New Music: Robin Thicke – ‘Morning Sun’...

Failed marriage aside, Robin Thicke is sure he's found “the one” on romantic new tune, ‘Morning Sun.’

Robin is returning to his roots with the nostalgic 90s sound. It's such a chill mid-tempo groove, packed with soul and some saxophone. Nice addition!

Sure, artists experiment with their sound from time to time, but this is the Robin Thicke we've all grown to know and love!

Britney Spears shades Iggy Azalea's cancelled tour...

Britney Spears has thrown some subtle shade at Iggy Azalea after the rapper indirectly implied the lukewarm performance of their collaboration 'Pretty Girls' was down to Britney not promoting it.

"So thankful I have shows for the rest of the year to look forward to," she tweeted, which appears to be a clear stab at Iggy's cancelled 'Great Escape' tour.

Miaow!

Pics of the day...

The BET Awards may be over, but that doesn't mean the party stops there. Lots of celebrities had a good time dining and wining with their spouses.

Others appear to be having a mid-life crisis of sorts, and some who have been in hibernation came out just to say, hi.

Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque has been released from her contractural prison two years ago now, so why is it taking so damn long for her to drop that album?!

Rihanna fans treated to a 'Tidal' exclusive....

Tidal have invited 80 Rihanna fans/subscribers from Los Angeles to attend a secret #TidalXRihanna event this Wednesday (tomorrow).

That is, one day before her much hyped 'Bitch Better Have My Money' music video premieres this Thursday.

Whispers suggest it has something to do with the launch of her eighth studio album, R8. Intriguing. It won't be long before we find out what it is!
 

Watch: Rihanna introduces trailer for 'Bitch Better Have My Money' video...

Rihanna's surprise appearance at Sunday’s BET Awards resulted in the singer debuting a glossy one-minute-and-47-second trailer of her long-awaited video for 'Bitch Better Have My Money.'

The video looks high budgeted and cinematic, so it's a real shame she took so long to release it!

The full video was co-directed by Rihanna and Megaforce, and will premiere this Thursday!

Which singer had your favourite 'Red Carpet' look at the BET Awards?

Last night's BET Awards was like a haven for most of the former Destiny's Child members, as well as Chris Brown's ex-girlfriends.

No appearance from Beyoncé of course, but even some of the Z-listers (and unclassified) held their own on the red carpet.

I have to say Ciara was my favourite look of the night. She looked soooo good! Check out what today's R&B singers wore on the red carpet at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, inside!

Watch: Robin Thicke & Ne-Yo perform Smokey Robinson tribute at BET Awards...

Legendary Motown crooner Smokey Robinson was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award last night.

Tori Kelly, Robin Thicke and Ne-Yo all teamed up to perform Smokey’s classic hits one by one, which included ‘Who’s Lovin’ You,’ ‘Ooh Baby, Baby’ and ‘The Tears Of A Clown.’

There's not much musical legends left now so we should appreciate them while we still can. Nice tribute!

Watch: Janet Jackson's acceptance speech at BET Awards...

Janet Jackson received the first-ever Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award last night.

In her speech, Janet said it was a “long journey,” but she was “grateful” to receive the honour. She thanked her “beautiful” mom and dad, as well as her husband Wissam Al Mana.

That's the way love goes. Janet looked beautful, and I love her weave. She took it waaay back to 1993 'Janet' era!

Watch: K. Michelle & Tamar Braxton perform together at BET Awards...

K. Michelle and Tamar Braxton officially ended their feud with a joint powerhouse performance last night.

K and Tamar performed their latest singles 'Hard to Do' and 'If I Don’t Have You' respectively. They later launched into a duet of Patti LaBelle’s 'If Only You Knew,' before being joined by the legendary diva herself. It all ended in an embrace.

Patti's screaming was a little harsh on the ear, but this show of unity outweighed that.

Watch: Ciara & Tinashe perform Janet Jackson dance tribute at BET Awards...

Ciara, Jason Derulo, and Tinashe all danced to Janet Jackson’s classic hits last night ('Pleasure Principle,' 'All for You,' 'If,' and 'Rhythm Nation.')

The performance was a tribute to the legendary singer,  who was honoured with the 'Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual' award.

Though I feel Mya and Pink did it best, this was a very good dance tribute. Tinashe and Ciara could easily have pulled this off on their own. Sorry Jason!

Watch: Chris Brown performs hits medley at BET Awards...

Under the watchful eye of his two ex-girlfriends Rihanna and Karrueche, Chris Brown performed a medley of hits.

He started with new single 'Liquor,' before moving onto 'Ayo' and 'Post to Be' (he was joined by Tyga & Omarion respectively.)

Folks probably thinking Rih wants him back just because she was caught head bopping to his performance, which was a dance heavy affair that featured poor vocals over a loud backtrack.

Watch: Janelle Monáe performs 'Yoga' at BET Awards...

Janelle Monáe delivered a dancentric performance of latest single 'Yoga,' before she was later joined on stage by her protégé Jidenna.

The choreography and vocals were on point, and although I've had my qualms about Janelle going the ratchet route with her music, she really sells it performance wise!

The song is featured on her upcoming EP ‘Wondaland Presents The Eephus.’

Watch: The Weeknd & Alicia Keys perform ‘Earned It’ at BET Awards...

Alicia Keys gatecrashes The Weeknd's set by covering Abel’s '50 Shades of Grey' homerun 'Earned It.'

Pregnancy has really snatched Alicia's vocal range, because her singing tonight was pitchy and off key.

She need to be put back on her vocal rest, or invest in a good vocal coach to restore what she once had.

New Music: Alesha Dixon - 'Butterflies'...

Alesha Dixon sings about rekindled love on the syrupy ballad, 'Butterflies.'

It's a bit on the bland and boring side to be honest and doesn't really show her off as a singer in the way that 'Breathe Slow' did.

The track will feature on her fourth studio album to be released this fall via Precious Stone Records.

Take a listen to 'Butterflies' inside.

Album sampler: Leona Lewis - 'I Am'...

Leona Lewis has taken to Facebook to share a preview of new songs off her upcoming album 'I Am' (due Sept 11th).

The 5-track album sampler includes lead single 'Fire Under My Feet', the album title track, 'Thunder,' 'Ladders,' and ‘Power.’

The upcoming LP serves as her first project to be released on new label Island/Def Jam. So whatcha waiting for? Unlock those previews below!

Iggy Azalea explains why Britney's 'Pretty Girls' under-performed...

Iggy Azalea has pointed out that lack of promo was the main issue behind 'Pretty Girls'  encountering a less than stellar chart performance.

She's right! That was partially the problem, as her collaborator and lead artist Britney Spears has now developed a phobia of promoting her material. Plus, the song did not resonate instantly with fans.

Many even claimed it to be one of the weakest lead singles of her career.

Pics of the day...

There's a lot of milk carton singers featured in the post today, but it's good to see them out and about, be it on stage or at an event.

I have never seen so much paparazzi shots of Mariah Carey in one week. She has been spotted like... every.single.day. We get it. You're officially booed up and want the whole world to know. But apart of me thinks, this is all for Nick Cannon's benefit.

Chris Brown is back to blonde again and looks real foolish.

Watch: Leona Lewis performs 'Fire Under My Feet' on The 'John Bishop' Show...

As rumours continue to swirl around Simon Cowell's Syco sabotaging her musical comeback, Leona Lewis is taking everything in her stride by promoting her new tune some more.

Le-Le delivered an energetic performance of  latest single 'Fire Under My Feet' during a recent visit to The 'John Bishop' Show this week.

The song has not been getting much radio play, which may have largely contributed to 'Fire' under-performing.

Spotted: Ashanti performs at NYC Pride concert...

Last night, Ashanti performed during NYC Pride at Pier 26.

Love conquers all, and Ashanti celebrated the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to legalise same-sex marriage on Friday morning. Lots of celebs have expressed their delight at the joyful news.

As for Ashanti's curves, they're an actual celebration itself! Peep more pics below!

Rihanna records new song with J. Cole for upcoming album...

Rap-Up has exclusively learned that Rihanna has recorded a song with her Roc Nation labelmate J. Cole, slated to appear on her upcoming new album. The midtempo song was produced by producer Deputy.

This puts to bed those silly rumours about Rihanna taking a break from music to pursue fashion full time.

In fact, she was at  J. Cole's concert in LA last night, so their studio session could have been very recent!

Beyoncé + Jay Z dethroned as world's highest paid celeb couple...

Beyoncé and Jay Z have officially been dethroned as the world's highest paid celebrity couple, because *cough* new couple Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris have slid into the top spot.

The new couple have combined earnings of $146 million over the last year, according to Forbes, earning $35.5 million more than Bey and Jay, who came in second with $110.5 million.

Hmmm...

Watch: Rita Ora performs 'Poison' on The 'Graham Norton' Show...

Rita Ora's performance of new single 'Poison' was actually pretty good, and the interview was somewhat... interesting.

Daily Mail also reports she netted £1.2 million profit in just 12 months from a series of lucrative endorsement deals, which include Calvin Klein, DKNY, Rimmel, Adidas and Material Girl.

Not to mention her £1.5 million cheque for being a judge on the upcoming X Factor, which she also discusses.

Rihanna's 'Bitch Better Have My Money' music video gets official premiere date...

Rihanna has just announced that her 'Bitch Better Have My Money' music video will premiere on Thursday, July 2nd!

Now before anyone says she left it waaay too late, this week's impressive gains saw Rihanna’s 'Bitch' officially reach #1 on Mediabase’s urban airplay chart and remaining inside the Top 10 at rhythmic!

Result! Having peaked at #17, the song currently sits at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Monica unwraps official 'Just Right For Me' artwork (ft. Lil Wayne)...

As Monica's new single 'Just Right For Me' (ft. Lil Wayne) hit iTunes last night, she dropped the sophisticated artwork for the Polow Da Don produced cut.

I was hoping buzz material, but it looks like this really is the official lead single from her upcoming new album 'Code Red.' She looks stunning on this cover. Her and Rihanna are really rocking this red hair.

Missed it? Click here to listen to the song.

NFL reportedly eyeing Britney Spears for 2016 Super Bowl Halftime Show...

According to HollywoodLife.com, the NFL wants Britney Spears to perform at the 2016 Super Bowl Halftime Show, during it’s 50th championship game.

Multiple reports also state they want Taylor Swift too. In fact, Taylor may be a stronger contendar because the NFL are allegedly offering her first refusal.

Lethargic Britney doing SB, after her set 15 years ago? Taylor Swift? I don't fancy it!

Tamar Braxton & K. Michelle end feud with upcoming BET Awards duet...

In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Tamar Braxton confirmed she has ended her two-year feud with K. Michelle and they will perform together at Sunday night’s BET Awards. Good!

Black women have been painted as loud, angry, and ghetto for years, and they did nothing to diminish that stereotype. It was entertaining at first, but it got old real quick.

They're both talented mothers in their 30s so it was time to wisen up!

Adele enlists Pharrell Williams for new album...

Pharrell Williams, who confirmed he is working on Adele's new album, told Ryan Seacrest at yesterday's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, that Adele is in no rush to release new music.

He alludes that Adele is taking forever and a day to drop her new album simply because her baby son comes first.

I don't begrudge her at all, as prioritising motherhood is the right thing to do.

Aston Merrygold covers ‘Fabulous’...

Former JLS front man Aston Merrygold is on the cover of 'Fabulous' magazine this Sunday, and of course he gets topless!

I can't say I'm feeling the look much, as he just comes across as an incarnated Bruno Mars with pecs.

His first ever solo single 'Get Stupid' drops July 17th, followed by his forthcoming debut album 'Show Stopper', which is set for release in October.

Justin Timberlake wins ASCAP Urban award for Beyoncé's 'Partition'...

Justin Timberlake has just snagged an ASCAP Urban award for co-writing Beyoncé's 'Partition.'

Well deserved, methinks. 'Partition' is such a sexy banger as is his drummy contribution to 'Yoncé', which makes me want to chew gum and pat my hair, lol.

Actually, both songs shits on the entire existence of JT's comeback album 'The 20/20 Experience.' Real talk!

Watch: Rihanna records 'Bitch Better Have My Money' in the studio...

Rihanna shares a behind the scenes look at the recording of latest single 'Bitch Better Have My Money.'

But the question on many a lip is, bitch, where in the hell is the REAL music video? And this was an actual Tidal exclusive too, like it was actually something.

Grazia are reporting she's taking a break from music to launch a lucrative fashion empire. Oh, the meltdowns!

Album cover + tracklist: Leona Lewis - 'I Am' (Deluxe Edition)...

There hasn''t been much hype surrounding Leona Lewis' new album 'I Am,' which hits retail on September 11th.

It's kind of scary, since her latest single 'Fire Under My Feet' officially flopped. It's not a bad song, but perhaps she needed to take bigger risks and put out something a bit more cutting edge?!

Anyway, here's her official deluxe album cover and the deluxe tracklist is below.

Chris Brown drops new single ‘Liquor’ + announces new album this fall...

Chris Brown’s rep tells Billboard he plans to drop his seventh studio album by the end of the year. This is preceded by new song 'Liquor,' which hit the net last night.

Chris sings about drunken sex on the woozy, yet super catchy R&B jam.

I believe it's one of his strongest songs to date production-wise, but lyrically, it's a bit redundant.

Miguel for GQ magazine...

Here is Miguel serving some serious rockstar style to the pages of GQ.

His summer goal is to have us all enjoying passionate, high energy sex to his new 'Wildheart' album.

In GQ’s July 2015 issue, he opens up about his wild sex life with his longtime girlfriend of 10-years singer/model Nazanin Mandi. He admits that they like to keep things steamy in the bedroom by participating in threesomes!

Beyoncé to headline 'Made in America' festival...

It's very interesting that Beyoncé is headlining this year’s 'Made in America' festival in Philadelphia.

I hope this means new music! I'll be damned if Beyoncé puts out a new album before R8. Come on Rihanna, get it together!

Even your girl crush Cheryl is cutting into you over it.

Spotted: Nicole Scherzinger at Cecconi's restaurant in Beverly Hills, California...

It pains me to think that a beautiful woman like Nicole Scherzinger wasted eight years of her life on a man that would eventually trade her in for a couple of 20-year-old models.

Sure, she was obviously holding out on marriage and beautiful brown-skinned babies, but Lewis Hamilton wasn't about that life.

He clearly wanted to enjoy the playboy lifestyle a tad bit longer.

Janet Jackson to receive Ultimate Icon Award at BET Awards...

Janet to be tributed at Microsoft Theater.
Janet Jackson is officially receiving the first-ever Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award at this Sunday’s BET Awards.

She will receive a dance tribute from high octane performers Chris Brown, Ciara, Jason Derulo, and Tinashe in Los Angeles. This is one of those awards that was strictly produced just so that Janet will attend the show, pretty much like they did at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards with Beyoncé. I'm not complaining though because Janet has finally given me a reason to tune in!

Video Premiere: Tinashe – ‘Cold Sweat’...

Deeply delicate...
Tinashe drops the super trippy visuals for 'Cold Sweat,' off her latest debut album 'Aquarius.'

The minimalistic, delicate clip was directed by Stephen Garnett, and features distorted and twisted body imagery. Tinashe strips back on the glam to deliver something a little more deep. It's a lot less sweatier than you'd expect from someone like Tinashe but I think it shows her range and versatility as an artist. Good trait to have in my book. Get into the visuals below!

Spotted: TLC's Chilli & T-Boz perform at NKOTB summer tour (Madison Square Garden)...

Going out with a bang...
Unless they were trying to become jacket potatoes of the roasted variety, I'm not quite sure why Chilli and T-Boz would rock tin foil outfits in this scorching weather.

Their costumes need serious overhaul. I swear they've been rocking the same outfits in differing variations for the past 20 odd years. That said, Chilli's body stays banging. She never ages! T-Boz looks great too, considering her health issues. Fan-funded and all, I am actually quite excited for what they have in store for their very last studio album!

New Music: Tiffany Evans feat. Fetty Wap – 'On Sight'...

Follow-up to 2013's EP '143 (I Love You).'
Tiffany Evans teams up with platinum-selling rapper Fetty Wap for 'On Sight,' the lead single off her upcoming EP titled 'All Me.'

The fun and flirty number is one that took her to a place where she just "wanted to dance." It's definetely one of those tunes where you let your hair down and just go with the flow but not really a patch on 'Red Wine.' Songs like that showcase more of her talent, but she's young and charasmatic so it's actually quite good for her to have songs that people of her demographic can jam to.

Stream Miguel’s new album ‘Wildheart’...

13 track LP features lead single 'Coffee.'
Courtesy of NPR, Miguel has made his third album 'Wildheart' available to stream ahead of its official release on June 29th.

“This album is Los Angeles, it’s attitude, it’s aggression, it’s sex, it’s pyschedelia, it’s lust, it’s loneliness,” Miguel told VH1. “It’s just more aggressive. It’s just raw. That’s why I love this album.” You can always take his word for it or...

Stream 'Wildheart' on NPR now!

Spotted: Ciara performs at Revolve Summer Kick-Off Party in Los Angeles...

Mini Janet set for big tribute...
According to Page Six, Janet Jackson will be honoured at this weekend’s BET Awards in L.A. with a dance tribute from Ciara.

Ci must be thanking her lucky stars that such a legend has announced her comeback at a time when hers is badly struggling. Ci has had to settle for performing at private parties, night clubs and tiny tour venues, and JJ gave her a lifeline. It's not the VMAs, but at least she gets to tribute the woman she has channelled her entire career after. Fingers crossed this is true!

Spotted: Christina Milian readies new pop-up shop in West Hollywood...

New career move...
At this point, it's pretty safe to say Christina Milian's music career is never going to be what it once was (not that it was ever something to begin with), but at least she's making waves for herself.

Just as well really, because Lil Wayne will never put a ring on it, no matter how much she pines for it to happen. That aside, she looked really giddy while making preparations for the June 27th opening of her brand new pop-up shop, which will feature clothing from her heavily promoted 'We Are Culture' line.

New Music: Janet Jackson – ‘No Sleeep’ (new single)...

Is JJ's comeback single a hit?
Janet Jackson returns with her brand new comeback single 'No Sleeep,' which was produced by longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Janet sings about sexy, restless nights on the laidback, mellow groove, while utilising those trademark whispery vocals and switching to full voice towards the end (my favourite part of the song). First things first, this is not single material and it won't catapult her to the top of the charts. Though choosing the mature route is understandable on Janet's behalf.

Chris Brown bumps into his ex Rihanna (again)...

Another awkward run-in...
Ex partners Rihanna and Chris Brown just keep bumping into each other.

Chris has a habit of bumping into his former ex-girlfriends as they ride in the same circles. But this might have been more awkward because as they partied at Hooray Henry’s in West Hollywood last night, Rihanna was actually there with her rumoured new soccer boyfriend Karim Benzema. Well, what else is there to say? Just a normal day in their life for these two...

Rihanna passes Beyoncé for most Dance Club #1s, after Madonna...

That Rihanna reign...
To some, Rihanna's urban single ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’ may be deemed a commercial flop, but the trap number is still accomplishing!

Thanks to an array of EDM remixes, the track surpasses the 22 number ones that Beyoncé has on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart making it her 23rd time atop the chart. Such a feat puts Rihanna only second to Madonna on the chart. Despite the topple, congrats to both ladies who have been doing it big with their music recently.

Kelly Rowland spotted leaving recording studio with baby Titan...

Juggling motherhood with work...
Kelly Rowland is still hard at work on her upcoming new album.

On June 19th, she was spotted leaving a recording studio in Los Angeles with her cutie pie son, Titan Jewell Witherspoon! Don't you just want to pinch his fat little cheeks? Kelly looks great, minus the hat but overall, her post-baby body is one to be envied. I scoff at reports stating she lost 70lb because there's no way in hell fitness freak Kelly put on 70lb during her pregnancy. If I recall, she never stopped working out!

Tamia performs 'Sandwich and a Soda' on The Late Late Show with James Corden...

First TV performance...
In case you missed it, here is Tamia performing her latest single 'Sandwich and a Soda' recently on 'James Corden.'

My gal showed up and showed out with this performance and she had so much fun with it. I was actually starting to wonder when we would get a televised performance from her this era. Promo has been really sucky! Too bad because Tamia is an R&B veteran and she consistently puts out good music. Her 'Love Life' album is out now!

Snapshots + video: Mariah Carey is officially dating a billionaire!

Looks happy...
Looks like Mariah Carey has just officially moved on since splitting with husband Nick Cannon.

The singer was spotted holding hands with billionaire James Packer in Capri, Italy, on Friday, June 19th. With a net worth of $4.6 billion, 47-year-old Packer is the fourth wealthiest person in Australia! Her and Janet are doing something right here, and although he's not much of a looker, one thing that's sexy as hell is his bank balance!

Ciara rehearses for 'Dance' video...

Second single off project...
The last time Ciara worked with director Dave Myers on a music video was for 'Lose Control,' so you just know that the visuals for 'Dance Like We're Making Love' is going to be a very hot affair!

I'm glad she is not giving up on her 'Jackie' album despite only 10 fans making the effort to buy it. I mean, it shows that their support hasn't gone in vain, although it's not her best work by a long shot. 'Dance' is actually a really great song and I'm glad it's getting the single treatment!

New Music: Janet Jackson’s new single ‘No Sleeep’ [30 sec snippet]...

Baby making tune oozes lots of sensuality...
Seems Janet Jackson might be turning her back on radio friendly club hits, if a snippet of her new single 'No Sleeep' is anything to go by.

Janet's whispery vocals glide over a laid-back, hypnotic beat, which was also used for her major announcement this past May. It sounds really good and has a nice throwback feel to it circa 1998. However, I know a lot of her fans were anticipating a catchy pop bop. No room for complaints though. Just be glad she's back with something!