2010 was a year of ups and downs for Grammy Award-winning hitmaker Ne-Yo. The singer welcomed a daughter and scored a #1 single in the UK with ‘Beautiful Monster’ but also had to endure lackluster sales with his most recent album, ‘Libra Scale’.

In an exclusive chat with That Grape Juice, Ne-Yo addressed several points including why his album stalled on the charts and the musical direction of his next studio effort. The ever-opinionated artist also openly shared his thoughts on Usher’s upcoming “Revolutionary Pop” album, writing songs for Beyonce’s new project as well as working with Jennifer Hudson.

Additionally, Ne-Yo discussed his distaste for “lazy” singers who overuse auto-tune and his thoughts on Rihanna’s vocal ability in relation to that trend.

Check out the full interview below:

Ne-Yo Shouts Out That Grape Juice

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The 1st major chart battle of 2011 is finally here! However, this is a showdown with a twist as it will take place between 2 completely different types artists – Jennifer Hudson and Chris Brown.

Hudson’s ‘I Remember Me’ serves as the singer’s 2nd studio album, following her gold-certified self-titled debut LP which was released in 2008. The record, which includes credits from Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, R. Kelly and Dianna Warren, has received generally positive reviews from critics across the board.

On the other side of the spectrum, Brown’s ‘F.A.M.E’ album is already being heralded as the year’s comeback project to watch. Preceded by the worldwide smash ‘Yeah 3x’ and the unexpected hit ‘Deuces (Ft. Tyga & Kevin McCall)’, the collection comprises a blockbuster lineup of collaborators such as Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber.

So which album will you buy? Will you support the vocal gymnastics of Hudson’s traditional R&B offering or the high-octane R&B/Pop club collection of Brown? Vote below and, for those of you who already heard the albums, let us know what you think!

[polldaddy poll=4765734]

While UK fans can’t seem to get enough of her, new reports reveal Rihanna is having difficulty luring US concert-goers to the Stateside leg of her ‘Loud Tour’.

So bad is the situation said to be that the model is apparently preparing to scrap dates. Deja vu, anyone?

Full story below…

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To celebrate the release of his hotly anticipated ‘F.A.M.E’ LP today, R&B/Pop star Chris Brown paid a visit to ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ early this AM.

While some outlets are opting to play the controversial card, we’ll leave you to assess whatever you may have heard in the context of what went down during the actual interview.

Check out Chris’ chat with host Robin Roberts after the jump…

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Guess who performed at the MEN Arena in Manchester yesterday! Hint: she’s known for whipping her hair! Peep the answer below:

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Jennifer Hudson was all smiles at her launch party for her ‘I Remember Me’ album last evening. The vocal heavyweight was accompanied by her mentor Clive Davis at the event which was presented by Weight Watchers and ARISTA Records.

More images are available below:

What do you think of the pics?

BET’s annual Rip The Runway extravaganza aired last night. The fashion special also saw performances from the industry’s top crop of new stars. Check out rousing showings from the likes of Keri Hilson, Melanie Fiona, Miguel, Lloyd and Wiz Khalifa below…

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‘Look At Me Now’ wasn’t the only song that Chris Brown performed on BET’s ‘106 & Park’ yesterday. The hitmaker also wowed the audience with renditions of ‘Deuces’ with Tyga and Kevin McCall as well as ‘Ain’t Thinking About You’.

See all the footage including his interview where he shares a glimpse at the making of ‘F.A.M.E’ album below:

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Chris Brown hit the stage on BET’s ‘106 & Park’ today to promote his new album, ‘F.A.M.E’, which hits stores tomorrow. The singer/songwriter tore down the house with an electrifying performance of ‘Look At Me Now’ with rapper Busta Rhymes.

Check out Breezy in action below:

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Check out reality TV star and R&B singer Mashonda on the cover of KING magazine’s May/June 2011 issue.

The former Mrs Swizz Beats has found renewed relevancy on VH1 reality series ‘Love & Hip-Hop’, which also stars former G-Unit vixen Olivia.

Your thoughts?

‘Grenade’ singer Bruno Mars poses it up in the latest issue of GQ magazine. The singer-songwriter, who rose to industry prominence as part of production group The Smeezingtons, has had much success as a solo act over the latest year – notching up a Grammy in the process.

Speaking of his influence on others, the 25 year old told the magazine: “I’m not gonna preach that I’m a role model. I’m a fu**ing musician! But I’ve learned people are watching, so don’t do nothing stupid.”

Mars recently copped a plea deal, after being found in possession of Cocaine in Las Vegas.

More pics below…

Your thoughts?

The week of release has arrived for Jennifer Hudson‘s sophomore effort ‘I Remember Me’. So as to mark the occasion, the singer stopped by the Good Morning America studio’s to perform and chat it up with host Robin Roberts.

Check out her renditions of ‘Where You At’ and ‘Believe’, as well her interview below…

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