As much as their respective fan-bases would like to state otherwise the female Pop throne is dually occupied by two powerful divas: Madonna and Janet Jackson.
This week From The Vault salutes the Queen of the Jackson dynasty and what we deem one of her most iconic songs and videos to date, 1993’s ‘If’.

After the phenomenal chart performance of ‘That’s The Way Love Goes’ – which was a significant change of pace, theme as well as style for the singer – the pressure was on for Janet to deliver something as exciting as the launching single of her eponymous fifth effort. All doubts were silenced when ‘If’ was selected as the follow-up single.
Another Janet, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis concoction, the Rock-infused track skilfully fused the the sound of the star’s preceding album ‘Rhythm Nation‘ with her newfound sexy.

Chart wise, it was another Billboard Top 5 for the artist, reached the 4th position of the Canadian charts and peaked at #14 in the UK.

What undoubtedly etched ‘If’ in the Pop Culture history book is its iconic music video – most especially the sickening choreography it showcases courtesy of the legendary Tina Landon. Directed by frequent collaborator Dominic Sena, the visual is set in a kinky Japanese nightclub where Janet performs seductively for a captivated crowd.

Oh…and did we mentioned “that” dance-break? Beyond being a visual exclamation mark for the song, video and MTV era, it’s widely regarded as one of the most groundbreaking pieces in the world of dance. And for reasons it simply justifies itself.

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What better day than International Women’s Day to highlight how much this artist and video have been influential for Women in Pop. Indeed, by being herself – fearless and fly, by not being afraid to express her fantasies, and by exhibiting precision in her dancing and the conviction she puts in her craft, Jackson managed to change the Pop landscape for the better. She became an ambassador for female empowerment and birthed a whole new generation of performers – both female and male.

While we wait for the Queen to return to the charts, we urge you to press play and reminiscence with us about this classy classic which is still as sexy, innovative and edgy today as it was 23 years ago.

Your thoughts?

Mo’Nique is fighting vehemently for both her career and her reputation.

The star’s claim that she was told she had been “blackballed” by Hollywood has not only made headlines but has also birthed a slew of new ones.

Most notable in the midst of the mayhem has been her war of words with ‘Precious’ director Lee Daniels – the man she says informed her of her relegated status.

Unapologetic, Daniels (who is enjoying ample success with his FOX series ‘Empire’), elaborated on his statement by adding that he feels the actress/comedian ultimately “blackballed” herself by bailing on promotional duties.

Still on the rebuttal trail, Mo and her husband/manager Sidney Hicks stopped by V103 radio in Atlanta this week to tell their side of the story.

A fascinating watch, the pair expand on the reasons for rejecting the requests (from the movie studio, Oprah Winfrey, and others) to promote the film abroad.

What’s more, while suggesting that she’s the latest in a long line of “friends” Daniels has turned on, Mo’ revealed that Halle Berry has fallen foul of his favour and that she witnessed him call the ‘Extant’ actress a “b*tch.”

Watch below…

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Kanye West has been given a brand new moniker…by Madonna.

Yes, after she teased their forthcoming collaboration, she has declared that he is the black…her.

Her words below…

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Though incessantly pit against one another, Beyonce and Rihanna have consistently maintained a respectful stance towards each other.

The public show of support continued last night when Rih was filmed getting down to her idol’s 2014 hit ‘7/11’ while at a Paris Fashion Week party in France.

Watch Ms. Fenty turn up below…

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After making a number of sizeable donations to the ‘Red Cross’ and the AIDS Project Los Angeles, Chris Brown has reportedly learned that the mother of his daughter has been leaking stories about him to the press in exchange for money.

Bad news for the generous performer below…

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Perhaps it’s the stress of the album delays? Or the lukewarm reception to lead single ‘FourFiveSeconds’?

Whatever the case, Rihanna is not in the mood for nonsense nor political correctness.

For, while in France today for Paris Fashion Week, the Puma model clashed with a fan who is believed to have grabbed at her as she left her hotel.

Peep the footage (captured and uploaded by a fan) below…

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Brandy is putting in that work!

The Vocal Bible has been hitting the studio to lay down vocals for the next chapter in her discography and has enlisted an all-star cast to assist.

Having logged in time with the likes of Diane Warren and Oak, B-Rocka stepped into the lab with Hit-Boy this week following an earlier session this year.

Aptly named, the producer is renown for crafting smashes such as ‘Clique’, ‘N***as In Paris’ and Beyonce’s ‘Flawless’.

Needless to say we can’t wait to hear what he – along with Stacey Barthe and Preston Harris (also pictured above) – have cooked up for Ms. Norwood.

Click below to see Brandy spill on the direction of the LP, the follow-up to 2012’s ‘Two Eleven’…

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And the accolades continue to flood in.

A potent blend of talent and business savvy have established Beyonce atop of the Pop pack.

Indeed, beyond being a formidable force on the charts, the 33-year-old has proven herself capable of shape-shifting the very industry she exists within; a point punctuated by fact that – in the aftermath of her 2013 surprise album release – new music will now arrive on the same day worldwide.

With the said project being orchestrated by the star’s own company, Parkwood Entertainment, it’s little surprise that the business has been honored as one of the Most Innovative In The World.

The title was bestowed on Parkwood by Fast Company, who tallied a top ten of game changing businesses across different disciplines.

Their reason for picking Queen B below…

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Ever out of the box, Kanye West is pairing the push for his new music with his passion for fashion.

Presently in France for Paris Fashion Week, Yeezy took to the stage to perform at an event hosted by Louis Vuitton today.

Preceding his showing was the screening of the video for his newest song ‘All Day’, which topped the US iTunes tally earlier this week.

Directed by ’12 Years A Slave’ director Steve McQueen (who was also in the house to watch ‘Ye in action), fan footage of the clip has since surfaced.

Check it out below…

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A decade or so ago, they used internet forums and websites akin to the infamous ‘Beyonceitis.com’ to flex their digital muscles.

Then, in a world where the star wasn’t as widely revered as she is today, they used facts, figures, stats and endorsements from other public figures to solidify Beyonce‘s place (at least on a popularity front) above the likes of Janet Jackson, Blu Cantrell, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Ashanti and even her own Destiny’s Child sibling Kelly Rowland.

Today, not much has changed for Beyonce’s ‘Beyhive’, the fan base renown for terrorising (or stinging) any who dare to criticise the Pop icon.

Now, their efforts have been acknowledged by ‘Time’, who have featured them in their ’30 Most Influential People on the Net’ list.

Full story below…

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Since January, Whitney Houston‘s only child Bobbi Kristina has lay in coma in an Atlanta hospital where she’s been fighting for her life after being found face down in a bath tub.

The weeks following her hospitalisation have brought with them many questions surrounding the 22-year-old’s longterm boyfriend Nick Gordon and the role he may have played in the matter.

Publicly put down by Bobbi’s father Bobby Brown, Gordon has been forbidden access to the hospital where the woman he falsely claimed was his “wife” is being cared for by doctors.

Seemingly fed up, he agreed to an interview with talk-show host Dr Phil this week to tell his side of the story. Unbeknownst to him, the sit-down was actually an intervention set up by his mother – who has been worried about his suicidal thoughts and substance abuse.

Set to air on Wednesday (March 11th), a sneak peek of the tense episode has been released.

Watch below…

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Lady GaGa has been on quite the winning streak of late.

Well documented is the under-performance of her 2013 album ‘ARTPOP’ (which has yet to sell 800,000 in the US). However the onset of this year has already brought with it both a Grammy and a Gold certification for ‘Cheek To Cheek’ – her Jazz standards album with Tony Bennett.

What’s more, the superstar earned universal acclaim for her jaw-dropping ‘Sound Of Music’ medley at the Oscars late last month, which was swiftly followed by the blockbuster announcement that she’ll be starring in the hit series ‘American Horror Story’.

Naturally, then, the assumption was that the singer would quickly leverage the positive climate into the roll-out of her next project.

Perhaps so. Yet, it’s now been confirmed that the diva is unlikely to deliver said LP before the close of this year.

Full story below…

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