It’s that time again! That Grape Juice wants to see what you all are listening to. Which 5 tracks have you got on constant rotation at the moment?
Remember, it doesn’t have to be limited to Urban music; could be something new, Throwback, religious, even something you made yourself! Drop a comment in the comments section. Ours are below – in no particular order:
Earlier this Summer That Grape Juice was privy to preview several tracks from Toni Braxton and Babyface‘s new album ‘Love, Marriage, & Divorce’. The taste had us salivating for more, yet more so had us happy that Braxton re-considered her retirement.
The latest issue of UPTOWN magazine sees the Grammy winning diva not only pose it up alongside her longtime collaborator, but wax honest about her reasons for wanting to retire – which she says revolved around depression and career insecurity.
However, as the #1 success of current single ‘Hurt You’ highlights, the singer has little reason to fret, for there clearly remains ample demand for her brand of grown and sexy.
R&B veterans Toni Braxton and Babyface continue to show the rookies how its done with an onslaught of live performances of their new joint hit ‘Hurt You’.
Already blazing ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘Arsenio Hall’, the duo were most recently spotted at ABC’s ‘The View’ lending a stirring live rendition of the reunion single from the duets album ‘Love, Marriage, and Divorce’ (Feb. 4).
Braxton also played co-host on the ladies’ panel as the twosome were also greeted with news that the tune had reached #1 on Billboard.
See the performance, interview, and read the details below:
It’s that time again! That Grape Juice wants to see what you all are listening to. Which 5 tracks have you got on constant rotation at the moment?
Remember, it doesn’t have to be limited to Urban music; could be something new, Throwback, religious, even something you made yourself! Drop a comment in the comments section. Ours are below – in no particular order:
1) Lady GaGa – ‘Applause’
2) Cher Lloyd – I Wish (ft. T.I)
3) Toni Braxton & Babyface – Hurt You
4) Lady GaGa – Sex Dreams (Live At iTunes Festival)
Grammy winning R&B diva Toni Braxton did more than hurt a few fans when she implied that she’d be retiring from the music business earlier this year.
That was then, however. For, now it appears the ‘Unbreak My Heart’ hitmaker has had a change of heart as evidenced by news broken here that she’d be re-teaming with longtime collaborator Babyface for a new duets album promised for a September release.
Titled ‘Love Marriage Divorce’, as time draws closer to its release, tuck in below to find out when you will have your first listen at its lead single ‘Hurt You’…
Ever keen to broaden our musical scope, recent months have seen That Grape Juice venture into a number of new musical landscapes including, most recently, gospel.
Gospel princess Kierra Sheard is looking for 2013 to launch her already established career into the stratosphere.
Yes, she has had many-a-hit reign atop Billboard’s gospel chart, but now the soaring songstress has tapped top hitmakers Rodney Jerkins, Babyface and songwriter TC (Brandy, Tamar Braxton) to help map the sounds set to nest on her sixth album.
Already teasing behind the scenes looks at its creation via her hit BET reality show ‘The Sheards’ (and recent live performances), now Miss Sheard introduces ‘Trumpets Blow’ – the thumping Jerkins/TC crafted number setting the net ablaze for gospel and secular fans.
Ever keen to broaden our musical scope, recent months have seen That Grape Juice venture into a number of new musical landscapes including, most recently, gospel.
Spearheaded by well-received interviews with gospel singers Fred Hammond, Kierra Sheard, Dorinda Clark Cole, Israel Houghton, and more, TGJ is now offering readers ‘The Overflow’ – a collection of the top gospel-themed news stories from the week.
Tuck in below for the latest news on Kim Burrell, Hezekiah Walker, Smokie Norful, Jonathan Nelson, Mary Mary, and so much more…
From The Vault time-travels 20 years back this week with a Grammy winning single from a TGJ favourite: our pick is ‘Another Sad Love Song‘ by Toni Braxton.
The first single from the diva’s 1993 debut self-titled LP, ‘Song’ was helmed by former dynamic duo of LA Reid and Babyface – who played a crucial role in Toni’s earlier career. With those silky smooth vocals, Braxton tells the tale of a girl who is not over her ex yet and is reminded of that every time a love song is played on the radio.
Launching the album’s campaign with this track proved to be a wise decision as not only it was a chart smash – #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart and #15 in the UK – but it also scored her her first of many Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Grammy awards. (Side note: she won the Best New Artist gong on the very same night)
The video, directed by Ralph Ziman, conveys a similar classy vibe as the track and sees a short-haired Toni singing in the rain on a vintage New York-like street. Kudos to the ‘Un-break My Heart‘ belle for looking as stunning today as in this visual.
Clearly one of the saddest news to hit the headlines this year was Ms. Braxton’s impending retirement from music after “falling out of love with it”. When we think about it we kinda sorta get where she’s coming from. With the industry being a far cry from how it used to be two decades ago, now prioritizing trash over class, it must be rather difficult for the vocal gemstone to fit in and find excitement especially when she already has a full plate on the personal side, as evidenced with WeTV’s Braxton Family Values.
Still, we remain optimistic at the (slim) prospect of future releases from our favorite contralto. And in the event that new material really isn’t on the horizon, at least we will always have her impressive catalogue to cherish.
Be it fast or slow, it doesn’t let go and it’s all because of you and your talent, Toni!
Keri Hilson may not be working with Mike Will as erroneously suggested, but the singer-songwriter is clocking up studio time with none other than Babyface.
The ‘Pretty Girl Rock’ songstress has teamed up with the R&B legend for her third studio album, which is slated for release later this year.
On collaborating with the 53-year-old, who has penned hits for the likes of Toni Braxton and TLC, Hilson beamed “dreams come true” as she posted the snap above.
As two amazing writers, we’re salivating at the prospect of what Ms. Keri and Babyface has cooked up together.
In epic credit to her handlers, Jennifer Hudson‘s star has shone brighter with each year since her Oscar winning turn in ‘Dreamgirls’ seven years ago.
Ironically, though, this has been in parallel to the unremarkable performance of not one, but two studio albums on the charts. The singer’s 2008’s self-titled managed to go Gold, yet it’s follow-up, 2011’s ‘I Remember Me’, failed to connect with listeners and to-date has only sold 370,000 in the US. Hoping to right those wrongs, the great Clive Davis has taken the helm of Hudson’s third project.
Having orchestrated much of the late Whitney Houston‘s success, can the industry icon have a similar effect on a career in much need of it? Flip the hood to read his plans for Hudson’s new album in an exclusive interview with Billboard….
