Beyonce is back and has staged a takeover of ELLE Magazine!
Queen Bey has taken residence a-front of all issues of the publication’s January 2020 edition – US, UK, Canada, and beyond.
The spread, lensed by longtime friend Melina Matsoukas, arrives in tandem with the announcementof Ivy Park x Adidas‘ release date.
Beyond rocking the line, music’s reigning royal took part in a unique interview comprised of social media questions.
And no, it’s not comprised of generic “what are your favorite color” probes.
Instead, she seizes the feature to waxe honest about motherhood, miscarriages, private hardships, weight, and pregnancy rumors. She also touches on promo and the whereabouts of some of your favorite tour DVDs.
As Nicki Minaj celebrates her 37th birthday, what better time than the present to salute the hit song responsible for turbo-charging the success of the prolific Rap Queen.
Today’s From The Vault pick is the ever-booming ‘Super Bass.’
Released in 2011, the tune was penned by Minaj alongside Ester Dean – who also sings its catchy chorus.
The Hip-Pop number helped shape the career of the rapper as a crossover artist.
‘Super Bass’ was Nicki’s first of many worldwide Top 10’s – peaking at #3 in the US, #8 in the UK and #6 in both Canada and Australia.
The track’s video was directed by Sanaa Hamri. A colorful affair, it saw Onika and her girls engaging in playful choreography and eyeing up muscled eye-candy. The glow-in-the-dark scene remains one of Minaj’s most memorable visuals moments to date.
‘Bass’ bagged an MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video during that year’s ceremony and as of today has been viewed over 800 million times on YouTube.
Following co-signs from Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, this song was inescapable to the masses and really put Ms Maraj on the map. While many have criticised its pop leanings, it undoubtedly elevated Nicki to a level not many (if any) femcees had reached before and was the beginning of a new era for the genre.
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No matter how it’s diced or sliced, Nicki’s influence on the music industry this decade has been undeniable. From her sound to her aesthetic, she has served a key player in the Pop cultural landscape and single handedly brought the female rap game back to life on mainstream scale.
Hopefully her current time off helps her recenter so she can go back to doing what she does best: crafting music’s most delicious bops akin to this.
From health issues to money woes and family troubles, August Alsina‘s life challenges have been quite well-documented over the years. Yet, despite the hardships, the 27-year-old vows to persevere – a declaration the ‘Testimony’ singer made plain in his motivational new single, ‘Today.’
“I’m gon’ work like they gon’ put me in the ground today / I ain’t certain they won’t put me in the ground today,” sings Alsina. “Still goin’ hard everyday, tryin’ to overcome, that’s real / Still speaking from the heart, tryin’ to give the people something they could feel.”
The empowering anthem was accompanied by the release of the trailer for ‘The Rise of August Alsina: stateofEMERGEncy.’ An autobiographical documentary, the film will chronicle the performer’s rise from the hard streets of New Orleans to the top of R&B charts and every obstacle he faced before, during, and since.
With the arrival of ‘212,’ Azealia Banks looked poised to storm the music industry in 2012.
Signed jointly to XL Recordings and Interscope, the femcee was seen as having the dream team needed to fuel her ascend to the top.
And yet a series of public spats (including fallouts with both imprints) saw the rapper released to continue as an indie act.
But with her behaviour following an increasingly volatile trajectory and beefs being barbecued on an almost weekly basis, her career hasn’t boomed as hoped.
Clearly in a reflective space, Banks now says she wants back in to her original label.
Weeks after ‘Basketball Wives’ latest reunion aired, the Nigerian athlete has given her first interview about the ongoing featurism and colourism scandal the show is facing.
In it, she holds nothing back and revealed that fans only got to see a tiny piece of the abuse she endured because scenes which saw her cast mates antagonise her by comparing her to animals were omitted to protect the interests of Shaunie O’Neal and her posse.
More often than not, the term “reality star” is thrown too generously. However, few can deny how bright Joseline Hernandez shone during her stint on ‘Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta.’
Indeed, her no nonsense persona and feisty funny proved crucial in putting show on the map and, for many, establishing it as the premier series in the franchise.
Yet, a fallout with creator Mona Scott Young saw Hernandez depart the VH1 staple.
Now, however, it seems the drama may be in rearview. Because word is that the Puerto Rican Princess may be set for a grand return.
What do you when you discover that your mother isn’t really your mother.
That is the question the teenager Kamiyah Mobley was forced to face when she learned that the woman she believed was her mother had stolen her from her real parents when she was a few days old.
This year, her story is brought to cinematic life by Niecy Nash and Robin Roberts.
The movie’s name?’
‘Robin Roberts Presents: Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story.’
As the Pussycat Dolls comeback performance nears 10 million views, the excitement it ignited is turning fan attention to what the ladies are cooking up next.
It’s emerged that an EP is set for January and the masses were gifted a snippet of new song ‘React’ during their explosive X Factor showing.
And yet for all the buzz, it’s sparked renewed debate about the distribution of vocals within the group. Notably because there wasn’t any.
Nicole Scherzinger has become synonymous with PCD’s look and sound after giving a new meaning to lead singer. A reality that her bandmates each bemoaned in the early years that followed the group’s initial break-up in 2010. And a reality some say is the reason Melody Thornton opted to sit out the current regrouping.
With almost a decade passed, will fans finally hear the voices of Ashley Roberts, Carmit Bachar, Jessica Sutta, and Kimberly Wyatt? It seems so!
