Kelly Rowland Performs "Motivation" On Leno

Kelly Rowland may have made us wait for a release-week performance of her hit single "Motivation" off her new album Here I Am, but at least when she hit the stage on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Friday, it was worth it!

Keyshia Cole Returning To Reality TV

Following the poor reception of her fourth, non-reality show-assisted album Calling All Hearts, Keyshia Cole has made the decision to return to the platform that has brought her so much success in the past. Instead of Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is however, she will star in the upcoming reality series Family First. Details, such as the network & premiere date/time, are still up in the air. I don't know how much people will care for a show that doesn't include the crazy side of her family... yet all I can SMH about is what in the world made her do that to her head?!

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Beyonce Performs "Best Thing I Never Had" On Jimmy Fallon

Joined by The Roots, Beyonce performed a rendition of "Best Thing I Never Had", her latest single off 4, on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon that was much improved, if not entirely polished, from her showing on The View. She also sat down with Jimmy for a quick interview & his are always the best!

Brandy "On My Own" Documentary Sneak Peek

Don't ask me when it will premiere or in how many parts, but Brandy has a new documentary entitled "On My Own" that you can catch a sneak peek of above. The fact that this isn't an episode of Behind The Music worries me... I mean, we never did get an *official* announcement that she had signed with a major label after parting ways with Epic... & don't get me started on that Ryan fella (if you watched the Family Business show, you don't need me to). Of course, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wanna see this. I'm just gonna need new music to arrive soon..!

Beyonce On The View

"1+1"



"Best Thing I Never Had"



Interview
The Destiny's Child member that released an album this week (wait, no) Beyonce visited The View to chat & perform two cuts from her new album 4. Definitely check out that "1+1" performance! To me, the BTINH performance was rough--& I'm not (just) talking about the mic issues. The lyrics to the song have so much attitude & when Beyonce performs it, she does these stripped-down versions of it & it completely loses what's special about it. There needs to be something behind you, Beyonce, so that the people can FEEL what you're singing!

New Melanie Fiona Promo Pics + More

Here, we have a few new promotional photos of Melanie Fiona for her upcoming sophomore album The MF Life. An October 25th release date has been set for the album, which Melanie has been working with the likes of Chuck Harmony on. Keep an eye out for The MF Mixtape to precede the LP!

Mary J. Blige "Behind The Music"

Kelly Rowland "Vibe" Magazine Cover

Kelly Rowland keeps in theme with her Here I Am album artwork on the cover of the Juice issue of Vibe. Ya look great, but we get it Kelly--this is the REAL you! Now please start promoting your album in person.

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New Ashanti Promo Pic

Ashanti gets her J.Lo "I'm Into You" on in this new promotional photo for whatever is 'coming soon.' She looks good!

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Rihanna "Glamour" Magazine Cover

Like Ameriie, Rihanna must've been inspired by "everything from fire to the color red to any indigenous people" when she was getting ready for Glamour's September cover shoot. Look out for "Cheers" to be the next single off RiRi's latest album Loud!

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New Music Tuesday: Kelly Rowland "Here I Am"

Here it is: The release day for Kelly Rowland's third album Here I Am! Featuring the Lil' Wayne-assisted hit single "Motivation", Here I Am is some fantastic urban music, so pick up your copy HERE today!

Rihanna & Kanye West Perform "All Of The Lights" On Loud Tour

Kanye West joined Rihanna at a New York stop on her Loud tour to perform their collaboration "All Of The Lights", HQ footage of which is now available. Although the US leg of the tour is now over, if you didn't go, as you can see... you didn't miss anything.

Album Review: Kelly Rowland "Here I Am"

It's been a long time coming for Kelly Rowland's third solo album Here I Am, which went from being a primarily dance record with a focus on the UK market to the mostly urban final result. Kelly is no stranger to long gaps in-between albums, as her underrated second album Ms. Kelly was pushed back to make way for her fellow DC3 member Beyonce's B'Day just to be poorly handled when it finally was released four years ago. Having changed management & labels since then, it's no surprise that there's all kinds of confidence present on Here I Am, Kelly's strongest work yet.

1. "I'm Dat Chick": This one goes HARD, thanks in part to Tricky Stewart & Ester Dean! An excellent way to kick off the album. 5/5

2. "Work It Man" (ft. Lil' Playy): With the exception of Lil' Playy, Darkchild brought this joint home the way he has Kelly instructing, "Tell him you don't need him at all!" 5/5

3. "Motivation" (ft. Lil' Wayne): Once this one grew on me, I was able to appreciate the powerful vocals & sexiness present here. 5/5

4. "Lay It On Me" (ft. Big Sean): Kelly Rowland + Ester Dean = Brilliance! 5/5

5. "Feelin' Me Right Now": ...& rightly so! You will too as soon as you hear her spew off lines like "it's already in my iPhone" the way she does! It's been agreed that this needs to be the next single. 5/5

6. "Turn It Up": Darkchild, sir! This is my jayum!! The end especially gives me ERRTHANG! 5/5

7. "All Of The Night" (ft. Rico Love): Rico, I appreciate the structure, so thank you for writing such a great song, but please stick to just that... there's no need for you to do whatever you call what you did on this song. Kelly sounds amazing on this one though! 5/5

8. "Keep It Between Us": The album may be uptempo-heavy, but I'm fine with it because 1) they're all top-notch & 2) this song completely makes up for the ballad lack-age. There's some Brandy influence in there, a little Destiny's Child... you other lame ballads ain't got nothin' on this masterpiece! 5/5

9. "Commander": I've loved this song forever. I could listen to Kelly Rowland sing anything. 5/5

10. "Down For Whatever": Kelly, with material like this, I "can't say no to you!" What a fantastic way to end the album on a high note. 5/5

This album goes sooo hard, you can tell the way it affects me just by reading my review! The primary thing that sticks out in my mind about the album is that she sounds phenomenal from beginning to end. She recorded a ton of material for this album, as is evident by the many leaks of varying quality, but I honestly think the 10 best songs made the cut. The best album of the year so far, Here I Am is a terrific blend of R&B & dance that will likely be added to the display of my 25 favorite albums at the bottom of my blog very soon.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Billboard Updates

^#1 Album #1 Single^

Following Beyonce's second week atop the Billboard 200 album chart with 4 was Blake Shelton's Red River Blue. Meanwhile, LMFAO has spent the last two weeks on top of the Hot 100 singles chart with "Party Rock Anthem". Last week, OneRepublic's "Good Life" jumped 9-8 & earned the Digital Gainer title, while Avril Lavigne debuted @ #94 with "Smile".

See full charts HERE

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

New Kelly Rowland Promo Pics

Here she is indeed! Kelly Rowland, who is finally coming into her own with her awesome third album Here I Am (July 26th), is hoping to get that message across in this new set of promotional photos for the album. Kelly is so great & it's just as great to see her really going for it finally!

Mary J. Blige Cast In "Rock Of Ages" + More

To the left is our first look at Mary J. Blige as Justice Charlier in the upcoming film adaptation of the Broadway musical "Rock Of Ages". Hitting theaters next year on June 1st, the Adam Shankman-directed movie co-stars Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Malin Akerman, Russell Brand, Julianne Hough, Will Forte, & Paul Giamatti. That's quite a cast!

In related news, MJB will be featured on Behind The Music on Sunday, July 24th, at 10/9c. Also, Adam Lambert will get his own episode on Sunday, August 7th, at 10/9c.

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Brandy Alter-Ego Photoshoot

Brandy is the latest celeb Derek Blanks has selected to participate in his alter-ego photoshoot series & she looks amazing! Oh, how desperately I need new music from her in my life...

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Kelly Rowland On Single Ladies: Sneak Peek

On the eve of her Here I Am album release, Kelly Rowland will guest-star as DJ Denise Phillips on the July 25th episode of Singles Ladies at 9/8c on VH1. Catch a sneak peek above. Looks like a silly show, but I am LOVING Kelly's album!!

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Estelle "All Of Me" Update

There's no telling when Estelle's third studio album All Of Me will finally arrive, but when it does, chances are we'll have all of the production credits pieced together! The most exciting recent revelation is that the album will feature a collaboration with Janelle Monae entitled "Do My Thing" that Ne-Yo wrote. In addition, Akon wrote the Jerry Wonder-produced "Thank You". Plus, we now know that the Common-assisted track "Victorious" was produced by No I.D. There seems to be a decent amount of buzz surrouding Estelle's latest single "Break My Heart" if Twitter is any indication, but apparently not even enough for an approximate album release date.

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2011 MTV Video Music Award Nominees Announced

The nominees for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards have been announced & Rihanna is amongst the leaders with seven nominations (though not a one for a video of her own). Beyonce & Nicki Minaj each scored three, while Britney Spears landed two. There are some good points (Lady Gaga "snubbed!") & bad points (Video Of The Year..?), but feel free to see the full list of VMA nominees HERE & catch them live on Sunday, August 28th, @ 9/8c.

Pia Toscano "American Idol" Promo

Pia Toscano, the real superstar to emerge from the tenth season of American Idol, is appropriately promoting the auditions for the eleventh season of the show in this new TV spot. Her new single "This Time" is great!

Beyonce Does Complex Magazine

The one & only Beyonce has a fierce cover shoot in the latest issue of Complex. Her new album 4 is one of the best so far this year!

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DJ Khaled ft. Mary J. Blige, Fabolous, & Jadakiss "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over" Video Premiere

Mary J. Blige steals the show in the video for "It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over", the latest single off DJ Khaled's new album We The Best Forever. Sometimes features can be lame, but I like this one!

Kimberley Locke "Four For The Floor" EP Cover & Tracklisting

Kimberley Locke released a new digital EP entitled Four For The Floor today. The dance effort includes--you guessed it!--four tracks, the following four infact:

1. Finally Free
2. Sirens (ft. Sev Sanders)
3. I Can't Get Enough
4. Runway

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Britney Spears "Gimme More (Alternate Version)" Video Premiere

Timely as it may be, an alternate version of (pre-meds!) Britney Spears' dreadful "Gimme More" video has surfaced featuring some of the footage shot for the Blackout single's clip that didn't make the original cut (different locations & such). Unfortunately, this is not really any better than what I consider to be the worst video I've ever seen & the alternate scenes serve no purpose.

Angels & Airwaves Presents Love Live

On Wednesday, August 10th, at 8/7c, Angels & Airwaves will present their long-awaited film "Love" in over 500 theaters across the country. Following a live introduction from Tom DeLonge & writer/director William Eubank as well as the movie itself, the special one-night event will feature three live performances from Angels & Airwaves; a Q&A session with Tom DeLonge, William Eubank, & lead actor Gunner Wright; & the world premiere of the music video for "Anxiety", the first single off Love Part 2. Buy your tickets for the multimedia experience HERE (I gotz mine!) & submit your questions for the Q&A HERE!

Jessica Mauboy "Get 'Em Girls (Deluxe Edition)" Details

Indeed, Jessica Mauboy will be releasing a deluxe edition of her sophomore album Get 'Em Girls in Australia on August 12th. In addition to everything that was included on the original version of the album (with the exception, bizarrely enough, of the Snoop Dogg-assisted title track), the 2-disc set features six new songs & five remixes. Check out the tracklisting below (* = new):

Disc 1
1. Run*
2. Nobody Knows*
3. Like This (ft. Iyaz)
4. Saturday Night (ft. Ludacris)
5. Maze
6. Scariest Part
7. Not Me*
8. Inescapable*
9. Reconnected
10. What Happened To Us (ft. Jay Sean)
11. Forget Your Name
12. Can Anybody Tell Me
13. Make It Alright*
14. Galaxy (ft. Stan Walker)*

Disc 2
1. Get 'Em Girls (Music Is My Business Remix ft. Chizzy)*
2. Saturday Night (DCup Remix)*
3. What Happened To Us (OFM Remix ft. Jay Sean)*
4. Saturday Night (Sgt Slick Remix)*
5. Accelerate That
6. Inescapable (OFM Version)*
7. Handle It
8. Foreign
9. Fight For You
10. Here For Me
11. No One Like You

I thought the 15-track CD was fantastic upon its initial release, so a 25-track deluxe edition sounds amazing! I might actually have to import this one...

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Jessica Mauboy "Inescapable" Video Premiere

"Inescapable" is said to be the first single lifted from the re-release of Jessica Mauboy's sophomore album Get 'Em Girls. There was plenty of solid material on the album already that they could've released, but I like this new song/video as well.

Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony Call It Quits

In an announcement that seemed to come out of left field, Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony stated that they "have decided to end [their] marriage." The couple, having been together for seven years, has "come to an amicable conclusion on all matters." Sad day. :( I guess Marc was right to wonder about Jennifer's Love? album title after all...

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Nicole Scherzinger Performs "Right There" On So You Think You Can Dance

Nicole Scherzinger broke it down-wa-down-down-wa-down-down-down-down while performing her hit single "Right There" on So You Think You Can Dance! I miss my Hawaiian dancing a bit & the lyrics -_- ... but she still killed it. "Right There" is lifted from Nicole's forthcoming debut album Killer Love (August 16th).

Leona Lewis Album Update

Leona Lewis' first single "Collide" off her upcoming third album, due in November, recently made its radio debut overseas:



The electro ballad, which was written by Autumn Rowe (Alexis Jordan's "Happiness") & produced by Sandy Vee (Nicole Scherzinger's "Wet"), is decent once it builds, but the verses let it down. I do think the direction is a nice progression for Leona.

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Avril Lavigne Performs On America's Got Talent

Miraculously, RCA artist Avril Lavigne got to promote her latest single "Smile", the second from her new album Goodbye Lullaby, by performing it along with a "What The Hell" lead-in on America's Got Talent.

Keyshia Cole Collaborates With DJ Khaled

Keyshia Cole is featured on a track called "Legendary" lifted from DJ Khaled's upcoming album We The Best Forever (July 19th). Listen to the song below, which also features Chris Brown & Ne-Yo:

Keyshia, honey, ya sound pretty good... but this is embarrassing.

Nicki Minaj's E! Special

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3
E! aired a one-hour special on Nicki Minaj this week & it makes for an interesting watch! You may not know this about Nicki, but her album Pink Friday is out now.

Ameriie "Cymatika Vol. 1" Update

Newlywed Ameriie recently shared some details regarding her fifth studio album Cymatika Vol. 1. While the project isn't due until the spring of next year, its first single "Firestarter" is set to hit radio this summer. Other tracks set for inclusion on the album, which will feature production from Andre Harris of Dre & Vidal (Ciara, Usher), are "Run For Cover" & "Sodom & G". It was also revealed that Ameriie has recorded a new version of "Outside Your Body", her already-leaked buzz single, with Tiger JK, the "Korean Jay-Z." I only recently allowed myself to enjoy the best of what this electro business has to offer, so I'm actually looking forward to this release.

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Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera "Moves Like Jagger" Behind-The-Scenes

Check out this sneak peek of the video for Christina Aguilera's new single with Maroon 5 "Moves Like Jagger" featuring a great-looking Christina & a *shocker* of a cameo.

Ciara Set To Join Epic Label Group

The future is looking bright for Ciara, as she is now set to join L.A. Reid at the newly restructured Epic Label Group, which he was recently appointed head of. Ciara's label Jive is splitting from the RCA/Jive Label Group to join Epic, which will likely also see L.A. reuniting with Usher. (Other Jive artists, including Pink & Britney Spears, are heading to RCA.) Reid, who left Island Def Jam to become a judge on The X Factor, is additionally said to be wooing IDJ's Mariah Carey & Jennifer Lopez back to Sony, which is the umbrella under which Epic falls. This is good news for Ciara & definitely good news for Epic, which had been run into the ground by Amanda Ghost (that's what happens when you drop Brandy!). It might not be too bad a move for J.Lo either because they don't seem to really know what they're doing over at IDJ.

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Commentary #6: Comparing The Women Of R&B

As you can see, you will need to click on the graphic above to enlarge & thus be able to fully examine it. What I have created is a way to compare the women of R&B by both material quality (on the x-axis) & vocal ability (on the y-axis). In other words, the further to the right an artist is placed, the better her body of work is & the higher up an artist is placed, the better singer she is. A few notes:

• The criteria I used when choosing just which R&B females would make the cut was whether I would, at the very least, be willing to buy an album of hers or not (Sorry, Tamia!).
• Each lady's rank is determined by judging either her album(s) or, if not that, her mixtape(s), which, for any woman who has released an album, would only improve her standing; as for the ladies who have yet to release at least one of the aforementioned sets, I have compiled a list that ranks them, from top to bottom, based on their potential:

1. Vonzell Solomon
2. Bridget Kelly
3. Pia Toscano
4. Syesha Mercado
5. Ester Dean
6. Stephanie Edwards
7. T-Boz
8. Camile Velasco
9. Chilli
10. Megan Rochell
11. Frenchie Davis
12. Kiley Dean
13. Karen Rodriguez
14. Willow Smith
15. Lisa Tucker
16. Lil Rounds
17. Trenyce
18. Christina Christian
19. Nadia Turner

• As for the blue arrows (see: Cassie, Tiffany Evans, Melanie Fiona, Karina, & Kelly Rowland), using leaked material as an indication of what we can expect out of future releases from the aforementioned ladies, I believe they each have the potential to improve their respective bodies of work with varying degrees of significance.
• If there are any women in the graphic that you do not recognize, feel free to use the word version below to figure out who she is/they are.
• This is all, of course, based on my opinion, but feel free to share your opinions & comments!