She’s the Rap Empress currently guiding a gang of  new Pop hopefuls to the top on FOX’s ‘American Idol’.

Now, before she returns to judging duty on the show later on this week, Nicki Minaj extends her own run at the height of Pop with news we’re sure will leave  her detractors pressed, perplexed and reaching their nearest box of Kleenex today.

Find out why below…

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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’s conspectus comes from the Queen of Quiet Storm – Anita Baker.

The singer’s sophomore album ‘Rapture’ thrust her into the stratosphere of 80s prime R&B and made her the forerunner of a new movement for the genre:

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While delays can spell disaster for a project, the push back of Fantasia‘s fourth album ‘The Side Effects Of You’ is seeming more justified by the day.

Originally due in March, the Idol alum cited the need to map out proper promotion as the prime reason for the hold up. And it appears she’s using the extra time wisely. For, not only has singer announced a new date (April 16th), she’s also unwrapped the LP’s cover, and now its tracklisting too.

Find out what Ms. Barrino will be serving up in a matter of months after the jump… (more…)

For Mindless Behavior, all roads lead to March 12th.

The date brings with it the release of the teen sensation’s hotly anticipated sophomore album ‘All Around The World’.

Preceded by the single ‘Keep Her On The Low’, the project is said to usher in an edgier and (slightly) older M.O for the Interscope pin-ups.

We caught up with the boys recently to chat about the LP. Watch above as Ray Ray, Roc Royal, Princeton, and Prodigy dish on their new sound, touring with Janet Jackson, their own favourite artists, and much more.

{Interview was shot at our favorite shoe spot, Creative Recreation}

Your thoughts?

The Euro invasion of the US charts has brought with it a host of acts hoping to extend their success narratives to an arena so notoriously hard to “break”.

Soulful songbird Emeli Sande is the latest to try and it seems her bid is off to the best of starts.

Released this week, the US version of her debut album ‘Our Version Of Events’ has rocketed into the top 5 of iTunes, while radio play of lead American single ‘Next To Me’ continues to soar on mainstream formats.

Wonder what the hype is about? Watch Emeli rock Good Morning America after the jump…

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Telling.

The above might be one word to describe the record breaking demand for tickets to Beyonce‘s forthcoming world tour, ‘The Mrs.Carter Show‘.

Indicative of the singer’s undying star power even 16 years after her debut, the hype surrounding the show reached fever pitch hours ago when fans cueing to buy tickets in the British city of Manchester found themselves in the middle of an uncontrollable stampede- injury and wounding many.

Full story below…

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Unlike most, we’ve maintained a muted stance on the relationship of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. After all, who are we to judge?

However, the shameless duo have elevated media whoring to lofty new levels on the latest cover of L’Officiel Hommes.

Clearly paying homage to the deed that made Kardashian a household name in the first place, the couple (who are expecting a child together) seem adamant to show the world just how into each other they are – literally.

And while sharing every nugget of life is Kardashian Family Values, we’re a little perplexed (and disappointed) with Kanye.

This is the same Yeezy moaning to everyone and their dog about the “system” and how it’s set up to fail artists, only to willingly “sell” his relationship for coin and exposure the very same week. Again, we love us some Kanye and his crazy ways, but we’re going to need him to have an arena of seats with this one. Pronto.

Your thoughts?

That Beyonce reign just won’t let up!

Presently selling out arena’s worldwide with ‘The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour’, the self-styled King B has been tapped to headline the UK’s V Festival this Summer in what is being hailed as a major coup for the extravaganza.

Details after the jump…

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Don’t call her Miss. Jackson.

No, really. Don’t.

For, the Queen of Pop Janet Jackson has confirmed that she wed longterm boyfriend, billionaire businessman Wissam Al Mana…last year.

Full story after the jump…

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Get all the way into behind the scenes footage from Kelly Rowland‘s forthcoming video, ‘Kisses Down Low‘.

Directed by the omnipresent Colin Tilley, the eye catching clip comes as the latest launching pad for her new album ‘Talk A Good Game’, and is teased via the Grammy winner’s camp below.

As far as we’re concerned, this video is shaping up to be one her strongest yet and has us all to excited for what will no doubt be a in tact campaign and era.

Watch below…

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‘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…

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Britney Spears is down with the brown!

The Pop superstar debuted a hot new hair do’ as she sashayed into Elton John‘s annual post-Oscars gala in Hollywood last night.

New locks aren’t the only change in the singer’s life. Indeed, in the last month alone she separated from fiance Jason Trawick, left The X Factor USA, and signed a lucrative Las Vegas deal.

Needless to say, Ms. Spears is embracing all new everything! We just need her to embrace all new choreography and stage presence too.

Pending then, peep another shot from last night after the jump…

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