♫ THE NEW MUSIC ROUND-UP: OLIVIA, MARIO, RYAN LESLIE & WYNTER GORDON……

Check out your second dosage of the new TW feature – The New Music Round Up where I actually sum up today’s newest music with one word (or three) – HOT, NOT or ON THE FENCE…..

This post sees Olivia (who has had several comeback failures) trying to make it once again. It appears she has ditched R&B to hop onto the Euro-pop bandwagon. No word on whether the song will be the official single but it’s a taster of what’s to come from her forthcoming project. Mario serenades us with his smoothness, Ryan Leslie comes with yet another infectious beat and Wynter Gordon provides us with another hot track. It’s all in here. HOT, NOT or ON THE FENCE?

♫ OLIVIA: RHYTHM OF MY HEART

NOT!

♫ MARIO: INSIDE OF YOU

HOT!

♫ RYAN LESLIE: MISS HER

HOT!

♫ WYNTER GORDON: SEARCH ME

HOT!

♫ THE NEW MUSIC ROUND-UP: TEAIRRA MARI, CRAIG DAVID, JENNIFER HUDSON, J. HOLIDAY, RYAN LESLIE, LLOYD & DONNIE KLANG……

Sooooo much new music has leaked over the last week or two and I don’t even know where to begin. So I’m going to have a new feature on here called ‘The New Music Round-Up’ which will comprise of a bunch of new songs that have surfaced.

In this post, I’ll sum up what I think of the tracks with one word: HOT, NOT or ON THE FENCE. “Hot” means that I totally feel the song. “Not” means that I don’t like it. “On The Fence” means I can’t decide whether I like the song or not. I’ll also give a bit of insight into the song and where it may come from….

♫ TEAIRRA MARI: THE TRUTH

HOT!

The song title is also the name of her forthcoming album ‘The Truth’ which will hit stores in early 2009.

♫ CRAIG DAVID: INSOMNIA

NOT!

Sounds too much like Chris Brown‘s ‘Forever’ which I hate with a passion. And there goes the dreaded vocoder! I’m disappointed because Craig is so talented so it kind of upsets me that he’d put out something so gimmicky to win some popularity. An alleged track taken from his forthcoming Greatest Hits release.

♫ JENNIFER HUDSON: FOR REAL

HOT!

This is a bonus track from Jennifer’s latest debut.

♫ THE WAY IT WAS: J. HOLIDAY

HOT!

J. Holiday is currently in the studio recording a new album. This is a nice track but it doesn’t beat ‘Fly’.

♫ RYAN LESLIE FEAT KERI HILSON: ADDICTION

HOT!

Keri kills Cassie vocally, but Cassie did the song more justice because this type of song is more her style than Keri’s. Cassie features on the official version.

♫ LLOYD: NOBODY BUT ME

ON THE FENCE!

This is a track that didn’t make the finalised cut of latest album ‘Lessons In Love’.

♫ DONNIE KLANG FEAT AUBREY: SUITE 22

NOT!

A rejected cut from Donnie’s latest album ‘Just A Rolling Stone’, and rightly so!

NEW RYAN LESLIE PHOTOSHOOT…..

Ryan Leslie did a brand new photoshoot recently. The pictures were taken by Cameron Krone for Vistalux.com:

RYAN LESLIE WEB

As ever, Ryan was looking real dapper. His album is expected to drop Oct 21st. Thanks for the pics Denise. There are loads more at the source.

RYAN LESLIE: ‘ADDICTION’ [ALTERNATIVE VIDEO]……

Ryan Leslie has released a second alternative video for latest new single ‘Addiction’ (a collaboration with Bad Boy/Next Selection artist Cassie). If you didn’t catch the first version when I posted it, click here. The first one didn’t include Cassie and neither does this one either:

The first video showed love to the beautiful darker skinned sista’s, whereas this video uses the type of exotic model that Ryan is REALLY attracted to. I’m not mad at him though. Every man loves themselves a beautiful woman. The girls he uses for both video’s are stunning all the same. I think I’m liking the first vid a tad bit better although I was really liking the stalker fan concept in this one also. The chick used is the same girl in his ‘Diamond Girl’ video as well so it seems she’s a favourite. Cameo’s included rapper Fabolous who once again has a couple of verses on the song as well as super R&B producer Swzz Beatz who was seen rocking the ever popular Obama ‘Progress’ T-Shirt as well as Jaslene Gonzales (winner of America’s Next Top Model).

♫ RYAN LESLIE: ‘WHEN WE DANCE’ [NEW SONG]…..

Another new Ryan Leslie track surfaced this week called ‘When We Dance’. The track is believed to be from his latest recording sessions for the new album….

I think the song is pretty solid even with the popular Hip Hop sample (can’t remember who exactly). It’s not as impressive or ear-engaging as ‘Diamond Girl’ though. I’m starting to think his stuff is sounding a bit repetitive. I don’t know where Ryan stands in such a tough fickle industry but I say he puts more emphasis on producing hot beats for other artists. I mean, even an established superstar like Usher is struggling to do good these days. Whilst I think ‘Addiction’ is hot, one can wonder why he left it so long to put out a video. I would like his album to be released so that I can hear what else he can give us. As of now his album is scheduled to drop on October 21st.

♫ RYAN LESLIE: ‘WHEN WE DANCE’

R&B SINGERS OUT & ABOUT…..

Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson attended the 2008 Toronto Film Festival’s premiere of ‘The Secret Life Of Bees’ as well as a press conference. Both singers co-star in the movie:

The movie is set to hit the cinema on October 17th and was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. If you’re not familiar with Gina’s work, she also directed the brilliant ‘Love & Basketball’. Both ladies were looking fab!

Mariah Carey and hubby Nick Cannon were spotted at the Fashion Rocks After Party at the Rainbow Room, which incidentally is across the street from Radio City Hall:

Same ole….

Other singers that showed up to the afterparty included Solange Knowles, Brandy and Justin Timberlake:

Solange looking like Solange….

Rihanna was seen heading to Da Silvano Restaurant for late dinner after the ‘Fashion Rocks’ Concert:

She was also spotted arriving back at her hotel and then leaving with Chris Brown in the same car in New York City.

Earlier on in the week, the couple were seen leaving McDonalds in New York City:

That chick loves her some fast food. If she’s not seen ordering food at KFC or Popeyes, it’s McDonalds…..

She was also spotted leaving her favourite restaurant Da Silvano once again on Thursday night:

Her fella Chris has denied they’ve moved in together.

Mary J. Blige, Ryan Leslie and his girlfriend Chanel attended the Samsung Imagination Icon’s Series Premiere Event in New York earlier this week:

Mary has been looking really haggard these days. You’d never believe she is actually younger than Mariah Carey.

Usher performed at the 2008 NFL Kickoff Show in New York this week:

I posted some of his performances yesterday. As usual, he performed his butt off.

Leona Lewis was spotted leaving the Fashion Rocks Rehearsals this week in New York City:

She was also spotted shopping it up in New York this week as well. Looking good, Leona.

RYAN LESLIE: ADDICTION [NEW VIDEO]…..

Ryan Leslie premiered his new video for latest single ‘Addiction’. The song has Bad Boy/Next Selection artist Cassie singing the chorus whilst rapper Fabolous spits out a couple of verses. However, hot-bloodied males will be disappointed to find that the actual video is Cassie-less:

I find Cassie’s absence weird in which a selection of models were put in to mime her parts. The song is hot and her airy vocals ride the beat well so to have her appear in the video would have sent the video sizzling with sex. It is actually the first time these two have ‘distanced’ themselves after working on a project together. Normally, if those two have collaborated on a track, there’d be no doubt they’d appear together in a music video. This then puts more emphasis that amid the ‘Cassie is fucking Diddy‘ rumours flying around over the months, they’re not as close as they once were.

Ryan is likely taking it to heart considering that he was once alleged to have dated the ‘Me & U’ singer. I can only imagine how he must feel about these latest revelations especially since those two were once joined at the hip and now she’s more closer to Diddy than ever (wherever he goes, so does she apparently). Anywho, I know I bitched about Cassie’s new video ‘Official Girl’ looking like a scantily-clad photoshoot than an actual music video but I’d rather see her near-flawless bikini-bod paraded around than to be subjected to a few close-up’s of Fab’s not-so-fabolous ‘crying out for an orthodontic procedure’ crooked-ridden teeth.

R&B SINGERS OUT & ABOUT…..

Rihanna and Chris Brown were spotted at Maestro’s restaurant in Los Angeles on August 22nd after having dinner alongside Rihanna’s family:

RIHANNA DAILY

Everything appears to be all sweet and roses in paradise. I really do want to see these two last the distance no matter what drama gets thrown their way. If Chris had to pay for the meal, he doesn’t seem to be all that pressed. I think he’s truly in love with Rihanna. You don’t see it in these pics but that’s because they’re paparazzi-conscious but from the previous pictures, you see it in the body language to the way he looks at her. The signs that a man loves his woman are quite easy to detect. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris pens all of Rihanna’s hits for free if she really is short on finance. More of those two after the cut.

After the meal, they were seen bolting off in their getaway:

UCHRIS.COM

LOL! Chick at the back doesn’t seem all that happy to be caught on camera.

Singer-songwriter Keri Hilson (and Ryan Leslie) was seen arriving on the red carpet for TRACE magazine’s “Black Girls Rule” event. Keri looked stunning from the neck-up as she wore an unflattering yellow dress:

At least someone cares enough about Keri to throw a party in her honour. If only so much amplitude was put into her music career. She gets a party over a poxy little magazine cover that doesn’t serve as much relevance but yet musically, her singing career hangs in the balance. Fans of Keri have been waiting for the release of her long-awaited debut album ‘In A Perfect World’ for well over a year. Latest single ‘Energy’ is not steaming up the charts as hoped. Still, we can only can only hope and wait if the album really will get released on Oct 7th.

Christina Milian attended the birthday party of pal and former N-Sync singer Lance Bass this week:

CHRISTINA WORLD

Aw, I really miss N-Sync. ‘No Strings Attached’ and ‘Celebrity’ were awesome CD’s which I still play to this day. Christina looked nice. I was feeling her whole get-up.

Keyshia Cole was spotted backstage during a taping of 106 & Park earlier this week rocking a ‘Respect My Vote’ shirt:

Hell, this doesn’t even look like Keyshia to me. Can we say HAWT?!!!

Danity Kane‘s Aubrey ‘O Day attended the “Traitor” premiere this week, rocking the all popular feather vest:

At least she switched up and rocked one in white rather than in black like Rihanna, Cassie and Amerie. I’m not sure what to make of her entire ensemble though. Maybe she’d look cool if she ditched the animal print boots for another pair. And she needs to ease up on the heavy eye-liner as well. It wasn’t carefully applied. It was practically CAKED on. But face-wise, she looks pretty smoked out. And that’s putting it lightly.

Mya was spotted on the set of Maino‘s “Hi Hater (Remix)” video at Cinema World Studios in Brooklyn just over a week ago:

MYA HARRISON.NET

Mya has a cameo in the vid and she looked cute.

R&B SINGERS OUT & ABOUT…..

I got caught up to do this post yesterday so here’s your latest edition of ‘R&B Singers Out & About….’ and what your favourite R&B acts have been up to this past week or so. It seems Ryan Leslie may have found himself a brand new model chick. The handsome singer/producer was spotted having dinner last night at DaSilvano in Manhattan with 18-year-old star model Chanel Iman:

Ryan, who was rumoured to be dating Cassie at one time seemed to be really smitten with his new boo as he wined and dined her throughout the night. It appears he has a thang for those chicks with Exotic looks especially models (Cassie). Chanel does look like a cross between Amerie and his alleged ex – the one who’s rumoured to be dating her Bad Boy CEO under the quiet, but it appears Ryan is over it since he’s supposedly been there done that. Can’t be mad at him though. If you can have your pick of the ladies, go for the Exotic beautiful ones! See more after the cut.

Ryan and his new girlfriend also attended Vibe Magazine’s 15th anniversary party on Tuesday in New York City:

Very attractive couple, but where the HELL is Ryan’s album? Denise, anyone? I know he was mad pissed that his first album didn’t see the time of day and as talented as he is, it would be such a shame if history repeated itself.

Oh, and look who else who was there as well. It was none other than Cassie herself of course looking hot as usual:

Physically, hot stuff.

Other singers that attended the event included Estelle, Teyana Taylor and D. Woods from Danity Kane:

…. the not so hot stuff, unfortunately.

Meanwhile, Beyonce was spotted making her arrival in Los Angeles looking all cute and casual:

Supposedly, Beyonce flew in to tape episodes for the new season of Desperate Housewives, which started taping this week. I’ve been hearing about Beyonce and Desperate Housewives for the past couple of months. At one time her people denied it but maybe there’s been a change of heart of some sort. In time, we’ll have to wait and see. I do know that Beyonce has been recording a large proportion of her new album in Los Angeles. I find it hard to believe she’d even have the time to film her part of Desperate Housewives when she got done shooting two movies and is in the process of recording a brand new album as well as an anticipated performance at Fashion Rocks in three weeks time. But as you know, this woman’s work ethic is like no one’s I’ve ever seen before. Chick aint satisfied until she’s dominating EVERY field outside of music. What were we all thinking when we believed she was expecting her husband’s child a while back? Beyonce aint trying to let a baby ruin her empire just yet when she’s got soooo much more to achieve or has she? Not until she wins that Oscar….. In that case, poor Jay-Z could be in for a very long wait!

Rihanna and her beau Chris Brown was spotted canoodling on those beautiful golden beaches of her Native Barbados on Tuesday:

Those two really have become inseparable. Wouldn’t be at all surprised if they bought a house together if they haven’t done so already. Chris already loves showering his boo with expensive jewellery including a massive rock which she was spotted wearing last week on her wedding finger. Of course this sparked off engagement rumours…..

They were seen trying out all of the watersports including riding waverunners, water tubes, water rafts and speedboats:

Cute.

It wasn’t those two at the scene either. Rihanna’s two younger brothers were also on the beach to join in on the fun:

They were all seen on the banana boat and on the beach making sand balls to throw at each other I presume. Rihanna’s brother (green shorts) is really stocky. Damn. He and Chris are the exact same age. Stay tuned for more….

PHOTO’S: SPLASH // BAUER GRIFFIN // WIREIMAGES // GETTY

R&B SINGERS OUT & ABOUT // CASSIE CONFIRMS HER SPLIT WITH DIDDY?….

Earlier today, Alicia Keys (and Jennifer Hudson) attended and hosted ‘Keep A Child Alive: The Black Ball UK’ earlier today in London:

The ceremony was held at St. John’s Church at Smith Square. Alicia looked nice but Jen on the other hand looked like …. Jennifer Hudson. The Keep A Child Alive organization is a contribution towards saving lives with the help from the world to donate what they can for AIDS medication, support services, and orphan care.

Cassie attended DJ Cassidy‘s 27th birthday bash at Cipriani 23rd Street last night, where she ALLEGEDLY confirmed she and Diddy WERE in fact steaming those bedroom sheets behind closed doors:

This may come as no surprise to MANY of us. Since Cassie hit the scene 2 years ago, it’s been rumoured from then that the two were having sexual liaisons. The rumours started when Diddy would CONSTANTLY defend Cass at every opportunity especially when she received Internet criticism about her lack of singing/performing talent. But many eyebrows were raised when he tried to justify her embarrassing 106 performance of hit single ‘Me & U’. The speculation was confirmed without doubt when these pictures surfaced where they were looking rather cosy on mother’s day earlier this year. Now Cassie reportedly told Usmagazine.com that she’s split from Diddy, yet the two were seen “slipping out” together after the party had ended. Hmmmm…. On the music front, Cassie has shot the video for her single ‘Official Girl’, which should premiere really soon and this will be followed by her sophomore album expected to be released in September/October.

Teairra Mari may have no buzz surrounding her new project but this chick still manages to stay relevant by hitting up every party in town. Yesterday, she was seen at Hale Bob’s Summer Of Love Party at the Falcon in Hollywood, California:

So, let’s put the glam aside. We know you fly Teairra but where’s the music? I for one am dying to hear a new Teairra Mari album. I just wish it wouldn’t take forever. Chick can totally sing her lil ass off.

Alicia Keys is currently in the UK and she performed a gig in Manchester, to support her latest album As I Am:

She loves those pants. They outline her thickalicious thighs to a tee. But she seems a lil disproportionate, because she doesn’t have the T&A to go with it. She still my girl though.

More attendees at DJ Cassidy’s 27th birthday bash at Cipriani 23rd Street included Kat Deluna:

…. as well as Maxwell (another one well overdue for a new album), Nina Sky (them too) and Ryan Leslie (him three).

This is quite interesting, because ex-wife and husband Mashonda and Swizz Beatz hit up that very same party as well:

I know things must have been awkward since I’m reading rumours that their divorce was quite messy behind the scenes. For the sake of their son, I hope they can remain friends and work it out.

Jennifer Lopez squeezed her lumpy thighs into a designer bikini this week in Portofino, Italy:

I’d still hit it though.

And July 5th (last week) saw young lovers Rihanna and Chris Brown cosying it up at the Velvert Room nightclub in Atlanta:

Nice.

RIHANNA DAILY // WHAT’S POPPIN’ // ATLPICS // SPLASH // INFDAILY // WENN // GETTY // WIREIMAGES