Before ‘Work’ somewhat saved the day, Rihanna‘s ‘ANTI’ era was the muckiest of messes.

Hoping for better fortunes on her next swing of the bat, RiRi is readying her 9th studio album.

More renown for performing her songs than she is for writing them, Ms. Fenty appears to be assembling talent to piece together her next batch of hopeful hits.

British newcomer RAYE is one of them.

Speaking to MTV UK, the singer-songwriter revealed she has been invited to pen music for the as yet untitled LP. She said:

“I literally, like ‘thank you god’, have been asked to be part of the Rihanna writing camp, which is in a month’s time and I’m so excited!

Obviously so many people are writing for her but to be asked and to be part of it and to be one step closer is a dream come true.”

With the coast somewhat “clear” following Katy’s tanking and Beyonce’s absence, it’ll be intriguing to see how Ri capitalizes…or doesn’t.

In any case, are you as excited as Raye is for new Rihanna music?

Your thoughts?

Is performing while “alive” the same as performing “live”?  Pop diva Britney Spears seems to think so as she recently took to press to clap back at ongoing rumors of playback.

As her tour of Asia continues to rake in the big bucks, the Grammy-winner sat down with TV interviewers in Tel Aviv to address murmurs of lip syncing.  Yes, the topic is nothing new for the songstress as it has plagued most of her nearly two-decade long career, but it appears she has had it with detractors slamming her with the accusation she’s branded as “simply untrue.”

Hear her sound off below:

Exclusive: Britney in a new interview for the Israeli TV about her playback issue! pic.twitter.com/19NKnnRgH0

— Britney In Israel (@Stan4Godney) June 27, 2017

Britney:

“…because it’s really funny – a lot of people think that I don’t sing live… Because I’m dancing so much I do have a little bit of playback, but there’s a mixture of my voice and the playback. It really pisses me off because I am busting my ass out there and singing at the same time and nobody ever really gives me credit for it.”

*****

The quote above comes less than a month after the ‘Toxic’ hitmaker was caught up in a lip-syncing scandal during a recent stop in Japan.  See that by clicking here if you missed it.

Your thoughts?

In prior years, Rihanna put her romantic life on front-street. From Chris Brown to Matt Kemp to Drake, all shared for public consumption.

However, in recent times the model has remained mum on who she’s dating.

Her silence has clearly piqued the interest of photographers, who snapped the 29-year-old getting all sorts of close with an unnamed man in Spain.

The pair were inseparable and seemed to get their entire lives in a steamy pool moment.

See what we mean below…

A post shared by My Twitter ID: @RihannaNaviCan (@tdot0_1navi) on Jun 27, 2017 at 2:01pm PDT

Well, ok Ms. Fenty. Do you.

We just hope she frolics with better material for the follow-up to ‘ANTI’ whenever it’s due.

Your thoughts?

Since bursting on the scene as a solo artist, Sevyn Streeter has been on quite the journey. Both personally and professionally. And the R&B star is drawing on all for her debut album ‘Girl Disrupted.’

That Grape Juice caught up with the talented songstress at the 2017 BET Awards, where she opened up about the project.

Ever candid, Streeter revealed that some of her exes will no doubt be irked by the lyrical content on the LP, which features contributions from the The-Dream, Ty Dolla $ign, and more.

Watch her dish on her long-awaited debut, due on July 7th (her birthday), above.

Your thoughts?

As the early Grammy buzz for Kendrick Lamar‘s ‘DAMN’ album gains volume, the rapper has hatched the video for ‘ELEMENT.’

Directed by Jonas Lindstroem, the visual continues K.Dot’s cinematic output this cycle – a thread consistent in the clips for the likes of ‘DNA’ and  ‘HUMBLE.’

A fan-favorite, ‘ELEMENT’ sees the Hip-Hop titan assert his “top dawg” status in the most creative of ways.

Check it out below…

Another touchdown.

Your thoughts?

La La and Carmello Anthony made headlines earlier this year when word hit the curb the basketball star had stepped out on his wife and impregnated another woman.

Confirmation never came, but the biggest sign that drama was indeed going down surfaced when the pair ceased living together and La removed her wedding ring.

Currently starring in STARZ hit ‘Power,’ the actress stopped by the Wendy Williams Show to discuss its 4th season.

Ms. Wendy naturally quizzed with all the questions we all want answers to, including squarely asking whether La and Carmelo were divorcing.

Watch what went down below…

La handled the grilling well and radiated positivity during what must be a difficult time.

Your thoughts?

Rita Ora is hitting the live circuit in support of new single ‘Your Song.’

On the cusp of a top 10 placing in the UK, the Ed Sheeran production remains a strong performer on radio and is dominating digitally; the result of both being weekly growth.

Assisting its ascend, 26-year-old Ora took over The One Show to perform the summer-soaked song.

Backed by a full band, the West Londoner lit up the stage.

Catch her in action below…

Solid!

Rita’s long awaited album is due in the Fall, but in the meanwhile US viewers check her out as she hosts ABC’s new show ‘Boy Band.’ 

Your thoughts?

Tennis ace Serena Williams stunned the world when she announced that she is expecting her first child and now she’s stunning in Vanity Fair.

Cutting a striking figure a-front in the August 2017 issue of the magazine, Williams celebrates imminent motherhood with a gorgeous spread lensed by Annie Leibovitz.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion also appears alongside her entrepreneur fiancé Alexis Ohanian – co-founder of Reddit.

Notoriously private, Williams has been historically coy about her romantic life – opting to leave the spotlight on her legendary skills. However, within the feature, she and Ohanian open up about their relationship.

They discuss meeting by chance, preparing for their Fall wedding, and being bi-coastal until then.

Peep the gorgeous shoot below…

Click here to read the full interview.

Your thoughts?

Zayn Malik has a problem on his hands.

Rocked by the pressures of fame and the weight of anxiety, the star has announced that he has pulled the plug on several shows in Japan.

The shows were set up to replace a cancelled set of live gigs in the market and now, as the first show’s date draws closer, Malik has decided to cancel them too upsetting fans in the process.

Sources close to ‘The Sun’ cite a change in the performer’s recording schedule and the demands of planning  world tour as the reason for the shock cancellation.

Alas, another source feels there is more to the story and berated him with…

If he never performs, there’s a danger his solo career will flop!

Your thoughts?

Serena Williams has stepped up and out to defend her talent after it was questioned by the 58-year-old tennis icon John McEnroe.

The heavily pregnant athlete took to Twitter to respond to an insult McEnroe threw her way when he said:

If she played the men’s circuit she’d be, like, 700 in the world.

That doesn’t mean I don’t think Serena is an incredible player, and I suppose anything’s possible; maybe at some point a women’s tennis player can be better than anybody.

I just haven’t seen that in any other sport, and I haven’t seen it in tennis. If she had to just play the men’s circuit, it would be an entirely different story.

How she responded?

Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017

I’ve never played anyone ranked “there” nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I’m trying to have a baby. Good day sir

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017

Your thoughts?

The usually outspoken Mariah Carey was lost for words when she came face to face with a political grilling recently.

In Israel to push and promote her partnership with Premier Dead Sea Cosmetics, the entertainer was quizzed on her ex-lover James Packer’s ties to an investigation into corruption and illegal gift giving centred around his friend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

How she responded?

Watch below…

Who the hell let this interviewer ask Mariah about the politics in Israel concerning her and her ex ? pic.twitter.com/LVwNi8UtwE

— I DON’T KNOW HER (@I_Dont_Know_Her) June 27, 2017

Oh, now they want to blame me? Someone wants to blame me for something now? What did I do? I didn’t do anything. Honestly I feel bad about that if that happened to anybody, I don’t want anyone to have any kind of bad issues for themselves and I’m just trying to be, trying to do me, and that’s it. That’s all I can do, is be responsible for my own self.

Enraged, Carey cancelled an event which was scheduled to take place hours after the interview above hit the net.

Your thoughts?

Calvin Harris has assembled an all-star line-up for new album ‘Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1.’

The latest song to be issued from the set (due June 30th) is the aptly funky ‘Feels,’ featuring Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, and Big Sean).

And it appears it’s being given the full single treatment. For, the unlikely quad shot a video and it was unwrapped moments ago.

Directed by Emil Nava, the simple visual sees Katy and co soaking up the elements.

Check it out…

It’s not ‘Thriller,’ but neither is the song. So it does a decent job of bringing to life what could be a cute summer hit.

On a side note, it would have been a smart move for Katy to court a laid-back groove like this rather than songs like ‘Swish Swish’ and ‘Bon Appetit,’ both of which lacked authenticity.

Your thoughts?