Interview coming any day now. Be sure to keep checking back….

{Photo: Seye Izsik}

Your thoughts?

Hailed by industry heavyweights as ‘the next big thing’, 24 year old Brit Smith, more commonly known as Matisse, looks poised for a very successful 2010.

The latest addition to the Jive Records roster, Matisse is no stranger to the limelight. Indeed, she named herself after one of her favourite painters who refused to give up as a struggling artist. Some may remember the stunning starlet‘s first industry outing as one half of sisterly duo Brit & Alex back in 2008. While that project didn’t take off – resulting in the sisters disbanding, Matisse the solo star looks set for a much brighter future, if the phenomenal reception to her infectious debut single ‘Better Than Her’ is anything to go by.

So much so is the buzz surrounding the singer that many of music’s biggest hitmakers are queuing up to work on her debut LP. The following are but a few of them:

“Matisse is one of my favourite new artists. She brings a playful energy back to pop music reminiscent of early Madonna” – Kevin Rudolf

“She’s a natural superstar who’s a deadly combo of sexiness and class.…” – Dallas Austin

“Matisse is an artist with the goods! … Someone to keep an eye out for in 2010!” – Tricky Stewart

“Matisse is the complete artist. … [She] is the real deal!” – Harvey Mason Jr.

Though born in Connecticut, Matisse’s teenage years were spent here in London – an experience which no doubt influences the international sound her music boasts; an honest (non-cliché) fusion of Pop, Electronica, and R&B. A fusion, I found, greatly demonstrated on the Dallas Austin produced ‘Lullabies, Chocolates & Lies’ – which you can listen to below.

A breath of fresh air, Matisse will no doubt be a name on the lips of many very soon!

Check out ‘Better Than Her’ and ‘Lullabies, Chocolates & Lies’ below:

Better Than Her

Lullabies, Chocolates & Lies

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For more on Matisse, check out her official website, as well as her Myspace. You can also follow her on Twitter.

Think you or your artist should be featured on ‘Freshly Squeezed’? Drop an email to freshness@thatgrapejuice.net

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Alicia Keys’ new music video premiered just moments ago. The clip was directed by Jake Nava and supports the song (which features background vocals from rapper Drake) that has thus far peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Check it out below:

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Check out Chris Brown and Tyga’s artwork for their new mixtape. The record, entitled ‘Fan of a Fan’, hits stores on May 17th. Brown not only sings on mixtape but raps several bars such as in the 1st single off the project, ‘Holla At Me’. {Source}

Thoughts?

Ahead of its May 17th release (in Europe), Kelis’ new LP ‘Flesh Tone’ has been made available for preview. Check out the album snippets at the link below (we’re going to reserve full judgement until hearing the song in its entirety)…

Click here to preview ‘Flesh Tone’

Your thoughts?

{Image removed as requested}

Here is Christina Aguilera on the cover of Germany’s GQ magazine. The image was taken from her ‘Bionic’ artwork and was shot by Alix Malka. Below is the official tracklisting of the Deluxe Edition of her ‘Bionic’ LP which hits stores on June 8th. Interestingly, ‘Woo Hoo (Ft. Nicki Minaj)’ is included on the album and has been tipped to be the next single to be released from the project:

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During a recent performance of ‘Speechless’ in her ‘Monster Ball Tour’, Lady GaGa issued a statement to her critics who have been calling for her to slow down. Now that her tour has been extended until April 18th 2011, many worry that the singer is risking her health, especially since she has lost several pounds as a result of her hectic schedule. However, GaGa says that she’d “rather not die on vacation” but would “rather die on stage” with her fans. Check out the footage below (starting at 6:25) where GaGa proclaimed “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”:

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Check out this new song that Alicia Keys sang for the ‘Sexy and the City 2’ soundtrack. The record, entitled ‘Rapture’, was originally performed by Pop legend Blondie and features Keys’ input of a few rapped bars. The ‘Sex and the City 2’ soundtrack hits stores on May 25th. Listen to ‘Rapture’ below:

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The music industry has many biases against women involving skin colour, body type and even the texture of their hair. However, the most prevalent of all these issues is the one that most people overlook: age. It seems that as soon as  a female artist nears the dreaded age of 40, the clock starts clicking against her, with each passing moment being nothing more than borrowed time. Indeed, while many may herald a woman’s 40th birthday as a milestone of achievement, the music industry considers it be an expiration date.

No matter how successful or famous the act, the age of 40 presents a hurdle that is near impossible to overcome. From Toni Braxton to Jennifer Lopez, female artists struggle to find their place on the charts amongst their younger counterparts, regardless of their talent or the strength of their material. For instance, Janet Jackson’s latest album, ‘Discipline’, boasted some of the best records she has released since 2001’s ‘All For You’, yet it has been unceremoniously overlooked by the masses. Yet, there is one thing that women can do remain relevant: change their target audiences.

Female artists receive tremendous pressure from their fans and critics alike to start “acting their age” once they enter their 40’s. Suddenly, the revealing clothing and playful lyrics that defined their music before their 40th birthday become taboo. These women are automatically expected to behave more ‘maturely’ and craft material to attract consumers within a similar age bracket on the Adult Contemporary formats. For instance, Mariah Carey,whose sex appeal is almost as famous has her vocal range, is being pressured to tone down her look and “grow up”. In fact, she was slammed by various critics for her #1 single ‘Touch My Body’ (which she made when she was 38) because of its “juvenile” lyrical content. It seems that women are expected to magically transform into political analysts as they grow older; placing their sex appeal and playfulness in a box, only to be used behind closed doors.

Interestingly, male artists do not face similar criticism for their musical efforts. Jay-Z and R. Kelly, for example, are both over the age of 40 yet neither have been told to adjust their lyrics. Quite notably, R. Kelly’s ‘Untitled’ album was littered with sexual content with hardly anything resembling the ‘mature’ sound of ‘I Believe I Can Fly’.

Thus, it seems that the music industry is just another construct of the male-dominated world in which we live, where women continue to be pressured to conform to certain standards that men manage to evade. Nonetheless, many may argue that women themselves are at fault for their own downfall. While it may be true that women have to work harder to achieve success in their 40’s, artists like Madonna and Sade Adu (who are both in their 50’s) continue to enjoy similar accomplishments to what they did in their youth. Maybe some female artists get too comfortable with their earlier achievements and their declining success is simply a signal from their longtime fans to step up their game.

Do you think that the music industry has an age limit

on success?

International mover and shaker Kelly Rowland features in the latest issue of Cosmopolitan (South Africa). Check out a sample of the 29 year old’s classy shoot below…

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In a recent interview with Rap-Up.com, Kelis spoke candidly about the comparisons that fans have been making between her, Lady GaGa and Rihanna. The ‘Acapella’ singer noted that she sees “noticeable” elements of her style in both their music and their fashion sense but she does not have any animosity toward the two. Check out what Kelis, whose ‘Flesh Tone’ album hits stores on May 17th in the UK and July 6th in the US, had to say below:

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Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger once again scored the highest marks of the evening on yesterday’s ‘Dancing With The Stars’ episode. Scherzinger and dancing partner Derek Hough heated up the dance-floor with their showing of the Paso Doble and the Foxtrot. Peep their stunning performance above…

Your thoughts?