Controversial star Chris Brown made his stage comeback, his first since the ‘incident’ 8 months ago, at Power 105.1’s Powerhouse 09 concert in New Jersey. Peep Chris’ performances of brand new single ‘I Can Transform Ya’, as well as ‘Take You Down’ below (apologies about the crappy video quality):

Say what you wish about him, but the boy sure knows how to put on a show! After watching these, as well as the positive reception Chris’ new material has been receiving, it appears he has been given another lifeline. It’ll be interesting to see the first week sales of his 3rd studio album ‘Graffiti’ (due December 15th) – which more or less will be arriving in the allocated release window it was given pre-ChRihanna-gate. Anyway…

What do you think of the performances?

A long list of celebrities (from A to Z-list) came out the simultaneous premieres of Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ which were held in various cities around the world. Venues included New York, Los Angeles, London and a several others. Peep the action below:

Jackie Jackson, Tito Jackson, and Marlon Jackson (from left to right) were there looking rather sharp I must say.

Jermaine Jackson and his wife on the other hand…At least his outfit distracts us from that hair. Can’t miss out on some camera time can you Jermaine?

Jennifer Lopez rocked the carpet in this stunning black number. Is it me or aren’t a lot of the women in the game wearing black lately?

Will Smith was the life of the party as usual. Gotta love this guy!

Former ‘American Idol’ judge Paula Abdul made it to the event as well (clearly without the help of a stylist).

Finally, we have Vivica A. Fox, who was also wearing black (see what I mean!), looked sexy in this little (and tight) number.

What do you think of the looks?

UK media darling Cheryl Cole stopped by T4 over the weekend to perform her record-breaking #1 ‘Fight For This Love’, which has become the year’s fastest selling single (if you are thinking ‘WTF?’, trust me you are not alone).

As much as I’ve played the cynic when it comes to Cheryl’s talent (or lack of), it’s hard to deny a hot performance when I see one. Questionable vocals aside, I really enjoyed this one, with the song becoming quite the grower. What Ms. Cole lacks in vocal ability, she appears to make up with her all-round fierceness. That said, it’ll be interesting to see what how she fares with her future releases once the X-Factor ends, as reviews of her debut LP ‘Three Words’ have been almost unanimously atrocious. Ouch.

What do you think of the performance?

*Pinned: Normal posts resume below!*

Welcome to the new and improved That Grape Juice!

F-I-N-A-L-L-Y!!!

While, I’ll be giving you guys a much more detailed account of what’s to come shortly, let me take this opportunity to introduce you to That Grape Juice’s new resident Assistant Reporter….Trent! By no means your typical run-of-the-mill contributor, Trent – to put it simply – encapsulates everything That Grape Juice has become over the last 2 years – opinionated, reliable, professional, but above all entertaining! He’s a LAMB too, which should be interesting LOL LOL. Check out Trent’s introductory post below!

In the meanwhile, let us know what you think about our hot new design!

Your thoughts?

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, That Grape Juice would like to present to you….. me… Trent!

I reside in the sunny (and HOT) twin-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago (that’s in the Caribbean by the way). I’m a Communications major in my final year at university and I’m in love with the field of Entertainment Journalism. That passion for writing is what lead me to the blog-o-sphere (yeah, I made that word up. Copyright!) and eventually to this incredible site.

I know I can bring a whole new perspective to the site and take things to a whole other level. So how about a tall glass of “grape juice” with a hot plate of Trini cuisine?!  I can’t wait to get to know each and every one of you!

Peep the official album cover for Rihanna’s 4th studio album ‘Rated R’. Pretty much standard-fare and expected, granted the album’s title. The cover was shot by noted photographer Ellen von Unwerth.

One can only hope the record itself, due November 23rd, serves up better material than its first single, the lukewarmly received ‘Russian Roulette’, and follow-up single ‘The Wait Is Ova’ – which isn’t sounding like anything to scream about. As one of those who firmly believe Ms. Fenty’s success is a testament to nothing more than the power of the dollar (see: stylists, paid radio play, media-flooding), ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ was a fluke IMO. Hence, I’m rather cynical about the chances of this record sounding like anything other than a dying alley cat hollering over hot beats. That said, believe it or not, I’d love to be proven wrong.

What do you think of the cover?

Hip-Hip innovator Missy Elliot has been hard at work on her upcoming album ‘Block Party’ for quite some time and one of the tracks from the project has surfaced. Produced by The Neptunes, ‘Put It On Ya’ features Chris Brown’s close friend and defender, Teyana Taylor.

Missy always stands out from everybody else on the radio and this song is a testament to that. Although far too long to even be considered as a single (a possible album filler perhaps?), the track is high energy from beginning to end. My main concern is that if this comes on in the club, I’m gonna have to be fully hydrated before I hit the dance floor because this is going to work me over. I’m certainly eager to hear Missy’s album and the longer it takes, the more impatient I get!

Hit Or Miss?

Check out Mya’s performance on Monday’s episode of ABC’s ‘Dancing With The Stars’ where she performed the ‘Jitterbug’. This has gone on long enough! They just need to announce her as the winner and let the others compete for second place. You better get it Mya!

Your thoughts?

R&B crooner Mario stopped by Good Morning New York today to perform new single ‘Thinkin’ of You’, as well as his hit ‘Break Up’.

We’re definitely supporters of Mario around these sides, however this live showing was just not cutting it. Lazy, sloppy and distinctly run-of-the-mill, this performance didn’t at all convey the fact (IMO) that Mario is one of the premier male R&B vocalists on the scene at present.

I was going to go off on one about how awful his label’s promotion and all-round handling of his project has been (did you know Mario dropped his album last week? My point exactly) However, on second thought, performances like this (aka ‘so-so’ / ‘doing it for the sake of it’ ones), while seeming quite harmless, are what separates your ‘typical R&B singer’ from the Usher’s and co. Surely, if an artist is undeniably doing the damn thing, the label has no choice but to pay attention. Having to admittedly eat a bit of humble pie on this one (as some of my favourites are guilty of the same thing), being successful in today’s industry really is a two way street: the artists need to do their part x100, and the label will more times than not hold up their end of the deal. Perhaps the days of hollering about ‘such and such got crappy promo’ need to end. That said, some labels are taking the p*ss (see: Amerie / Def Jam).

Wow, really off-topic there. In any case…

Your thoughts?

Literally moments ago, Chris Brown’s video for ‘I Can Transform Ya’ debuted on MTV Jams. The video features rent-a-rapper Lil Wayne and has notable cameos from producer Swizz Beatz, who produced the hit track, and Tyrese. The single has so far peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on the Hip-Hop/R&B chart.

All I can say is “GET IT’! This is without a doubt one of the most visually exciting productions of the year, employing almost as much special effects as the ‘Transformers’ movie itself! As one of the people who were still somewhat on the fence about this song, the video has definitely won me over. The graphics were c-ra-zy and were placed perfectly to match the flow of the lyrics without ever appearing random or overdone.

The choreography was insane as well and with all the ‘tutting’ and ‘popping’ that was going on, I felt like I was watching an episode of ‘America’s Best Dance Crew‘ (minus Lil Mama, who somehow managed not to storm the set of the video). All I sense was missing was a dance break where Chris could just go OFF and move like only he can. Either way, this video is fantastic!

Are your eyes spinning like mine

were?

While Diddy’s musical offerings may have you reaching for the mute button, the Bad Boy honcho sure knows how to dish the business when it comes to interviews – well at least when it comes to his recent chat with Elle Magazine. In this revealing interview, which I spotted over at my girl Necole Bitchie, Diddy opens up about the effect his father’s murder had on him, his approach to relationships and more. An interesting, I must say:

Were you a sexually precocious kid?

SEAN COMBS: I was in pursuit of female attention from when I was probably four or five. It started with my mother’s friends putting me to sleep on their laps. But I wasn’t really asleep; I was enjoying the way it felt to lay on a pair of beautiful breasts.

And how did your first time go?

SC: Great, but I’d had a lot of practice from watching this show on cable called Midnight Blue, where they had actual scenes from pornos. Me and Midnight Blue had a Thursday night at one o’clock date—I’d make sure my mother was asleep, take a shower, lock the door, put on cologne.

Wasn’t there an awful lot of talking from Midnight Blue host Al Goldstein?

SC: Yeah, he definitely talked a lot. And he interrupted. But it taught me mind control.

Your dad was shot to death when you were only three. Who taught you how to behave with women?

SC: A couple years ago, my psychologist came to the conclusion that this is one of the big problems I have as far as maturing in a relationship. After my father got killed, my mother said, “I’m never getting married again. I don’t want men around my children.” So I’ve never actually been able to witness a husband and wife’s love. Sometimes when I see it with my friends, I just find myself staring like a child, because I’ve never actually seen it before. It’s one of the sad parts of my life.

So what kind of behavior does this bring out in relationships?

SC: When a relationship gets to a certain point, I probably get scared and become a little self-destructive.

By self-destructive, do you mean going out with other women?

SC: Yeah.

If you get caught cheating red-handed, what’s the best response?

SC: Cry. It might not work, but it at least shows that you care. Goddamn, this is a deep interview. You didn’t ask Will Smith none of this shit!

But we’re making such valuable progress! Just tell me: Are the tears real?

SC: Yeah, it hurts me. One of my weaknesses is that I actually have a conscience.

Click here to read the rest of the interview

Wow. This is the first I’ve heard about his father’s passing. Quite unfortunate.

In any case, reading this sure as hell drives home why Cassie and Kim Porter are in the positions they are (see: Monica’s ‘Makings of Me’ LP, track #3). I just marvel at how, knowing this, these chicks still throw themselves at him. Confused.com…

Your thoughts?

Another song from Amerie’s latest LP, ‘In Love & War’, has surfaced today. That track, which has been getting a lot of buzz from her fans, is titled ‘Swag Back’ and was produced by Jim Jonsin, the production mastermind behind  TI’s ‘Whatever You Like.’ The songstress’ album officially hits stores on November 3rd.

I liked this song. It’s definitely radio-friendly and has the kind of beat that’s made for car speakers. The melody works well with her crisp vocals and she does not get lost in the productions – a problem that affects many of today’s artists who sacrifice their voices in favour of club-ready singles (I’m not calling any names, just initials: KH).

My only problem with the song is that the melody sounds almost exactly like TI’s ‘Whatever You Like.’ Usually I am not a fan of recycled tracks but I think she managed to pull it off really well. Good stuff.

Hit or Miss?