The week brought with it the third anniversary of the untimely passing of pop icon Whitney Houston.  Lauded as a stentorian vocal performer whose prowess knew few (if any) rivals, the diva’s 30 year career saw her become the standard for all singers to follow.  From her self-titled debut album (released on this day in 1985) to 2009’s ‘I Look To You,‘ Houston sailed to the top of the charts with a discography of hits that includes many of the most memorable numbers imparted to pop music over the last three decades.

Interestingly, many people do not know that a great number of said memorable tunes lining her discography are, in fact, remakes.  Borrowed from the likes of Diana Ross, Donnie Hathaway, Dolly Parton, The Isley Brothers, and many lesser known acts, Whitney’s catalog shines with a collage of covers that were done so well most assumed her versions were the originals.

Since February 2012 fans, celebrities, and more commemorate the anniversary of her death by sharing remakes of her top hits.  But, now we’re coming to you – That Grape Juice faithful – to ask:

What’s Whitney Houston’s best remake (of other artists)?

Tuck in below to see our top 5 picks and sound off:

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Welcome to the latest TGJ Roundtable!

Over the years, That Grape Juice has established a distinguished voice that – whether loved or loathed – sparks discussion, debate, and on occasion drama!

Though comprised of seasoned writers who share a similar outlook on Urban Pop culture, the idiosyncrasies of the TGJ team members often lend for quite heated debates “behind the scenes” about the hottest topics.

Now, we give you a front row seat to the show. In a format similar to ‘The View’ or ‘The Real’, TGJ editors – Sam, David, Rashad, and Joe – get real in a very candid way.

Today’s roundtable topic asks…

What were your Grammy Awards 2015 Hits & Misses?

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Welcome to the latest TGJ Roundtable!

Over the years, That Grape Juice has established a distinguished voice that – whether loved or loathed – sparks discussion, debate, and on occasion drama!

Though comprised of seasoned writers who share a similar outlook on Urban Pop culture, the idiosyncrasies of the TGJ team members often lend for quite heated debates “behind the scenes” about the hottest topics.

Now, we give you a front row seat to the show. In a format similar to ‘The View’ or ‘The Real’, TGJ editors – Sam, David, Rashad, and Joe – get real in a very candid way.

Today’s roundtable topic asks…

How Did Katy Perry Do At The Super Bowl??

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Nicki Minaj and Beyonce aren’t the only Hip Hop & R&B pals rubbing shoulders this weekend.

For, Saturday night saw Kanye West & Usher arrive at Washington, D.C’s Warner Theatre for the eighth annual BET Honors, where they were honoured for their contribution to music and the arts.

Accompanied by his wife Kim Kardashian, West joined Usher to be celebrated alongside a number of other African-American trailblazers in theatre, business and technology.

Want more from their inspiring night out?

Full story below…

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Pop princess Iggy Azalea believes she sparked a change in Hip-Hop music last year, revealing that she believes her debut album broke major ground in the genre in a new interview with ‘GQ’ magazine.

Why Azalea feels she has a place in the competitive arena?

Her estimation below…

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Welcome back to TGJ Replay!

Designed much like our ‘Retro Rewind’ and ‘From the Vault’ features, ‘Replay’ is That Grape Juice‘s newest reflective segment to act as a written quest, if you will, to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday. Unlike its retrospective predecessors, ‘Replay’ looks to dust off and showcase entire albums (and eras) from a library of pop and Urban pop music hits.

Now, as fans ready themselves for the highly anticipated Whitney Houston made-for-TV biopic ‘Whitney’ (January 17th at 8/7c on Lifetime), there is no better time to ode the songstress than with today’s replay of her multiplatinum third album ‘I’m Your Baby Tonight.’

“The third album is probably always the hardest because people expect so much. [They say] the first one is ok, the second one was pretty good, but now what is she going to do for the third one? It’s always that expectation level that makes it hard to deal with. You want it to be accepted in the same way that the first and second one were.” – Whitney Houston, 1991

Join us as we travel back to 1990… (more…)

FOX’s ‘Empire’ continues to grow!

The Lee Daniels production dominated in its slot last night when its second episode aired.

How much did the Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson led music drama draw? Find out below…

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Should Jordin Sparks be in need of inspiration when penning songs for her new album, she needn’t look any further than her recent breakup with Jason Derulo, announced by last year.

Unfortunately for Jason, his decision to go public with the split has seen Sparks attract the attention of the outlets he took to dish on the relationship.

The result? A fun yet telling interview given by the ‘American Idol’ winner to ‘The Breakfast Club.’

An honest Sparks below…

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The time is nigh!

February 22nd will usher in the biggest night in the world of film when the 87th Academy Awards takes place live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

An annual celebration of the movies which have made a measured impact each year, this year’s instalment brought with it major nominations for ‘Selma’ and more.

Check out the full list of nominees below..

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10 years…

January 4th marks the 10th anniversary of a club-banger that a decade on still gets the dance-floor ablaze.

Today’s From The Vault pick is the colossal ‘Get Right’ by the ever-fierce Jennifer Lopez.

At a time when the world was growing tired of her media presence following the “Bennifer”episode , Ms. Lopez –  with this single – was hoping to right (pun intended) the wrongs caused to her image and reposition herself as an entertainer. Needless to say, it turned out to be just what the career doctor ordered.

Helmed by ‘1 Thing’ maestro Rich Harrison alongside Corey Rooney – with Usher also participating to the song’s development – it was based around an infectious horn riff from the collaboration between James Brown and Maceo and The Macks, ‘Soul Power’.
The diva’s first release in over 18 months, it was met with favorable reviews as well as generous chart positions. Reaching the 12th position of the Billboard Hot 100, it topped both the UK Singles Charts and the World Singles Official Top 100.

Opting to unleash the song and the video the same day (a rarity at the time), it made it near-impossible for folk to disassociate the funky track from its high-octane visual. Francis Lawrence allowed Jen to tap into her acting-skills by portraying a multitude of characters all present at a hyper hip club where ‘Right’ is playing.

Renown for its editorial-looking dance-break (which remains all sorts of epic), indeed it is the kind that makes one feel like the world has stopped and nothing else matters.

The 10 years that separate us from ‘Right”s release have seen Lopez experience career ups and downs; from successful stints on American Idol, to hit singles, to not so successful albums, and a dwindling radio potency.

Still, with a rumored Vegas run on the cards, it seems the ride is anything but over for the Latin beauty and from where we stand, she seems hungrier than she has ever been, which in turn has our appetite for new music from her even more

It will be interesting to see where J.Lo will go next. Wherever she navigates her career, we’re keen to bet that 10 years from now, her star will still be shining bright.

Your thoughts?

It may enjoy a peak position of #28 on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’, but ‘Beg For It‘ – the infectious Pop bop by Iggy Azalea– will not receive a supporting music video, it has emerged this week.

Surprising news below…

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After a lengthy break on the bench, ‘TGJ Replay’ is back!

Designed much like our ‘Retro Rewind’ and ‘From the Vault’ features, ‘Replay’ is That Grape Juice‘s latest retrospective segment to act as a written quest, if you will, to re-spin the gems and jams of yesterday.  Unlike its ‘Rewind’ and ‘Vault’ predecessors, ‘Replay’ looks to dust off and showcase entire albums (and eras) from a library of pop and Urban pop music hits.

As this month brings with it the 8th anniversary of the ‘Dreamgirls’ motion picture soundtrack, we thought there would be no better time than the present to ode this amazing collection of new and revamped tunes.  Tuck in below for more on one of the most celebrated soundtracks of all time…

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