Ever keen to broaden our musical scope, recent months have seen That Grape Juice venture into a number of new musical landscapes including, most recently, gospel.

Spearheaded by well-received interviews with gospel singers Fred Hammond, Kierra Sheard, Dorinda Clark Cole, Israel Houghton, and more, TGJ is now offering readers ‘The Overflow’ – a collection of the top gospel-themed news stories from the week.

Tuck in below for the latest news on Kim Burrell, Hezekiah Walker, Smokie Norful, Jonathan Nelson, Mary Mary, and so much more…

Do you fancy yourself a fan of Rihanna‘s 2011 hit ‘Cheers (I’ll Drink To That)’?  What about Britney Spears’ ‘Blur’ or Brandy‘s ‘I Don’t Care’? Well, thank New York songbird Stacy Barthe for that.

Indeed, the Brooklyn beauty has seen her name listed aboard credits for a number of top artist hits including Spears, Rihanna, Alicia Keys, and so many more.   Now looking to take flight with her first LP (due via Motown Records this fall), Miss Barthe chats exclusively to That Grape Juice about her latest ventures, eyeing a Beyonce collaboration, and so much more.

As always, we ask the questions you want the answers to.  Get into it all below:

Stacy Barthe Shouts Out That Grape Juice

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They’re young, beautiful and one of them is talented. Only right then, that their respective fan bases celebrate chart gains made by Pop sweethearts Ciara and Rihanna this week, following their digital run-in last week.

Their chart check after the jump!

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‘…and like that, a smash hit is born‘.

As if the chart return of his wife Beyonce wasn’t enough to give Jay Z much to celebrate this month, his ‘Suit & Tie’ collaboration with Justin Timberlake has ensured that both he (and his pockets) will be smiling for some time.

For, less than twelve hours after its digital release, the R&B jam has rocketed to #1 in the UK- snatching the top spot away from Will.i.am and Britney Spears‘ ‘Scream & Shout’.

Chart check below…

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They’re beautiful, talented, and have taken the world by storm, and now- by way of the folks over at Forbes– Beyonce & her one time protege Rihanna have much to celebrate today.

For, they have been named as two of music’s highest earning contributors, earning more money than this year than mutual mentor Jay Z.

Details below…

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The premiere season of The X Factor USA brought with it many a twist and turn, as well as a wealth of new talent – one of the most notable being Marcus Canty.

After finishing fourth on the show, the 21 year old was swiftly signed up by mentor LA Reid to join his revitalised Epic Records roster.

The fruit of that union has been R&B bliss, with both of Canty’s singles ‘Won’t Make A Fool Out Of You’ and ‘In & Out’ drumming up ample buzz.

With the Washington DC native hard at work on his debut EP ‘This Is..Marcus Canty’ (due October 30th), we quizzed him on his background, ditching basketball for music, whether  he has any fears coming from a talent show, and much more.

Our interview with the young talent awaits after the jump…

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Now is an exciting time to be on #TeamXtina.  For, while drumming up much buzz for her new single ‘Your Body’ (set for radio add tomorrow and iTunes launch on September 17th), the singer and her ‘Voice’ crew trumped Britney Spears and co. over on ‘X Factor USA’ in a TV diva showdown for ratings.

Winning, indeed.

Now, a certain move to keep fans in a frenzy, is the unveil of the singer’s ‘Lotus’ album due date. Guesting appearance from longtime Spears’ collaborator Max Martin and ‘Voice’ co-judge Cee-Lo Green, find out when you can get your copy below:

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As evidenced by her latest single, Alicia Keys is indeed “on fire”.  After a fiery unveiling of her new single with ‘Right Thru Me’ maestra Nicki Minaj at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards last week, the song has already flown to iTunes top 10!

Following this feat, Keys jetted across the pond for engagements that will see her across the U.K. and Australia.  The first of said engagements saw the pianist lend a lesson to a host of aspiring singers on the Australian branded version of hit reality talent show ‘X Factor’.

A day before you will get your first full peek at Britney Spears on ‘X Factor USA’, see Keys dish out advice on its Australian counterpart from today!

Just days after the premiere of Nicola Roberts‘ ‘Beat Of My Drum‘, another cut from her ‘Cinderella’s Eyes‘ album has surfaced in the form of ‘Porcelain Heart’.

The song is now available to fans of the starlet who pre-order the LP on UK iTunes.

In the meanwhile, take a listen to the track below…

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Jennifer Lopez may be searching for the meaning of ‘LOVE?’ on her new LP, yet it seems record-buyers are still searching for a reason to buy it.

For, despite a huge inter-platform promo push, the album looks set to limp into next week’s chart with less than stellar numbers.

Full story after the jump…

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It’s definitely an exciting time for music lovers this year, especially for fans of their beloved female performers.  Not in a long while have so many high profile ladies released their musical offerings in tandem, causing both competition and scrutiny to be immense.  It almost harkens back to a time when icons such as Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, and Madonna all competed for that top spot.

While the past year has been an active period for female stars such as Ke$ha, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Katy Perry, the eyes of many glared longingly towards 2011. A year which would see Pop’s heavy-hitters Britney Spears, Lady GaGa, and Beyoncé vie -in tandem- for the pole position.  It goes without saying that ‘singers’ in the vein of the Rihanna’s and co seem to pop up every year on the Pop music spectrum; yet, no three ladies have amounted the success or of a following as these ladies.

With the release of Britney’s ‘Femme Fatale’ this March, along with the impending releases of GaGa’s ‘Born This Way’ and Beyoncé’s new album, it definitely leaves the question:  Thusfar, who has brought it?!

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In a rare occurrence, Lady GaGa toned things down while visiting Walt Disney World last night. The ‘Judas’ singer, who was in town for a sell-out show at Orlando’s Amway Center, looked noticeably demure while posing it up with the Evil Queen from Disney classic Snow White & The Seven Dwarves.

The superstar and her team are said to have had a ‘ball’ at the resort. {Source}

In other GaGa news, ‘Judas’ currently sits at #1 on the iTunes charts of a whopping 12 countries. 12!

With the US being one of those countries, the RedOne produced song is on course to stage a major chart upset – denying Rihanna‘s ‘S&M’ the top spot. Boosted by digital sales and radio play of its Britney Spears-assisted remix, ‘S&M’ was almost a shoo-in for the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 next week – yet looks set to have to settle for 2nd place.

Keep it locked to see who prevails come next week. In the meanwhile… Paws up!

Your thoughts?