The Weeknd‘s colossal shut out from the nominations at the 2021 GRAMMYs sent ripples through the music industry.

A dominant force this year, thanks to album ‘After Hours’ and hits such as ‘Blinding Lights,’ many anticipated Abel would be a surefire nominee in all of the major categories and then some.

And yet, quite the opposite came to be.

It’s ignited ample discourse, ranging from those who argue that commercial success shouldn’t automatically translate to to GRAMMY noms to those who feel his omission is farcical.

Aligning with the latter, the star himself weighed-in and branded the GRAMMYs “corrupt.” He expressed said sentiments amidst reports that there were issues surrounding a planned performance on the Jan 31 show and the Super Bowl a week later.

Now, GRAMMY Chief Harvey Mason Jr. has responded.

His words below…

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Taylor Swift is playing no games.

For, the Pop titan has paired her new Disney+ special – ‘folklore: the long pond studio sessions’ – with a like-titled audio album. And it’s been made available to stream now.

As reported, the surprise production acts as a live companion piece to Swift’s blockbuster ‘folklore’ LP – which has bulldozed records while taking lengthy residence atop of the Billboard 200.

Armed with the momentum of 6 nominations at the 2021 GRAMMYs, the star may well be on her way to more at the 2022 ceremony – which this latest release will be eligible for.

Pending then, take a listen below…

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Congratulations are in order for Fantasia!

The singer and her husband of five years Kendall Taylor have announced that they are expecting their first child together.

Full story below…

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Though reportedly hard at work on her fifth studio album, ‘All Hands on Deck’ diva Tinashe is looking to deck the halls with bops courtesy of recently announced holiday offering, ‘Comfort and Joy.’

Tiding fans over with the 7-song project, ‘Joy’ sees T tackle classic Christmas favorites like ‘Oh Holy Night,’ ‘The Christmas Song,’ ‘Angels We Have Heard on High,’ and more.

Curious to hear her take on the yuletide numbers?  Stream the November 25-released set inside:

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Thanks to ‘Hitman,’ R&B diva Kelly Rowland may be well on her way to a hit, man.

The sexy cut – which samples ‘Follow Follow’ by iconic Nigerian artist Fela Kuti – was surprise announced just last Thursday (November 19) and has already won acclaim from the singer’s fans and industry critics alike.

To supercharge awareness of the track lifted in partnership with the NFL, Rowland’s scored a touchdown with its energetic music video.

A heavily stylized/choreographed affair, look inside to see the Lloyd Pursall and Luam Keflezgy-directed action below:

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‘Blinding Lights’ star The Weeknd was among many of the year’s top acts unseen on the 2021 GRAMMY nominations list revealed early Tuesday (November 24) – a predicament that’s led a number of artists to demand transparency about the protocol of the Recording Academy’s voting process.

While stars like Justin Bieber complained about their musical genres being misrepresented by the committee, others wondered how their critically acclaimed pieces went unmentioned all together (as we reported here).

Moments after GRAMMY chief Harvey Mason Jr. took to press to hit back at the criticism, The Weeknd (born Abel Tesfaye) broke his silence about the surprising snub of his blockbuster album – ‘After Hours.’

More inside:

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Congratulations are in order for Gabourey Sidibe.

For, the actress – famed for her roles in ‘Precious’ and ‘Empire’ – has announced her engagement to boyfriend Brandon Frankel.

Full story below…

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Cardi B has never been afraid of speaking her mind – even when it comes to her peers.

Just ask Wiz Khalifa. 

For, moments ago, the ‘WAP’ femcee took aim at the rapper over remarks he made that seemingly endorsed shade thrown her way.

See what we mean below…

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Thanks to a slew of back-to-back hits, 2020 has seen Dua Lipa rise to be Pop music’s ‘it’ girl.

After watching cuts from her sophomore album, ‘Future Nostalgia,’ find tenancy in the Hot 100’s top 20 (see:  ‘Don’t Start Now’ and ‘Break My Heart’), the singer’s now welcomed a third to the growing  list:  ‘Levitating.’

The song’s original incarnation (and later a Madonna & Missy Elliott-buoyed remix) may have not made much noise on the chart (as we reported here), but now – three months after it was officially serviced to radio as a single – ‘Levitating’ has lifted into the Hot 100’s upper region.

Details inside:

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Tinashe is unwrapping more new music!

And just in time for the holidays.

Full story below…

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It’s that time of year again. The GRAMMY Awards have revealed who will be nominated at this year’s ceremony (as we reported here).

With some big surprises, music’s biggest stars such as Teyana Taylor, Megan Thee Stallion, and more did not waste any time reacting to the news of their nominations or lack thereof.

Peep their reactions below:

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Rap Queen Nicki Minaj may reign in history books as the overall most-awarded female Hip Hop act ever, but her trophy case remains devoid of a golden grammophone.

Despite nabbing 9 nods over the last decade, 2020 – the year she nabbed her first two #1 hits on the Hot 100 – saw her shut out from the Recording Academy’s recently unveiled list of 2021 nominees (click here to read the full nominations announcement).

The diss isn’t new to Minaj, as she reaffirmed via Twitter just moments ago when she took to the platform to reflect on the first time she was snubbed by the institution.

See what she said:

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