Rihanna goes back to her roots in the video for her latest single “Rude Boy.” The singer showcases her inner dancehall Queen in this vibrant and colorful video- a drastic change from the dark and moody videos that have so far been released from her “Rated R” album.
I like it…
According to one day sales reports and the always reliable people over at Hits Daily Double- Sade’s new “Soldier of Love” album will debut at the top of the charts next week with sales of about $425,000. This is Sade’s sixth album overall and her first in almost 10 years. The singer has been on a huge promotional blitz this week- performing on The View, 106 & Park and the David Letterman Show. Check out the performance here, here and here.
Whoa! If I knew what I know now then, boy would my life be different! How many times as a woman, have you said this? I am still fairly young and even I have said this numerous times in my life. If there was a giant clock to turn back the hands of time, I would change so many things and although I am happy, some aspects of my life would be different. With that being said, I want you to read the list of things I wish I had learned before 30. I then want you to spread the love and pass on some advice to others. What have you learned now, that you wish you knew 10 years ago, 5 years ago or even 2 years ago. No time like the present for growth. I could have went on and on, but I want you to contribute. After all, I’m still learning. Aren’t you?
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The last time Terry McMillian was in the news was in regards to her Jamaican boy toy turned/hubby Jonathan Plummer coming out of the closet. After that debacle, Terry went into hiding, and I guess while she was in hibernation, she gave birth to the follow up to the bestselling Waiting To Exhale.
For those of you who never read the book or seen the movie, it’s about four brown sistas looking for love, losing at love, and learning to love themselves while celebrating the power of their sister circle.
The new novel is called Getting to Happy and it’s due to be released in the Fall of 2010.
I don’t know the premise or how long after the previous story the sequel takes place, but I will keep you readers abreast of whatever news I get regarding the book.
Alicia Keys and Beyonce are in Brazil shooting the video for their single “Put It In A Love Song.” The pair are reportedly filming in Morro da Conceicao- the same neighborhood Michael Jackson filmed in when he shot his “They Don’t Really Care About Us” video back in 1996. Alicia tweeted pics from the set which you can check out below and word is the video will premiere on Yahoo around the beginning of March.
Click here for more High Quality images of Beyonce on this shoot.
Rihanna has shot the video for Rude Boy, the third single off of her Gold selling album, Rated R. This latest video from the singer is being directed by Melina, who also helmed the singer’s last video, Hard. Pics from the set were made available via Def Jam and you can check them out below and you can see the premiere of Rude Boy this Thursday on Vevo.
Whitney Houston kicked off her “Nothing But Love” tour over the weekend in Seoul, Korea. An estimated 11,000 fans converged on Olympic Park to see the singer perform her first live concert in over decade and so far reviews have been mixed. Check out what the Korean Times had to say about Whitney’s show, as well as some tour book pics a fan sent me.
A few minutes past 7 p.m., Houston emerged clad in an all-black outfit: a turtleneck, leather pants and a floor-length coat. She sounded shaky at first, performing fast-paced songs “For the Lovers” and “Nothing But Love.” Her entrance was marred by audio and technical problems, with the backing tracks appearing to overshadow Houston’s own voice.
“Good evening, Korea. Welcome to the Whitney Houston show. This is the first show of our world tour and we’re starting here. We’re working out a lot of details, but hopefully you’ve come here to hear me sing. I’m going to sing to you from my heart. It’s hard for me to lip synch. I tried to do it, but I can’t,” she said.
The 47-year-old singer appeared to need some time to warm up her voice, which obviously was not the same powerful voice that fans remember from her memorable hits in the ’80s and ’90s.
But after the slow start, Houston sang the ballad “Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” showing that she can still hit the high notes.
“It’s been so long, 10 years since I’ve been on tour … You’ve been so kind to me, so loving, caring and warm, even though it’s so cold. Thank you so much,” she said.
Houston still has a charismatic stage presence, giving fans a glimpse of the pop diva that reigned the music world in the late ’80s and ’90s and has sold over 200 million records.
However, it was obvious Houston and her concert staff were still trying to iron out the kinks of the tour. There were awkward silences between songs, last-minute changes to the set list and on two occasions, Houston suddenly stopped singing and asked the band to start over. During “My Love,” she stopped to pick up a piece of her shoe from the floor and re-attached it.
Perhaps the first half of the show was too much for Houston, who looked out-of-breath and drenched in sweat. She asked the crowd to watch a video montage while she changed clothes backstage.
During the break, the band performed “For the Love of You,” while the back-up singers and dancers got the crowd excited with “Queen of the Night.” Two of the dancers had formerly worked with the late pop superstar Michael Jackson.
Houston later re-emerged in a white floor-length coat for the “unplugged” segment of the concert. She reminded the crowd that this year is the 25th anniversary of her debut album.
“Can you believe that? I don’t want to tell you this but I’ve been in show business for 30 years now. I can’t believe it myself. It seems like it was only yesterday,” she said, looking emotional.
Her voice sounded strong as she performed “Saving All My Love,” “The Greatest Love of All,” and “All At Once,” although the songs had new arrangements.
Houston had the crowd grooving to the hit song “Dance with Somebody,” then slowed down the pace once more with the gospel song “I Love the Lord,” from her 1996 film “The Preacher’s Wife.”
Houston looked like she was cold on stage, as she tightly belted her coat to keep her warm. “For some reason, there’s a breeze on stage. I don’t like singing in the cold, but for you I will continue singing,” she said.
She sang the deeply personal title track from her latest album “I Look to You,” while taking sips from a mug in one hand. Then with renewed energy, Houston sang, danced and ran from one side of the stage to the other for “Step by Step.”
The concert would not be complete without Houston performing her trademark song “I Will Always Love You,” and she didn’t disappoint. Throwing kisses and bowing, she graciously thanked the crowd and left the stage. After a nearly two-hour show, Houston returned for an encore, singing her latest single, “Million Dollar Bill,” and receiving loud cheers from the audience.
Houston gave another concert in Seoul on Sunday evening, then hit the road again for concerts in Japan, Australia and Europe.
I had some down time at work today, and I read the Essence with the controversial Reggie Bush cover. One of the articles that drew me in was entitled Fool’s Paradise about how Black men go to the Dominican Republic in droves to get laid on the cheap and to be treated like royalty by the local women who view Americanos as wealthy and willing prey for their feminine wiles.
Essence ironically did an article on Brazil a few years back which had the same feel to it. Black women read the article and caught on to their guy’s game and now DR is the new spot of choice for the many men who are looking to get their freak on behind their lady’s back and often times they use DR’s world class golf courses as an excuse.
Married men on the DL also frequent Santo Domingo and one was quoted as having sex with ten different men in the span of 24 hours which gave me immediate pause. All I could think of was his poor wife and two kids back home who had no idea of what their hubby/father is up to. Or is it that sometimes the wife does know and use their husband’s going away as their chance to let their hair down.
It made me wonder where is the hot spot for Black women who are looking for a little fun in the sun. I know there is Jamaica, but where do we go to get away from it all and to get our freak on ( if we are that kind of girl), and are we as indifferent to the seediness of it all as the men in the article seemed to be?
Hit me back Brown Sistas with any tales, (sordid or otherwise) that you have experienced with a guy that you have dated or known that goes out of the country with his boys to Brazil or the DR for a little R&R . And have you yourself ever gone away with your girls for your own freak fest?
There is no question that Atlanta is a Mecca for all things urban music. With some of our favorite music artist hailing from the “A,” we’ve become accustomed to music that has a great sound and music that undoubtedly gets us to the dance floor. The ladies of “Krave,” are the latest music sensation from Atlanta. Backed by the music industry force we come to know as DeVyne Stephens, “Krave” follows in the footstep of other talented artists from Atlanta who has a great sound and whose music surely makes you move.
Chanel Ross, Jasmine “Jazzy’ Kearse, and Shanquilla “Shan Q” Robinson make up the ladies of “Krave.” After meeting in high school and realizing that they all shared the same ambition and passion for music, they embarked on a journey that would prove to be life changing.
A Word For My Sistas: There have been female groups that have come and gone. With that said, what makes “Krave” different from other female groups?
Krave: We bring a different energy. We have great chemistry and respect for one another. We’re about empowering females, though we’re not male bashers. We’re not your typical urban group. We like to try new things and test the waters.
To read the interview in its entirety and to check out the latest issue of A Word For My Sistas, visit www.awordformysistas.com.
