With her debut flick ‘Battleship’ may have crashing and burning at the Box Office and ratings for her British ‘Styled To Rock’ series pulling a ‘Glitter‘, you’d think Rihanna‘d be a little stressed out.
Well, if her latest antics are anything to go by, she isn’t. In fact, despite her seventh studio LP fast approaching, Riri seems to have ample time for fun on her hands. Time, which though we’d rather see invested in rehearsals, sees her enjoying the company of strippers exotic dancers.
Despite being one of Pop’s stronger pieces, Christina Aguilera‘s 2010 effort ‘Bionic‘ found itself shunned and overlooked, as a result of the negative press the vocalist fell prey to at the time.
Failing to soar commercially, it would take two years for the album to earn the respect its currently being afforded, following Aguilera’s successful stint on ‘The Voice’.
At That Grape Juice we’re not just keen to introduce you to new talent, we’re eager to follow their journey. Case, point, rising star Chris Grant.
The acclaimed dancer, who we profiled last year, this week released the video for his debut single, ‘Good Night’.
We caught up with Grant over the phone last week to discuss his journey up to this point. Peep a few excepts below…
On Transitioning From Dancer To Singer:
“I’ve always wanted to be an entertainer, more specifically a singer, from when I was younger. When Michael (Jackson) was alive, I made it my goal to meet him, to dance for him as a back-up dancer. And when I did that during the This Is It Tour (as sad as that ended up being), I feel like that dream had somewhat been fulfilled. So, within myself, I believe it’s the right time to become the performer, the entertainer I’ve always dreamed to be. I’ve also grown so much as a singer since the Making The Band days too. I just want people to see what else I can do beyond dance my ass off (laughs)”.
On His Sound:
“I’m not a Whitney Houston or Luther Vandross type vocalist. That’s not me. I make music that makes you want to move, music that makes you want to dance in the club. Of course, there are other sounds (on my album), but my core is music that inspires you to move. I’m a performer, I want to entertain”.
On His Competition
I really enjoy the music of the Usher‘s and Chris Brown‘s. And yes, we all dance and entertain. But we’re all quite different. Though Chris Brown is Pop-R&B, he leans more towards”House”, while for me I’m a Pop guy. My biggest inspirations are Michael and Janet. So, I draw from them most, as I strive to make my own mark with my own signature.”
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We’re liking what we see of Chris and so are the likes of Beyonce (he choreographed her ‘End of Time’ routine) and energy drink’s giant P.u.s.s.y (owned by Richard Branson’s offspring, Holly and Sam).
With ‘Good Night’ due for release on October 1st (click here to pre-order), Grant has set sail on an International promo run, which most recently saw him perform at the Festival Show in Verona, Italy in font of a crowd of 25,000!
As his buzz continues to build, we’re sure his name is one that’ll become etched in mass consciousness. His talent demands it.
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…
That Grape Juice was on-hand at the 2012 Soul Train Awards nominations announcements in New York today. There, the list of those up for coveted awards were read out to selected press outlets.
Without pre-empting too much too soon, most notable of the nominees are R. Kelly and Usher. For, this year’s tally sees both break Soul Train records. With five nominations, Usher blazes past Michael Jackson and Beyonce to earn the honor of most nominations in a single year, while Kelly now boasts the most total Soul Train Award nominations – of all time.
Want to know who else made the cut? The answer awaits after the jump…
Get your glitter and find your nearest club, because Ke$ha is finally coming back!
Enjoying a brief hiatus to work on her forthcoming album and perfect those ever in tune vocals, the ‘Animal’ lover revealed the key dates for her new campaign today, via the social networking site Twitter.
September 18th has certainly seen Pink fans doubly blessed. For, not long after being able to get their hands on her latest ‘Blow Me’-led studio album ‘The Truth About Love’, the Grammy winning songstress unveils the schedule for her 2013 world tour.
Sharing the same name as her most recent album, the multi-city trek will see the ‘Family Portrait’ performer bring her colorful set to every corner of the U.S. before trekking across the pond to other countries.
Giving L.A. fans a taste of what’s to come recently, see the dates and a few live performances after the jump:
As an unlikely candidate for a judging position on the series, Nicki Minaj’s decision to join ‘American Idol’ is sure to have come as a surprise to any unfamiliar with her entire body of work.
For, by way of her ‘animated’ style, many seem to question how qualified the Rapper is to judge fresh talent.
Now, she has explained why she joined the show, and how ‘Sparkle’ actress Jordin Sparks influenced her decision to do so.
Lady GaGa vs Christina Aguilera. It was the feud that never quite happened, yet left a trail of carnage in its path nonetheless.
All it took was a pocket of suggestive comments from The Voice coach on her then-rising rival, and just like that the media pulled the plug on her underrated ‘Bionic’ LP.
Fast forward two years and the climate is altogether different for both ladies. Lady GaGa is…well..Lady GaGa, while Christina looks poised to stage a major comeback with new single ‘Your Body’.
It appears the song, which has rocketed to #4 on iTunes after just one day, has also caught the attention of GaGa – who took to Twitter today to address it and Xtina herself.
Last night saw acts from across all fields of music celebrate the MOBO Awards Nominations party in London, welcoming the likes of Misha B, Tulisa and Brit Pop Princess Rita Ora.
Revealing just who had scored nominations in the ceremony’s categories, the event came months before the official awards night, November 3rd.
So, without further delay, find out who has cause to celebrate below…
Today brings with it a double helping of goodies for Nelly Furtado fans. For, the singer’s long-awaited comeback album ‘The Spirit Indestructible’ finally hits stores, while its latest visual offering, ‘Parking Lot’, was premiered minutes ago.
It’s no secret that the LP has to-date birthed no hits; can ‘Lot’ reverse its fortunes? You be the judge after the jump…
As reported here, with ‘Your Body’ beauty Christina Aguilera set to leave ‘The Voice’ for its 2013 spring season (though expected to return Fall 2013), NBC has enlisted the help of another Latin sex symbol to take her place – Shakira. The ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ hitmaker is readying a new LP, but now she will add ‘reality talent show’ judge to her ever-growing resume.
And, with word Cee Lo Green is expected to make an exit at this season‘s end as well, R&B veteran Usher will step in as his replacement. Still in heavy promotions of his 2012 project ‘Looking For Myself’, the crooner is undoubtedly looking for the T.V. opportunity to reestablish his force in the music industry.
The announcement follows his highly anticipated sitdown with talk show queen Oprah to detail his recent personal troubles (see: divorce from/custody battle with Tameka Foster).