Brandy and Monica enjoyed their Easter weekend by partying in Miami, Florida. The duo, who shared a monster hit  in the 90’s with ‘The Boy Is Mine’, had reason to celebrate as Monica’s new album, ‘Still Standing’ rests comfortably at the #2 position on the Billboard 200. Last week, Brandy and her brother Ray J revealed that they have been inspired by Monica’s recent successes at the top of the music charts.

What do you think of the pic?

R&B star Ciara sported an interesting pair of sneakers at the Atlanta Hawks vs Detroit Pistons basketball game last night (which she attended with The-Dream). The Mickey Mouse themed kicks are part of Adidas’ latest ‘Originals’ range – which the 24 year old is the spokes-model for.

Peep more pics below…

Your thoughts?

While the buzz  for Kelly Rowland‘s 3rd solo album continues to grow, her new record label Universal Motown appear to be pulling out all the stops for the video for the project’s lead single – ‘Commander’.

As well as pumping their own funds into the video, the label – which is home to the likes of Lil’ Wayne, Drake, Akon, and Nicki Minaj – are seeking out top brands to feature their products in the clip. Check out the press release which made its way out to some of the world’s biggest brands:

KELLY ROWLAND is seeking a new partner for her latest music video – the singer’s reps have sent out mass emails urging big brands to appear in the promo.

The former Destiny’s Child star is following the record industry’s latest craze of teaming up with famous companies to cover the cost of music videos.

Her reps at Universal Motown are on the hunt for marketing executives to pay for their products to appear in the promo for the debut single from Rowland’s new record – her first since parting ways with ex-manager Mathew Knowles and former label Columbia Records.

The email reads, “We are currently seeking brands who want to partner with us for the upcoming (Grammy-winning, platinum-selling) Kelly Rowland music video for the first single off of (sic) her new album.

“We are primed for an outstanding project. This will be a video that is serviced around the world.” {Source}

Go Kelly! Many in-the-know about Kelly’s deal with Motown relay the fact that her main incentive for signing with the label was based on her project being their top-priority – something  their brand-seeking clearly shows is the case. As the press release highlights, this is the the way the industry is side-stepping the recession to be able to deliver epic videos in the vein of Lady GaGa’s ‘Telephone’. Hence, it’s a given that teams for the likes of GaGa and Beyonce have done and will continue to do the same thing. There simply isn’t enough money in the industry (see: illegal downloading) to be churning out mind-blowing videos on label budget alone.

In any case, this has me even more amped to see what Kelly’s team are planning for her; after all, being talented is only one half of the equation – the machine behind an artist being the other. Thus far, it’s looking like Ms. Kelly is set to hit the big leagues on solo tip this go round!

Your thoughts?

Are they? Aren’t they? That seems to be the question on everyone’s lips about R&B star Brandy and Flo’ Rida. Though the pair continue to side-step such line of questioning, they made a very public show of their ‘friendship’ yesterday in Miami at the 1st Annual Kids Spring & Break Into Motivation event. Ms. Norwood flew in Los Angeles to make join the ‘Right Round’ rapper. Hmmm…LOL. In any case, more power to them 🙂

Your thoughts?

Ciara and her team really do not appear to be playing with her forthcoming album. A previously reported, the singer shot the video for the LP’s lead single ‘Ride’ earlier this week.

Yet it seems plans for the project are being put into action way before its release window, as it has been confirmed that the dynamic performer is set to shoot the video for another song titled ‘You Got Me’ – which, like ‘Ride’, was written and produced by Tricky Stewart & The-Dream. {Source}

Ciara’s new LP is currently pencilled in for a June release.

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News of another new video definitely has me anticipating her project that much more.

It’s always a good sign when a label/marketing team are putting things into play this far off from an album’s release; a real indicator of great strategy. Good strategy being something Ms. Harris’ project needs as a necessity, considering how things ended up the last time (see: ‘Fantasy Ride’). Above all, it’s awesome to see the level of secrecy surrounding the project; for not only is it a key ingredient of generating a buzz, it’s a stark contrast to the many leaks which effectively brought ‘Fantasy Ride’ to an abrupt halt last year. Here’s hoping things are more smooth sailing for Ciara this go round.

Your thoughts?

Myself (Sam), Trent and all of us here at That Grape Juice wish you all a very Happy Easter!

Here’s hoping you enjoy the day with your loved ones, eat as much chocolate as you can, but above all, remember and celebrate the true cause for today.

Happy Easter!

P.S. Am I the only ‘grown-up’ who finds it oh-so-important to have an Easter egg every year? LOL

Mariah Carey has been laying unusually low recently. However, one of the diva’s close friends, Jasmine Dotiwala, captured a now rare image of her while she enjoyed surfing lessons in the Caribbean. There is still no word as to whether Carey will be releasing any new music this year.

Sidebar: Has anyone else noticed that the Island Def Jam logo is no longer featured on the homepage of Carey’s official website? Strange…

What do you think of her look?

Chris Brown was spotted at the Los Angeles Lakers vs the Utah Jazz basketball game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles last evening. The singer was in the company of Young Money rapper Tyga and producer Polow Da Don. Check out more images below:

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Melanie Fiona guested on ‘Walmart Soundcheck’ recently. The rising star performed a medley of material from her debut album, ‘The Bridge’,  including ‘Bang Bang’ and her #1 R&B hit, ‘It Kills Me’, among others. Check out the all the performances as well as her in-depth interview where she described her musical style below:

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With a new reality show on the horizon, R&B singer Brandy and her brother Ray J revealed that they have been inspired by the recent successes of their close friend, Monica. In the interview with HipHollowood.com, Brandy highlighted that she was so impressed with resurgence of Monica’s popularity that she is using her ‘The Boy Is Mine’ collaborator as a model for her future endeavours in music.  Check out the footage below:

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Spoiled for choice or a muddled mess? Either way it appears Rihanna and her team have been having some difficulty choosing the next single from her ‘Rated R’ LP.

After initially going with ‘Photographs’, the model’s ever-reliable fansite Rihanna Daily are now reporting that Spanish-flavoured ‘Te Amo’ will serve as the project’s next (and likely final) single. To kick off the promotional campaign for the song, Rihanna will be performing it on American Idol this coming Tuesday.

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Though not screaming ‘hit’ in any way, shape, or form, ‘Te Amo’ is admittedly one of the less offensive-sounding tracks on Ms. Fenty’s ‘Rated R’ record. Although, I do find it a little curious that her team switched the single to ‘Te Amo’ (which is likely to appeal to the Latino audience) when Lady GaGa had long confirmed that she is set to release ‘Alejandro’ (also Spanish-tinged) in the same period. I’m just saying…

Anyway, for those who haven’t heard ‘Te Amo’, check it out below:

Your thoughts?

Pop Icon Janet Jackson‘s visit to the Oprah Winfrey Show aired a few hours ago. Though the singer, 43, was there to promote new movie ‘Why Did I Get Married Too’ – along with Tyler Perry, she opened up a lot when questioned about the passing of her brother, Michael, last year. Indeed, Jackson candidly spoke about where she was when she heard the news, the family’s attempted intervention, how they knew he had a problem, Dr Murray, fondest memories of MJ, and a whole lot more.

An insightful, and, ultimately, rather difficult watch. However, one which eases up upon Perry’s arrival on stage to discuss the move.

Check out all the parts of the interview after the jump…(Shout out to Pinboard Blog & Rap-Up)

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