As reported here, Pop divas Taylor Swift and Rihanna are leading the latest iteration of the Billboard Hot 100 with their respective hits ‘Anti-Hero’ and ‘Lift Me Up.’

The latter, the lead single from the soundtrack of the highly anticipated film ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (in theaters now), also serves as the first solo single Rih’s served up since the era that supported her last studio album – 2016’s ‘Anti.’

Met with thunderous fanfare, the Tems-penned tune’s top 10 debut on the Hot 100 brought it a number of history-making feats – primarily thanks to an unprecedented response at radio.

And while it was outpaced to the top spot by Swift’s ‘Anti-Hero,’ ‘Lift’ still managed to uniquely tie the Pop titan in another regard.
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Rihanna may have spent most of the week enjoying the sight of her Twitter mentions going up to celebrate the release of ‘Lift Me Up,’ her long-awaited comeback single and contribution to the ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ soundtrackbut her.

But, the latter half of the week is seeing her name pushed to even higher heights on the platform for less-than-celebratory reasons – namely association with Academy Award-nominated actor Johnny Depp.

Details inside.

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With award show season in full swing, expect the year’s best and biggest in entertainment to be gearing up to grace the stages of annual staples to perform or accept some of the industry’s most coveted trophies.

The latest to unveil its highly anticipated list of nominees is the NBC & E! People’s Choice Awards.

Hosted by Kenan Thompson, the year’s list of leading musical nominees includes Bad Bunny (7), Harry Styles (6), Lizzo and Selena Gomez (5 apiece), and Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift (3 each).

They aren’t the only big names in the running for the night’s prized statuettes, however.

Ahead of the show’s December 6 air date, look inside for the full list of nominees across music, television, movies, and more.

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Janet Jackson is the name on everyone’s lips after she served up a rocking live set of her greatest hits as headliner of the 2022 Essence Fest last weekend.

When not dazzling the New Orleans crowd with a metal-paneled, form-fitting, sparkling black jumpsuit, the 56-year-old showed off iconic footwork as she zoomed through classic numbers like ‘Rhythm Nation,’ ‘If,’ ‘Escapade,’ and more.

If the overwhelmingly positive response to the high octane performance wasn’t indication enough of how well it was received, reports of the Pop Queen popping box office records certainly should do it.

Details inside:

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The 64th annual Grammy Awards provided many notable moments courtesy of the host of music stars who took to the stage.

Now, after show-stopping performances from H.E.R, BTS, Lil Nas X, Nas, John Legend, Olivia Rodrigo, and more (click here to watch), see who walked away with the show’s biggest star – its coveted trophies!

See the list of winners inside:

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To toast the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and app over the last year, the iHeartRadio Music Awards has rolled out its official list of nominees set to go head-to-head at its 9th annual affair.

With big names like Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, Justin Bieber, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake, and Ed Sheeran among the big stars mentioned, fan voting may be its toughest yet in categories like Best Music Video, Best Fan Army, Best Lyrics, TikTok Bop of the Year, and more.

Before the show airs live on FOX from the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium March 22, look inside to see the recently announced list of nominations.

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Ne-Yo may be putting the finishing touches on his eighth studio album, the March-due ‘Self Explanatory,’ but ahead of its release longtime fans of the singer-songwriter can expect to hear his unmistakable voice aboard another highly anticipated R&B project:  Aaliyah‘s first posthumous studio album.

Titled ‘Unstoppable,’ the LP – due on digital shelves later this month – features a studded list of guest stars including Ne-Yo (born Shaffer Smith) as well as Drake, The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Future, and more.

Taking to press recently, Smith gushed when quizzed about his contribution to the long-awaited effort.  Look inside to see what he said.

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As a songwriter, Priscilla Renea has penned memorable tunes for the likes of Madonna, Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Chris Brown, Ariana Grande, and many more over her storied career.

Yet, her swings at bat to recreate that magic for herself were a miss with her first two projects (studio albums ‘Jukebox’ and ‘Coloured’ released in 2009 and 2018 respectively).

Once branded as Muni Long, however, the 33-year-old has been earning long overdue critical acclaim for her efforts under the moniker – a journey that reached a new climax this week as she landed her first top 40 hit.

Details below.

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With the relaunch of Blackground Records came the long-awaited arrival of Aaliyah‘s catalog on streaming services.

Also promised was new material featuring some of today’s most notable names.

And it looks like the latter is indeed coming to fruition.

Full story below…

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This week, Wizkid left no doubt nor debate about his status as one of music’s most potent titans.

Full story below…

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Be it for the good, bad, ugly, or downright shocking, 2021 was full of memorable moments!

Now, as the year draws to a close, That Grape Juice is reflecting on the occasions that rocked – and to some degree maybe even reshaped – the Urban and Pop cultural landscape as we know it.

Next, we look back on how Aaliyah‘s prized catalog – after years of calls from fans – was finally released to digital outlets from the Blackground Records vault.

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It’s Grammy nomination time!

Music’s biggest calendar night, the 64th annual GRAMMY Awards, are set to air on January 31 2022 live on CBS.

The industry’s brightest stars will align to shine at the event, which will boast performances from the creme de la creme.

Today, excitement for the ceremony soared to new heights as its committee reveals which artists have been nominated in which categories.

Jon Batiste leads with a whopping 11 nominations, followed by trio Justin Bieber, Doja Cat, and H.E.R. who all bagged 8 apiece.

Other multi-nominees nominees include Jazmine Sullivan, Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, and Olivia Rodrigo.

What are you waiting for? The full nominations for the 2022 GRAMMYs await below…

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