Katy Perry is in a reflective place.

Last year saw ‘Witness’ – an album that was supposed to be a victory lap after years of success – go on to become her worst selling yet. Crucially, it yielded no hit singles either – something that was once her undeniable forté.

As she attempts to pick up the pieces (with a stint on American Idol and an on-going arena tour), Perry is waxing honest about what has been the most challenging year of her career to date.

See what we mean below..

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“How you doin’ honey, baby?”

Those very words kickstarted Beyonce’s solo superstardom. Today’s From The Vault is the diva’s first official solo single, ‘Work It Out.’

Following the blockbuster ‘Survivor’ era, the ladies of Destiny’s Child announced that they would focus on individual projects. Michelle released a successful Gospel record, Kelly went on to collaborate with Nelly on the Grammy-winning ‘Dilemma’ and dropped her debut LP, and Bey set a master plan in motion to become one of the biggest entertainer of her generation.

The first step? A role in an ‘Austin Powers’ movie followed by a song on its original soundtrack.

‘Work’ was produced and written by The Neptunes and and saw the budding diva stray away from her band’s contemporary R&B lean.

Unlike ‘Independent Women’ two years prior, the single didn’t really set the charts on fire, but it marked the arrival of a new Pop star that meant business.

Matthew Rolston directed the track’s visual, which showcased a sassier Bey, scantily-clad and all. Accompanied by her now-trademark female dancers, Queen Bey and her girls served a dance-break and proved in the process that no one can hula-hoop like her.

Inspired by the 70’s, the singer is reminiscent of a younger Tina Turner with her outfit and her hair. Footage from the movie flashes intermittently during the video and Mike Myers makes an appearance as his Austin Powers character at the beginning and ending of the vid. Still, Bey was the most captivating.

In retrospect, ‘Work It Out’ served as the calm before the storm that was her official “launch” ‘Crazy In Love.’ It was Mrs Carter spring-boarding her individual identity.

The track’s more organic feel and the aesthetics of the video would go on to become staple elements of the “Beyonce” we know and love today.

With just a few weeks to go before #Beychella, we’re hopeful to see her dust off this gem as part of her set.

Your thoughts?

‘Black Panther‘ has earned a mind-blowing $65 million in the third week of its release!

What this means for the cinematic adventure’s run at the box office?

Find out below..

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Normani is ready for her close-up!

The last few months have seen the fiery Fifth Harmony star make a number of master-stroke moves as she readies her solo charge.

Recapping, she signed with S10 (Roc Nation partner) for management and inked lucrative publishing and touring deals.

It left many wondering about the most important component – her label.

Well, it seems that mystery has been solved.

Full story below…

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Nicki Minaj‘s reign in Hip-Hop has seen her permeate Pop culture in ways that have made her one of the world’s most celebrated artists.

Happy to offer proof? Spotify and Instagram, who celebrated ‘Black History Month‘ by combining their data pools to find out who the leading black female artists are on their respective U.S. platforms.

Melanin magic below…

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In many ways Madonna‘s filmography is one of Pop’s most enviable.

Gliding to theatres on the wings of ‘Evita’, ‘Body of Evidence‘, ‘Desperately Seeking Susan‘ and more, the entertainer has enjoyed a cinematic run many of her rivals are yet to match or surpass.

Alas, she is still without an Oscar.

Today, she has revealed that she has put plans in motion to make a change.

Full report below…

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As their third studio album, ‘Culture II,’ continues to be a mainstay on the Billboard 200’s top 5 since its January release, rap trio Migos continue to hit the promo trail with hopes of returning the project to the tally’s perch.

Taking to ‘SNL’ last night (March 3) for their inaugural appearance on the sketch comedy show as the main musical guest,  Offset, Takeoff, and Quavo dished out live performances their latest top 10 hit, ‘Stir Fry,’ and ‘Culture II’ tune, ‘Narcos.’

Keen to see how the Atlantan trio fared on the Charles Barkley-hosted episode?  Look inside if you missed any of the action:

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Although P!nk‘s latest effort, 2017’s ‘Beautiful Trauma,’ gifted her mega-first week sales, the set hasn’t exactly continued to fly off shelves.  Stalled under the “platinum” threshold in sales equivalence since its October release, in fact, beyond the LP’s lead single – ‘What About Us’ (#13 Hot 100 peak) – it has also failed to command another top 20 single.

With ‘Whatever You Want,’ her newest release from the Gold project, we’re certain she’s looking to change the tide.  Originally released last year as a buzz single, the tune’s been granted official status this week with the release of an accompanying performance music video. Giving fans a behind the scenes look at her hectic life over the past few months, we’re sure the clip – which dropped the same day her ‘Beautiful Trauma’ tour kicked off in Phoenix – is also meant to serve as an advert for the outing.

Need a reminder of how capable the songstress is on stage?  It awaits inside:

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Lil Kim is back with a brand new single!

Its name? ‘Spicy.‘

Assisting? Fabulous!

 You drippin’ wack juice, boy, it’s not sauce / Stop hypin’ up these goofies and wack rhymers / The **** suckin’ done got worse than Blac Chyna.

Give ‘Spicy’ a spin below…

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Season 5 of ‘Married To Medicine’ proved to be quite the rolla-coaster for the cast, but the bumps haven’t been levelled yet.

The three-part reunion looks to be drenched in drama based on the newly unwrapped trailer.

During the sizzle reel, Dr Heavenly gets grilled, Dr Simone and Cecil‘s marriage problems implode, and Quad and Mariah seemingly have a must-see confrontation. There’s also tough moments ago Jackie and cheating husband Curtis.

After this trailer, we’ll most definitely be watching. Check it out below…

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Welcome to another edition of Retro Rewind, the TGJ original feature launched to celebrate TV and Film’s informative past.

On the menu? Something a little more recent.

‘AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN.’

The third chapter of Ryan Murphy‘s ‘American Horror Story’, ‘Coven‘ pulls from America’s dark, dirty and disgusting practice of chattel slavery to tell a tale of witchcraft, evil and race relations.

In it, ‘Black Panther’ royal Angela Bassett stars as an immortal woman whose life in present-day Louisiana is disturbed when the sick and sadistic slave owner she buried underground is unearthed by a gang of witches who are new in town.

Ready to make that journey to the past?

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Ariana Grande has employed the best of the best to build the album she hopes will see her storm the charts, permeate Pop culture and sweep awards season!

Sweet news below… (more…)