Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Video: Beyoncé - 'Partition'

Beyoncé has uploaded the official video for "Partition" to VEVO, which further signals that the fan-favorite will serve as the next release from her critically-acclaimed 'Beyoncé' album.

Directed by Jake Nava and filmed in France, the video is arguably the most risque on that she has ever released and the song will definitely smash on urban radio. I don't suspect we will see her perform this on a major awards show anytime soon, so let's bask in the joy....

Tamar Braxton Tributes Motown At BET Honors

Tamar Braxton was (literally) wide awake for her performance at the 2014 BET Honors, which aired finally aired last night (February 24th).

The budding R&B singer was on hand to tribute legendary Motown Records founder Berry Gordy with a medley performance of the Diana Ross' hits, "Do You Know Where You're Going To" and "Upside Down".

She beginning the eyes wide open performance by saying that she and her sisters would fight over who got to play Ross and that tonight, "She Wins!". Too bad, because Toni certainly would have fared much better. Watch it beneath:

Mariah Carey Lips 'You're Mine' At BET Honors

There was no need for Mariah Carey to even bother having a microphone for her performance of new single, "You're Mine", at the 7th Annual BET Honors, because not a single note was live.

In a revealing black dress that was perfectly inappropriate, the former singer sat atop a piano and lip-synced like her life depended on it - delivering a performance that was almost as interesting as watching paint dry. Oh, MiMi! Why? Your lambs deserve better.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Chris Brown Sets New Release Date For 'X'

Trouble R&B star Chris Brown seems to be finally getting his life together and now, fans will be delighted to know that his serially-delayed album, 'X', has finally landed a release date.

The album, which is preceded by the singles "Fine China", "Don't Think They Know" with Aaliyah, "Love More" with Nicki Minaj and "Loyal", will be released on May 5th. A date also assigned to highly-anticipated albums from Lil' Wayne and Mariah Carey.

Brown tweeted the exciting news on Saturday (February 22), calling the forthcoming studio disc, "by far my best album yet". That's a lot of pressure to put on your shoulders.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

2014 NAACP Image Awards: Full List Of Winners

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Black Hollywood came out in full effect for the 2014 NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, February 22nd, where Kevin Hart was named Entertainer of the Year and '12 Years A Slave' was named Outstanding Motion Picture.

Held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California, other winners included Kerry Washington (Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series), Forest Whitaker (Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture), Lupita Nyong'o (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture) and Beyonce (Outstanding Female Artist). Peep the full list of winners beneath:

2014 NAACP IMAGE AWARDS : WINNERS

Entertainer of the Year
Kevin Hart

Television

Outstanding Comedy Series
'Real Husbands of Hollywood'

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Kevin Hart – 'Real Husbands of Hollywood'

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Wendy Raquel Robinson – 'The Game'

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Morris Chestnut – 'Nurse Jackie'

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Brandy Norwood – 'The Game'

Outstanding Drama Series
'Scandal'

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
LL Cool J – 'NCIS: Los Angeles'

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Kerry Washington – 'Scandal'

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Joe Morton – 'Scandal'

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Taraji P. Henson – 'Person of Interest'

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
'Being Mary Jane'

Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Idris Elba – 'Luther'

Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
Gabrielle Union – 'Being Mary Jane'

Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Kristoff St. John – 'The Young and the Restless'

Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Tatyana Ali – 'The Young and the Restless' (CBS)

Outstanding News/ Information – (Series or Special)
'African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross w/ Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'

Outstanding Talk Series
'Steve Harvey'

Outstanding Reality Series
'Iyanla: Fix My Life'

Outstanding Variety Series or Special
'Black Girls Rock!'

Outstanding Children’s Program
'Wynton Marsalis: A YoungArts MasterClass'

Outstanding Performance in a Youth/ Children’s Program
China Anne McClain – 'A.N.T. Farm'

Recording

Outstanding New Artist
K. Michelle

Outstanding Male Artist
John Legend

Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell - "Blurred Lines"

Outstanding Jazz Album
SFJAZZ Collective - "The Songs of Stevie Wonder"

Outstanding Gospel Album – (Traditional or Contemporary)
Tamela Mann - "Best Days (Deluxe Edition)"

Outstanding World Music Album
Natalie Cole - "Natalie Cole en Español"

Outstanding Music Video
Janelle Monáe feat. Erykah Badu - "Q.U.E.E.N."

Outstanding Song
John Legend - "All Of Me"

Outstanding Album
Charlie Wilson - 'Love, Charlie'

Motion Picture

Outstanding Motion Picture
'12 Years A Slave'

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Forest Whitaker – 'Lee Daniels’ The Butler'

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett – 'Black Nativity'

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
David Oyelowo – 'Lee Daniels' The Butler'

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Lupita Nyong’o – '12 Years A Slave'

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
'Fruitvale Station'

Outstanding International Motion Picture
'War Witch'

Documentary

Outstanding Documentary – (Theatrical)
'Free Angela and All Political Prisoners'

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
'Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic'

Justin Timberlake Delights With 'History of Rap' & 'Not A Bad Thing' On 'Jimmy Fallon'

The bromance of Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon continued when the singer helped the new 'Tonight Show' host cap off his first week behind the legendary desk on Friday.

After enthralling the crowd with the fifth installment of their popular "History of Rap" series, the crooner hit the stage with his guitar for a performance of "Not A Bad Thing", one of the standouts from his 'The 20/20 Experience (Part 2 of 2)' album. Gotta love Timberlake!!!

"History of Rap 5"



"Not A Bad Thing"


Kris Allen Previews New Music On The Road

For the follow-up to his 'Thank You Camellia' album, Kris Allen has been working with producer Charlie Peacock and while touring the road, the singer has been giving fans a glimpse of what his third release will offer.

On Valentine's Day, the fans in attendance at The Natick Center of the Arts in Massachusetts was among the venues to hear some of his new material, which included the standout "In Time". The guy's tone is simply mesmerizing, his personality is charming and all of the new material sounds promising. Watch and share your thoughts beneath:

"Paul Simon"



"Don't Set Me Free"



"Everybody Wants To Dance"



"In Time"



"It's Always You"



"Beautiful & Wild"

Jennifer Lopez To Headline FBI Drama For NBC

In the biggest casting news for television since Halle Berry in 'Extant', Jennifer Lopez has agreed to headline the 13-episode straight-to-series FBI drama 'Shades of Blue' for NBC.

The series, which she will produce with her 'American Idol' pal Ryan Seacrest for the 2015-2016 season, centers on Harlee McCord, a single mother and detective recruited to work undercover for the FBI’s anti-corruption task force.

Lopez (pictured at the American Idol Top 13 After-Party) had some brief stints and recurring roles on television prior to her film career taking off in the late 1990s, but this will mark a return to the format.

"Whether its producing, acting, singing or any of her other many entrepreneurial activities, Jennifer is an extraordinary talent and life force, and we’re delighted to be in business with her and Adi Hasak on this sophisticated show," said NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke. "We're especially excited that Jennifer is returning to her acting roots from such great movies as 'Out of Sight', and we know that she will create this complicated character in a vivid way that will breathe new life into the cop show genre."

New Music: Miranda Lambert - 'Automatic'

Country music belle Miranda Lambert relishes in thoughts of the simple days on "Automatic", the lead single from her forthcoming fifth studio album 'Platinum', due later this year.

The single, which was co-written by Lambert with Nicolle Galyon and Natalie Hemby, serves as a solid release, but its simplicity is both a blessing and a curse. Although it was needed to convey the song's overall message, it comes up a bit short in terms of its impact as a first single.

Still, given her position as one of country's top female artists and wife of one of its top male artists, I'm not as worried about her releasing such a low-key single as I would be if it was coming from one of the other ladies in the genre. Listen to "Automatic" beneath:

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Video: Katy Perry Feat. Juicy J - 'Dark Horse'

As "Dark Horse" spends its fourth week atop the Billboard Hot 100, Katy Perry amps up more interest in the third single taken from her 'Prism' album by releasing its Egyptian-themed video.

Directed by Mathew Cullen, who worked with Perry on "California Gurls", the new video shows suitors attempting to woo Perry, before being turned into dust (Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time", anyone?). Still, it serves its purpose as a fun and entertaining video. Watch it beneath:

New Music: Ashanti & Beenie Man - 'First Real Love' | Plans Jamaican Video Shoot

R&B beauty Ashanti teams up with the "King of the Dancehall" Beenie Man on her newly-released single "First Real Love", from her upcoming studio album 'BraveHeart', due March 4th.

"It’s my first real love and I don’t want to lose it now," she sings on the Teetimus-produced single, which she plans to shoot a video for later this month in Jamaica. From its island flavor to Miss Douglas' delivery, this is delightful!


RC Ashanti

Katy Perry Underwhelms At 2014 BRIT Awards

Pop star Katy Perry hit the stage at the 2014 BRIT Awards to perform her No.1 single, "Dark Horse", which appears on her 'Prism' album and also happens to be one of my favorite songs on the disc.

She looked great in her Nicolas Jebran leotard and matching cape, but from her stiff attempt at choreography to her lifeless vocals, this colorful performance unfortunately left a lot to be desired.

Bruno Mars Rocks 'Treasure' At BRIT Awards

After slaying the Super Bowl, no stage is too big for Bruno Mars and the star once again delivered a memorable showing with "Treasure", from his platinum 'Unorthodox Jukebox' album, at the 2014 BRIT Awards.

The guy has simply morphed into one hell of an entertainer, and he has a unique way of taking classic sounds and making them contemporary and cool. This A++ performance was no exception.

Beyoncé Shines With 'XO' At 2014 BRIT Awards

Unlike with her previous albums, the Beyoncé performances have been few and far in between this era, and if I'm being honest, the last one was average at best. Well, the Queen returned to form at the 2014 BRIT Awards.

Dressed in a green Vrettos Vrettakos gown that accentuated her curvy figure and Lorraine Schwartz jewels, the beauty unleashed a stunning vocal performance of "XO", which she dedicated to her adoring fans.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Toni Braxton & Babyface Beautifully Performs 'Hurt You' On 'Conan', Debut At No.1

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R&B duo Toni Braxton and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds continue to help breathe life into their genre by bringing their No.1 hit "Hurt You", to late night talker 'Conan', just as final figures for their collaboration album were revealed.

The set, which is entitled 'Love, Marriage & Divorce', exceeded expectations by selling 67,000 copies to debut at No.1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, marking Braxton's fifth topper on the chart and Edmonds' second. Watch their performance beneath:

Videos: Mariah Carey - 'You're Mine (Eternal)' & 'You're Mine (Remix)' With Trey Songz

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After a couple of failed single attempts, Mariah Carey gets back on track with the release of "You're Mine", her brand new single, which she premiered and release two music video for including a remix featuring Trey Songz.

The videos are typical MiMi (a lot of posing, little to no substance) and the single, which she co-wrote and produced with Rodney Jerkins, serves as the latest release from her first album in five years, which is due on May 6th. Watch both videos beneath:


"You're Mine (Remix)" with Trey Songz"

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Video: Ashanti Featuring Rick Ross - 'I Got It'

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R&B songstress Ashanti turns up the heat and shows off her sexy body in the Eif Rivera-directed video for "I Got It", the latest single taken from her forthcoming fifth studio album 'BraveHeart', which is due on March 4th.

While premiering the Rick Ross-assisted clip on '106 & Park', she opened up about the album saying, "Everything on that record is something that I've gone through - good, bad, or indifferent", and revealed that she shot the video with a broken ankle.

Watch the sexy video, which features cameos from Birdman and LT Hutton, beneath:


Sunday, February 9, 2014

Video: K. Michelle - 'Can't Raise A Man'

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R&B songstress K. Michelle gets real as she tackles issue of domestic violence, drugs, pregnancy and cheating in the newly-released video for "Can't Raise A Man", the second single taken from her debut studio album 'Rebellious Soul'.

The three-and-a-half-minute visual, directed by Benny Boom, shows the singer in a purple dress while performing the song in front of a waterfall. Watch beneath:

Ashanti Stuns With Official 'BraveHeart' Cover

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'BraveHeart' seems to finally have legs and a firm release date. Written Entertainment owner Ashanti took to social media last week to unveil the official artwork for her forthcoming fifth album, which will be released on March 4th.

In addition, she offered fans a sneak peek of her new video for "I Got It", which was shot earlier this month in Miami and finds the R&B vixen showing off her sexy body with some fierce dance moves. Watch the preview ahead of its February 11th debut beneath:

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Matthew McConaughey Emerges As Key Oscar Player With 'Dallas Buyers Club' Role

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With Golden Globes, Critics' Choice and Screen Actor Guild wins under his belt, and two nominations for the Epitome of Film Awards, Matthew McConaughey has emerged as a frontrunner for Best Actor at the 86th Annual Academy Awards.

Nominated for his role in 'Dallas Buyers Club', the actor will compete against Leonardo DiCaprio, Bruce Dern, Christian Bale and Chiwetel Ejiofor for the highest honor in his field. With Bale standing as the only nominee that has no chance at winning and given he has already beaten Dern and early favorite Ejiofor at all of the previous award shows, the race stands squarely between McConaughey and DiCaprio.

DiCaprio entered the race late with 'The Wolf of Wall Street', but the role has earned him career best reviews and given he beat out McConaughey for the BAFTA nomination, he could serve as a potential spoiler. Not to mention it is widely-regarded by the industry that one of the generation's finest actors should already have an Academy Award and is overdue for a long career filled with great and even a few iconic roles.

McConaughey, on the other hand, has had one of the best and most-exciting career reinventions in recent memory by trading in his romantic comedy leading man status for independent projects that are more character-driven. Not to mention his daring role as real-life AIDS patient Ron Woodruff is the stuff that Oscar dreams (and wins) are built on and the fact that he lost a whopping 47-pounds to play the part only gives the voting committee more incentive to reward his dedication and passion for the project.

So, who will take home the gold on March 2nd? McConaughey, DiCaprio or one of the other three nominees? Watch profiles on the former two and sound off after the cut:

Matthew McConaughey in 'Dallas Buyers Club'



Leonardo DiCaprio in 'The Wolf of Wall Street'

Video: Jennifer Lopez - 'Same Girl'

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Jennifer Lopez, who has returned as a judge on the new season of 'American Idol', has premiered the video for "Same Girl", the newest release to be taken from her forthcoming studio album, which will be released later this year.

In the video, which was directed by Steven Gomillion & Dennis Leupold, the $300 million dollar superstar reminds us that despite the fame and fortune that she has amassed, she is still the same girl that rode on the 6 train in the Bronx. Watch beneath:

Bruno Mars Silences Critics With Mesmerizing Halftime Performance At Super Bowl XLVIII

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Prior to his performance at the 2014 Super Bowl Halftime Show, there was a lot of talk that Bruno Mars, who only has two albums under his belt, had yet to prove himself as an artist that could stand the test of time, but the crooner silenced those critics in the best way possible - by unleashing one hell of a performance.

The new superstar started his performance with a children's choir and a drum solo, before venturing into "Locked Out of Heaven", "Treasure", "Runaway Baby", "Give It Away" with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the closer "Just the Way You Are", which was used to honor army families. Watch his spectacular showcase beneath:


Saturday, February 1, 2014

Video: Shakira & Rihanna - 'Can't Remember To Forget You' | New Album Due On March 25th

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Pop seductresses Shakira and Rihanna get close in the steamy music video for their collaboration, "Can't Remember To Forget You", the first single from the former's forthcoming self-titled album, which will hit stores on March 25th.

Directed by Joseph Kahn, the newly-released video plays it safe, using beautiful backdrops with the two gorgeous superstars singing the song and snuggling up against each other suggestively. Watch the video for the single and sound off beneath:

Artist Of The Month: Toni Braxton & Babyface

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With their first collaboration album, 'Love, Marriage & Divorce', scheduled to hit stores this Tuesday, Toni Braxton and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds earns the honor of becoming Celebrity Bug's Featured Artist for February 2014.

The forthcoming set has already produced the No.1 hit "Hurt You", as well as, the promotional singles "Where Did We Go Wrong?" and "Roller Coaster", all of which will be featured on the Motown release. Watch the video for "Hurt You" beneath: