As one of the most active online destinations for Urban Pop, things move at a rapid pace here at That Grape Juice. However, each week, there’s always select stories that resonate most amongst our millions of monthly readers. Happen to miss one of them? Fret not, you now have…The Refill!

No frills or trills, The Refill simply recaps the hottest topics on the lips of the TGJ faithful over the last seven days. The metrics used to compile the list weekly are comments, social media shares, and page views.  So without further adieu…

That Grape Juice’s Top 5 Stories Of The Week!

1) Sales Predictions: Kanye West, J.Cole, and Kelly Rowland

2) Ne-Yo Talks Beyonce Album

3) Billboard Refuse To Count Samgsung Sales of New Jay-Z 

4) Kelly Rowland Reveals ‘Dirty Laundry’ Video Teaser

5) Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, and Ciara Added To BET Awards 2013

********

Your thoughts?

Mariah Carey is playing approximately no games with her comeback campaign.

Already a staple on American Idol, the premium diva looks set to cash in on the exposure. For, it has been announced that she will be kicking off Good Morning America’s annual Summer Concert Series next month!

Full story (and full performer list) after the jump…

(more…)

After axing a number of tour dates amidst rumours of poor ticket sales, things haven’t been looking so swell for Rihanna recently. Until now.

Moments ago, the nominations for the Billboard Music Awards 2013 were unwrapped and the model has multiple reasons to smile. More specifically, ten.

Full story…

(more…)

Guess which chart staple was snapped on her way into New York’s ‘Music Choice’ hours ago.

Need a hint? Ok. Her debut US single was recently certified Double Platinum for shipments of 2 million units.

Find out who it is below…

(more…)

Kelly Rowland‘s run on the X Factor UK had several highs, yet a number of lows — the latter of which saw the Destiny’s Child diva leave the show in 2011.

However, if new reports are to be believed, the ‘Kisses Down Low’ singer may be set to return to the talent-search – this time on home soil.

Details after the jump…

(more…)

Much like our ‘Retro Rewind’ and ‘From the Vault’ segments, readers of That Grape Juice know what avid music lovers we are – especially of hits past.  So in a quest to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday we introduced a new retrospective segment – ‘TGJ Replay’.

Unlike its ‘Rewind’ and ‘Vault’ predecessors, ‘Replay’ looks to dust off and showcase albums (and eras) from a library of pop music hits.  Today, we recap Keri Hilson’s ‘In A Perfect World’ – her critically acclaimed debut LP… (more…)

How hot do Alexandra Burke, LeToya Luckett and Adrienne Bailon look together?

The trio looked like a bag of money and good living on the set of a commercial for celebrity make-up artist AJ Crimson‘s new range.

Each of the ladies are working on respective albums; UK-bred Burke is piecing together her US debut, while Luckett is cooking up her third solo LP; former 3LW and Cheetah Girls singer Adrienne is readying her first project under Ne-Yo‘s Compound imprint.

Your thoughts?

He’s the R&B heart throb with a growing legion of loyal fans, enamoured with the voice that has everyone from Trey Songz to Ne-Yo singing his praises.

So strong is his buzz, that recent weeks saw the video for his debut single ‘Leggo‘ gain a new home at the ever popular E! network, and a rising momentum on Urban radio.

Now watch as he speaks to our friends over at ‘VIBE’ Magazine on the recording process of his debut album, and his admiration for a number of R&B’s leading players, including Rihanna‘s reported beau, Chris Brown.

Interview and Frank Ocean cover below!

(more…)

As far as Urban music goes, very few newbies can say they shine as bright as Ne-Yo‘s artist, B.Smyth.

Dominating Urban airwaves with his debut single ‘Leggo’, this year has seen him fast become one of his genre’s fastest rising stars, after being picked by 106 & Park’s video rotation.

Now, as to showcase the voice that spearheaded his label rise, he has taken on Rihanna‘s ballad, ‘Stay’.

Peep the hearth throb in action below…

(more…)

‘Why don’t you..tell..me..where to land’.

Say hey to our friend Travis Garland, the breath of sonic fresh air gearing up to take the world of Pop by storm.

The former frontman of the Pharell backed ‘NLT’, the 23 year old singer/songwriter steps even further into the spotlight with the release of the ‘Fashionably Late Vol.II‘ EP, executive produced Usher contributors, the ‘Stereotypes‘.

With a voice the likes of JoJo, Ryan Seacrest, Ne-Yo and Ron Fair have all fallen in love, Travis is one act we here at TGJ have been excited about for while and hope you’ll understand why when you check out his material.

Seriously, this is one new act you do not want to miss out on.

Enjoy below!!

(more…)

‘Our Version Of Events‘. ‘21′. ‘Babel‘.

For today’s consumer, the albums above are no doubt three of the decade’s highest selling releases- and in ‘21‘s case- one of the highest selling releases of all time.

However, while the last decade saw a number of R&B projects reach similar heights in a fashion just as spectacular, the last few years have seen the genre fall prey to a number of commercial bombs- despite efforts made by the fan favorites Frank Ocean and reigning Queen, Mary J. Blige.

Failing to produce projects that ever feel the warm embrace of Gold status, 2013 will see the genre birth a number of acts all hoping to exceed where many of their more recent predecessors failed. Two of those being Def Jam‘s Elijah Blake and Compound‘s very own B Smyth.

Unfortunately, with recent sales figures giving labels no real incentive to prioritise the genre, the pressure is on for more established acts like Beyonce and Usher to bring in new numbers akin to the prior bests, and the likes boasted by Alanis Morissette‘s ‘Jagged Little Pill’ (16x Platinum) and Celine Dion‘s ‘Let’s Talk About Love’ (10x Platinum).

Of course, while these albums were released in a world free of illegal downloads and tougher ‘industry laws’, numbers generated by Adele, Emeli Sande and Coldplay do go a long way in proving that ‘mega selling’ LPs are far from over.

More below…

(more…)

For one reason or another, the success of its individual members have gone some way to overshadow the impact Destiny’s Child made as a collective.

Shifting 17.5 million units in the US alone, reports of the trio’s forthcoming ‘Superbowl 2013 reunion reached fever pitch with the release of a new single, ‘Nuclear’  and confirmation of a new release, billed ‘Love Songs‘.

Both of which, if the iTunes UK is anything to go by, has seen the group enjoy a substantial sales spike in the market- securing them a number of Top Ten  digital spots.

Details below…

(more…)

**