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VH1 will be hoping that the masses mark December 5th on their calendars. For, after a four year hiatus, the date brings with it the return of VH1 Divas.

Full story below…

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Welcome to the latest edition ‘That Grape Juice A&R‘, the ‘TGJ’ original feature which sees us switch critic for creative and weigh in on the directions of our staple acts.

Who we’ve set our Evan Lipschutz-sized sights on this time? Ciara.

Since ‘1,2 stepping’ onto the scene 12 years ago, the siren has etched her name in the history books thanks to a slew of chart smashes and memorable performances.

Now, as she commences work on her seventh studio album, the 30-year-old finds herself at a career crossroads.

Last year’s ‘Jackie’ didn’t resonate as hoped – critically or commercially – and ultimately saw the singer depart Epic Records.

In the time since, she’s made a number of notable changes in her team, upped her brand positioning, and is reportedly on the cusp of formalising a new deal.

So what time is better than the present to share our views of where she could (and perhaps should) veer with her next release.

Meet us below…

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It’s been a tough year for Celine Dion, following the death of her beloved husband Rene Angelil. But the iconic songstress is battling back to a better place.

This evening she flexed her funny-bone on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. And didn’t disappoint.

Dion is the latest name to play the now infamous ‘Wheel of Musical Impressions’ – which ironically went viral after Ariana Grande impersonated her.

Up against host Fallon, the vocal powerhouse channelled the likes of Rihanna, Sia, Cher, and Michael Jackson. 

What are you waiting for? Peep the hilarious segment after the jump…

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Kid Cudi has found a friend in the game-changing creative that is Lee Daniels.

Fortunately, said friendship has seen Cudi secure a role in Daniels’ TV series ‘Empire.’

Full story after the bounce…

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The R&B siren Kehlani strikes new creative ground once again today.

How? By dropping the song ‘Distraction’ to support her Mike Caren-backed studio album which is set to impact retailers on the fall.

The performer is undeniably one of the genre’s leading “newbies” but is yet to move noteworthy sales.

Will ‘Distraction’ change things?

Hit the play button below to find out?

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It’s a wrap for Cynthia Bailey and Peter Thomas.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta couple are headed for divorce court — and per Peter he found out online.

In a bid to clear up the speculation, the Bar1 entrepreneur – whose antics have often skewed controversial – spilled his side to Wendy Williams.

During their lengthy sit-down, he revealed that – despite being separated for five months – he learned of his wife’s intentions to finalize their break-up…on E! News.

Peep the interview below…

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Individually, Odell Beckham Jr and Drake reign supreme as leaders in their respective fields.

Together, they make for a scandal-free dynamic duo making major bank on the field and on the charts.

Keen to celebrate their brotherhood was GQ magazine who caught up with Beckham to discuss his ascent in NFL, his unique sense of style and the part he played in supporting his ‘Hotline Bling’ ringing sibling as he recorded his latest project ‘VIEWS.’

Read below…

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It seems things are getting ‘real’ for Adrienne Bailon. The former 3LW member is being sued by her management. The sum? $200,000.

Full story below…

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Blasts from the past rarely wow as much on second impact. Yet, Cher Lloyd is setting out to change that narrative with comeback single ‘Activated.’

The star rose to prominence on The X Factor UK and enjoyed a chart run on home soil which eventually landed her a US deal with the early incarnation of L.A Reid‘s Epic.

A string of respectable Stateside placements followed; yet with the label being in its infancy and no sizeable smash in sight, Lloyd quietly departed.

With the music industry being one of no guarantees, many assumed the singer had faded into the Pop abyss.

In reality, she was picking up the pieces. A journey which has led her to the release of this new number.

Can she activate another run of relevance? Take a listen below and let us know…

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

So, 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 tip our hats and raincoats to Rihanna Fenty‘s 2007 megahit ‘Umbrella.’  Originally written for (but later passed on by) pop princess Britney Spears, the tune found a home on Rih’s tertiary release, ‘Good Girl Gone Bad.’ A loss for Spears, but just the right move for Fenty as the Dream-produced cut and its accompanying music video came as a visual and sonic reintroduction of sorts for the Bajan beauty (who up to that point was known for her fairly safe radio offerings).

Calling to mentor/labelhead Jay-Z to assist with the percussion driven pop number, the song was an out-of-the-box success thanks for its catchy guitar riffs and, of course, that signature repetitious “ella ella ey ey.”  Going on to be the best-performing single of 2007 (only behind Beyonce‘s ‘Irreplaceable’), ‘Umbrella’ would not only garner Grammys, global critical acclaim, an impressive reign at #1 on the Hot 100 and help its parent album to #1 on the Billboard 200, but most importantly – in the grand scheme – it successfully transitioned the star to the bad gal we know today.

Hop down below the jump to replay ‘Umbrella’ and see if any of your faves from today accompanied Rih on the Hot 100’s upper rankings this week 9 years ago:

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Oprah‘s OWN continues to churn out imposing original content.

The latest piece of the network’s creative puzzle is a project named ‘Queen Sugar’, starring Rutina Wesley of HBO’s ‘True Blood.

Hit the play button below to peep its trailer and to read more about it!

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Before Michelle Obama waves goodbye to the White House, the First Lady seems keen to flaunt her more carefree side.

Not the only iconic female hoping to enjoy some of life’s smaller treats, Missy Elliott joins the Obama matriarch for an appearance on James Cordon’s Carpool Karaoke.

Cruising the streets of D.C, British comedian Cordon hosted the Illinois native in singing a string of songs, which included a rendition of Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered.’

Turning up the heat for the latter half of the ride was Elliott, who brought wowed with  ‘Work It.’

Peep the fun after the jump…

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