When Mariah Carey set out on her ‘Angel’s Advocate Tour’ in support of her poorly received, and even worse charting, ‘Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel’ LP, we highlighted that it made little sense considering her dismal record sales and public disinterest. It appears such observations have been validated, as it has been revealed that the 39 year old diva is struggling to sell-out 3000 seat venues.

Box office tally’s, as per Billboard (via Mariah Daily), for Carey’s January 27th 2010 show at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C, show that of a possible 3166 seats, the songbird only managed to fill 2430… leaving 736 seats empty. Ouch.

Oh Mimi! It’s actually kinda sad to see how things are turning out for her after such an amazing comeback with ‘The Emancipation of Mimi’. I mean even playing such small venues when she’s a star of such a magnitude must have been a blow to her ego; so not being able put bottoms in seats, must be even worse.  Looking at the situation objectively, it was evident a mile off that a tour was a no-no, hence why it ever materialised is beyond me. Embarrassing.

Tidbit: In other Mariah news, ‘Angel’s Cry (ft. Ne-Yo)’ is on heavy rotation on UK music TV channels.

Your thoughts?

The incomparable Mary J. Blige performed a set for Walmart Soundcheck. Blige, 39, served up live renditions of an array of songs from her latest LP ‘Stronger With Each Tear’ including ‘I Am’ (above) and ‘The One’, as well as previous chart smashes ‘Be Without You’, ‘Family Affair’ and ‘Just Fine’. Check out the awesome performances, along with her interview after the jump…

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Rihanna performance of new single ‘Rude Boy’ on The Ellen Degeneres Show aired a few moments ago. Check it out above…

While, Ms. Fenty’s stage presence is improving (stiff whining and all), her live vocals are still not the business. I was a little baffled as to why she was holding the mic to her mouth instead of her nose, as her vocals were extra nasal today.

Still, as the age old saying goes, people will only believe in you, once you start belieivng in yourself; and, judging by this performance and some of her more recent showings, she’s starting to believe in her performance capabilities. Now, if only her talent would catch up with her self-belief, then we may be onto something.

What do you think of the performance?

That Grape Juice are pleased to announce that we’ll be interviewing chart sensation Ke$ha this Wednesday here in London.

As is usual, if you have any questions for her, please drop them in the comments section below. Remember, only legitimate questions will be considered. Thanks!

The Black Eyed Peas are set to release their joint-video for new singles ‘Imma Be’ and ‘Rock That Body’ tomorrow on VEVO. Aptly titled ‘Imma Rock That Body’, it appears the video will be a two-in-one type set-up. In any case, judging by this clip, the vid is looking to be an epic, futuristic affair. I like.

Your thoughts?

R&B star Alicia Keys headlined the NBA All-Stars Half-Time Show a few hours ago. Keys, 29, performed a medley of her hits including ‘Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart’, ‘Empire State of Mind’, and ‘No One’. See how Ms. Keys fared above.

Though not bad per se, Alicia certainly has had better live outings than this. Out of breath and recycling a medley/performance we’ve seen many a time, Ms. Keys could have done a lot better. Oh well…

What do you think of the performance?

Check out sassy Shakira performance at the NBA All-Stars Half-Time show, which aired live from the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a few hours ago. The 33 year old gave live renditions of her smash ‘She Wolf’, and recent single ‘Give It Up To Me’, backed by a troop of female dancers.

While Shakira’s vocals were rather offensive (when are they not?), she put on quite the spectacle. An enjoyable performance.

What do you think of the performance?

Usher opened the NBA All-Stars Game, which took place at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with an electrifying performance of ‘More’ and ‘She Don’t Know’ (both from his new LP ‘Raymond v Raymond’), as well as his 2004 smash ‘Yeah’. Check it out above…

Say what you want about him, but it’s hard to doubt Mr Raymond’s ability and agility as a live performer. After all these years, he’s still world-class, and able to hang with those who’ve come after him. Awesome performance.

Tidbit: Yes, he lip-synced everything aside from ‘Yeah’, however, considering a) the fact we all know he can sing and b) he put on one hell of a show with the choreography etc, he gets a pass.

What do you think of the performance?

Hip-Hop superstar Jay-Z spoke with MTV while at the ‘2 King’ dinner this past Saturday (February 13th) on why he declined an offer to take part in the much-hyped ‘We Are The World 25 (For Haiti)’ remake. The rapper explains, in the video above, that the original should not have been touched, as it’s musical legacy is like that of ‘Thriller’ and can not be rehashed. Interestingly, the 40 year old’s wife Beyonce did not appear either.

While I don’t feel the remake is a patch on the original, I still felt it to be a commendable effort on the part of all those involved. That said, an original song with a similar message may have perhaps been a better option; hence in that guise I see where Mr Carter is coming from.

Do you agree with Jay-Z’s comments?

R&B star Ciara rocked the stage at the Arise Magazine Fashion Week After-Party at the Plaza Hotel in New York last night. The 24 year old journeyed back to her older hits including ‘Like A Boy’, and ‘Goodies’, as well as newer cut ‘High Price’ from her 2009 ‘Fantasy Ride’ LP. Check it out above….

As ever, Cici nailed it! Great performance.

Your thoughts?

Chris Brown is giving his fans a special gift for Valentine’s Day. The singer is releasing his ‘In My Zone’ mixtape today, which includes 32 new songs. The record is available right now on LiveMixTapes.com.

Warning: It’s explicit!

Click Here To Download

The Sugababes performed their latest single ‘Wear My Kiss’ on T4’s Inside Out Festival earlier today, marking the first time they’ve given a televised performance of the track.  Check it out above.

Blah. Despite Jade’s facial expressions cracking me all the way up, she is clearly more talented than Amelle and Heidi put together. At this point, I’m simply hoping their ‘Sweet 7’ project (due March 8th) does well enough to ensure Jade has a firm foundation to build her inevitable solo career on.

What do you think of the performance?