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?

Merry Christmas From That Grape Juice We here at That Grape Juice wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy the day to the fullest with your nearest and dearest…I know I will be.
Merry Christmas!

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?

Rep: Michael Jackson Not Sick

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?

New Beyonce Videos To Debut TomorrowJust a bit of a heads up; Beyonce’s latest videos – ‘Diva’ & ‘Halo’ – will be making their simultaneous debuts tomorrow on iTunes, but you know where to keep it locked to catch them too…That Grape Juice!

Are you anticipating Beyonce’s new videos?
That Grape Juice UpdateI’ve been meaning to update you guys on a number of things for a while now, but have been procrastinating. So without further ado LOL…

* Janet Tour Contest:
Janet Jackson’s cancellation of her ‘Rock Witchu’ tour has essentially led to the premature end of our ‘That Grape Juice Wants To Rock Witchu’ contest, something that disappointed me personally. Thankfully, winners for select dates that went ahead enjoyed the show from their very very close seats (pops collar…you know how we do LOL LOL). You will be pleased to know that we have a similar themed contest in the pipeline for one of next year’s biggest tours. Any guesses as to who?

* T.I. & D. Woods Interviews:
It’s with much annoyance that I can confirm that our telephone time with T.I. has been cancelled. We had been allocated a time to interview the rapper during last month’s Thanksgiving Week, however we received word a day prior that his overseas press time had been cancelled due to a lack of time in his US schedule.
Though the unpredictable nature of these things is always something to bare in mind, it’s still very annoying when things like this happen. I will go on record and say that we, here at That Grape Juice, work very hard to secure the very best interviews (See: Interview archive to the left) and will definitely continue to do so.
As regards D. Woods, the official word from her people is that a slot is still to be allocated. I must say though, with D. Woods keeping a relatively low profile since her split from Danity Kane and a new season of Making The Band (kinda…’Bonus episodes’) set to air at the top of 09, I’m thinking there may be more to it all. Watch this space is what I’ll say…

* That Grape Juice – End of Year Awards:
Technical glitches can be a bitch (pardon my French LOL). The final nominee list and voting are now set to go live tomorrow – 23rd December.

* Xmas Updates:
With Christmas around the corner and it hitting me that I’ve bought little to nothing in the way of presents (as well as all of the stress that comes along with this time of the year), updates may be a little slower than usual. Just a little. That said, I don’t want any of the That Grape Juice faithful to leave me hanging in the meanwhile! One of the main aspects of all this that I love is the fact that it’s all very unpredictable – anything can happen/surface at any time! So do be sure to keep it locked on That Grape Juice as you usually would!
* Etc: 2009 is shaping up to be another great year for the site. Know that we continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes on many fronts to make That Grape Juice the best it possibly can be. Next year will be no different. Continue to expect the latest news, music, videos, interviews and all that good stuff as we head into the new year. Feel free to suggest anything you’d particularly like to see on the site in the comments section below or by emailing me sam@thatgrapejuice.net.
Many thanks to each and every one of you for supporting the site. Do be sure to keep it locked on That Grape Juice and spread the word!
Rihanna To Re-Release 'Good Girl Gone Bad'...Again!

Not content with milking her break-through album ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ within an inch of its life, Rihanna is set to release the LP for the third time (yes, the THIRD time!) next month.

‘Good Girl Gone Bad: The Remixes’ (due January 27th) features remixed versions of 12 tracks from the album’s first and second releases including ‘Disturbia’, ‘Take A Bow’ and ‘Umbrella’.

Oh joy! I guess Ms. Fenty’s team just couldn’t allow 09 to run its course without another album from her – after the ‘singer’ (sheep-bleater), herself, confirmed that her fourth studio LP wouldn’t be hitting stores next year. {Source}

For all her ‘It Girl’ status, she doesn’t sell anywhere near as many albums (where the real profit is made) as the label treatment she receives would have you think. So why so much money is being pumped into her is beyond me. I’d much rather see her prove her true worth, by churning out a well-selling album that is actually somewhat good this time.

Your thoughts?

The 'RandomNess' PostOnce again, it’s a Friday and no surprises it’s been a slow news day. The voting for the That Grape Juice: End of Year Awards 2008 were to go live today, but technical difficulties have delayed this until Monday 22nd December.
So I’m throwing it back to you guys to express yourselves as you wish. As ever, it’s always entertaining to read – and read them I do…

As per the title of this post, feel free to drop anything and ‘errrrrthing’ in the comments section.
{So, anything from your thoughts on the site, to random ramblings, particular views on any story (music, politics, sports etc), share a story/new song, shameless promotion of your own site/material lol…not to be limited to music alone…a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g! }
It’s your shout….
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