Oprah Winfrey has announced that Rihanna will be performing on her show this Wednesday. The model will be doing a rendition of Bob Marley’s timeless classic ‘Redemption Song’ while R&B crooner Maxwell is set to sing ‘Fistful of Tears’ from his ‘BLACKsummers’night’ LP. The episode will be dedicated to the people of Haiti and will feature Wyclef Jean who will shed some light on their situation. {Source}

As much as I can appreciate Rihanna using her star power to raise awareness for the problems in Haiti, I wonder if her ‘singing’ would be the best way to  accomplish that goal. To be perfectly honest, her voice has not been noted as either ‘moving’ or ‘soulful’ in any way. Furthermore, of all the songs that she could have chosen, she has selected to perform one of Bob Marley’s most respected tracks. I highly doubt that anyone wants to hear her massacre one of the best songs of all time, although she will be doing so for a great cause. Hopefully she will pull it off….hopefully.

Sam Edit: My goodness, Trent went there. Lord lol

Thoughts?

Alicia Keys was spotted in Madrid, Spain yesterday. The singer has been very bust promoting her new album ‘The Element of Freedom’, this time at the Teatro Real opera house, where she performed several songs from the LP. Keys is set to perform alongside Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera for George Clooney and Wyclef Jean’s Hope for Haiti benefit this Friday. Peep more pics below (courtesy our friends at Rap-Up.com):

(more…)

The hottest chick in the game Beyonce features on the cover of the February issue of Allure Magazine (courtesy of Just Jared). Decked in a Roberto Cavalli dress and Cesar Paciotti  sequinned boots, the 28 year old superstar is certified stunner!

Peep excerpts from her interview below:

On her plans for a family with husband Jay-Z:

“I definitely want to have a child, but I know from my nephew [Juelz] it’s a lot. I hope that those things will just happen naturally. I still haven’t had time to relax.”

On her addiction-playing spades online:

‘I play with everybody, and they curse me out when I make mistakes, and kick me out of the room. I love it, it’s really fun because no one knows it’s me.”

On her alter-ego Sasha Fierce:

“The thing that’s interesting is I don’t need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I’ve grown, and I’m now able to merge the two. I want people to see me. I want people to see who I am.”

Your thoughts?

Your thoughts?

Some of you will remember Kiley Williams as one third of 3LW, and later The Cheetah Girls. With both groups now a figment of the past, Williams is looking to establish herself as a solo artist.

Though there has been a few cuts floating around the net, new track ‘Spectacular’ is reportedly set to the lead single from Kiley’s debut album. The song was produced by Mike City and written by Kiley herself.

I kid you not when I say this is hands-down one of the worse songs I have ever heard. From the cheap production, to the horrid vocals, to the sleazy lyrics, to Kileys inability to deliver her parts on que with the beat, this is an unmitigated audio disaster. It really is that bad.

It’s quite clear to see that after being bracketed as a ‘kids artist’ for so long, Kiley is attempting to re-brand herself as a sex kitten. However, it’s obvious she needs to work on much more before even thinking about what image she’s looking to adorn – the most necessary being her artistry. Listening to this really drives home exactly why she rarely ever sang on 3LW’s material and was relegated to the smaller parts. Put simply, her voice is weak; wafer-thin and lacking any character or ‘depth’. Usually artists in this predicament counter such shortcomings by excelling in other areas (see: Janet, Ciara), yet it’s difficult to see what of substance Kiley has to offer. If anything she’s really putting herself at a disadvantage with this border-line pornographic trash. For the uber sexual slant is one that works for female rappers, yet not so much for female singers.

In a nutshell, Ms. Williams would benefit from scrapping this nonsense and going back to the drawing board – especially if she hopes to attract any major label attention (she’s reportedly seeking a major deal and is currently signed to her own imprint Nine Lives Entertainment). Sigh…

Hit or Miss?

The once popular Jennifer Lopez made a guest appearance on ‘George Lopez Tonight’. The performer did a round of standup comedy for the studio audience, replacing George during the show’s opening monologue. Jennifer’s new album ‘Love?’ hits stores in April.

I must give Jennifer props for still trying to promote this album because given the fact that ‘Louboutins’ has yet to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 and the public shows almost no interest in her music whatsoever, most artists would have given up by now. However, maybe she should have tried a different approach as that monologue was not even remotely funny. Here’s hoping that things pick up for Jennifer soon.

Thoughts?

Chris Brown has been hitting some of the major shows at Fashion Week in Milan, Italy. This time singer was spotted on his way to the John Richmond Menswear event. Peep more pics below:

(more…)

R&B songstress Alicia Keys appeared on the Japanese television show ‘Sukkiri’ recently. The singer took part in an interview and performed the first US single from her ‘The Element of Freedom’ LP, ‘Doesn’t Mean Anything’. Check out the performance below:

(more…)

Global star Kelly Rowland poses it up the latest Derek Blanks’ celebrity ‘Alter Ego’ shoot. Ms. Kelly takes on both the roles of Rosie The Riveter and a Pin-Up. She looks great! {Spotted over at my girl Necole Bitchie}

D. Blanks also shot some new promotional pics for the Destiny’s Child’s alumni’s forthcoming LP. Check out the stunning snaps below:

Tidbit: Kelly is currently in Los Angeles putting in studio time with Toby Gad (Beyonce’s ‘If I Were A Boy’, Fergie’s ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’) and the one and only Babyface! {Source}

What do you think of the shoot?

Alexandra Burke continues her promotional campaign for new single ‘Broken Heels’, this morning performing the song on GMTV a few minutes ago. {Skip to about the 2.10 mark}

It goes without saying that Ms. Burke was using a backing track, which in this instance is allowable considering the intense routine and the fact we all know she has vocals for days. In fairness to Alex and her fellow talented vocalists, everyone has their limitations when it comes to singing or dancing. Lip-syncing when standing there is an entirely different situations (*cough* Mariah *cough*). In any case, enjoyable performance.

What do you think of the performance?

R&B star Monica took to the stage in Baltimore this past weekend to perform a special concert. During her set, the veteran journeyed back to her past hits as well as giving live renditions of her newer material. Above you can see how she faired with new single ‘Everything To Me’, as well as buzz single (and the theme to her BET reality series) ‘Still Standing’. As ever, Ms. Arnold knocked it out of the park. Can’t wait for the album.

Tidbit: According to the video description, Mo was actually sick over the weekend, however you’d never be able to tell judging by how great she sounded here.

Your thoughts?

Your thoughts?