Sneak Peek: Kelly & 50!

Kelly Rowland was featured in the video for 50 Cent's "Baby By Me". Here we have an official sneak peek at the video which was directed by Chris Robinson.

J. Lo Returns!

Jennifer Lopez returns to music with "Louboutins" (no I don't know how to say that), the lead single off her upcoming album "Love?". The track was produced by Tricky Stewart and written by The-Dream and should debut next month. The track was originally recorded by R&B songstress Brandy, but Lopez has taken it instead. She will also perform the track at the AMAs on 22 November.

Chris Brown Video Sneak Peek!

You can see a preview of the upcoming video for Chris Brown's new single, "I Can Transform Ya" below. Let me know what you think!

MJB: I Can See In Colour

The official soundtrack for "Precious" has debuted. It was originally meant to be "100%" by Mariah Carey, who also stars in the film. However, Mary J. Blige was asked to record a song for the film, which was then picked as the official soundtrack. Listen to "I Can See In Colour" below and let me know what you think!

New Music: Shontelle!

"T-Shirt" singer, Shontelle returns with a new single, "Licky" said to be the lead off her upcoming sophomore album. Listen to the track below and let me know what you think.

MC Live at Fashion Rocks!

Mariah Carey appeared at Fashion Rocks to perform three songs from her collection. Peep Mariah performing her number one single, "Touch My Body" and "Obsessed" below and let me know what you think!

I think Mariah showcased a great performance here. It was refreshing to hear "Touch My Body" again and the rendition of "Obsessed" was also pretty good. In classic Mariah style, her dress was over the top and she really couldn't walk in it. Tidbit: Peep a few pics of Mimi from the "E=MC2" era. Her trainer was really working her hard back then, maybe she should rehire her.

Black Eyed Peas: Meet Me Halfway!

The Black Eyed Peas have released the third single off their latest album, "The E.N.D." titled "Meet Me Halfway". Watch the official video to the song below and let me know what you think.

I'm really like this, it's something a bit different from The Peas and I'm sure it'll hit the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Johnta Austin & MJB: Temptation!

Here's a demo from Johnta Austin called "Temptation". It features Mary J. Blige and was produced by Stargate. Take a listen to the song here and let me know what you think! A special shout out to 'The Prophet' for the track!

Sneak Peek: Maroon 5!

Maroon 5 have begun recording a follow-up album to their 2007 smash, "It Won't Be Soon Before Long". The album is said to be produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange (Shania Twain, AC/DC, Def Leopard, Nickelback) and will be released in 2010.

Frontman, Adam Levine recently spoke to Rolling Stone magazine where he revealed the following about the album. “It’s truly incredible, and it’s so different because we’ve had only work to focus on. It’s us, just newer, better, fitter, happier, stronger. It’s going to be good.” You can view a video here, where the boys are in Lange's studio in Switzerland.

Timbaland: Shock Value 2 Cover!

Peep the official cover for Timbaland's upcoming album, "Shock Value 2" below. The album is said to feature appearances by Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Keri Hilson, Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus and Shakira to name a few and will be released on 24 November.

The Element of Freedom pushed back!

Alicia Key's forthcoming album, "The Element of Freedom" has been pushed back to 15 December. The album was originally due 1 December but as a result of a lack of hype surrounding the lead single, "Doesn't Mean Anything", they have opted to move the release back two weeks.

I think that they'll be quick to release the second single, "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart" to see if that has a better chart performance. In related news, the album will now go up against Mary J. Blige's "Stronger". The chart battle for that week will be interesting to say the least!

Mary J's "Stronger" gets pushed back!

Mary J. Blige's new album, "Stronger" was said to be released on 24 November. The album has apparently been pushed back to 15 December. The album is said to include the songs, "The One" feat. Drake and "Stronger". I'm not surprised it was pushed back, "The One" really hasn't taken off and "Stronger" is nothing great in my opinion.

I'm hoping Blige will get back in the studio and release something solid like she usually does. I really enjoyed her last album, "Growing Pains". It is one of the few albums that I'm able to put in my CD player and listen to it from start to finish without skipping tracks (except "Til' The Morning"). I think a new lead single would be fitting as well!

Rihanna Update!

After the premiere of her new single, "Russian Roulette" week, some more information has begun to surface about Rihanna's upcoming studio album. The album is said to be titled "R-Rated" and will hit shelves on 24 November. In other news, "The Wait Is Ova" has been announced as the second single from the project, you can hear a snippet of the track here.

Beyonce: I Am... Live!

Beyonce gave an intimate performance in Las Vegas which was filmed to be used for a live DVD. Peep the tracklisting of the concert below and the official DVD cover below.

Part 1

"Hello Introduction"

"Halo"

"Irreplaceable"

"Sweet Dreams" medley:

* "Sweet Dreams"

* "Dangerously in Love 2"

* "Sweet Love"

"If I Were A Boy" ("If I Were A Boy", "You Oughta Know")

"Scared of Lonely"

"That’s Why You’re Beautiful" ("That's Why You're Beautiful", "The Beautiful Ones")

"Satellites"

"Resentment"

Part 2

Jazz Scat

"Déjà Vu"

"I Wanna Be Where You Are" ("I Wanna Be Where You Are", "Welcome To Hollywood")

Destiny’s Child medley:

"No, No, No

"Bug a Boo"

"Bills, Bills, Bills"

"Say My Name"

"Jumpin', Jumpin'"

"Independent Women Part I"

"Bootylicious"

"Survivor"

"Work It Out"

"03 Bonnie & Clyde"

"Crazy in Love"

"Naughty Girl"

"Get Me Bodied"

"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"

* Behind the Scenes Footage

I'll definitely be getting my copy on 23 November, will you?

Toni Braxton Update!

As the release of Toni Braxton's new album draws closer so more songs from the album begin to leak. At a recent listening event in New York, seven songs from the album were previewed and included, "Woman", "Hands Tied", "Make My Heart", "Looking At Me", "No Way, No How" and "Wait For You". The album apparently received very positive reviews which I'm very glad to hear. You can listen to "Woman" below, I'd like to know what you think.

I'm in love with this track. Unfortunately "Yesterday" hasn't taken off like I would've hoped but to me, it doesn't really matter about the commercial success of her album because the music is just so genuine and purely Toni. I can't wait to hear "Hands Tied" in full, it was and still is one of my favourite tracks that have leaked from the recording sessions alongside "Melt".

Preview Leona's Echo!

Snippets from Leona Lewis's upcoming album, "Echo" have hit the net. Listen to the tracks below in their snippet form below and let me know what you think!

From the previews my favourites are:

I Got You

Can't Breathe

Outta My Head

Don't Let Me Down

Lost Then Found

Tidbits:

1) I'd love to hear Leona do a club banger.

2) OneRepublic is a great feature on "Lost Then Found".

Whitney Performs Bill on X-Factor!

Whitney Houston is still on the promotional rounds for "I Look To You" in Europe. Peep her performance of "Million Dollar Bill" below on the Italian X-Factor.

New Music: Chris Brown!

The second single from Chris Brown's LP has debuted. The track, "Crawl" was produced by The Messengers who also produced the lead single, "I Can Transform Ya" from his new album. Listen to the track below and let me know what you think!

Mariah Carey Stripped!

Mariah Carey performed an intimate set in New York to promote her current album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel". Peep the performances below and let me know what you think!

In my view these are some of the best performances from the "Memoirs" era.

New Music: Rihanna!

The first single from Rihanna's upcoming album, "The Wait Is Ova" has premiered. The track, "Russian Roulette" was produced and written by Ne-Yo. Listen to it below and let me know what you think!

Well there's really not much to say about this track. Rihanna has never been known for her ballads and I'm not sure this is going to change that.

Joss Stone: Colour Me Free!

Joss Stone's fourth studio album, "Colour Me Free" was released yesterday. I'm not sure I even got to post the official tracklisting yet. Anyway, you can now view it below and don't say I told you, but the album can be found online for downloading if you can't wait to get your hands on a copy.

1. "Free Me" *
2. "Could Have Been You"
3. "Parallel Lines" (Ft. Jeff Beck & Sheila E)
4. "Lady"
5. "4 And 20"
6. "Big 'Ol Game" (Ft. Raphael Saadiq) *
7. "Governmentalist" (Ft. Nas)
8. "Incredible"
9. "You Got The Love"
10. "I Believe It To My Soul" (Ft. David Sanborn) *
11. "Stalemate" [New Version] (Ft. Jamie Hartman)
12. "Girlfriend on Demand"

I'll post my review once I've got my legal copy! In the meantime, what do you think of the album?

Adam Lambert Update!

American Idol runner up Adam Lambert has been hard at work on his debut album to be released on 24 November. Lambert confirmed that the album is titled, "For Your Entertainment" and also that he has recorded a song written by Lady GaGa! The official first single for the album will debut soon.

Leona Lewis: New Snippet!

A snippet has surfaced of one of the upcoming tracks from Leona Lewis's sophomore album, "Echo". The track is titled, "Outta My Head" and was produced by Max Martin (P!nk). Take a listen to the track here and let me know what you think!

Chris Brown: On Set!

With Rihanna a few hours away from releasing her first single from her upcoming album, it looks like former boyfriend Chris Brown is trying to gain some publicity himself. Peep some official pics from the video for his first single, "I Can Transform Ya" off his new album, "Graffiti" below. The video was directed by Joseph Kahn so it should be a winner! No news on when it will premiere.

New RiRi: Coming Soon!

With less than 5 hours until the official premiere of Rihanna's new single, the music world is buzzing with excitement. The track, supposedly titled "Russian Roulette" has been confirmed as being both written and produced by Ne-Yo and is said to have no guest feature. There is also a teaser up on Rihanna's official website which features a music snippet (not of the lead single).

While I'm no doubt excited to hear what Rihanna will be serving up this time around, I can't say I'm over the moon about her return to music. I really felt she should have taken some more time off and come back in a few years with something fresh and original. I'm sure that the song will be a hit either way so it'll be interesting to give the track a listen a bit later. Are you looking forward to the new Rihanna single?

Top 5 Songs of the Moment!

Its been a while since I lasted posted what I've been listening to, so without further delay here are my five top songs of the moment in no particular order.

1. Mariah Carey - Up Out My Face

2. Michelle Williams - The Greatest

3. Toni Braxton - He Wasn't Man Enough For Me

4. JoJo - How You Did It

5. Mariah Carey - H.A.T.E.U.

What have you been listening to?

JoJo: Random Hotness!

So I was browsing around the net and came across a leaked tracked from teen sensation JoJo. The track is titled "How You Did It" and is said to have been produced by the one and only Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Listen to the track below and let me know what you think!

I'm really liking this track. I feel it's on par with her previous lead singles, "Get Out (Leave)" and "Too Little Too Late". If they added a bit of vocal gymnastics at the climax I see reason as to why this couldn't serve as a lead single for her upcoming album.

GaGa: Bad Romance!

The first single from Lady GaGa's upcoming rerelease project, "The Fame Monster" has premiered. Titled, "Bad Romance" the track sees the newest pop sensation teaming up with hitmaker RedOne (Poker Face, Just Dance) to deliver something which doesn't stray too far from their previous collaborations. Listen to the song below and let me know what you think!

Alicia Keys: Doesn't Mean Anything Video!

The video for the lead single, "Doesn't Mean Anything" off Alicia Keys's upcoming fourth studio album, "The Element of Freedom" has premiered. The video was directed by P.R. Brown who also directed the clip for the James Bond theme song, "Another Way To Die" which featured White Strips guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White. Peep the video below and let me know what you think!

I'm liking this clip, it's simple yet effective. In related news the song currently sits at #61 on the Billboard Hot 100, so unless she sees a big jump soon I wouldn't hesitate in saying that this single won't do as well as "No One" did. I have no doubt that this album will still be a big one for Keys after hearing the proposed second single, "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart".

Whitney Performs 'Bill' on X-Factor!

Whitney Houston is still in Europe doing the promo rounds for her latest studio album, "I Look To You". The singer recently appeared on X-Fact0r (the UK's version of Idol) to perform "Million Dollar Bill". Peep the performance below and let me know what you think!

What a great performance. Whitney gave it her all from start to finish and it looked as if she was really enjoying being on stage again. The vocals were not terrific, but I think her energy and excitement made up for it. Tidbit: It was great to see Simon Cowell stand up at the end and show some appreciation and respect to one of the most iconic figures in the music industry!

John Mayer!

So its been a minute since John Mayer's last studio album, "Continuum". Mayer will return on 17 November with his latest studio album, "Battle Studies". The album is preceded by the single, "Who Says". Peep the official video and single cover below as well as the album cover above and let me know what you think!

Kelly Rowland: Out 'n About!

One of my favourite singers, Kelly Rowland has really been doing her thing around the world as of late. She has been all over the place performing her #1 smash, "When Love Takes Over" with David Guetta. Peep Ms. Kelly below at the 2009 MTV Latin Awards.

Kelly has also been snapped in 50 Cent's new video, "Baby By Me". Peep the pics below.

To say Kelly looks good in these pics is an understatement! I've said it before and I'll say it again, if I had a label she'd be the first artist I signed to it! Here's hoping 2010 holds some great music from a real artist.

New Timbo: Morning After Dark!

The first single from Timbaland's upcoming album has leaked. The single, "Morning After Dark" features up and coming star SoShy and precedes , "Shock Value 2" which will be released on 23 November. Listen to the track below and let me know what you think!

The single has been receiving a lot of negative criticism and it's not hard to see why. To put it bluntly, this sounds like a left over track from "Shock Value" and really isn't anything groundbreaking. SoShy, adds nothing to the track and I'm really hoping that this single will be dropped quickly for something more radio friendly and fresh.

Leona Lewis: Happy Video!

The video for the first single, "Happy" off Leona Lewis's upcoming sophomore album, "Echo" has been released. The video was directed by Jake Nava (Single Ladies, If I Were A Boy) and is really another masterpiece from the genius himself. Peep the video below and let me know what you think!

While the video is good I'm quite positive it's not going to help the position of the song on the charts and I really think her team should look at releasing a second single soon.

Rihanna Update!

Rihanna is set to release a new record later this year and new details have emerged about the upcoming project. The first single will debut in just under three days and a video has already been shot for it. There is no information on the title of the song, producer, writer or even any featured artist.

It seems her label have taken the 'confidentiality' side of things pretty seriously this time around. In related news, the new album is said to be titled "The Wait Is Ova" and will be released on 23 November. Peep the pictures from the first single's music video set below and let me know what you think!

Toni Shoots Yesterday!

Toni Braxton recently shot the video for her new single, "Yesterday" with Brooke Hogan (I don't know why she's featuring). Below you can peep the pics from the video which was directed by Bille Woodruff (He Wasn't Man Enough For Me).

Michael Jackson: This Is It!

With the release of his documentary to movie theaters on 29 October, a new track has been released from the Michael Jackson archives. Titled, "This Is It", the track is from 1991 recording sessions of the album, "Dangerous" and features backing vocals from the Jackson 5. Listen to the track below and let me know what you think!

Toni Braxton: Yesterday Remix!

The remix for Toni Braxton's first single, "Yesterday" has been released. The track features label-mate Trey Songz and can be listen to here. Let me know what you think!

Lady GaGa: The Fame Monster!

Lady GaGa will rerelease her very successful debut album, "The Fame" on 24 November. The album will feature eight new tracks and is preceded by the single "Bad Romance". Below you can peep the official covers for both the single and double disc versions below.

Robin Thicke New Music!

RnB crossover crooner Robin Thicke returns with "Sex Therapy", the first single off his upcoming album to be released later this year. For the first time, the album is said to feature production and writing credits from artists other than himself. The track was produced by Polow Da Don. Listen to the first single below and let me know what you think!

Mariah Carey: H.A.T.E.U. Remix!

The official remix of "H.A.T.E.U.", the third single from Mariah Carey's new album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" has debuted. The track features Gucci Mane (see "Obsessed") and OJ Da Juiceman and was produced by longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri. Listen to the track below and let me know what you think!

The track reminds me of a Carey from the 90s era so I can probably see why she's been comparing this album to "Butterfly". Although I like the track, I'm not ecstatic about it and to be honest, the original does much more for me. Either way, I think it would be great if they released both the original and the remix with videos like they did for "Heartbreaker". On a related topic, where is the video for "I Want To Know What Love Is"?

Jennifer Lopez Update!

After a new track "Fresh Out The Oven" appeared on the internet last week, further information has been released on an upcoming album from Jennifer Lopez.

Titled, "Love?" the album is said to be released in January, and much to my liking, it will not be an alter ego concept album as I previously thought was possible due to the buzz single being released under the name Lola. Yes, "Fresh Out The Over" is a buzz single, and will not serve as the album's first official single.

I'm quite excited to hear some new material from Jennifer. It'll be interesting to see if she can top the charts after the release of a few flop albums (see "Brave" and "Rebirth" - to some extent).

Whitney Performs Bill!

Whitney Houston has been on a bit of an European promo tour for her latest album, "I Look To You". The diva performed one of the singles from the album, "Million Dollar Bill" on French TV. Watch the performance below and let me know what you think!

J. Lo/Lola Vs. Beyonce/Sasha!

It looks like Jennifer Lopez is about to pull a Beyonce! Peep this new MySpace account created under the name "Lola". A track titled, "Fresh Out The Oven" feat. Pitbull is also featured on the page. There's no doubt that that's Jenny singing there so this can only mean that "Lola" will be introduced as a alter ego, who I'm guessing is more fierce and has no self confidence issues (see Sasha Fierce, SuperC etc.).

Anyway, about the track. With Jenny being away from the mainstream industry (forget "Brave") for such a long period of time, I'm not sure this track is what she needed to get her back on top. The production is pretty good (Neptunes), but Pitbull doesn't do much for the track and the lyrics are really cheesy "Everybody say they're a doctor at the bar" so I'm not sure how this is going to work for Ms. Lopez. I guess only time will tell.

Mariah Carey: Memoirs Update!

Mariah Carey has been hot on the promotional trail for the release of her 12th studio album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel". Unfortunately, promotion didn't help the first week sales of her latest offering. Official figures show that Mariah debuts at #3 this week, with sales of only 170 000. The top spot was occupied by Paramore, followed closely by Barbara Streisand.

In related "Memoirs" news, "H.A.T.E.U." has been chosen as the third single from the album. Also, an official remix project has been announced which will see all the songs being remixed and released as a separate LP. This would explain the lack of features and remixes on the current release. According to Rap-Up, Trey Songz has been enlisted to feature on "Inseparable" and has already recorded his portion of the track.

I really think the remixes concept album is a great idea and as a fan, I'm excited to see what the album will serve up. In saying that, I'm a bit disappointed with a #3 debut and I hope that with further promotion, the release of a new single and some time the album sales will pick up.

Joss Stone: Colour Me Free Promo!

With the very sudden decision to release her 4th studio album, "Colour Me Free", Joss Stone has begun to hit the promo trail. Here we have a few new pics of Joss which I'm presuming will fall part of the album artwork. Anyway, peep the pics below and let me know what you think.

Leona Lewis: Echo Update!

The release of Leona Lewis's new album, "Echo" is drawing near (17 November) and her promotional team is pulling out all the stops to ensure the album gets sufficient exposure. The album cover, promo shots and the tracklisting have been released and can be viewed below.

1. Happy

2. I Got You

3. Can’t Breathe

4. Brave

5. Outta My Head

6. My Hands

7. Love Letter

8. Broken

9. Naked

10. Stop Crying Your Heart Out

11. Don’t Let Me Down

12. Alive

13. Lost Then Found (featuring One Republic)

Wow, Leona looks incredible in these pics! As for the impeccable album cover, I am really speechless! The tracklisting is so so, I guess we'll have to wait to hear all of the songs.

Usher: New Music!

The first single from Usher's upcoming album which has now been renamed "Raymond Vs. Raymond" has been released. Titled "Papers", the track sees Usher getting very personal about his divorce with ex-wife Tameka Foster. The track was written by Sean "The Pen" Garrett and produced by Zaytoven. Take a listen to the track below and let me know what you think!

What is this meant to be, "Confessions Part 3"? While the track is alright in my opinion, I really think they tried to recreate elements from the very successful "Confessions" era due to the lack of sales of his last album, "Here I Stand".

New Music: Leona Lewis!

"Stone Hearts" is a cut from British singing sensation Leona Lewis's new album, "Echo". Listen to the track below and let me know what you think!

Hmm. I'm on the fence about this one. I'm not sure if I like it or not. While I'm undecided on it, I think it's a better offering than "Happy" which has really failed to have any impact any charts at all! Leona's team better get their act together quickly, the album release is next month and I don't think they've released anything solid enough to ensure she has good sales!

Upcoming Albums!

The fourth quarter of 2009 is among us so I thought we'd take a look at the upcoming albums for the final part of the year.

6 October

Shakira - She Wolf

20 October

Joss Stone - Colour Me Free

Peep the new cover for the album below!

3 November

Carrie Underwood - Play On

Amerie - In Love & War

50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct

9 November

Robbie Williams - Video Killed the Radio Star

17 November

Leona Lewis - Echo

24 November

Timbaland - Shock Value 2

Britney Spears - The Singles Collection

Mary J. Blige - Stronger

Lady GaGa - The Fame Monster

1 December

Alicia Keys - The Element of Freedom

8 December

Usher - Monster

Laura Izibor: Don't Stay Video!

One of my favourite new artists, Laura Izibor has released a video for her new single, "Don't Stay" off her debut album, "Let The Truth Be Told". If you haven't got a copy of the album yet I advise you to take a listen to some of her music at her official website. Peep the video below and let me know what you think!

Joss Stone: Free Me Live!

Joss Stone performed the first single "Free Me" from her upcoming album, "Colour Me Free" on Jimmy Kimmel. Peep the performance below and let me know what you think!

Mariah Carey: The View!

Mariah Carey appeared on The View to promote her new album. She performed the latest single, "I Want To Know What Love Is" and sat down for an interview with the hosts. Peep the performance and interview below.

Her performance was a lot better than the one on The Today Show. I am however a little bit concerned after watching her perform both on The Today Show and on The View. Is it just me or did anyone else notice that she seems to be losing control of her signature whistle register? Peep 2:58-3:01 of the performance and let me know what you think!

Say What: New Knowles Siblings on the Way!

Entertainment website, TMZ has exclusively learnt that Matthew Knowles, father of Beyonce and Solange has been hit with a paternity case. Read their official report below!

"TMZ has learned Alexsandra Wright has filed a paternity case against Beyonce's dad, Mathew Knowles. Wright, who is 6-months pregnant, filed the case last week, alleges Knowles is the father. Mathew has been married to Tina Knowles since 1980. Mathew could not be immediately reached for comment."

I'm in shock to say the least! Imagine this is true, this could really tarnish the 'family' imagine that the Knowles' have worked so hard to create.

Toni Braxton: The Break Up!

Another song from Toni Braxton's sessions for her new album, "Pulse" has leaked! The song is titled "The Break Up" and is a ballad with good production and a solid performance from Braxton. Listen to the song below and let me know what you think!