if you think you saw the last of Christina Aguilera’s Super Bowl performance then think again. Footage of the diva’s rehearsal of the US national anthem has surfaced. Watch her rendition below:

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In what could possibly be a make or break moment in her career, Christina Aguilera is reportedly scheduled to open the 2011 Grammy Awards. The former chart-topper will supposedly team up with fellow vocal powerhouse Jennifer Hudson and 3 other artists at the February 13th event to pay tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

The stakes for this performance could not be any higher. Franklin is one of the most renowned artists of our time so there is not doubt that all eyes will be fixed on that segment.

Regardless of the current condition of her voice and the scathing backlash that she received for her performance at the Super Bowl, Aguilera would still be taking a huge risk by attempting to cover Franklin’s music. In fact, very few singers ever dare to tackle Franklin’s records because of incredible complexity of her arrangements.

If Aguilera thinks that she can get away with screaming her way through the performance like she did with her James Brown tribute in 2007 then she is sorely mistaken. She needs to be careful because this could be all that is needed for the general public to turn their backs on her for good.

Thoughts?

In a recent interview with the UK’s Pride magazine, pregnant diva Mariah Carey offered her views on the ‘new breed of divas’. Check out what the  expectant mother of twins  had to say after the jump…

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That Grape Juice sat down with none other than Jazmine Sullivan earlier this week. The R&B singer is flying high after receiving her 8th Grammy Award nomination for ‘Holding You Down (Going In Circles)’ and scoring her 2nd top 20 debut with her critically acclaimed new album, ‘Love Me Back’.

Naturally, we asked that questions to which you wanted answers. Sullivan spoke quite candidly about a wide range of topics including her next single, being compared to Brandy, losing to Beyonce at the 2010 Grammys and much more!

Check out all the action below:

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Jazmine Sullivan Shouts Out That Grape Juice

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R&B songstress Monica took centre-stage at the NBA Finals in Boston to perform the US National Anthem a few moments ago. Check out how Ms. Arnold fared below…

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Ciara, Kelly Rowland and Justin Timberlake. These artists are among the very best of their generation; each dominating a completely different genre of music. However, they all have one thing in common: the inability to successfully branch out beyond the confines of their primary music markets and into different genres. It seems that unlike international territories, the US music industry remains segregated; governed by unspoken rules regarding race and ethnicity; refusing to allow artists to explore new sounds that do not match established audience perceptions of what they acts “should” be performing.

Indeed, the US music scene remains intent on suppressing the talents of artists; stuffing them into box marked by  various stereotypes. For instance, when Ciara first emerged on the charts in 20o4, she was hailed as one of the hottest newcomers in R&B, partially filling the void that was left by the late Aaliyah. From her Hip-Hop-inspired sound to her full-fledged Urban appeal, she easily dominated the R&B charts for most of that year. Yet, Ciara found herself on the receiving end of severe criticism when she indulged in Pop/Dance music on her ‘Fantasy Ride’ LP, with several US critics and DJ’s claiming that she had abandoned her Urban audience in an effort to to appeal to a more “white” following.

Kelly Rowland has encountered a similar backlash in recent years as well. Despite struggling to score a hit after her initial solo smash, ‘Dilemma‘, Rowland seems to have finally found her niche with her new Dance-oriented sound; amassing incredible success in the UK, Europe and Australia. Nevertheless, such triumphs were not reflected in the US, where her 2009 hit, ‘When Love Takes Over’, only peaked at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100. Like Ciara, many of individuals in the US refused to acknowledge her artistic growth and criticised Rowland for abandoning her Urban roots.

Nonetheless, these pressures are not only encountered on the charts. Justin Timberlake had several incredible accomplishments across all formats, especially with his TI-assisted hit, ‘My Love’. However, his music was blatantly ignored by his own peers at the Grammy Awards where they refused to nominate his straightforward Urban recordings in any of the R&B categories; an occurrence many attribute to the colour of his skin.

So, while many many aspects of life in the US are slowly being liberated, the music industry remains an area of tension and unfair categorisation. In light of new reports that even Jennifer Hudson is being forced by industry pundits to rework the Euro-dance sound of her upcoming album and stick to her R&B roots, it is clear that full artistic freedom continues to be subjected to underlying pressures involving race and ethnicity. However, with Rihanna and Beyonce managing to successfully branch out and evade such conflict, there may yet be hope for other acts as well.

Do you agree that the US music market is divided

by race and ethnicity?

Check out R&B songstress Keri Hilson striking a pose in Avon‘s latest campaign. The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter recently replaced Jennifer Hudson as the face of the long-standing brand.

Speaking on her involvement in the campaign, Hilson said:

“I’m really careful. I don’t want to be affiliated with too many brands. It’s got to make sense, and it makes sense [with Avon.] I love fragrance. I love beauty. I love to teach women that they should feel confident and feel good about themselves for themselves.”

“Miss Keri Baby” looks great! Check out another pic from the shoot after the jump. {Thanks Keri Hilson Central / J. Mac}

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Many a star came out for Elton John’s 18th annual Oscar After-Party, in support of his AIDS Foundation. The event which took place at Hollywood’s Pacific Design Center last night (March 7th) was attended by Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Stacy Dash (of ‘Clueless’ fame), Serena Williams, and more. Check out the snaps below:

Your thoughts?

Legendary producer Quincy Jones assembled over 80 artists at in Los Angeles last night to record the 2010 version of ‘We Are The World’ in support of Haiti. The session, which has been spear-headed by Jones and Lionel Richie, who together with the late, great Michael Jackson fronted the original 25 years ago, was recorded at the Jim Henson Studios in Hollywood – the same place the 1985 version was recorded in. Look out for the track’s debut during the Winter Olympics later this month.

Stars who recorded during the session for the new version included:

Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Kanye West, Celine Dion, Lil Wayne, Barbra Strisand, Wyclef, Pink, Gladys Knight, Justin Bieber Akon, Snoop Dogg, Mya, Brandy, Robin Thicke, Tyrese, Trey Songz, Jamie Foxx, Toni Braxton, Kid Cudi, LL Cool J, Keri Hilson, will.i.am, Nicole Scherzinger, among others.

Interestingly, though Michael Jackson’s original vocals will not feature, the Jackson family will have a presence on the track; with Janet Jackson confirmed to record and submit her vocals remotely, and some members of Jackson trio 3T also present during the session.

Tidbits: It’s also been reported that Lady GaGa will be featuring on the track in some capacity. Like most, though, I am wondering where Beyonce is…

In any case, check  whole lot of pics from the session after the jump…

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The BET Honors 2010 aired in the US a few hours ago. This year’s show honoured Whitney Houston for her historical achievements in music, as well as Queen Latifah, Diddy (for his business success), and other non-entertainment figures.

Check out the night’s performances below, which included live showings from the likes of Jennifer Hudson, Mary. Blige, StevieWonder, Trey Songz, Jazmine Sullivan, Patti Labelle, Ryan Leslie, India Arie and Kim Burrell.

As you’ll see Jennifer Hudson and Kim Burrell shut it all the way down! Awesome!

Jennifer Hudson – I Will Always Love You

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Lady GaGa has just been added to the all-star lineup that has become the remake of Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie’s classic ‘We Are The World’. The song is being revamped by Richie, Quincy Jones and RedOne to celebrate it’s 25th anniversary and benefit the nation of Haiti. Among the 100+ artists included on the track are Jennifer Hudson, Toni Braxton, Usher, Jason Mraz, Akon, Carlos Santana, Enrique Iglesias and Trey Songz. {Source}

It seems that the music world is pulling out all the stops! With this project as well as the Simon Cowell-orchestrated remake of REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ in the UK, we can expect to hear some of the biggest voices in entertainment unite on the airwaves. I’m eager to hear what they come up with.

Sidebar: I’m happy to see Trey Songz stepping up to sing about something other than sex for once.

Thoughts?

With the eagerly anticipated 52nd Annual Grammy Awards set to get under-way live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles in a few hours, That Grape Juice’s ‘Grammy Awards 2010: Your Shout!’ area goes live right now!

Tonight’s show boasts performances from Lady GaGa, Beyonce, Maxwell, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Lil’ Wayne, Pink, as well as an all-star 3D tribute to Michael Jackson, which will feature Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Celine Dion, and Carrie Underwood.. Undoubtedly the industry’s biggest calender day, this one

Here you can post your views on  anything and everything regarding the show. Pre-Show rumours…Who you’re looking forward to seeing… Who you feel rocked the red carpet, who should have skipped it altogether LOL…Who deserved to win what…performances…and all that good stuff –  before, during, and after the show….

This is ‘Your Shout’!

Tidbit: Non-US visitors, be sure to be on That Grape Juice shortly before the show kicks off, as we’ll have a live-stream up!

Update: Watch the Grammy’s Live below! If link messes up, click here to watch