There is mounting speculation that Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony are set to call it quits on their 4 year marriage:

Rumours JENNIFER LOPEZ and MARC ANTHONY’s marriage is on the rocks refuse to go away – a new report predicts the pair will split shortly after Valentine’s Day (14Feb09).

The singer/actress sparked speculation of a pending divorce after she was photographed without her wedding ring at a film premiere in December (08) – weeks after the couple renewed their wedding vows in a secret Las Vegas ceremony in October (08).

And although the couple’s spokesperson recently declared the pair are “doing great” in an official statement, the New York Daily News has reported a split announcement is imminent.

A source tells the publication, “Marc and Jennifer are planning on announcing their divorce right after Marc’s show at Madison Square Garden on February 14.

“Jennifer is planning on joining Marc onstage for a surprise duet. Things haven’t been right for a while now, and they thought it would be a bittersweet farewell… They’re definitely planning a clean break in February.”

Lopez and Anthony, the parents of 10-month-old twins Max and Emme, wed in a private home wedding in June of 2004. {Source}

Ouch. For ol’ Jenny’s sake, I hope this isn’t true. Seems as if she can never be in a relationship too long (See: Diddy, Chris Judd, Ben Affleck etc).

Your thoughts?

Keeping the momentum going in the run-up to the release of her new ‘Fantasy Ride’ project, Ciara has interestingly enough put her own unique spin on Beyonce’s ‘Diva’. Put simply, the cut, which is featured on Ciara’s ‘Fantasy Ride’ mixtape, sounds great. Similar to her take on Janet’s ‘Feedback’, Ci’s slant on the track injects new life into the already hot club banger. Bring on Ciara’s new album! Her official first single ‘Never Ever’ is set to debut within the next few days.

Hit or Miss?

R&B songstress Ashanti performed ‘Shine’ on Good Morning NY earlier this week. The song, which is a cut from her criminally underrated ‘The Declaration’ LP, features on the soundtrack for Will Smith’s latest movie ‘Seven Pounds’.

About the performance, I quite enjoyed this one. It goes without saying that Ashanti has come leaps and bounds with her live performance game this go round. It’s just a shame that she doesn’t receive as much recognition for that as she should.

What do you think of the performance?

X Factor standout winners Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke performed on today’s Christmas episode of Top of The Pops. Peep Leona’s spine-tingling showing of ‘Run’ above, while you can view Alexandra’s performance of Christmas #1 ‘Hallelujah’ below:

Great performances! I know some will disagree, but I’m really feeling they are the new Mariah and Whitney. Very excited to see where the future takes these two.

What do you think of these performances?

Review up in a bit…

In the meanwhile…

What do you think of the video?

The video for ‘Diva’, one of Beyonce’s two new singles, premiered a few hours ago. Directed by Melina, the video is both a hit and miss affair IMO. Raw, gritty and edgy, the clip really captures the essence of the song. However, having seen Sasha step her game up on the choreography tip with ‘Single Ladies’ (and start a dance craze in the process), the choreography in this kinda left me a little salty. The word ‘lacking’ immediately came to mind when watching her bust moves which looked as if she made them up there and then. Still, a good video all the same. The black and white concept was pushed a little further with the colour contrasts i.e. the fire explosion etc. Like most things Beyonce, I’m sure this one will be big – it’s already taking off at radio. {Thanks Jonelle!}

Be on the look out for the 2nd of Beyonce’s videos ‘Halo’ later today.

What do you think of the video?

We reported a few months back that R&B songstress Toni Braxton had signed a new deal with Atlantic Records and was set to drop her first single ‘Get Loose’ toward the end of the year. Indeed with just a few days to go before the year is out, the song has surfaced. Produced by Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins, the uptempo song unsurprisingly has a very Darkchild 2008 sound. By that I mean it has elements similar to cuts such Brandy’s ‘Right Here (Departed)’ and Beyonce’s ‘Scared of Lonely’.

As I type and listen to the song over again, I’m still on the fence about this one. It’s decent enough on first listen, however in terms of a ‘comeback’ single and chart prospects, just doesn’t really cut it for me. A grower? Perhaps. A miss? Perhaps. {Thanks Devonte!}

Hit or Miss?

Following reports yesterday alleging that Michael Jackson is gravely ill, the King of Pop’s spokesman has issued a press release shooting down the claims:

Michael Jackson’s spokesperson is denying a report that the artist is ill with a serious lung disease, calling the claim “a total fabrication.”

In a recent interview with In Touch, author Ian Halperin said Jackson, 50, is suffering from Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, which can be fatal. Halperin is the author of a forthcoming unauthorized biography of Jackson.

“Concerning this author’s allegations, we would hope in the future that legitimate media will not continue to be exploited by such an obvious attempt to promote this unauthorized ‘biography,'” said Dr. Tohme Tohme, described in a statement as Jackson’s “official and sole spokesperson.”

“The writer’s wild allegations concerning Mr. Jackson’s health are a total fabrication,” Tohme added.

The statement concludes with word that Jackson is “in fine health” and is “finalizing negotiations with a major entertainment company and television network for both a world tour and a series of specials and appearances.” {Source}

It’s great to hear that Michael isn’t being idle and is cooking up something special for the fans. It is even better to know that he is in good health; the lengths some people will go to sell something. SMH…

Your thoughts?