In what comes as no surprise to many, UK boyband JLS have scored their fifth number one on the Official UK Singles Chart with ‘She Makes Me Wanna’. The quartet have now broke an X Factor record with today’s feat. Out of all the X Factor artists to get signed, Aston, Marvin, JB and Oritse have notched up the most number ones. In other UK chart news, one week after her unceremonious passing, Amy Winehouse‘s ‘Back To Black’ has topped the UK album chart.

It would have been criminal not for Winehouse to get the number one album this week. ‘Back To Black’ is a stunning, well-written piece of art which hit close to home. A little too close to home in fact, making the record even more timeless and ruthlessly deep. ‘Back To Black’ is exactly where it needs to be right now.

Check out the cover to  Chris Brown’s upcoming hip-hop mixtape titled, ‘Boy In Detention’. Mixtape will be released August 5th. Are you feeling the cover?

“Rollin around in the mess we made…”

Jojo lends her soulful vocals to Travis Garland’s melodically ambitious, ‘Paint’. Not much is known about ‘Paint’, other than making it’s rounds online, there’s no word on whether it will serve as an official first single for Travis.

The unassuming track opens with a series of lush harmonies until the beat drops and Travis explains how badly he wants to do his girl “…in the paint”, leaving very little to the imagination. The laid-back pop song is not afraid to be sexy, if not a little vulgar in it’s content, “…rolling around in the bare bed sex we made”. Warning: Don’t sing these lyrics while in the car with your parents! Listen to Jojo get her grown and sexy on below.

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Cassie‘s non-stop magazine domination sees the 24-year-old gracing Asia’s youth culture magazine, STATUS. Sexy, funky and totally diva is how I’d describe it. Ms Ventura looks stunning and she’s totally working her newly enhanced tata’s. Modeling will always be her thing but any scraps of relevancy left is being woven away by her huge hesitancy to put out new music. Can you see the Diddy influence on her career?

Additional photos from the August issue can be viewed over at cassieverse.org. High quality photos from the shoot will be posted once available.

‘Man Down’ producer Verse Simmonds (of the Juggernauts) says he’s looking to “recapture the magic” for Rihanna‘s sixth studio album (out later this year). Whether it’s for a brand new effort or re-release, Princess Riri always provides the fire with her new music. There is nothing to recapture as her ear for explosive hit records has never faltered. Consistency is key.

Artwork: Hayden Williams

Kelly Rowland‘s visit to ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’ last night marked her only performance since her new album ‘Here I Am’ hit stores this week. This is only her second performance of ‘Motivation’ to date so it was crucial for Rowland to raise the bar from what she delivered at this years BET Awards. The 30-year-old’s live rendition of the song was crisp with slick choreography and slightly off-pitch vocals but nothing that really took away from the performance.

The singer’s promo schedule this week had more holes in it than a sieve but if Rowland was only going to get one performance, she may as well have performed like her bread and butter depended on it. And that she did.

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R&B rebel Chris Brown dropped another new video this week. ‘All About You’ serves as a bonus cut from the Deluxe Edition of his ‘F.A.M.E’ LP. The 22-year-old wrote and filmed the clip for his fans Team Breezy which shows his more softer, sensitive and carefree side. Not only that but it shows his never-ending versatility. ‘Beautiful People’, ‘Look At Me Now’ and ‘All About You’ are three different types of genre which he pulls off successfully. Branching out creatively with his music is one of the reasons why his idol MJ was such an amazing phenomenon.

Clearly, Breezy wants that same lasting impression and this era it shows. Lastly, the eclectic star may be feeling the freezing temperature, but is he getting more hotter with age? Or is it just me?

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Austin Brown‘s network TV debut took place this week on Lopez Tonight. Taking to the stage to perform new single ‘All I Need’, nerves were clearly hitting him. For the vocals were quite dodgy. Brown can definetely sing but this was not an impressive vocal. Furthermore, his identity doesn’t belong to him. It belongs to his late superstar uncle Michael Jackson. The vocals, and the footwork, right down to the ankle trousers screamed Michael. Who wears pants like that in 2011? All he needed was MJ’s trademark white socks and his duplication of his uncle would have been a full 100% transformation. The footwork again was nice. Very James Brown, very MJ. But, with the live vocals he was trying to do way too much and it wasn’t a smooth execution.

I’m actually rooting for him, and I’ll check out his new album ’85′ when drops next year. But for some reason, I can’t get into his music. I love live instruments and oldskool beats but the song just doesn’t excite me at all. Yes, it’s dated but that’s not why I have a problem with it. I think he has what it takes but he’s going to need to find his own identity. I’m rooting for him and would love to see him do well but he’s going to have to set himself apart if the MJ comparisons are to be dismissed. What I liked about his cousins 3T is that even though they sounded like MJ, they didn’t copy him and they had their own vision. Anyway, check out the performance and interview below.

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American Idol‘s most underrated finalist Jordin Sparks performed for the Energizer/VH1 Save The Music event yesterday in New York City’s Times Square (July 28th). The gig was to celebrate the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, in which the 21-year-old serves as their ambassador. The under-promoted singer has been largely overshadowed by the new wave of Disney kids plaguing the music scene right now. However, Sparks has been hard at work recording her new album, which she is now taking her time with.

While we wait for Sparks to reclaim her dominance to the chart, she treated delighted crowds to live renditions of hit singles ‘Battlefield’ and ‘No Air’. The Arizona native paraded around her new trim figure once more in a summery little dress. Check out the performances below.

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Photo of the day. Lady Gaga is slowly but surely morphing into her chart nemesis Christina Aguilera. Ya like? Photo source.

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