Mariah Carey Snaps On Fallon With "The Distance"

Post by: Diva Devotee

Caution is here, Betches! Go stream, buy and tell your home gurl!

Promoting the masterpiece on The Tonight Show, Mariah Carey took latest single The Distance (and its feature Ty Dolla $ign) out for a live showing. And boy, what a showing it was.

[WATCH] Beyonce - Coachella

Post by: Montrez Rambo

Life is hectic at the moment- currently on patrol getting qualifications. But I had to stop to tune into Beyonce's Coachella performance.

The Queen brought culture to the table with the Central State University band. Majorettes were out there bucking, the Clark Sisters were paid homage, and Destiny's Child reunited. But that wasn't all. The almost two-hour set was also a family affair with Solange (who took part in some sisterly dancing) and hubby Jay-z joining the Diva on stage.

Beyonce was throwing an eight count like she was a majorette herself!

When the Rasp is Right! Kelly Clarskson @ AMAs 2017

Post by: Diva Devotee

Kelly Clarkson has got raspy as hell lately, but I love It.

Why the love for her edge, and not Ms. Aguilera's? Quite simply, Christina sounds strained AF, losing volume, fullness and support when attacking her notes. All poor choices that could end up with the voice cracking. It makes watching her sing live anxiety inducing. And i have enough reasons to be anxious without Xtina adding to them.

Pink Slays Erryone @ 2017 American Music Awards

Post by: Diva Devotee

Pink is awesome.

Long time fan, almost everything the Diva has released has got a hand waving in the air 'yaaaaas!'. However, Beautiful Trauma's lead single, What About Us, surprisingly failed to land with me. Empowering lyrics, rousing vocals and a building production, it should have been a win, hyping me up for the new album. The opposite in fact happened- I could not care less about the upcoming era.

Christina Aguilera Has An Ugly Tone. There, I said it.

Post by: Diva Devotee

Can we finally admit that Christina Aguilera manufactured, Kermit tone is ugly? I've always known it, and I'm pretty sure I've mentioned a preference for her natural voice. However I don't think I've explicitly called it ugly before. So there you are, cards on the table.

What am I talking about, exactly? Let's use yesterday's (not the best) tribute to the glorious Whitney Houston at the American Music Awards to illustrate. The Voice I'm alluding to rears its fat head during the first verse of I Will Always Love You. Prior to that, though pitchy and not keeping time with the instrumentation*- both issues continue throughout- her voice was more naturally placed. The tone here was beautiful, lighter, youthful and sweet. It only made the off-putting sound that followed more startling. And to those who think this Kermit tone is not produced through dubious methods, note the spoken parts she interjects the medleys with. They are of a lighter timbre that is much more akin to her true voice.

[Tragic] Katy Perry Continues Free Fall On SNL

Post by: Diva Devotee

Katy Perry is having the era from hell with album number five, Witness.

The lukewarm reception to Rise- which I actually enjoyed- in hindsight should have read as a warning from the fates that a continuation in this "mature" direction would be unwise. The subsequent releases of Chained to the Rhythm, Bon Appétit and now, Swish Swish appears to confirm this, suggesting ain't nobody here for "woke"* wretches* Perry. Give the kids that sweet, sweet, candy pop.

"The Tonight Show" Welcomes Two Performances from Solange

The Tonight Show saw Solange stop by to perform two cuts from her critically acclaimed album A Seat at the Table.

All in red and serving up art-school realness, the Diva and her unsure backing gave Rise and Weary the live treatment on the night. Yes, there was meaning behind the tethered look, but focus from that was pulled by the awkward harmonies and shoddy implementation of choreography.   

Solange sounded good though, and more confident than on her SNL set. Perhaps it's a case of Solo getting used to the new material?

Amber Riley Takes "And I Am Telling You" To Royal Variety 2016

Dreamgirls' And I am Telling You is a guaranteed throat masher. Stamina, range and mastery over timbre is requisite in doing the anthem justice and communicating the passion and wilfulness of the lyric. Both the Jennifers (Holliday and Hudson) understood this, and it's why their versions have become synonymous with the song.

[Watch] Lady Gaga @ Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2016

With hundreds of millions of social media fans between them- performers and models alike- you may be surprised to hear that this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show had the lowest viewership ever. Welp!

Lady Gaga- along with Bruno Mars and The Weeknd- were the acts that took part in the annual event, this year held in Paris. Gaga offered up two separate performances, one being upbeat, the other sombre. It was similar in many ways to Rihanna's Diamonds/ Phresh out the Runway slayage at the 2012 catwalk.

[Review] VH1 Divas: Unsilent Night

"Never get your hopes up" is a phrase I mostly abide by. But knowing VH1 Divas was returning after a four year hiatus, I couldn't help but put aside my natural pessimism and be hyped after reading who was taking part. Silly me.

Brandy Performs Medley Of Hits @ Soul Train Music Awards 2016

Brandy was the recipient of The Lady of Soul Award at the 2016 Soul Train Music Awards. With such an accolade being bestowed, Brandy had to come out and represent her material. And that's what she did with a nine minute medley of her biggest hit.

The reviews said she slayed; I wouldn't go that far. Even though it was enjoyable, the choices she took when rearranging the melodies of some of her songs didn't work for me. It wasn't just that they were iffy to my ears, they sounded darn right dissonant at points. Also the lows didn't appear to come as comfortable to the Diva, which made some of her (usually flowing) runs end abruptly.

Aretha Franklin takes US National Anthem To Church @ NFL Game

You ever wanted to hear Aretha Franklin take 5 minutes-ish to sing The Star Spangled Banner? Me neither! But here we find ourselves.

To those of you with patriotism running through your veins, maybe this rambling rendition will have you waving those flags fervently in reverie. Either that, or you'll find this to be so entirely self-indulgent that it's tantamount to treason and will now be boycotting Aretha and pianos hence forth. After all, it wasn't just Aretha up on that stage. Piani gotta take some of the heat too.

JoJo Shines Bright @ Disney Holiday Special With "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

JoJo singing holiday classics and teaming up with Boyz II Men, all in one evening? Yes please!

Booked by Disney for their Holiday Special, the Diva gave a beautiful, piano-led rendition of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. Though full of big notes and fancy vocal tricks, it thankfully wasn't garish or overdone. Instead, it was imbued with the original's nostalgic magic and actually managed to give me that Christmassy feeling for the first time this year.

Kelly Clarkson Performs @ Disney's Holiday Celebration 2016

Kelly Clarkson's original Christmas song, Underneath the Tree, still hasn't grown on me, being all too derivative. But that didn't stop me enjoying her performance of it and Stronger at Disney's Holiday Celebration.

Sounding raspier than usual- which I liked- the Diva brought bags of energy to her mini set. Contrasting the edgy top notes was her mid range, which was strangely clear and lighter than normal. There was some dodging of notes in Stronger, but not enough to bother or concern me.

Can't beat a bit of (this) Clarkson!

Gaga amazes With "Million Reasons" @ AMA 2016

Looks like Lady Gaga is pushing the rock aesthetic with this era like I (and the blind man in the back) previously predicted. One point for me (and him)! But I can't complain when it sounds and works so well for her.

Ariana Grande Delivers a Tired Rendition Of "Side To Side" @ AMAs

The American Music Awards took place yesterday at the Microsoft Theater in LA and Ariana Grande was not only a performer, but the recipient of the Artist Of The Year award!!

With that to celebrate, you have to wonder why her performance ended up being so lethargic.

CBC News Shadily Uploads Mariah Carey's Mic Feed To YouTube

Mariah Carey, the Queen Of Christmas, must be starting to feel the rain of those pennies falling as the holiday season approaches. That's one thing to smile about for a Diva in the midst of an  uncoupling from her billionaire fiancé. What she isn't going to be so happy about is the uploading by CBC News of what appears to be the microphone feed from a free concert she held in Toronto.

Leona Lewis Brings "Memory" To DWTS

Even though she's wrapped up her time in Cats, Leona Lewis has basically become the current face of the Broadway musical.

Representing the show at Dancing with the Stars, Leona performed one of its most iconic songs, Memory. And what an ambassador she was, providing an impressive and faithful rendition for dancers Calvin and Lindsay to Waltz to. Admittedly not the biggest fan of the timbre of Lewis' mid-range, of which there was plenty, I still found myself "here" for this.

[Watch] CMA Audience Stay Salty with Beyonce

When news broke that Beyonce was opening the 2016 Country Music Awards, people were not happy. Considering her (wrongly) to be "Anti-police" because of her support for the Black Live Matters movement, the crazy folk on Twitter were screaming for a boycott of the award show. (I'm sure that was the real and only reason *rolls eyes*)

Lady Gaga Belts Out 'Million Reasons' Live On The Howard Stern Show

Joanne, Lady Gaga's newest LP is on sale this week. Have ya heard it yet? I haven't, naughty DD. And with it comes a promotional tour to push album number six to the unwashed masses.

Stopping off with Howard Stern, the Diva carried on her tradition of delivering stunning, stripped back performances on the shock jock's show. Both raw and measured, it was a rendition of Million Reasons that had near enough everyone in tears by its end.

Take a listen and see if it has the same effect on you.