NEWS

Usher Readies Return To R&B With New Album

The turn of the decade has seen R&B veteran Usher receive mix review for his experimentation on the Pop front.

Indeed, despite a number of EDM-flavoured hits like ‘DJ Got Us Falling In Love’ and ‘O.M.G.’, the Grammy-winning crooner’s faithful fanbase have oft-cried foul from fear the heartthrob was “selling out” or abandoning his sonic roots.

Well, if report from top producer Eric Bellinger is anything to go by, supporters of the singer’s more rhythmic offerings needn’t fear as his newest project will see a musical mecca of sorts to his R&B beginnings.

Bellinger’s news comes just a day after Ush took to ‘The Voice’ stage to deliver a cool version of jazz standard ‘The Look of Love’. 

What sound is Usher going for this time around?
With his other projects, I think he was like, “Okay. I’m going to do this because I think people may want to hear this.” But, I think this time around, he’s going to do what he wants to do in his heart and that’s R&B, the stuff that got him here in the first place. He’s done so many genres of music and excelled in every area, so now he’s like, “Cool. What’s left for me to do? I’ve done everything. So, I’m going to take it back to R&B, timeless music.”

Considering the current state of R&B, do you think Usher will be able to successfully implement that?
I definitely do. He has always done R&B, even on the last project. We did “What Happened to U.” All of those were R&B, but with a different beat. We were able to experiment on “I Care For You,” with some next level, futuristic, dub step type of music, but still with the touch of smooth R&B within the melodies. [The album] is definitely still very commercial. It’s going to be for the radio and the club. He’s still Usher. He has to lead the pack.

Christina Aguilera Hits #1 With ‘Let There Be Love’

Christina Aguilera may be on a hiatus of sorts, yet that hasn’t stopped the Pop powerhouse from nabbing another #1 on the Billboard charts. 

The diva’s latest triumph comes courtesy of ‘Let There Be Love’  - a Max Martin produced club anthem featured on her recent studio album ‘Lotus’.

This week saw the cut, which has been a That Grape Juice favourite, rocket to #1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs tally – during its first “official” week of release. An “LOL” to some, yet a #1 nonetheless. ‘Love’ becomes Aguilera’s seventh song to top the chart.

For us, the feat is somewhat bittersweet. Indeed, while it’s great to see such a deserving number receive some kind of recognition, we feel it could have achieved so much more had it been given the “proper” single treatment (one decent performance on The Voice, and a terrible one at the AMA’s will not suffice). Why? Because next to ‘Your Body’ (also produced by Martin), it’s the best thing she has released in years.

Still, with Xtina back to being Xtina (take from that what you will), we’re hopeful she’ll back her next project to the fullest.

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Alexandra Burke Inks Major American Deal

Alexandra Burke is playing approximately no games with her American debut.

The X Factor winner and ‘Bad Boys’ singer has been signed up by music industry juggernaut Kevin Liles.

As some may know, Liles is the former Def Jam executive who propelled the careers of Jay-Z and Kanye West into the stratosphere. In more recent years, the power-drenched manager has steered the career of Trey Songz – elevating him from a little known R&B singer to the Urban force he is today.

Put simply, Alexandra is in sensational hands. As anyone who’s followed her trajectory will know, her talent has never been “the issue” – it’s moreso the mode of machine behind her. Of course, for some, it was also the flavour of her material too (although we wish her critics would factor how unviable “Urban” is commercially in the UK at the moment).

In any case, both the market she’s targeting and the new manager helping her do it have us all sort of  amped! Keep it locked on TGJ for news on Alex’s new record deal — which we hear will be announced soon too.