Following Mariah’s premiere of ‘Migrate’ during her set on ‘Saturday Night Love’ a few weeks back, the studio version of the track surfaced via Chicago’s B96 radio station yesterday. The Danja produced cut is definitely one destined for the clubs. With its hard hitting production and catchy hooks, this one has hit written all over it. As one who often has a lot to say about Mariah’s current vocal state, I really can’t fault her delivery here; she flows effortlessly over the beat and still sounds great with T-Pain’s vocoder effect. Big ballad or otherwise for the second single (‘Bye Bye’ has been confirmed), ‘Migrate’ has to be a single at some point. Good stuff. ‘E=MC²’ drops April 15th.

Hit or Miss?

Granted some of the wording in the intro is highly questionable ‘…changed the face of R&B forever’ (errm…), I’m really looking forward to this. With the barrage of girl-groups that flooded the music scene in the mid-late 90’s, I definitely considered Blaque to have shown the most promise (Destiny’s Child aside). What’s more, right up to their most recent release, they continue to show a lot of artistic growth. here’s hoping things work out for the best.

Will you be checking for for Blaque’s show?

Following the debut of Michelle Williams’ great new single ‘We Break The Dawn’ yesterday, the singer kick-started her official video blog on Youtube. Thanking everyone for their support, she also discussed the video shoot for the single, as well as her new look. I’ve long felt that Michelle’s personality is very magnetic. {Thanks Angel!}

Your thoughts?

The self-proclaimed ‘Queen of The South’ Khia is still bitching about rival Trina and Pop superstar Janet Jackson – this time via her MySpace page:

WHAT DA HELL IS BOBBLE HEAD DOING ON DAT BITCH TRINA PAGE. CUZ ONLY A FOOL’S ALBUM WILL DROP ON APRIL FOOLS. DA JOKE IS ON ANYBODY WHO BUYS IT!!!yESSSSSSSS!!!

DIS NUT BUCKET BITCH, DONE PROMOTED NASTI MUZIK!!! SHE DONE PUT POSTERS OUT WITH THE THUG MISSES NAME ON IT. THANK U BITCH!!! SOMEBODY DONE GAVE DIS HO COURAGE JUICE. I THOUGHT SHE LEARNED FROM THE DISS RECORD. HELL…. YALL SEEN WHAT HAPPENED AFTER DAT SHE LOST HER MAN…… FROM WHOM I HAVE EVER INTENTION ON MAKING MINE…… DATS RIGHT WEEEEEEZY!!!!!YESSSSSSSSS!!! THE QUEEN HAS CHOSEN. YALL AINT SEEN HER SHE DONE LOST WEIGHT AND FROM DA LOOKS OF THANGS. THIS IS WRONG TIME FOR HER TO EVEN THINK TO PUT OUT A ALBUM. ALL I COULD THINK OF IS HOW SHE NEEDED TO CONTINUE WITH PEDIALITE AND ENSURE. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE BREAST FEED DIS BITCH? OR SHOULD I DO IT SINCE MY TITTIES LOOK LIKE DEY SLEEP!!!! OR IS IT DAT IM DA ONLY BITCH DAT CAN PRODUCE SWEET MILK. ASK WEEEEEEEZY!!!!! I LUVVVVVVVV HIM. I WANNA BE HIS LADY!!!!!!!!

YA SEE!!! DATS THE DIFFENCE BETWEEN ME AND DA BITCH TRINA!! SHE SINGLE AGAIN AND BACK ON DA PROWL. I WANNA BE WEEZY’S LADY AND HAVE HIS BABY. DA DIFFENCE BETWEEN QUEENS AND HO’S!!!!

ALL MY FANS….. LETS ALL SAY IT TOGETHER……….. THANK U TRINA FOR ALL DA PROMOTION!!!!!!

PS. MS NIVEA…… GO BACK TO YA HUSBAND…… AND QUIT CREEPIN WIT MY MAN!!!! UR A MOTHER NOW!!!!!!!

THUG MISSES “LIVE AND OUTLOUD!!!!!!!”””

On Janet:

LET’S TALK BOUT JANET!!!!!!!!!!MS. JACKSON IF U NASTI!!! BEIN A KHIA HATA. U KNOW DERS A LOT OF DEM….. LURKIN AROUND….UNDERCOVER HATIN!!! CUZ YESSSSSSSSS!!!!! DATS WHAT SHE DID. IM SICK AND TIRED WITH THEM CONFUSING DA TRUTH WIT ME TRYNA PROMOTE MY NEW ALBUM. MY FANS KNOW I DONT NEED HER TO DO SHYT TO HELP PROMOTE NO ALBUMS!!!!!

DA QUESTION WAS…… WHY WAS I ON DAT IN TV….. LOOKING LIKE A OLD ALFRED HITCHCOCK FILM!!!!!!! IN BLACK AND WHITE!!!!! TELL ME WHATS REALLY GOING ON. WHEN I LEFT DA SET THE VIDEO DIDNT LOOK LIKE DAT!!!! FURTHERMORE….. THE FULL VIDEO WAS WORLD PREMIERE WAS FEATURED ON ACCESS GRANTED. SO WHY WAS DA QUEEN EDITED OUT!!! I KNOW IT WASNT JERMAINE….. CUZ I KNOW IT WASNT JERMAINE. HE GAVE MUCH LUV AND SHOUT OUT ON DA SHOW!!!! SO WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM JANET!!! MS. jACKSON IS A LEGEND…….. DONT MAKE ME BURN WITH DA IRON. PENNY ON GOODTIMES.

STOP IT!!!!! ULL NEVA BE MARIAH!!!!! SHE DONT HAVE TO BE INTIMIDATED BY ME. PUTTIN ME ON DAT DAMN TV!!! SHE AT HATA. DIVAS CAN BE HATAS TOO!!!

NOWWWWWWW!!!!!MYT ADVICE TO JANET. MS. JACKSON IF U NASTI!!! STOP TRYNA TO COMPETE WITH THE LITTLE GIRLS. GO TO VEGAS AND DO SIDE SHOWS WITH CELINE DION AND MAKE REAL MONEY…….. WITH DOSE TRAMPESE CIRCUS ACTS!!!

WE ALL KNOW YO TEA SINCE DA VALET ROPE. LET IT GO JANET. IF U NASTY!!!!

THE THUGMISSES SAID DAT ON LOUD AND OUTLOUD!!!!!!!!!

No comment.

Any thoughts?

Review in a bit…

In the meanwhile…

What do you think of the video?

This week’s edition of ‘The Best You Never Heard’ serves up tracks from the likes of Fantasia, FDM, Mashonda and the Southern Hummingbird Tweet. You can drop me your suggestions for future installments at sam@thatgrapejuice.net

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Fantasia – Two Weeks Notice

Though the success story from Fantasia’s underrated self-titled sophomore effort was undeniably ‘When I See You’, the album definitely boasted several equally as solid tracks. One of the standouts IMO is ‘Two Weeks Notice’. With its clever word-play, as well as Fantasia’s stellar vocal delivery, this stands as one of my favourite R&B songs from the last few years.

Listen: Two Weeks Notice

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FDM – Playground

Lifted from Tweet’s sophomore LP ‘It’s Me Again’, ‘Taxi’ serves as a reminder of the Southern Hummingbird’s oft under-appreciated appeal. In an industry filled with gimmicks and microwaveable hits, the soulful ‘Taxi’ highlights that there is still good music and genuine talent out there.

Listen: Taxi

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Your thoughts: Hit(s) or Miss(es)?

Check out this video preview of Mariah Carey recording her confirmed next single ‘Bye Bye’:

At this rate, much of Mariah Carey’s ‘E=MC²’ album will have been heard before it drops. I can’t complain though, the more I hear of the album, the more amped I get for its release. Reiterating what I said yesterday, the ballads really do seem like they’ll be the saving grace of this album. ‘E=MC²’ drops April 15th.

Any thoughts?

Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, songstress Estelle expressed her views on what she described as the blindness to black talent here in the UK. Taking aim at some of the artists at the forefront of the ‘White Soul Invasion’, the 28 year old singer, whose song ‘American Boy’ is currently #1 on the Official Singles Chart, laments on the lack of press attention paid to black singers over here:

Singling out Adele and Duffy, who she knocked off the number one spot at the weekend, she says:

“I’m not mad at them, but I’m wondering – how the hell is there not a single black person in the press singing soul? Adele ain’t soul. She sounds like she heard some Aretha records once, and she’s got a deeper voice – that don’t mean she’s soul. That don’t mean nothing to me in the grand scheme of my life as a black person. As a songwriter, I get what they do. As a black person, I’m like: you’re telling me this is my music? Fuck that!” {Continue reading…}

Granted I feel music is one of the few ‘universals’ that exist today, I definitely see where Estelle is coming from – especially as a black person who lives here in the UK.

Your thoughts?

The full version of Michelle Williams’ new single ‘We Break The Dawn’ made its debut on People.com earlier today. Set to be the first release from Williams’ forthcoming LP ‘Unexpected’ (due August), the Synth-heavy track sees the former Destiny’s Child member embrace a more Pop/Dance/International sound – something we can expect to hear more of on the album as well. I’m loving the fact that Michelle wasn’t afraid to step outside of her comfort zone and try something new, as the results are evidently fantastic. A solid cut, that should (and most likely will) have many anticipating more of what Michelle has on offer. I really feel as though Michelle has a great chance of hitting it big (solo) this time around. As I’m sure most of you all know, we will be interviewing Michelle very soon. Click here to submit any questions you may have for her.

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