beyonce coldplay thatgrapejuice super bowl

The announcement of mega-Brit band Coldplay headlining the 2016 Super Bowl Halftime show was immediately accompanied by rumors of who would be joining them on stage.  And, given the wealth of high profile co-stars on their two decades worth of hits, the task of picking a guest star on “the world’s biggest stage” would prove no easy feat.

But, if the reports flooding in now are to be believed, they’ve selected someone who knows a thing or two about rocking a Super Bowl Halftime show:  Beyonce

(more…)

brandy i wanna be down 1995 thatgrapejuice

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.

Today, we’ll get down with ‘I Wanna Be Down’ – the official inaugural single of R&B siren Brandy. Launched in 1994 from her self-titled debut album, the Urban groove was quickly lauded by critics for housing some seriously seasoned soulful vocals from the then-15 year old.  Soaring straight to #1 on the R&B charts, this week in 1995 saw the tune stay put at its Hot 100 peak (achieved two weeks prior) amidst a group of the day’s heaviest hitters.

Joining rank with the likes of Boyz II Men, Madonna, Janet Jackson, and more, tuck in below to point out the familiar faces and find out where ‘Down’ hit its highest note on the pop charts:

(more…)

michael-jackson-123-thatgrapejuice

$2 Billion.

That is the amount the estate of Michael Jackson has grossed since his tragic passing in 2009.

It’s no wonder, then, why Team MJ are continuing to keep the wheels moving with new ventures pertaining to the late, great King of Pop.

The latest, it has been announced, will be released next month.

Details below…

(more…)

naomi-claudia-cindy-thatgrapejuice

In an era of filters and fakery, it’s often difficult to decipher what’s real and what’s not.

However, there’s no denying the collective slayage that is the Balmain Spring/Summer 2016 campaign led by supermodel Naomi Campbell.

The stunner cuts a striking figure next to fellow “originals” Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer. Olivier Rousteing, the fashion house’s creative director Olivier Rousteing, also poses it up with the ladies – who in the 90s diva defined the “super” in supermodel.

More fierceness awaits after the cut…

(more…)

usher-2016-2-thatgrapejuice

Usher brought the campaign for his new album to a screeching halt in 2014 after a number of the singles it spurned failed to produce fireworks on the charts.

And after sitting out much of 2015, it seems as though the New Year will finally bring fresh material from the 37-year-old superstar.

While performing at a Samsung event recently, the crooner previewed a selection of tracks from the LP (which previously had a working title of ‘UR’).

Check ’em out below….

(more…)

focus ariana grande thatgrapejuice

Once America’s sweetheart, some will argue it was Ariana Grande‘s sweet tooth (see:  donut licking incident) that left a sour taste in music lovers’ mouths.  If so, it’s this very distaste that has seen itself reflected in the chart performance of ‘Focus’ – the official first single from the singer’s third studio effort ‘Moonlight.’

Barely giving time for the heat from her donut disaster to cool, Grande quickly tried to shift the public focus back to her music when she announced the single’s arrival in September 2015.  By October, the horn-heavy tune was blaring from the speakers of her faithful #Arianators, many of whom praised the songstress for the rhythmic bop and the increased intensity of its accompany music video’s choreography.  Outside of the fan group, however, some critics were none-too-impressed and quickly noted the number’s similarity to her last album’s inaugural single – the Iggy Azalea-assisted ‘Problem.’

But, that’s just where the problem began…

 

(more…)

rihanna-that-grape-juice-anti-diary-that-grape-juice

Almost four years after the release of her last album ‘Unapologetic’ Rihanna gears up to release her new LP ‘ANTI’ this year.

Alas, her fans are unhappy with the campaign built to support it as they feel it has been scarred by several false starts.

Today they take matters into their own hands.

Find out how below…

(more…)

rihanna-that-grape-juice-2015-181919181919107181811919

Weeks may separate her from the first date of her ‘ANTI World Tour’ but that hasn’t stopped Rihanna from returning to the studio to record more material for its supporting album of the same name.

Full story below…

(more…)

peoples-choice-awards-2016-thatgrapejuice

The People’s Choice Awards 2016 aired live last night from Los Angeles.

As its banner title relays, the show is notable for being voted for entirely by the public, a fact which arguably helps gauge who is most “popular” at this point in time.

Spanning a wide variety of categories, the full list of music winners awaits below.

With the likes of Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, and Janet Jackson up for honors, did your “fave” nab an award?

Find out below…

(more…)

andre-3000-that-grape-juice-2015-19101010101101010

Andre 3000 has found a friend in television.

Much to the delight of his fans the ‘Hey Ya’ artist has joined the cast of ‘American Crime‘ to make his first foray into the world of the small screen.

Only right that he celebrates the exciting new chapter in his life with an interview with ‘Billboard’ where he speaks openly about his new role and how he feels his ex-lover Erykah Badu following their reunion on her latest body of work.

Read below…

(more…)

Being-Mary-Jane-Returns-thatgrapejuice

BET is on a roll!

After scoring a win with Brandy‘s ‘Zoe Ever After,’ the network announced ‘Being Mary Jane’ fans are in for a treat as the Gabrielle Union-led series is set to return for yet another season.

Details below:

(more…)

OWN Haves and have nots tyler perry thatgrapejuice

Fans apparently couldn’t wait to get their eyes and ears back on Tyler Perry‘s delectable soap opera, ‘The Haves and the Have Nots’!

Picking up where season 3’s jaw dropper left off, the Tika Sumpter-led series came back with a serious bang as its return to screens clocked the highest viewership on cable TV last night.

Talk about winning!  Tuck in below to see how many faithful viewers tuned in for OWN’s flagship series:

(more…)

**