000 hits and I’m really excited about that. The fans have been really supportive. The follow-up leaked, a track called ‘If I Could’ and it’s amazing. The producer called ‘The Zamp’ did the track. It’s amazing. I’m really happy to just do something independent, something just my own. Nothing ‘solo’, as such; it’s not anything like that. It’s just something for me, ‘cause I write the comic book and not a lot of people do soundtracks for comic books. I love music and it’s just an opportunity to branch out and give the fans some great. I’m not putting a label on it, its nothing like that; it’s nothing like a solo career. Please, people do not get me in trouble every time I say something!
I’m writing a lot. I’m learning as a song-writer. Song writing and publishing is where you get your money and learn most from. So for me, it could be a small artist or a big artist, it’s a pay check. What’s more, it’s something that is helping me learn everyday, so I’m very happy that I get an opportunity to do it because it doesn’t feel like work. It feels like fun and I just get paid for it, so like it’s a great opportunity to learn and you never know what the future holds for me. I have a really strong work ethic. I will not stop. I have not slept in months. But it’s okay ‘cause I feel like that day when I lay my head down, that day when I get that *good good* sleep, it will be worth it because I worked so hard to get where I want to get. That’s where I’m at right now.
Sam: While Bad Boy has been a force in the past, we cannot shy away from a certain pattern that has emerged. A lot of people have followed Diddy’s career and track record. It’s no surprise that most of his artists, especially solo ones, aren’t as successful as they should be. What would be your terms & conditions to him, if he was to give you a solo deal [if he hasn’t already]?
Dawn: I don’t have any terms or conditions. I don’t know those things; I don’t know those things until I get to it. What I will say is that I don’t look at things, names and labels and all that. I just look at talent. Like I said, it’s a recession; a lot of people (including established artists) are falling with CD sales and stuff. It’s not just this label; a lot of people haven’t been doing as great as they could be doing right now because it’s a slow economy at present. Saying that, there’s always a first time or a new time for something and I feel like I have been blessed with the opportunity to have my dreams come true more than one time.
Sam: Cool. You’ve probably been asked several times, but do you feel like there is a possibility for you guys to ever get back together?
Dawn: You never know, you never know. I would never say no to that…
Sam: We’ve seen your relationship with Day26’s Qwanell blossom on television. Tell us 3 things you find special about Q.
Dawn: I think the biggest thing with him is that I am still extremely attracted to him. Like the first day I met him I still look at him sometimes and find myself like ‘dang he’s a good catch!’ I still get that as if it’s the first time we saw each other. And you’re like ‘dang ooh’… I still get that feeling with him, and it’s a good feeling. I think the second thing is, he’s my homie…like that’s my best friend. We have the best times just laughing and goofing around; we can’t separate the two. One day we’ll be all ‘lovey dovey’ and the next day it’s all about just homies day out. It’s like two friends going out and chilling you know. We just have that different dynamic. We have different elements of our relationship which I think is amazing. The third thing is you know we don’t sweat the small things. We’re very open with our relationship. We understand each others inside out, so we don’t ever let little small things affect how great we are as a team. It makes it work great. I have never had so fun much knowing someone or being with someone that I have with Q.
Sam: How do you manage to maintain your relationship with the constant cameras?
Dawn: We don’t even see them, we don’t even see them anymore. Some people say that’s a scary thing because living your relationship in public could potentially ruin it. We know that and that’s a scary thing; but are we supposed to fake it and whatnot or close up when the cameras come? That wouldn’t be us. We’re real people, it wouldn’t be us if we tried to pretend like ‘okay I’m not going to touch you when the camera comes’ because that’s just wack. It’s not real; so for us we don’t see them (the cameras). The way we are together, is the way we are together on camera.
Sam: What can we expect in the current season of making the band. Surprise appearances? Your role?
Dawn: You have to watch, there’s a lot of things that’s gonna happen with these last couple of episodes. So Thursday 9pm, stay glued to the TV because you you’ll be surprised!
Sam: With the entertainment industry being so cut-throat and ruthless, how does Dawn plan on lasting the distance
Dawn: That’s a great question. I do think this industry is extremely cut throat. For me, though, I just will not accept failure and I will not expect quitting. So if it means more hours extra hours, and what not, for this person right here, I’m gonna be the person that comes in early and leaves late. And that’s just the way it is. I’ll be damned if I see it (success) go away. Because I know what the other side is like, I’ve been homeless, I’ve seen what it’s like to be in that environment and I refuse to be there, because I worked extremely hard to get where I am. So, for me, in order to be great, you have to put in the work for it. So I’m going to make sure I know this industry back and forth, as well as my craft. Make sure I know where the snakes fly and know how to step over them, move over and get to where I need to go.
Sam: Tell us a bit about Danity Kane comics?
Dawn: Yes, the first issue is out on www.danitykane.com. The second issue will be done in the fourth quarter which is around December of this year. The soundtrack will be out at the end of March of this year 2009. I’m really excited; it will be available at www.dkcomics.com.
Sam: That’s great. Wrapping up now, which Danity Kane song is your favourite?
Dawn: That’s a hard one – I like so many. ‘Sucka for Love’…
Sam: Could you give us an acapella of ‘Sucka for Love’, please?
Dawn: OK (laughs)…
…Danity Kane… the great thing about us was that we had five leads, so I’m just trying to overlap and sing at the same time (laughs)
Sam: It’s cool (laughs).
It has been recently been announced that Michael Jackson will be returning to the stage; I don’t know if you know about that. A lot of the British press have been very cynical as to whether Michael Jackson still has ‘It.’ Do you think…
Dawn: Of course! Michael can do no wrong when it comes to music. He can just moonwalk across the stage and it just makes me smile. Even if Michael Jackson doesn’t have ‘it’, he still has ‘it’. It’s Michael, come on now (laughs).
Sam: Most definitely!
What songs or albums do you have on constant rotation at the minute?
Dawn: I just got hip to ‘Chair Lift’ and I’m really liking them. I just bought The Dream’s album. Love it. Amazing. Who else has been on heavy rotation? ‘Ryan Leslie’ his album has been on rotation and love the ‘Sheen’s’ and ‘Vampire Weekend’.
Sam: Dawn I would like to say a very big thank you for your time and it’s very much appreciated
Dawn: No worries. I enjoyed speaking with you. I love love love the site!
Pop superstar Madonna brought out fellow mega-star Britney Spears last night during the Los Angeles stop of her ‘Sticky & Sweet’ tour at the Dodgers Stadium. Looking every inch a star, Spears joined Madge, 50, on stage for a rendition of ‘Human Nation’.
Though the performance wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, it’s great to see Ms. Spears looking so great and getting her self reacquainted with the music scene again.
Randomness: Justin Timberlake was also in the building. He joined Madonna onstage for ‘4 Minutes’ later in the show. Oh how ‘interesting’ it must have been backstage!
After a brief hiatus, R&B crooner Ginuwine is back set to release his first major-label album in 2009. Check out the report via Billboard:
Ginuwine is set to return in the first quarter 2009 with a new single and album. The as-yet-untitled project will be released by Notifi Records, with distribution through Warner Bros. Notifi is headed by CEO Ira Dewitt.
In addition to singer/songwriter/producer Tank, who is executive producing the album, Ginuwine is collaborating with Next founding member RL and Harold Lilly Jr., among others.
“Everything is still in the works,” Ginuwine tells Billboard.com. “I don’t want to rush anything. I’m just working on various songs and definitely hoping to work with others like Polow da Don and Timbaland. However, at this point I can say the music will reflect a maturing Ginuwine. I’m not the same young man I was when I first got into music. ”
Ginuwine was 21 when he hit big in 1996 with “Pony,” his first crossover hit (No. 1 R&B, No. 6 pop). The single garnered the Washington, D.C. native a contract with 550 Music/Epic and propelled his Timbaland-produced debut album, “Ginuwine — The Bachelor,” to multi-platinum status.
This ought to be interesting. I personally haven’t enjoyed any of Ginuwine’s records since he stopped working with Timbland, so I definitely welcome their potential reuniting.
Following the postponement of 9 tour-stops on her ‘Rock Witchu’ trek due to a still unconfirmed illness, Pop superstar Janet Jackson has released a statement to her fans confirming that the tour resumes – today in Washington, DC:
“I know you guys have been hearing a lotta, lotta rumors… [that] the tour’s been canceled. None of that’s true. I’m actually rolling into D.C. right now to do my first show coming back. I feel a lot better and I want to thank all of you. I really do appreciate the love and the support. And once again, don’t believe anything that you hear and you read. The tour is still on.” {Source}
Great to know Janet will be getting back to thrilling audiences in the States. Ms. Jackson (“if ya nasty!”) needs to hit these side of the shores ASAP, we miss her!
With the tour back on the road, I’ll be updating you on the status of our ‘That Grape Juice Wants to Rock Witchu’ ticket give-away – which has inevitably been affected by the postponements.
Earlier this summer, That Grape Juice was fortunate enough to sit down with Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Ne-Yo in a swanky London hotel. With his third studio album ‘Year of The Gentleman’ nearing release at the time, he spoke openly with That Grape Juice about the record – which since went on to debut at #1, ‘beef’ with Chris Brown, his love life and much more. Though limited time made for the interview to come to a halt, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a great read all the same. Enjoy
Ne-Yo Shouts-Out That Grape Juice
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Sam: Having burst onto the scene little over 2 years ago, this singer/songwriter has quickly gone on to establish himself as one of the premier talents on today’s music scene. Of course I’m talking about Grammy winner Ne-Yo.
How are you, man? It’s great to finally be able to meet with you.
Ne-Yo: Thank you
Sam: You just landed in the UK a few days back, how has your stay been thus far?
Pretty good, pretty good – I like it out here. I haven’t really been able to do any of the ‘touristy’ stuff yet. It’s crazy as this is like my 10th time coming out here and I still don’t know anywhere outside of the area right here (referring to hotel locality). This is the hotel we always stay at; so it goes airport, hotel, (show) venue and hotel, venue, home.
Sam: This August sees the release your third studio album, ‘Year of The Gentleman’….
Ne-Yo: Uh uh…September.
Sam: Has it been pushed back?
Ne-Yo: September 15th.
Sam: Any particular reason for the pushback?
Ne-Yo: I was not going to put out an album that was not 100% right; and I wanted the record to be 100% right – so that’s pretty much it.
Sam: What exactly is the meaning of the album’s title?
Ne-Yo: ‘Year of The Gentleman’. That basically comes from me personally feeling that what it means to be a gentleman is a little lacking nowadays. From the way we view and treat our women, to outward appearance. All that stuff. It’s a little lacking these days. The guys that takes the time to make sure he looks at least half-way decent before he walks out of the house are few and far between nowadays. The guy that will pull out a woman’s chair for her, open the car door for her. That’s a little lacking nowadays. That effortless ‘cool’ that you used to see back in the day with the likes of Nat King Cole and the Rat Pack, stuff like that. Not this, what we have today, where it’s like ‘Hey, everybody look here, I got diamonds and money and girls…look at me’. It wasn’t like that back in the day. Back in the day it was about being charming, about being charismatic, about suave, about swagger back then. You didn’t have to try so hard to get someone’s attention; they’d just give it to you anyway because you were ‘that guy’. This album is basically me trying to lead by example and showcase what it is to be a gentleman.
With that being said, I am not a perfect gentleman – yet! I am a gentleman in training. So there are still some aspects of being a gentleman that I have to learn; but I’m willing to learn, which I guess puts me a little ahead of the curve.
Sam: Good stuff. Congratulations on hitting #1 with the record’s lead single ‘Closer’
Ne-Yo: Thank you very much…
Sam: The song has performed significantly better here than back home in the States. Why you think this has been?
Ne-Yo: Well, the song is inspired by the UK and going out here in London. I remember that night, we went to a couple of different clubs. Two clubs were very American R&B/Hip-Hop based and I remember saying to my people “I can get this back at home. I want to know what goes on here”. So they took me to another spot – I guess it was like a Techno/House club – real small venue, yet filled to the capacity. It had the whole green lasers; people had their hands in the air, eyes closed and in a trance from this music. I mean, I’ve never really been a fan of dance music, it’s just never really been my thing, but the common ground I found with that music, is that I like to make music that makes you feel something. That’s the whole M-O of the music I create – I try to evoke some kind of emotion – happy, sad, whatever. That music (Techno/House) is strictly about how the music makes you feel, to the point where the lyrics don’t even matter (laughs). There was one I heard that had but 3 words in the damn song (laughs). It’s all about the feel and what the music does to you. So I tried to capture that vibe, put the little ‘Ne-Yo’ spin on it and do my own interpretation of what I heard and felt that night.
Sam: Having served up R&B/Pop smashes with your previous releases, ‘Closer’ is somewhat left-field for you musically, with its Euro-Dance sound. Is this something we can expect to hear more of on the album?
Ne-Yo: To a degree. I did a lot of things on this new album that I haven’t done before. I think that one of the reasons ‘Closer’ has performed much better over here is that over here you guys are a little more susceptible to change, a little more open. Whereas back home in the States, people kinda get programmed into one thing and one thing only. If it ain’t 50 Cent or doesn’t sound like this, then we don’t want to know about it. That’s one of the reasons I like it out here – outside America in general because people are open to more things out here.
Sam: Ok, in general, what can we expect from the album in terms of producers, features etc.
Ne-Yo: No features. This is my first studio album with no features whatsoever. I kinda wanted to leave it like that, as I’m doing a lot of experimenting with different sounds and genres of music. So if something –touch wood (laughs) – went bad, I didn’t want to have anyone else to blame but me.
Producers, I used everyone that I normally use. My production company, Compound, Stargate and more.
As far as the sound of this album, I’ve been basically been calling the album a buffet, as there is literally a little something there for everybody. There’s something there for the cats that are strictly Urban, for the cats that are strictly Pop, for the cats that are into Alternative that don’t even know my damn name yet! A little bit of everything for everybody on this record.
Sam: Awesome. What do you hope to accomplish with this album?
Ne-Yo: I hope to help blur some of these lines, knock down some of these walls and barricades that have been put up in music. (I want it to be) Not Pop, Rock, Urban, but simply to come down to two categories of music – good music and bad music. I pray that my music is always in the good music category.
Sam: Amen.
Ne-Yo: Thank you, sir.
Sam: Next single?
Ne-Yo: A track called ‘Miss Independent’. (Coyly) You heard that one?
Sam: Uh huh (Sidenote: I’m not sure I’m supposed to have nodded as the track wasn’t supposed to have ‘surfaced’ at the time LOL).
Ne-Yo: …the track sees me pay homage to a woman that’s got her own. There’s something very sexy about that to me. Nothing worse than a chick you’ve got to (completely) take care of.
Sam: Ok. Like many, you recently put your own spin on Lil’ Wayne’s ‘A Milli’ track. However, your version in particular has garnered more attention than others, with many questioning who exactly you’re taking aim at…
Ne-Yo: (Laughs!)
Sam: For the record then, Mr Ne-Yo, what was the deal with that?
Ne-Yo: There was no deal (laughs)! Everybody swears I was talking about Chris (Brown). It wasn’t about Chris; Chris is my homeboy – why would I shoot at him? I actually said in the line “To anyone in general, this is not //But if you claim A Milli you ain’t got, this red dot is on your forehead”. That’s basically me saying, don’t think I’m talking about anyone in particular, I’m just talking shit. It’s one of those records you get on and basically talk shit. Everyone was talking about how much money they got, I was like ‘Hold on!!! Lemme talk about how much money I got!’ (laughs)…
Sam: As I’m sure that ‘Irreplaceable’ cheque guarantees (laughs)…
Ne-Yo: There you go (laughs)…
Sam: Your performance at this year’s BET Awards had many people talking, as you were largely considered to have stolen the show, so to speak, in comparison to more established acts. That said, do you feel you are in competition with the Usher’s, the Chris Brown’s and whatnot?
Ne-Yo: Yes, but it is a friendly competition – it’s not competition that’s based on animosity. We don’t do what the Hip-Hop cats do, where it filters into the music, then goes beyond the music. There is no such thing as “R&B Beef”. I mean, come on, we sing for girls, take our shirts off and shit. We don’t fight, no, that’s stupid.
I consider Chris Brown to be one of my close and dear friends. He’s like my little brother. Usher, I’ve met him and have the utmost respect for him – he’s done it better than anyone else. He set the bar for everyone else. It is competition, but it’s not angry competition. We can be compared to boxers; we can be friends outside of the ring, but everyone knows there is only one (#1) spot, which means there may come a point where you may have to get in the ring with your homeboy and knock his ass out! Don’t mean you ain’t friends no more, just that there is only room for one #1.
Sam: As we’re pressed for time, quickly, are you currently dating anyone?
Ne-Yo: Nope, unfortunately no.
Sam: Ok, I mean, you’ve been snapped with a few ladies, but I won’t probe…
Ne-Yo: (laughs) I mean I have ‘friends’, but I don’t have a steady girlfriend. The ‘special’ ones know who they are.
Sam: Mhmm…Ok. Moving on; with the success of So Sick, you were catapulted into the limelight and haven’t looked back since.
How have you adjusted to fame, particularly in your personal life? How you deal with the inevitable fair-weather friends and family?
Ne-Yo: Wow. Good question. (I try and deal with them) One at a time. It’s something that is a part of this game, it’s gonna happen. There’s no real way to avoid it; you make a little money and everyone finds out about it. All of a sudden you have 90 new cousins! “I’m your favourite aunty. Don’t you remember I changed your diapers?” “No I don’t and no you cannot have a Mercedez Benz” (laughs). I mean you just deal with it; the rumours, accusations, the invasions of privacy and all that stuff, it’s really just part of the game. You can’t stop it. What are you going to do? Go beat up everyone that has ever said anything negative about you? That will be a lot of beating up you have to do (laughs). So you just kind of roll with the punches. It is what it is.
Sam: Craziest fan encounter, briefly?
Ne-Yo: Craziest fan encounter? This young lady broke into my hotel room and was there waiting for me, when I showed up. It was in New York, during the promotion for my first album.
I must have walked into my room and she was like “Oh my God” and I was like “Oh MY God, what the hell you doing in here?” She replied “I’m your biggest fan, I love ‘So Sick, yada yada yada, can you sign this? Can I have a picture with you?” I was like “Ok, we can do all of that, slow down. How did you get in here” (laughs). She didn’t want to tell me at first, I guess she had a friend that worked at the hotel that told her I was there and gave her the key to my room and she didn’t want to get this person in trouble. I was like ‘Ok, I won’t say anything, but, for future reference, you may not want to be breaking into people’s hotel rooms. Had I called the cops, it could have been a really bad situation for you.” It was all good though; she apologised, (I) took a picture with her, signed her thing and she left. The girl was 15 years old…
Sam: Wow…
Ne-Yo:…that could have been really, really, really bad for me, you know what I mean?
Sam: Yeah!
Ne-Yo: That’s the craziest thing – thus far! Well, that and a chick that got my name tattooed on a (long pause)…region that you just wouldn’t show (laughs). She came to one of my shows and took it upon herself to show it to me while I’m on stage singing (laughs). I was singing ‘Sexy Love’ and I looked at her and she gave me one of these (gestures to his chest) and said to look at the tattoo.
Sam: I’ve just been notified that we’ve run out of time. Thank you very much for your time.
Ne-Yo: No, thank you.
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Ne-Yo’s awesome new album ‘Year of the Gentleman’ is in stores & iTunes now. Do be sure to pick up a copy. ——————————————————-
