Jade Ewen - 'Punching Out'
While UK siren Jade Ewen currently preps the promotional push for her official first single ‘My Man’, the follow-up single ‘Punching Out’ surfaced today. Said to also serve as the name of her debut album, ‘Punching Out’ is an anthemic R&B/Pop cut, much in the vein of Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’. I like.
Hit or Miss?

After the lukewarm performance of ‘Obsessed’ and the numerous pushbacks of new album ‘Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel’, things don’t look to be getting any better for Mariah Carey. The 39 year old singer has cancelled ALL of her upcoming promotional appearances amid speculation that the album has been delayed – again. Peep the report via Mariah Daily:
Mariah has cancelled her appearance on the TODAY show which was previously scheduled for August 28, 2009 and will be replaced by Miley Cyrus, NBC has announced today.
This is one of many recent postponements and cancellations of recently scheduled events: VH1 Storytellers, Clear Channel Tribeca show, Receiving Walk of Fame Hollywood Star, The Today Show and the MTV Video Music Awards.
Mariah’s management and record label are unwilling to divulge any information regarding the cancelled events but we suspect the reason is another postponement of Mariah’s new album release date. It appears to be that Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel will not be released on September 15, 2009, but at a later, currently unknown date.
Call me a ‘hater’ and sure some of you will (it’s all love lol), but it’s vividly clear to see that things are going belly-up with Mariah’s project. Whether she and her team will be able to salvage the situation and deliver a smash hit album will be interesting to see. Yet it’s worth saying that numerous sources close to That Grape Juice were not at all impressed with what they heard at the London listening session for ‘Memoirs’. Oh, Mariah…
Your thoughts?

Rapper Yung Joc continues to speak out about his situation with Diddy and Bad Boy, most recently to venting his frustrations to Rolling Out (how apt).
I’m hoping this sounds a warning to those desperately looking for a record deal; fresh to the industry or otherwise, make sure you’re contracts aren’t bogus Bad Boy-style. SMH…
Any thoughts?
Amerie's Album Pushed Back To November
Fans hoping to snap up Amerie’s Def Jam debut ‘In Love & War’ will have to wait longer, as the record has now been pushed back from it’s September 29th release date to November 3rd -the date the singer wanted herself as confirmed on her Twitter page.
Word has it Def Jam are set to execute a major promotional push for the official first single ‘Heard Em’ All’, once the video, which is being shot this week, is released (late August/early September). For Amerie’s sake I hope so…
Your thoughts?
Lady GaGa & Jay-Z Join VMA Line-Up
Two of music’s biggest acts have joined the line-up of performers at the MTV Video Music Awards 2009 – Lady GaGa and Jay-Z:
Lady GaGa and Jay-Z will play live at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York on Sunday September 19th.
Also announced to present awards at the ceremony are Nelly Furtado, Leighton Meester and Miranda Cosgrove.
Lady GaGa is the undoubted pop success story of 2009 and is nominated for a staggering nine Moonmen, including the coveted Video Of The Year award.
Rapper Jay will perform the same week his hotly anticipated Blueprint 3 album is released and could bring some special guests with him- Jigga’s new single Run This Town features both Kanye West and Rihanna.
Previously announced to perform at the VMAs are Green Day, Pink, Taylor Swift and Muse. {Source}
While this undoubtedly lends a lot of star-power to the somewhat lacking list of performers, I can’t but have my mind wonder off-topic if there will be a Michael Jackson tribute performance of some sort?
Your thoughts?

The Noisettes continue their splash onto the US scene, today performing new single ‘Never Forget You’ on The Wendy Williams Show. A pretty decent performance, although I’ve seen lead singer Shingai deliver better live vocal showings before.
Nonetheless, I’m glad the band are getting their dues (and US exposure), as their everything is a breath of fresh air in such a samey industry. What’s more they are actually talented too.
What do you think of the performance?
Beyonce - 'Poison'
A new Beyonce cut titled ‘Poison’ surfaced today as part of DJ Haze’s mixtape ‘Big R&B Ego’; I say new, however, it is not known for which album this was recorded for potential placement. Anyway, about the track; put simply the slow jam is best summed up as ‘blah’, ‘just there’, ‘uninspired’ – you get where I’m going with this.
Judging from many of the Bouncy non-album tracks we’ve heard to date, I guess it’s safe to say that Bey and her team have a knack for picking the right tracks to feature on her albums. As more times than not she delivers the goods with her LP’s and singles.
Hit or Miss?

New Amerie Shoot
Peep Amerie getting her sexy on in this new photoshoot for Elle Magazine. Gorgerous!
New Amerie ShootNew Amerie ShootNew Amerie ShootNew Amerie Shoot
What do you think of the pics?
That Grape Juice caught up with Michelle Williams last week here in London, backstage at ‘Chicago’ – the award winning West End theatre production the 29 year old is currently starring in. A great of That Grape Juice’s, Michelle chats with us about her role as Roxy Hart in ‘Chicago’, the performance of her ‘Unexpected’ album, Kelly leaving ‘the nest’, hair weave and so much more. A great watch, I must say. Michelle is hilarious! Enjoy:


Your thoughts on our Michelle Williams interview?

That Grape Juice To Interview LeToya (Tomorrow)Our interview with LeToya has been in the pipeline for sometime now, and will finally take place tomorrow!

Have any questions for Ms. Luckett? Drop them in the comments section below – don’t delay, as – fingers crossed – all systems are go for tomorrow. Thanks!
Jackson - 'This Is It' Movie - Press Release
That Grape Juice has just been sent the official press release for the Michael Jackson ‘This Is It’ movie. Check it out:

MICHAEL JACKSON’S “THIS IS IT” TO BE PRESENTED IN THEATERS AROUND THE WORLD BY SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT AND SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

-Film Drawn From Legendary Entertainer’s Last Rehearsals and Behind-The-Scenes Footage Will Be Released October 28th in High Definition with Digital Sound-
CULVER CITY, Calif., August 10, 2009 – Beginning October 28th, the world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jackson’s final concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment release Michael Jackson’s This Is It.
This Is It is being produced with the full support of The Estate of Michael Jackson and will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state-of-the-art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his concert series in London. The film, which will also offer select sequences in 3-D, will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson’s closest friends and creative collaborators.
The announcement was made by Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of the studio, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, and Rob Stringer, Chairman of Columbia/Epic Label Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. The companies serve as the principal entertainment divisions of Sony Corporation.
Joining Sony in the announcement was The Estate of Michael Jackson, administered by his longtime attorney John Branca and veteran music executive John McClain, a Jackson family friend for more than 40 years. Proceeds the Estate earns from the film’s release will benefit the Michael Jackson Family Trust, the entity that Mr. Jackson specified in his will is to receive all of his assets.
The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG Live and The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will co-produce with AEG Live and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide. Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of AEG Live will serve as producers of the film.
The majority of the film’s footage was shot in June, 2009 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California, and The Forum in Inglewood, California, as Jackson prepared for “This Is It,” the series of fifty concerts Jackson planned to present at the O2 Arena in London.
This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. The film will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson’s meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.
Said Branca, “Our goal is to work with partners who treat Michael’s legacy with dignity and respect, while allowing us to substantially build the value of his estate for the benefit of Mrs. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s three children and the charitable causes that meant so much to him during his life. We are confident we found the right partners for this project in Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. Sony and Michael enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial history together, and it’s only fitting that the relationship continues.”
Said McClain, “This film is not only a tribute to an artist who created excitement every moment he was on stage, but also is a fitting gift to the millions of fans worldwide who loved him and who he devoted his professional life to entertaining. John and I are thrilled to be working with Sony to build on Michael’s musical legacy in a way that will generate significant proceeds for his family and for children in need.”
“People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing quality of Michael Jackson’s performance,” said Lynton. “This historic recording of the last time he sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound. We understand the importance of producing a film that pays tribute to Michael as an artist, and are honored to work with the Estate of Michael Jackson to give audiences the gift of his final performances. I know this film will serve as further proof that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers who ever graced a stage.”
“Michael lives on through his songs, his creative genius, his body of work and his passion for his art,” said Rob Stringer. “He was a perfectionist on stage and through this unique film, audiences will be able to see, many for the first time, how much Michael poured into making his performances as special as they were perfect.”
Said Kenny Ortega, director of and Jackson’s creative partner on the This Is It concert, “The world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project. He was the architect of This Is It, and we were his builders. The footage that was captured from the early stages of the production to our technical rehearsals at the STAPLES Center in L.A. will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops. It will also show Michael as one of the greatest entertainers in the world and one of the industry’s most creative minds. This Is It was Michael’s last theatrical work and although it was still a work in progress, I think the footage will show that the process was something that Michael deeply enjoyed and that it was clear that he was on his way to another theatrical triumph.”
In the coming weeks, additional information about the film will be available at www.michaeljackson.com.

Really can’t wait for this…

Your thoughts?
Fantasia Records New Album 'The Old Fashioned Way'
R&B star Fantasia is prepping her third studio album for release later this year. According to the latest reports, the American Idol winner is doing things a little differently this go round:
Washington, DC — Fantasia plans to record her third CD the old-fashioned way. Fantasia likes the live sound from older albums, before technology changed the way they were recorded. She says she’s invited an orchestra to be in the studio to back her up when she sings.
The songs she’s been writing reflect the pain she experienced last year. She says she “went through a lot of things, business-wise, relationship-wise.” She says her life has always been an open book. Fantasia will go back to work on the CD when she gets a break from touring in “The Color Purple.” {Source}
Exciting stuff. The as yet untitled LP is said to be preceded by the single ‘Him Vs. Them’, which was written by Tank and produced by Midi Mafia – who also produced her smash ‘When I See You’.
To say I’m uber anticipating Fanny’s new LP would be an understatement, her last – 2006’s self-titled effort – was the business from start to finish. News of her new album comes at an apt time, I watched the following performance just the other day and wondered when we were going to hear from her next:

Your thoughts?
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