Smash-maker Rico Love has been hard at work creating records with the likes of Kelly Rowland, Usher, Jamie Foxx and Nelly recently. However, another name has been added to that list – Fantasia. The songwriter/producer  has been hyping up the collaboration on his official Twitter account and took the time to exclusively reveal some additional information about the recording sessions That Grape Juice:

Which artists haven’t worked with yet but you would love to work with moving forward?

At first I said Fantasia; I had never worked with Fantasia but I just worked with her last weekend. After listening to this album, I would have to say Jay-Z.

Speaking of Fantasia, what can we expect from her record?

I just did one record with her that was amazing. I didn’t get the chance to hear the rest of her record but we did one record that I felt was very strong Los Da Mystro and Carlos McKinney. I’m looking forward to getting back in because I was just blown away by vocals and her ability to just capture a record in the making. It’s unbelievable.

Do you have any track titles available?

[Laughs] I don’t want to give that away.

Though not a lot to work with, the details Rico provided are enough to encourage ample speculation about the direction of Fantasia’s record. I am eager to hear what she puts forward because she one of the few R&B acts in recent times who manages to deliver unbridled performances both in the studio and one stage. 2010 is going to be a great year for music!

Are you excited for Fantasia’s new album?

R&B singer Mary J. Blige’s ‘Stronger With Each Tear’ LP is is set to sell 330-340k in it’s first week. Chart analyst site HitsDailyDouble reports that the artist will debut at #2 on the final tally, behind Susan Boyle’s debut album, ‘I Dreamed A Dream’, which sold another 520k this week, pushing her total to a record-setting 3 million copies since it’s release on November 23rd. Moreover, Alicia Keys’ ‘The Element of Freedom’ has accumulated 700k in sales after selling an additional 270-280k this week.

These are certainly good numbers for Blige. Regardless of the fact that her last album debuted 629k during the same time period, she continues to prove that she is a consistent sales force on the charts. What is shocking to me, on the other hand, is the staggering success that Boyle has been enjoying. Seriously, who is buying that album?!

As a staunch supporter of true talent, I am pleased that Boyle is out-performing many of her far less talented contemporaries but without any hit singles and almost no promotional presence, I find it baffling that she is able to continuously sell as many records as she has. Again, who is buying that album?!

Thoughts?

Elastic entertainer Ciara is reportedly being paid an astounding $2 million to perform this New Year’s Eve. The  singer will perform a set of her biggest hits at the event which will be held in Kazakhstan. Interestingly, Whitney Houston was also paid a similar fee when she appeared on stage at the same venue in July 2008.

New Year’s Eve has certainly set the stage for quite the wage war! First Rihanna gets paid to perform in Abu Dhabi, and now this. The real question is: which audience do you think will be getting more for their money? Those who turn up to hear Rihanna ‘sing’ or those who pay to see Ciara dance?

Thoughts?

When giving her iTunes Celebrity Playlist Podcast, Lady GaGa included her collaboration with Beyonce ‘Telephone’, providing insight into the song’s hotly anticipated video:

“I’m in the middle of writing the treatment for the video (‘Telephone’) so I have the song on my mind and I have been speaking with everyone that I’m working on the video with and pitching to everybody the treatment that I’ve come up with and it’s very, very exciting. So to all my little monsters who are listening I can’t wait for you to see it.” {Source}

After ever-so-slightly disappointing clip for ‘Video Phone’, here’s hoping the industry’s two biggest stars knock this one out of the park. Can’t wait!

Your thoughts?

Amidst the chaos that has erupted within their group, new music from Day26 has conveniently surfaced on the web. The track, entitled ‘Like This’, is produced by Jermaine Dupri, who is also featured on the record. There is no word as to whether the song will be featured on an upcoming project or was created during previous studio sessions.

Certainly nothing to go “wow” about, the track is framed around simple beats, a fluttering melody in the backdrop and uninspired vocals. The group remains in familiar territory by boasting about their “swagger” and  their sexual appetites. If this is the kind of material that they hope to turn into a hit on the charts then they better think again. Maybe it would be a better idea for them to squash their quarrels and focus on improving their craft because this song is not reflective of a group destined for top 10 success.

Hit or Miss?

She was once the most powerful force in Pop music; the heir apparent to the Pop dynasty. It seemed that at the turn of the century, there was no bigger star than Britney Spears. From show-stopping performances to worldwide #1 successes, she exploded onto the charts, toppling the long held reign of more established artists. However, the ‘fire’ that once made Spears the most sought after entertainer of her time appears to have been lost.

After a string of well-publicised personal turmoils, the world was made privy to Spears’ now notorious meltdown. Yet, the singer managed to rebound from those upsets and regain public favour with multiple chart-topping hits and platinum albums. Nonetheless, Spears seems different; the ‘spark’ in her eye is gone; and her live performances depict an entertainer who is but a shell of her former self.

Her energetic choreography has been replaced with awkward stage presence, and lip-syncing has become the norm of her entire productions (although many would argue that she rarely sang live in her earlier career as well). Regardless of the position that her music is now arguably at its best, the energy that Spears exudes in the studio no longer translates on stage. In fact, some critics assert that it is this decline in potency that allowed Beyonce to rise to the helm of the Pop charts.

This begs the question: has Spears permanently lost the ‘glint’ in her eye? Or does she stand a chance of returning to fine form? In any case, with mounting competition from her younger contemporaries including Lady GaGa and Rihanna, many contend that unless she is able to recapture that ‘magic’, her days as the Princess of Pop are surely numbered.

Do you think that Spears has permanently lost her

edge?

Singer/songwriter John Legend celebrated his birthday recently at SL nightclub in New York City recently. A host of celebrities as well as his girlfriend Christina Teigen (seen above) came out to help Legend commemorate the event. Check out more images below:

UK songstress Estelle smile for the cameras in this blue number.

Grammy Award-wining rapper Ludacris was there as well.

Finally,  singer/producer Ryan Leslie posed with John for the photographers.

What do you think of the pics?

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Pop sensation Lady GaGa was recently interviewed by MTV News and took the opportunity to elaborate on her next studio album. The LP will serve as the follow-up to her widely successful ‘The Fame Monster’, which spawned the worldwide smash hit ‘Bad Romance’. Peep an excerpt from the interview below:

“Well, I’m going to write new music … that’s the beauty of writing your own music — you don’t have to rely on songwriters and producers to write hit songs for you,” she told MTV News. “So I’m going to write a new album and I’m going to have new ideas.”

“I find ‘The Fame Monster’ to be completely different than ‘The Fame’,” she added. “I’ve evolved, but artists should evolve. In the ’70s and the ’60s, artists evolved all the time — from album to album the music was changing, the feeling was changing, the artists seemed almost entirely different than who they were five or six years before.”

“Most certainly I have no f—ing clue what they’re going to be yet, because I’m just starting this tour, and I wrote ‘The Fame Monster’ during the last tour, so … I assume that it will inspire some kind of new sonic energy and lyrical style,” she explained. {Source}

Having witnessed many Pop acts experience incredible surges of success early in their careers and fade into obscurity with similar rapidity, I am sure many share my curiousity as to whether or not GaGa will enjoy a lengthy career. As observed over the last decade, popular music is generally characterised by nonsensical fads and trends. However, unlike many of her contemporaries who have already begun their descent from the top of the charts, GaGa is indeed a rare talent. In fact, some may go as far as to compare her rise to fame to Madonna’s massive success in the 1980’s. It seems that only time will tell if she has what it takes to survive the next decade.

Thoughts?

Mariah Carey unleashed the full force of her diva yesterday at the ’14th Annual Capri Hollywood International Film Festival‘ in Capri, Italy. With husband Nick Cannon at her side, Carey accepted the ‘Capri Award ’09 – Supporting Actress of the Year‘ for her role in ‘Precious’. Check out more shots of the icon below:

What do you think of their looks?

Fans of cult hit ‘The Boondocks’ will be pleased to hear that the critically acclaimed show is set to return in 2010, according to creator Aaron McGruder. Currently in production, the new season is slated to return as early as February.

Noted for its no-holds-barred approach (see: BET drama), The Boondocks aired for two seasons on Adult Swim, Comedy Central’s late-night sister-network. Yet, despite initial promises of a new season after the culmination of the last, the show has been off the air for almost 2 years. {Source}

As at writing, it’s unknown if the show’s forthcoming season will air on Adult Swim or on a different station. What is certain, however, is that The Boondocks is back! I cannot wait!

Your thoughts?

Popular news outlet Digital Spy is reporting that Rihanna has been given strict guidelines regarding her upcoming New Year’s Eve performance in Abu Dhabi later this week. The model, who is being paid a substantial $500, 000 to perform at Emirates Palace to ring in the new year, has been warned to wear conservative ensembles to avoid offending the Islamic community. Earlier this year, Beyonce canceled the Malaysian leg of her ‘I Am…Yours’ tour as a ramification of such restrictions.

If this is true, then it is quite interesting indeed. The central part of Rihanna’s success throughout her career has been her sex appeal and fashion sense. Certainly, the number of people who actually appreciate her material for her ‘vocal ability’ represents a staggering minority. In fact, she herself must be aware of this as she is said to be quite upset by this news and “is tearing her hair out over what to do…a huge part of her show is her sexy stage gear.” It looks like Rihanna will not be able to hide behind studded bras and leather panties for this performance. Rather the audience will be ‘treated’ to her voice in all its glory. Let us pray for the people of Abu Dhabi.

Thoughts?

Songbird Mariah Carey made an appearance in Capri, Italy today. The singer attended the ’14th Annual Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival’ where she was awarded the ‘Capri Award ’09 – Supporting Actress of the Year’ for her role in the critically acclaimed film ‘Precious’. Observe more images of the diva below:

What do you think of the pics?