Following mounting speculation that she had been dropped from her label, R&B diva Ciara has released a statement addressing the drama surrounding her music career as of late. The 25 year old does not hold back.

Find out what she had to say after the jump.

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Following the Platinum success of Whitney Houston‘s comeback effort ‘I Look To You’, reliable word has it that the legendary diva is soon set to return to the studio to record its follow-up.

Full story after the jump…

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After a brief rest on the bench, our Best You Never Heard feature returns this week with little known gems by Beyonce, Brandy, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

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Beyonce – Forever to Bleed

For all Beyonce‘s success, critiques pertaining to the type of music she releases remain steadfast. Indeed, for as revered as the likes of ‘Check On It’, ‘Get Me Bodied’, and ‘Video Phone’ may be in the here and now, such songs beg the question of whether they can or should be performed years from now. For many, the answer is an emphatic ‘No’. Hence, arising, are valid questions surrounding whether Beyonce is truly putting her best foot forward creatively.

While yours truly continues to negotiate my own stance on the matter, I argue ‘Forever to Bleed’ to be a great step in the right direction for the superstar. Recorded in 2008 during the ‘I Am…Sasha Fierce’ sessions, the haunting ballad unfortunately never made the final cut. However, with its rich lyrical content and compellingly raw delivery, the song boasts a sincerity and authenticity too often lacking from the singer’s otherwise solid back-catalogue of hits. More of this please, Ms. Knowles. More of this. {SAM}

LISTEN:

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Brandy – A Capella (Something’s Missing)

Despite her claims to the contrary, Brandy’s ‘Human’ did include some of her best work. This is exemplified by the spine-tingling vocal performance of ‘A Capella (Something’s Missing)’.

Produced by Soundz, the track features the full extent of Brandy’s astounding contralto range as she descends to unbelievable lows, even outperforming the capabilities of the added bass guitar.

There is no question that Brandy can execute some of the most fluid and well-timed vocal runs in the game but it is with this song that her abilities can be classed in the league of legendary singers such as the great Chaka Khan. {TRENT}

LISTEN:

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Whitney Houston – For The Lovers

Lifted from Whitney Houston‘s Platinum selling comeback ‘I Look To You’ (2009), ‘For The Lovers’ serves as one of the LP’s strongest offerings. Primarily a home-run due to to its effortless encapsulation of the contemporary and the traditional, the Danja produced banger sits right in the thick of what’s hot in 2010, while also giving a retrospective nod to Houston’s 80’s hits such as ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. What’s more, the track is one of the rare instances on an otherwise (good, yet) restrained album where we’re reminded of that ‘voice’ we grew to know, love, and for some, emulate. Indeed, present during the latter half are the trademark vocal runs, trinklets and isms which make a Whitney Houston track a…Whitney Houston track.

Why this was overlooked as a single is beyond me, as yours truly believes it posses an instant likability lacking from the grower that was ‘I Look To You’s lead rekease ‘Million Dollar Bill’. Still, single treatment or otherwise, the song goes hard! {SAM}

LISTEN:

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Mariah Carey– Slipping Away

Mariah Carey has long been regarded as one of the industry’s best singer/songwriters and there is no better example of her musical prowess than ‘Slipping Away’.

Released as a B-Side to her enormously successful ‘Always Be My Baby’ from her diamond-certified ‘Daydream’ album, the record features the songbird combining the various colours of her incredible vocal range with the sound of classic 90’s R&B.

Lyrically impressive and melodically astute, this track is one of the many gems in Carey’s catalogue that display her true skill as an artist. Her voice has been glorified but her genius is gravely underrated. {TRENT}

LISTEN:

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*Pinned: Normal Posts Resume Below*

Ciara has experienced several commercial struggles during the last 2 years. Her 2009 release, ‘Fantasy Ride’, performed poorly on the charts, selling less than 200,000 units in the US to date, despite producing the top 10 hit ‘Love Sex Magic (Ft. Justin Timberlake)’.

Additionally, instead of being praised for attempting to diversify her sound, Ciara endured a backlash from her listeners who argued that she had abandoned her Urban roots. So how has Ciara decided to respond to her critics? By giving them exactly what they want – a return to basics.

‘Basic Instinct’ features the Atlanta entertainer unleashing her sexuality over 11 bass-heavy tracks crafted by the likes of Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, Kenneth ‘Soundz’ Coby, Ester Dean, Tyler Williams, Nelson Kyle and Hilton Humphery. However, Ciara’s attempts at reclaiming her title as the Princess of Crunk N’B prove to be more lukewarm than the audio fire that some would desire.

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Rihanna may be getting ‘Loud’, but it seems no one is listening. At least, not enough.

The first week sales predictions are in for Ms. Fenty’s latest release…and it’s not looking particularly good for the model and her label.

Find out how much ‘Loud’ is set to debut with next week after the jump…

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Our friends over at Just Jared attended the New York listening session for Rihanna‘s new LP ‘Loud’ last night. Check out what they say Babados’ Next Top Model will be serving up this go round (plus my Two Pence) after the jump…

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Chris Brown appeared on Lunch Box Radio’s ‘Bobby Bones Show’ recently. The singer spoke about an array of topics including the surprising success of his current single, ‘Deuces (Ft. Tyga & Kevin McCall)’, his budding acting career and how he spent his 1st million dollars. Check out the full interview below:

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That Grape Juice can EXCLUSIVELY reveal that R&B star LeToya Luckett has parted ways with Capitol Records – the label she’s called home since her solo debut in 2005.

Full story after the jump…

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In a recent interview with VIBE, the ever-eclectic Solange lifted the lid on the recording process for her 3rd studio album (set for an October release), describing its sound as “80s R&B meets new wave dance-rock”.

During the insightful piece (spotted over at Gossip On This), the youngest of the Knowles clan also talked about her critics, Beyonce, the handling of her last album ‘Sol-Angel & The Hadley Street Dreams’, being an independent artist now, Janelle Monae and so much more. An awesome read.

Excerpts after the jump…

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Christina Aguilera’s music video for her new single, ‘Not Myself Tonight’, has been facing heavy criticism for its overtly sexual content. However, the vocal powerhouse, whose new album, ‘Bionic’, will be released on June 8th, has not taken such comments lightly. Here is what Aguilera had to say to Access Hollywood about the flak she has been receiving from the press regarding the clip:

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Things do not seem to be going well with the European leg of Whitney Houston‘s ‘Nothing But Love Tour’.

After postponing the trek’s first date in Paris this week, Houston’s label have announced that another 3 shows have been postponed due to the singer coming down with a  respiratory infection. The illness being one which saw the 46 year old have brief spell in a French hospital yesterday.

Sony Music UK sent That Grape Juice the following press release, elaborating on the issue, as well as advising on re-scheduled dates and refunds. Here’s hoping Whitney makes a speedy recovery…

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BET’s annual Rip The Runway fashion extravaganza aired last night. The event, which was hosted by Nicki Minaj, saw performances from the likes of Minaj herself, Estelle, Trina, and Ludacris,.  Check out the performances after the jump…

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