R&B songstress continues her comeback campaign, yesterday stopping by BET’s 106 & Park to perform current single ‘Right Here (Departed)’. Put simply, she looked great and sounded even better. The live band were a nice touch. Great performance.

Brandy’s LP ‘Human’ hits stores on December 9th.

Your thoughts?

A private funeral service for the murdered family of Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson was held in Chicago yesterday. Check out the report via People.com below:

Jennifer Hudson kissed her mother goodbye during a heartfelt private service for her slain family members in Chicago on Monday.

The Oscar-winning actress spent a few moments at the caskets of her brother and nephew, and gently touched the body of her mother before leaning down to kiss her, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Toward the end of the service, American Idol’s season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino sang a rousing rendition of the gospel classic “Your Grace and Mercy.” During the song, she walked into the aisle where she took Hudson’s hand and sang directly to her.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley both spoke at the service. After the funeral, a horse-drawn carriage led the procession to the cemetery.

The private service comes a day after a public service was held for Darnell Donerson, 57, Jason Hudson, 29, and Julian King, 7, at the Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church near their Chicago home.

Police discovered the bodies of Hudson’s mother and brother on Oct. 24, and her nephew’s three days later.

Though no one has been charged, police have classified Jennifer’s brother-in-law, William Balfour, as “a person of interest.”

The Hudson family members will be buried at Oak Woods Cemetery on the South Side of Chicago.

It is also being reported that many of Jennifer’s well known friends came out to pay their respects to the Hudson family including Oprah Winfrey, Missy Elliott, Queen Latifah and Usher.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Jennifer and her family at this time.

Your thoughts?

Former Spice Girl Mel B has been in the studio for several months now prepping her latest solo assault on the music scene. This new track ‘Who’s Is It’, which was produced by Scott Storch, is said to be a track from the as yet untitled set. Though the production really does bite off the Pop/Electro/Urban fused sound that has been all the rage for the last few years, it’s the best thing about the otherwise terrible song. Mel, no doubt, has a great personality and whatnot, but this is a big reminder that she could never sing…that well. What’s more the lyrics are just…blah. Times have changed since her last major attempt at solo success and so have expectations. This crap just isn’t going to cut it.

Hit or Miss?

After much media speculation, it has been confirmed that comeback queen Britney Spears will be appearing on the X Factor next week – both to mentor and perform:

Britney Spears will appear on The X Factor on November 15, Simon Cowell has confirmed.

The popstar will perform new single ‘Womanizer’ on the ITV talent search on her first visit to the UK since 2004.

Cowell told the News Of The World: “I’m really excited about it, because she has got her act together and the new record is terrific.

“She has come back from a very dark place and is a terrific artist.”

Mariah Carey will perform new single ‘I Stay In Love’ on the programme this Saturday. {Source}

Granted she continues to keep a low profile between now and next week, this is set to be the first performance of Britney’s since that disatrous 2007 MTV VMA showing – and the first of smash ‘Womanizer’. Finger’s crossed she delivers the goods.

Your thoughts?

You can now preview Beyonce’s hotly anticipated new album ‘I Am…Sasha Fierce’ album in it’s entirety over at 7 Digital, the link for which you can find below:

Wow! Granted the ‘Beyonce’ side of the record sounds pretty impressive, the ‘Sasha Fierce’ side sounds like it’ll be the real winner. I joke not when I say every single track from the Sasha CD sounds like the hotness. From the Darkchild produced ‘Scared of Lonely’ to the swagger-fied ‘Diva’ (which sounds like a female ‘A Milli’), ‘Video Phone’, next single ‘Ego’ and ‘Radio’ all sound great. Hell, the whole thing has me anticipating the record that much more. November 18th, well 17th for us UK folk couldn’t come any sooner.

Randomness: The previously heard ‘Beautiful Nightmare’ has been renamed ‘Sweet Dreams’ and will be featured on the Sasha Fierce CD

What do you think of the preview?

You can now preview Beyonce’s hotly anticipated new album ‘I Am…Sasha Fierce’ album in it’s entirety over at 7 Digital, the link for which you can find below:

Wow! Granted the ‘Beyonce’ side of the record sounds pretty impressive, the ‘Sasha Fierce’ side sounds like it’ll be the real winner. I joke not when I say every single track from the Sasha CD sounds like the hotness. From the Darkchild produced ‘Scared of Lonely’ to the swagger-fied ‘Diva’ (which sounds like a female ‘A Milli’), ‘Video Phone’, next single ‘Ego’ and ‘Radio’ all sound great. Hell, the whole thing has me anticipating the record that much more. November 18th, well 17th for us UK folk couldn’t come any sooner.

Randomness: The previously heard ‘Beautiful Nightmare’ has been renamed ‘Sweet Dreams’ and will be featured on the Sasha Fierce CD

What do you think of the preview?

Most Girls

The fourth week of X Factor 2008 live shows aired tonight here in the UK. Check out my 2 Pence on the Disco themed week below:

{For those unfamiliar with the show; The X Factor is the UK’s version of American Idol – with a twist in that groups and over 25’s are eligible to enter. The show also birthed the career of a certain Leona Lewis}

The standard of this year’s show continues to impress, although I’m completely and utterly baffled as to why the terrible Daniel is still there (sob story anyone?). That said, my girl Alexandra rocked it again, as did Laura and JLS as well. Check out their performances below:

Alexandra Burke – On The Radio

Laura White – Somebody Else’s Guy

JLS – Working My Way Back To You

Whatever happens, I feel as though both Alexandra and Laura have great careers ahead of them. JLS possibly – this, I say, mainly because of their major following so early in the competition. I just hope the viewing public don’t vote for crappy people like they did tonight (I mean honestly, Daniel and the little boy…no, just no).

Roll on next week, though. The theme has been confirmed as Mariah Carey songs. What’s more the diva herself will be there. Granted we’ll no doubt hear renditions of some of her classics, wouldn’t it be great if we could hear some of her newer material performed by contestants, namely ‘We Belong Together’, ‘Don’t Forget About Us’ and maybe even the so-rubbish-it’s good ‘Touch My Body’?

Your thoughts?

The Beyonce promo machine (best believe that’s what it is) is in full effect; the woman is everywhere at the moment. Check out her high fashion shoot featured in the latest issue of Gotham Magazine. Hot.

Ever note-perfect, never looking a mess and seemingly ‘errrrrwhere’, many look at Ms. Knowles as some kind of robot/machine (an idea I believe she plays on with that Sasha Fierce glove). Bey speaks about being having to slow her roll for the first time in the magazine too:

“Years ago, I was definitely headed for a breakdown,” she continues. “Just way too much work—my life was my career and I had no other life. It started when I was 15 and I hadn’t learned the importance of balance, making sure I took a day off. I didn’t know what ‘no’ was, what boundaries were. At this point, I know that after a certain amount of time I have to go home. I know what I like now. It just takes life experience to get a good balance. When you’re young, you don’t know what relaxes you.”

I’m really liking the fact Ms. Knowles is shedding her wooden ‘media-trained’ personality this go round in favour of what seems to be really her. More power to her.

Your thoughts?