As reported, Amber Riley will be blazing the stage in London as the centre-piece of the Dreamgirls production.

And this weekend saw the singer given a star-studded send-off in Los Angeles.

One of the notable names to take to the stage was her friend Jordin Sparks, who blew the roof off the building with a spirited rendition of Whitney Houston‘s classic ‘I Have Nothing.’

Ironically, it was everything.

Watch below…

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On the critical front Britney Spears‘ 9th album, ‘Glory,’ has certainly lived up to its titling.  Hailed by many as her best work since 2007’s groundbreaking, ‘Blackout,’ the album has certainly earned its share of glorious reviews from industry insiders and music lovers alike.

Sadly – even with a fair promotional schedule that’s seen her tackle print, radio, and television – that fanfare has not been reflected commercially.  Moving a moderate 111,000 SPS its first week, the album was blocked from the top spot by legendary diva Barbra Streisand and country group Florida Georgia Line.  But, if fans were disheartened by those first week figures,second week is singing an even worse song for the ‘Baby One More Time’ singer.

With a whopping 87% drop in sales, Spears made a beeline right out of the top 10 in just the second full week of the set’s full availability.  Keen to know where she landed on this week’s refreshed chart?

Tuck in below to find out:

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In January 2015 we reported rapstress Nicki Minaj, with 60 Hot 100 titles to her credit, was only 14 entries away from entering history books with “the most Hot 100 entries by a female in history.”

Held at bay by country darling Taylor Swift and Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin at the time, fast forwarding to September 2016 has seen little change.  Minaj, now with 68 titles to her credit, still remains 3rd in line behind Franklin and Swift.  However, with the addition of Ariana Grande‘s ‘Side to Side’ (which debuted at #31 last week), the ‘Va Va Voom‘ vixen is swiftly closing the gap between herself and her history-making competitors.

In reference to ‘Side,’ Billboard reports:

The song arrives as Minaj’s 68th Hot 100 hit, moving her to within five of Aretha Franklin‘s record for the most among women (73) and one shy of runner-up Taylor Swift’s total (69). (“Side” is Grande’s 21st Hot 100 title.)

Here is an updated look at the women with the most Hot 100 visits, dating to the chart’s Aug. 4, 1958 inception:

73, Aretha Franklin
69, Taylor Swift
68, Nicki Minaj
57, Madonna
57, Rihanna

Impressive! Tuck in below to see this week’s updated chart:

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Usher’s opening week number prediction for his new LP ‘Hard II Love’ has arrived.

How he’s set to  fare?

Find out below…

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Hillary Clinton‘s quest for the White House took a turn for the positive hours ago when she made her to the 39th Annual Symposium of BWA in Washington DC.

There, after taking some time to recover from pneumonia, the politician thanked the African-American community for supporting her political career and honoured the achievements of the electorate’s women.

That isn’t all.

For, she promised to return the favour by vowing to their place needs at the forefront of her plans should she win the election.

Watch below…

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Let some critics tell it, R&B superstar Usher‘s new album, ‘Hard II Love,’ does not live up to its title.

Noted by many-a-reviewer for its tracklist being lined with moving ballads and daring departures from mainstream R&B, the set’s lead singles –‘Crash,’ ‘No Limit’ (ft. Young Thug), and ‘Rivals’ (featuring Future) – have proven themselves a clear, yet strategic and intentional attempts to draw today’s younger listeners.

From where we (the buying public) stand in relation to the boardroom (on the outside looking in), however, it appears the strategic tactics stopped there.  For, with a surprise early release and few promotional appearances to announce its availability, the absence of buzz for the project may see ‘Hard II Love’ very ‘Hard II Find’ in the upper rankings of the Billboard 200.

An alarming fact given the high hopes many had for ‘Hard’ to help return the one-time chart champion back to his former glory…

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This week brought with it the long-awaited return of Emeli Sande, who debuted her roof-raising new single ‘Hurts.’

The haunting track is the first taste of sophomore album ‘Long Live The Angels,’ which flies into stores on November 11th.

Beyond being her first body of work since 2013’s 7x Platinum debut ‘Our Version Of Events,’ it’s her first release under the management of Jay Z’s Roc Nation.

With expectations high, Sande wasted no time hitting the stage in support of the track which is already top 5 on UK iTunes. Her first stop? BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge.

Watch her captivating performance after the jump…

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Following Rihanna’s departure from the label, Def Jam undoubtedly turned to Frank Ocean to lead the way for its promising yet commercially unfulfilled roster.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before he followed in the ‘ANTI’ purveyor’s footsteps and kicked the company to the curb.

Why?

A report on his feud with the label and its staff members below…

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Welcome to Retro Rewind, the TGJ original feature carved out to take our readers on a fun and informative journey to the past.

Today, ten years after its release, we celebrate the groundbreaking project that is Rosie Perez‘ ‘Yo soy Boricua, pa’que tu lo sepas!’

In it, the former ‘FlyGirl’ travels far and wide to learn the truth about her Puerto Rican history and ancestry.

What she discovers takes viewers on a riveting journey into Puerto Rico’s rich and glorious culture, its peoples ties to Africa and the government-backed sterilisation of its women in a cruel and racist bid to reduce its population size.

Take that journey to the past with us below….

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‘In Common’ crooner Alicia Keys proved she has more in common with country star Cam than fans may have originally thought.  A longtime self-professed country fan, Keys showed off her versatility at the 2016 ACM Honors when she teamed up with the country songstress to perform Little Big Town‘s ‘Girl Crush.’

Taped live at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium, tuck in below to see the 15-time Grammy winner’s stirring performance that ended with a thunderous standing ovation from the audience…

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Fergie’s comeback single, ‘M.I.L.F. $,’ may have topped iTunes, nabbed over 100 million views on Youtube, and given her the highest Hot 100 debut of her career (#34 debut and peak), but since its poor reception at radio and mixed critical review the tune has since plummeted out of sight.

Its star-studded video may have helped keep it in mention for awhile, but the buzz certainly was not enough to launch her long awaited ‘Double Dutchess’ era.  Keen to turn things around, Fergie Ferg has unveiled a brand spankin’ new remix EP featuring 6 revamps of the tune.

With additions form the likes of Polow Da Don (the producer of the original), Dave Aude, Slushii, and more, tuck in below to get your groove on:
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Emeli Sande is back and wasting no time hitting the promotional trail for new album album ‘Long Live The Angels.’

Fresh from launching its lead single ‘Hurts’ on BBC Radio 1 this morning, the multi-platinum chanteuse stopped by the station’s Live Lounge for a show-stopping set.

Backed by a full band, she performed an array of songs – including a cover of Rihanna‘s ‘FourFiveSeconds.’

How did she do with her Roc Nation sister’s track? Venture below to find out. A rendition of D’Angelo‘s ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’ also awaits…

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