Pop phenomenon Lady GaGa has been added to the star-studded line-up of performers at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards. The 23 year old star is nominated for 5 awards at the at the ceremony, which takes place on January 31st. GaGa, along with Pink and Green Day, join previously-announced performers on the night including Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell and Taylor Swift. {Source}

Ever one to put on a hell of a show, there’s no doubt GaGa will do just that come January 31st. Roll on Grammys…

Your thoughts?

The self-proclaimed ‘baddest b*tch’ Trina is back with new album new single ‘Million Dollar Girl’ – featuring Keri Hilson and Diddy. Set to serve as the lead cut from her forthcoming LP ‘Amazin’, the song unsurprisingly finds the female MC in familiar territory lyrically (see: bragging/flossing). Yet despite my want, as a supporter of Ms. Taylor, for her to bring something new to the table lyrically, the track still manages to not sound bad, I guess.

That said, though the Keri Hilson and Diddy features bode quite well for the song’s chances of success on paper, their features are also somewhat problematic. For one, the chorus, courtesy of Ms. Keri-Baby, is repetitive and lyrically quite redundant, while Diddy’s verse is kinda blah (no surprises there though). More than anything, Trina kinda sounds like a feature artist on her own song. Yes, featuring current and noted artists on a song is always a good look, but getting lost in the mix on one’s own track isn’t.

Hit or Miss?

Pop sensation Lady GaGa is featured in the latest issue of 944 magazine. The shots were taken by photographer Max Abadian. Peep more of images below:

What do you think of the pics?

Fresh off the heels of her recent controversy with the Pussycat Dolls, Melody Thornton has found herself embroiled in yet another public feud. The singer has accused fellow performer Ciara of copying her style in her recent photoshoot in L’Officiel Magazine. Peep her comments from her Twitter about the shots below:

Although Thornton has left the tweet on the website, she issued the following minor retraction:

Yet another artist displaying of a lack of wisdom and media savvy. Rather than focusing on preparing for what could be the start of her solo career, Thornton has already started burning bridges before she has even gotten the chance to cross them. As an act emerging from a group that is but a shell of what it used to be, she is going to have a hard time positioning herself as a force on the charts, and this behaviour is not going to support her cause.

Thoughts?

R&B crooner Jaheim is gearing up for the release of his next studio album. The LP, entitled ‘Another Round’, will be arriving in stores on February 9th. Check out the first single from the project, ‘Ain’t Leaving’ Without You’, below:

Hit or Miss?

Preparing for the upcoming release of his ‘Raymond vs. Raymond’ album, new material has surfaced from the Usher. The piano-driven ‘Foolin’ Around’ was co-written and produced by Jermaine Dupri and Brian Cox. ‘Raymond vs. Raymond’ hits stores on March 1st.

The typical Cox/Dupri affair, Usher delivers his swift lyrics over the piano melody with prowess. However, the composition sounds strikingly similar to Mariah Carey’s ‘I Stay In Love’, framed around the previous Usher hit, ‘Burn’. Furthermore, the vocals at the end are strained at best. Hopefully this will be included only as an album filler because Usher is certainly capable of a lot better.

Hit or Miss?

The music industry is on the brink of oblivion. With album sales reaching all-time lows in recent years and  established artists struggling to remain commercially viable, it is evident that the music market is in disarray. What is the root cause of this sudden collapse in sales? The answer is simple: illegal downloads.

At the break of the new millennium, record sales soared to new heights with artists such as Britney Spears, Eminem and N’Sync debuting on the charts with album sales easily surpassing the 1 million mark. Indeed, labels enjoyed their booming profits while continuing to charge exorbitant prices for their products. However, even the most astute industry pundits could not have foreseen the almost catastrophic decline that was perched on the horizon.

The advent of file sharing services including Kazaa, Limewire and, of course, Napster, ignited a shift in the balance of power. Consumers were now the bearers of discretion; allowed the freedom to download their favourite tracks without cost. This increased audience power has since broken the monopolistic grip of  labels on the music industry thus leading to a substantial decline in sales. In fact, the last album to be certified diamond in the US was Usher’s ‘Confessions’ LP of 2004. Undeniably,  artists now find themselves struggling to sell records; incapable of matching the successes of their predecessors.

Coincidentally, this chaos has led to the revival of quality. As acts face stiff competition from not only the contemporaries but also music pirates, they have been forced to fight for their stake on the charts. Performers such as Beyonce and Kanye West are being pushed to continuously evolve in an effort to remain relevant. Indeed, Usher himself has felt this pressure with his ‘Here I Stand’ album selling substantially less than his preceding release. Therefore, it has become increasingly apparent that there is absolutely no room for error.

Hence, with an embattled music market and the incessant demand for new material that was created by the arrival of the ‘Digital Age’, artists are being mobilised to improve their crafts. As Susan Boyle and Taylor Swift have recently demonstrated, consumers are indeed willing to purchase albums. However, the presence of several mass media outlets (most notably the Internet) has increased their demand for not just quantity, but also quality.

Do you think that any good has come out of the

illegal downloading phenomenon?

Rihanna clearly seems to be over her controversial relationship with Chris Brown, if these pictures are anything to go by. The Bajan model snapped getting ‘close’ with Los Angeles Dodgers baseball player Matt Kemp while on vacation in Mexico yesterday. After dodging rumours about their apparent romance, it’ll be more than hard to after the surfacing of these pics. {Source}

…wait…there’s more

Your thoughts?

Peep this new Michelle Williams promotional shot, said to have been shot by noted photographer Derek Blanks. Ms. Williams looks H-O-T! Work!

What do you think of the pic?

Vocal powerhouse Christina Aguilera has finally opened up about her next studio release. Entitled ‘Bionic’, details about the LP were revealed to Marie Claire magazine during a rather informative interview. Track titles revealed during the conversation with the fashion magazine include the Hip-Hop ‘Glam’, ‘Lullaby’ and the ‘electronic’ title track, ‘Bionic’. The  record hits stores in Spring this year. Check out an excerpt from the interview here.

This is certainly some interesting news. ‘Glam’, which is rumoured to be the first single, stands out as the most interesting title because of it’s reported similarity to Madonna’s classic ‘Vogue’, which was one of the songs that defined an era in Pop music. Whether or not Aguilera has what it takes to make a major splash on the charts remains to be seen but with such noted variety in her material, it seems that she is bringing her best to the table this time around.

Sidebar: What were the chances of this news surfacing on same day as this article? Freaky stuff indeed…

Thoughts?

A couple months ago, That Grape Juice debuted a new promotional pic of Ciara. Now, one of the sexy songstress’ most popular fan networks, UltimateCiara.com, has provided us with the full collection. The shoot was conducted by famed photographers Steven Gomillion and Dennis Leupold. The images will be featured in the French magazine L’Officiel Magazine later this month. Peep all of the hotness below:

What do you think of the pics?

As Omarion gears up for the release of 3rd studio album, ‘Ollusion’ (due January 12th),  the record’s next official single ‘Speedin” premiered. Unsurprisingly, with Omari resting the annoying talk-singing  of his last few singles on the bench, ‘Speedin” easily serves as his best single in a LONG while. The mid-tempo ballad, which was produced by 253, sees the 25 year old turn in an emotionally-charged and mature sounding vocal, which really compliment the song’s lyrics (the notion of racing to the side of the one you love). A great track and an even better single choice.

After having had a few choice words about Omari’s recent material, the former B2K star undeniably has a winner on his hands with this one. Here’s hoping it’s chart performance reflects its quality.

Hit or Miss?