Given the booming buzz surrounding TLC‘s Kickstarter campaign for their final album, its arrival – two years later – was noticeably mute.

Indeed, despite select specs of promotion in the weeks preceding, the group haven’t had much visibility in the media scape and instead appear to be focussing on their upcoming tour.

The approach, plus a multitude of other factors (including so-so reviews and the lack of pre-release hit) has had an undeniable effect commercially.

Because, with the final figures counted, it’s apparent that folk did not rush out to buy the self-titled set.

Per Hits Daily Double, the ‘TLC’ looks poised to premiere at #41 after shifting the following:

11,177
(Sales Plus Streaming)
—
9,442
(Pure Sales)

In a testament to changing times, even though the pure sales figure is shocking, had streaming not been factored in the ladies would have been looking at a #16 debut. However, with streaming now being the predominant means of consumption, that fact pushed the duo… ‘Way Back.’

Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Although, the album was not the business. 

TLC are factually legends and have a hit catalogue that is undeniable and will have them always able to earn a living on the live circuit.

Your thoughts?

JAY-Z has made it crystal clear – he’s navigating the music scape with “new” rules. Or more specifically, by his own rules.

Such is the case with his latest album ‘4:44.’

Arriving via TIDAL on June 30th, the set remained on the streaming platform exclusively for one week. Unsurprising given its ownership (see: JAY-Z).

What’s interesting is that its numbers were not reported, thus rendering the LP ineligible to chart during its premiere week.

Yesterday saw the set arrive (with three extra tracks) on all platforms sans Spotify. Hence, ‘4:44’ will indeed debut on the Billboard 200 officially this week coming.

It’ll be intriguing to see how it fares, given that it secured Platinum status thanks to a lucrative partnership with Sprint. The phone giant “bought” a million copies of the project and redistributed them for free to their customers as part of a promotion. [Much like Rihanna’s Samsung strategy for ‘ANTI’.]

In any case, pending insight into where ‘4:44’ will land on the charts, its deliberate omission from the latest tally sees DJ Khaled – a Roc Nation artist – earn another week atop of the Billboard count with ‘Grateful’. Winning all round.

Your thoughts?

As his latest platinum album, ‘4:44,’ continues to win critical acclaim across the board, Jay-Z‘s dropped the video for its title track – a stunning ode to his wife Beyonce.

The second visual lifted from the set, the 8 minute visual captures behind the scenes and on stage footage of the duo in action as well as some touching clips of their daughter, Blue Ivy.

See it all exclusively on TIDAL below:

Your thoughts?

Rob Kardashian, already facing the threat of jail time for violating California’s ‘revenge porn’ law after leaking nudes of his ex Blac Chyna, has now been dealt another legal blow after reports surfaced the model/actress is seeking a restraining order against him.

As has been captivating headlines for most of the week, Rob went on a social media tirade once he learned Chyna was cheating him.  Berating her and even sharing explicit photos of her on the web, the youngest of the Kardashian clan’s lengthy slam of his baby mama was so harsh his Instagram handle was removed (click here to read more on that).

In response to the hoopla, Chyna’s opted to keep her silence and let her lawyers do the talking on her behalf.  Pressing the courts to deliver a restraining order against Kardashian, Chyna alleges he has verbally and physically abused her in the past.

According to reports:

“Her declaration was part of a domestic violence restraining order petition filed by her new high-powered lawyer Lisa Bloom ahead of a court hearing Monday.

In the paperwork…, Chyna said Rob turned physically abusive on April 17 when she asked him to stop trash-talking her in front of her 4-year-old son, King Stevenson.

‘Rob has been violent with me in the past and I am afraid to be around him,” Chyna said in her statement.'”

Chyna goes on to declare she never gave Rob permission to share those nude photos of her.

“Rob publicly shamed me by posting a picture of me during labor of our daughter Dream… “This is a HIPAA violation and a violation of my privacy rights under the California Constitution.”

As those familiar with California’s ‘revenge porn’ law know, the legal penalties of the infraction could not only lead to years in jail for the TV star, but also cause him to lose full custody of his daughter.

Your thoughts?

It’s finally time for Sevyn Streeter!

The R&B singer has, after long last, hatched her debut album ‘Girl Disrupted.’

It’s been quite the journey for the rising star, whose EP ‘Call Me Crazy, But…’ landed way back in 2013.

Joining her on the 13-track set are Ty Dolla $ign, August Alsina, Wiz Khalifa, Dave East, Cam Wallace among others.

After the long wait, has Ms. Streeter delivered? Listen below and let us know….

Your thoughts?

Madonna continues to use her platform to push and promote positivity this year.

Her latest move?

The development of an institute for pediatric surgery and intensive care in Malawi named Mercy James which is now the first of its kind in African nation.

When you look into the eyes of children in need, wherever they may be, a human being wants to do anything and everything they can to help, and on my first visit to Malawi, I made a commitment that I would do just that. As we approach the opening of the Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, I’d like to thank everyone who has joined me on this unbelievable journey. What started out as a dream for Malawi and her children has become a reality, and we couldn’t have done it without your support.

The first patients were admitted on June 29th 2017 and are already on the glorious road to recovery with Madonna’s help.

Your thoughts?

Readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.

So, just as our retrospective features ‘From the Vault’ and ‘TGJ Replay’ allow us the chance to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday of one artist, our newest feature Chart Rewind – a variation of our current Retro Rewind assay – accedes salutes to an entire era of music history.

This week we’ll flashback to ‘Ray of Light,’ the title track from Madonna‘s 7th studio LP.  The pop diva, who’d already built a legendary career on dance hits and up-tempo numbers at that point, still showcased ‘Light’ as a musical departure of sorts.  Using the William Orbit-produced tune to show off her love for techno/electronica-based sounds, the tune – the album’s second single – quickly proved itself quite the lucrative move.

Boasting an impressive #5 debut on the Hot 100 this week in 1998 (where it also peaked), the feat was all the more noteworthy considering she was nearly 20 years into her career at the time.  Going on to earn a Gold certification in the U.S., the single and its parent album were praised by fans, critics, and the industry at large (earning Grammys and a host of other awards over 1998 and the year that followed).

Tuck in below to see who joined Madge in the top 25 this week 19 years ago:

(more…)

A racism scandal which has erupted at Atlanta’s Philips Arena has lifted the lid on how some of Pop’s grandest acts are treated by security staff behind the scenes at live music venues.

A former Atlanta Seahawks security manager, who doubled as the head of event security at Philips claims that its owners go to great lengths to discriminate against black artists while bowing to the requests of their white peers.

Sam Hayes says that he was fired after revealing that he was aware that his white bosses (employed by the Hawks) were forcing black artists to face intense and time-consuming security checks while placing the safety of attendees in danger by allowing white acts to pass through its halls sans the same precautions.

Which acts were denied access to the venue if they refused to walk through a metal detector?

Kanye West — DENIED

The Comedy Get Down World Tour (Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley) — DENIED

DRAKE- DENIED

2 Chainz, Jeezy, The Dream — DENIED

Old School Hip Hop Fest — DENIED

Migos — DENIED

Tyler Perry — DENIED

Katt Williams — DENIED

Amy Schumer — GRANTED

Adele — GRANTED

Ariana Grande — GRANTED (Hayes says she “doesn’t like people looking at her”).

WWE Live Tour — GRANTED

Bon Jovi — GRANTED

Ringling Brothers — GRANTED

Interesting.

The Hawks deny Hayes’ claims and claim he was given the boot because of his “poor performance.”

Billing his claims are baseless, the team’s leaders have vowed to defend themselves against them “vigorously.”

Your thoughts?

Following contributions to Beyonce‘s self-titled set, the vocalist Blue Ivy steps into her own creative light this year with the unveiling of brand new material.

The cut, named ‘Blue’s Freestyle/ We Family’ appears on a special edition of Jay-Z’s ‘4:44’ album and is now available to spin below before the set’s unveiling.

Listen below…

Blue’s freestyle pic.twitter.com/QrUZdEqj1q

— ㅤ (@jaywnce) July 7, 2017

Everything everything this my only single thing
Everything I hear is my answer
And if you think I say, then [?]
I never hear that, I be in the posse
Never seen a ceiling in my whole life
Everything I seen, everything is rotten
Never sit in silence [?] Carter
Innocent we seek them
I and say we see them
[?]
Boom shakalaka
Boom shakalaka
Boom shakalaka
Boom shakalaka
Everything in shaka
Everything in faka
Everything in shaka
Everything in faka

Profound.

Your thoughts?

Drake has given more life to a record birthed when hits from his March 2017 release, ‘More Life,’ made him the most charted artist in the history of the Hot 100. 

Edging out longtime mentor and labelmate Lil’ Wayne for the honor when all 22 songs from ‘Life’ landed on the chart simultaneously then, now Drizzy has added two new tunes – ‘Signs’ & Metro Boomin‘s ‘No Complaints’ – to this week’s refreshed Hot 100 and the stack of his own chart hits.

The result?

He’s extended the distance between himself and Wayne in history books.

Billboard reports: 

‘[‘Signs’] enters the Hot 100 as the chart’s Hot Shot Debut (for the week’s top arrival) at No. 36…

Drake additionally debuts at No. 71 on the Hot 100 as featured on Metro Boomin‘s “No Complaints,” also featuring Offset (of Migos)…

With the bows, Drake extends his lead for the most Hot 100 appearances among soloists (including lead and featured billings), dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958, inception. Here’s an updated count of the artists with the most Hot 100 entries:

207, Glee Cast
157, Drake
136, Lil Wayne
108, Elvis Presley (whose career predates the Hot 100’s origin)
91, James Brown’

The news is accompanied by reports Drake has also extended another achievement:  the record for the longest consecutive run on the Hot 100.  As we reported here, the last 8 years have not gone one week without printing his name in at least one position.

Thanks to ‘Signs’ and ‘Complaints,’ that trend continues as they help him notch his 426th weeks.  Check below to see who joins him in the Hot 100 this week on TGJ’s latest ‘Chart Check’:

Hot 100 This Week

Your thoughts?

Barring a few covers, specialty tracks, and themed efforts, it’s been nearly 5 years since diehard #Animals (fans of Ke$sha) have gotten their hands on official new music from the singer/songwriter, but now their patience is finally being rewarded.

Moments after unleashing her new single ‘Praying’ (click here to hear it), she sent fans into a frenzy by unveiling the tune’s parent album’s title, release date, and official track list.  Due August 11th, the 14-track project – christened ‘Rainbow’ – is feature heavy and even includes a guest appearance from country legend Dolly Parton.

See ‘Rainbow’s psychedelic artwork and full track list below:

Kesha ‘Rainbow’ tracklist

1. Bastards

2. Let ‘Em Talk (feat. Eagles Of Death Metal)

3. Woman (feat. The Dap-Kings Horns)

4. Hymn

5. Praying

6. Learn To Let Go

7. Finding You

8. Rainbow

9. Hunt You Down

10. Boogie Feet (feat. Eagles Of Death Metal)

11. Boots

12. Old Flames (Can’t Hold A Candle To You) [feat. Dolly Parton]

13. Godzilla

14. Spaceship

Fans have already proven they are eager to see what Kesha’s cooking up.  Real time iTunes charts revealed ‘Praying’ pounced to the top 5 of its tally shortly after being released and has been there most of the day.

Your thoughts?

Katy Perry‘s rubbed her Aussie fans the wrong way with a promo spot for her recently announced Australian tour dates.  The former Mrs. Brand’s brand of humor, which not too long ago landed her in hot water with President Obama supporters (click here to read), is feeling the fire again for a video ad where she jokingly tells her dog to ‘chase Koalas.’

The problem?  Koalas in Australia are vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss, being hit by vehicles, and (you guessed it) dog attacks.

The country’s top department store, Myer, is sponsoring Perry’s Australian leg of the ‘Witness’ tour.  After the backlash, the company had the commercial altered and the line referencing the koala to ‘time go get you a puppy passport.’

By that point, the story had already ignited fury.

“This is just absolute ignorance from Perry and Myer, and inappropriate on so many levels,” wildlife vet Claire Madden told Queensland’s Courier Mail. “Perry is a role model to so many young people, and this just destroys all the good work we do to try to encourage people not to let their dogs come into contact with koalas.”

Twitter and Facebook show complaints from leagues of other disappointed fans, some of whom have called for a boycott of the department store chain using the hashtag #boycottmyer.

As of time reported, Katy Perry has not issued a statement on the matter.

Your thoughts?