Actress Alexandra Shipp takes on the role of a lifetime as she assumes the part of R&B princess Aaliyah in Lifetime’s forthcoming biopic of the late star.

Airing November 15th at 8/7p C, the womens’ television network – despite being greeted by mixed reviews from fans of the songstress – are forging ahead with promotion of the project they’re billing the “event of the season.”  While our peeks at the movie’s trailer can definitely confirm such billing, we’ve been keeping our eyes glued to the behind-the-scenes looks at its creation.

Tuck in below to hear Shipp and Luther Brown, the movie’s choreographer, dish on Aaliyah’s legacy and what viewers can expect when the film makes its premiere in just two weeks!

 It all awaits…

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Despite his 8th studio album ‘UR’ getting off to a rocky start with its moderately performing singles, veteran R&B singer Usher maintains – and recently reaffirmed – that he has “nothing to prove.”

Gearing up to kick off his “UR Experience” tour in promotion of the project, the Grammy winner recently sat down with CBS Radio to dish on the new trek, reflect over his 20 year career and more.

“No doubt about it, I don’t have to prove anything. I mean I’ve been doin it for 20 years, this will be my 8th album, and I’m just naturally a hard worker, anything that I do I go after it to be the best.”

Before Montreal fans get a peek at Ush and soon-to-be R&B roadmate August Alsina in action this Saturday, tuck in below to hear Ush dish on the tour:

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Is Kelly Rowland gearing up dally with Dance music again? It certainly seems so.

Recently, the heavily pregnant performer chatted it up with our friends over at The Fader about her fifth solo album and revealed that she’s paired up with renown Electronic Dance DJ Tokimonsta to record new tracks for the set.

Peep the insightful soundbites below…

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British singing sensation Ella Henderson is making a beeline for global status.

The 18-year-old star, who has achieved blockbuster success on home soil with debut album ‘Chapter One’, made her American television debut on the Today Show this morning and ensured she left quite the impression.

Henderson, who came sixth on the UK incarnation of The X Factor in 2012, has since gone on to eclipse the achievements of most of the show’s winners and amasses critical acclaim in the process.

Can she win over the Stateside audience, though? Based on the performance below, she certainly has a strong chance…

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With over 20 years in the music industry, Common is quite literally flying the flag for longevity.

The Hip-Hop heavyweight, who rose from the underground scene in Chicago to mainstream notability with hits such as ‘Go!’, shares the secret of his staying power in the latest instalment of Honda’s 16 Bars.

Crediting a desire to fuse his own experiences with the ever-evolving sounds and trends that serve as the audio backdrop to today’s scene, the star also stresses the importance of studying the greats such as Rakim and Notorious B.I.G.

Watch Common’s wise words below…

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Three years after her UK debut album ‘ORA’ touched down in the market, Rita Ora wil launch her hotly anticipated US debut, set for takeoff in 2015.

This year, she speaks openly about a number of events set to inspire its lyrics with ‘Cosmopolitan‘, hitting the mag to dish on her relationship with Calvin Harris, her Iggy Azalea-led hit single ‘Black Widow‘ and her admiration for Katy Perry.

Oh…and why she feels sex is a “form of getting to know someone.”

An honest Ora below…

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K. Michelle officially kicked off the campaign for her sophomore album today.

The R&B star told That Grape Juice earlier this month that the title of the project would be unveiled in dramatic fashion and she’s kept her word.

Moments ago, the official trailer for the LP – the follow-up to last year’s ‘Rebellious Soul’ – was revealed in a theatrical themed trailer.

Titled ‘Anybody Wanna Buy A Heart’, the set is preceded by single ‘Love ‘Em All’ and Michelle’s new VH1 reality show ‘K. Michelle: My Life’ (which premieres on November 3rd).

Check out the album trailer below…

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Not even two weeks ago we shared a report that indicated not one album released in 2014 had gone platinum.

Indeed, the startling report yielded news that the best selling albums of 2014 were actually released last year (Beyonce‘s ‘Beyonce’ and Disney’s ‘Frozen Official Soundtrack’).  Well, as we predicted, if ever a savior was to be appointed it would be Taylor Swift.

With her top-selling hit ‘Shake It Off’ dominating singles charts, there was no doubt that its parent album – ‘1989’ – would follow in the stead of its predecessors and shift at least 500k its first week.  Two weeks ago, industry forecasters projected the record would sell 750k during its inaugural week of availability.  A week later, that number was pushed upward to 900k.

Now…well, let’s just say now our previous report of “no album going platinum in 2014” is null and void:

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Unbothered (or perhaps unaware) of covert moves made by one ex-bandmate hoping to tarnish her reputation within the industry, Dawn took to ‘Billboard‘ to speak on her departure from the group recently.

There, she also spoke openly on her plans to conquer the charts as a solo act, and why- despite its messy demise- she wishes all of Kane’s members the best.

Her words below…

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Budding Pop divas Fifth Harmony are hitting hard with their new single ‘Sledgehammer’.

The track, which was penned by chart winner Megan Trainor, has been rolled out earlier this week as the second offering from the quintet’s debut album ‘Reflection’ (due December 16th).

And after being received well by critics, it appears the cut has resonated with the record-buying public too.

Details below…

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Has Nicki Minaj found a friend in the UK’s Channel 5?

If a recent move made the channel is anything to go by, the answer to that question is yes, teaming up with their parent company ‘Viacom‘ to push the star’s name and face into the homes of millions across the UK.

Full story below…

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If the answer to the questions above are yes, one might say you’re in luck. Why? The pair are plotting to rock the charts with a brand new single named ‘You Are (My Love)’.

Full story below…

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