According to Video Static, Janet Jackson is preparing to shoot the video for new promotional single ‘Make Me’. The cut is being used to promote her new greatest hits compilation ‘Number Ones’:

BOOKED: Janet Jackson – Robert Hales, director

To support the new Janet hits compilation, Number Ones…

artist: Janet Jackson
song: “Make Me”
label: A&M/Interscope
director(s): Robert Hales
production co: HSI
producer: Oualid Mouaness
exec producer: Coleen Haynes
commissioner: Kathy Angstadt

Go Janet! Though she’s served up better cuts in recent years, I’ve had the song on ‘repeat’ recently – the bridge is killer!

In other Janet news, we have reliable word that Ms. Jackson is *very* close to signing (or has already signed) a new record deal with Jimmy Iovine’s Interscope Records, home to Lady GaGa, Eminem, Pussycat Dolls, 50 Cent, and the Black Eyed Peas. Notice how all of the aforementioned are promoted to the high heavens. Could this be the ‘comeback’ we’ve been waiting on?

Do you think Janet can make a comeback?

Today saw the premiere of Ne-Yo’s video for ‘Never Knew I Needed’, his contribution to Disney’s animated movie ‘The Princess & The Frog: Tiana and Her Princess Friends’. Though I doubt this will be setting charts alight anywhere, hats off to Ne-Yo for expanding his market. The video itself is pretty cool too.

What do you think of the song / video?

With this week having ushered in the worldwide release of the hotly anticipated Michael Jackson documentary ‘This Is It’, we here at That Grape Juice want to hear what those who have seen it think of it (and boy have folk been going in their droves to see it. $2.2 million grossed in the US – on the first day!)

While, I, myself, will be seeing it sometime within the next few days, we want to know whether you think it does Michael any justice? A befitting curtain call for the King of Pop? Not seen it yet…will you be? Drop a line in the comments section…

Your thoughts?

Check out this new promotional shot of Lady GaGa for album re-release ‘The Fame Monster’.

Is it me or does she look a little too thin? Just saying…

Your thoughts?

R&B singer and Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member Kandi Burrus hit up The Mo’Nique Show this week. Burrus, who finance AJ Jewell was killed last month, spoke candidly to the comic about how she’s coping with her loss, her role on Real Housewives of Atlanta, her new song ‘I Fly Above’, her new store and much more. It’s really inspiring to see her pressing on in the midst of all that’s happened.

UPDATE: Performance of ‘Fly Above’ added:

Tidbit: Is it me or is Mo’Nique not as funny as you’d have expected she’d be as a host? If anything, her screaming and hollering is a tad annoying. Still love her all the same.

Your thoughts?

Ousted Sugababe Keisha Buchanan, has promised that her solo material will be, quote on quote, “fierce”. Buchanan, 25, signed a deal with Island Records following her now-infamous departure from the UK’s top girl group in September.

Speaking more about her future plans, the talented singer-songwriter ruled out a reformation of the original Sugababes line-up, despite former member Mutya Buena reaching out to her:

The star, who insisted that she has no hard feelings towards the current Sugababes members, admitted that she turned to former bandmate Mutya Buena after leaving the group.

“I’m happy, Mutya’s been very supportive. It’s been good to talk with her and have so many friends look out for me,” she said, adding: “We’re not forming another band, that is out of the question. But we are friends, of course.” {Source}

I’m really hopeful Keisha succeeds solo; I legitimately believe she can with the right material and handling. Moving beyond the whole ‘whose side are you on’ hoo-haa, Ms. Buchanan is immensely talented in her own right, hence it’d be great to have a genuinely talented talent at the top of the charts here. More power to her.

Your thoughts?

Peep this brief preview of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ video for their smash ‘Empire State Of Mind’. While the clip looks pretty good and the song is growing on me, I must ask, am I the only one who doesn’t get the hype about this song?

Your thoughts?

The run-away success of LeToya Luckett current single ‘Regret’ on the Billboard Hip-Hop & R&B chart (current peak of #12) apparently forced label Capitol to commission a video for the Ludacris assisted song, after they had pulled the plug on her ‘Lady Love’ project after quite dismal sales (the fault of which ironically is theirs IMO). Peep Ms. Luckett and Luda on the set of the video, which was shot recently in LA. The clip was directed by Parris.

Looks good…

Your thoughts?

‘It’ singer of the moment, Lady GaGa, is offering a lock of her hair with each purchase of the ‘Super Deluxe‘ edition of her latest release, ‘The Fame Monster’. The album, priced at a whopping $100, is a re-release of her platinum-selling debut ‘The Fame’ and will include 8 new songs, including a duet with Beyonce.

People have been saying that this chick was crazy since she first came on the scene with her Kermit The Frog and Hello Kitty outfits, and now I seriously believe it. First of all, who pays $100 for an album? Yes she’s offering a bunch of trinkets along with the record but unless there’s going to be a block of gold in that box, she is not getting my money.

I know artists have to go the extra mile to survive in the given sales climate but this is just too much. GaGa is certainly a gifted singer, songwriter and entertainer but she relies far too much on gimmicks to sell records. That’s a damn shame.

Tidbit: How can we be sure that we’ll be getting her actual hair with the album and not strands from one of her wigs?

Would you pay for a piece of Lady

GaGa’s hair?

Check out songstress Toni Braxton on the set of the video for brand new single ‘Yesterday’. At 43, she’s snatching wigs off many a chick with how great here. Stunning..

The Billy Woodruff directed clip is set to also feature R&B singer Trey Songz, who appears on the track’s remix.

What do you think of the pics?

That Grape Juice faithful!

It feels so great to have That Grape Juice V.2.0 up and running – moreso the fact that the vast majority of you are loving it, as evidenced by your comments in our welcome post, along with the countless emails and text messages I received when it went live. The concept was conceived little under a year ago, with the actual design being worked on over the last couple of months.

Designed and programmed by the immensely talented Dustin Gary (with additional work from Tobbie and Lukau), the idea here was to make the site visually encapsulate all that the name ‘That Grape Juice’ lends itself to. Hence gone  was the dark colours (and MJ background lol) and in came what you see now.

As well as the design, I want to take the opportunity to shine a light on two of the new sections that are now live at your favourite site and mine:

About That Grape Juice

Ever wondered how the name of the site came about? Or perhaps you want to know a little more about Sam and co? New to the site, and want to know about our history? Click here to go to our ‘About That Grape Juice’ section.

Celebrity Shout-Outs

Your favourite stars know where to keep it locked!  Click here to check out this section to see who and who support That Grape Juice!

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I kid you not when I say there is so so much you can expect from That Grape Juice in the days, weeks and months ahead. Let’s just say, we’ve been cooking up a whole lot behind the scenes during the ‘slow-days’ of recent months! Without hesitation I can say, though, that you can expect much more daily posts, exclusive competitions and awesome interviews (you know how we do!).

That said, we are always eager to hear from you all – ‘the That Grape Juice drinkers’, as someone said to me the other day lol. What would you like to see on That Grape Juice i.e. new features? The return of particular older ones that you really liked? Increased coverage of certain artists? Etc. We want to hear from you! Hit up the comments section below with your thoughts and suggestions.

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A tad off-topic, I’d really like to thank the following for their support in getting the new site up and running in one way or the other (queue award speech lol): God (all day, everyday!), my mother and father, my beautiful sisters, Dustin, Tobbie, Lukau, Sean, Kwame, Leon, Jonelle, Antoine, Clifford, Hilario, Joanne A, Alistar, Glynn, Trent, Sandra D, Jamell, Dare, Nathan, Jade, Seye Iizsik and Courtney over at Crushlabs. Thank you.

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Your suggestions?

Your thoughts?

Watched the show already? Hit or Miss?