Mariah Carey Takes Fans to “Infinity” and Beyond

Recently, Mariah Carey released her new song “Infinity” that will appear on her upcoming greatest hits album, #1 to Infinity. The artist sings about love and heartbreak on this track, and many feel it may be about her soon-to-be-ex-husband Nick Cannon.

In the song, Carey sings, “Name hold weight like kilos / Boy you actin so corny like Fritos / Wouldn’t have none of that without me though / Ain’t none of my business, this tea though.” Many feel that she could be talking about Cannon because they’ve split, and Nick is known for being “corny” when he hosts America’s Got Talent.

Mariah Carey rehearses for the 82nd annual Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. (Getty Images photo/Michael Loccisano).

Carey told EXTRA the real meaning behind the song. She stated, “Infinity is like love equals you first, the line, there’s a section of the song where it’s like a chant, it’s like ‘you’re leaving, you’re leaving you’re out the door infinity loving me more and more,’ meaning you have to love yourself first, it can’t be all about somebody else’s thing or their issues it has to be you and then you can deal with the rest of the things in your life.”

Although the singer is now releasing an album under a new record label, Epic, her singing style is just as vibrant and familiar as usual. The album is scheduled to release on May 18th. It will include 18 of Mariah’s most popular hits. She will also perform the songs from the album during her residency in Las Vegas at Caesar’s Place, which will start May 6th.

Deborah Cox Talks About Singing Whitney Houston’s Classics in Lifetime Movie

Three years have passed since the great Whitney Houston passed, but that hasn’t stopped fans from pining for the singer’s voice. To encourage fans to remember her musical contributions and the mark she had on the industry, the Lifetime network put together a 90-minute biographical movie that revisited some of Whitney’s most memorable accomplishments and events. Yaya DaCosta may have been the star of the film Whitney, but it is Deborah Cox who sang Houston’s classics in the film.

There are not many people who can pull of the proper representation of Whitney Houston’s voice, so Cox was more than happy to assist. With her voice and talent, the Lifetime movie was very well interpreted. However, she had mixed feelings about taking on the task, but she pushed them away to think of the bigger picture.

Deborah Cox attends the Broadway Opening Night of “Gigi” at the Neil Simon Theatre. (Getty Images photo/J. Countess).

Cox said in an interview with theboombox.com, “I think it’s serendipity: when things happen and you don’t even know the impact they’re going to have.” She continues with, “When I was first approached about doing it I had mixed feelings for probably one minute, and then I was like,’Okay, yes!’ I was nervous; I was scared, but I knew I had to rise to the challenge because I knew she had to be represented in a way for us to be reminded of what her gift was to the world.”

Deborah also hopes she herself represented the singer the way that was needed. The two were friends and Whitney often served as a mentor to Cox. Deborah states, “When you think of Whitney Houston, you think of that voice. We didn’t have a lot of time to do it either. It was a great, great honor to be a part of that, and I can only hope that I did her well.”

Sam Smith Cancels Australian Tour After Injury to Vocal Chords

Sam Smith has canceled the remaining dates of his Australian tour after being diagnosed with a hemorrhage to his vocal cords. The British singer confirmed the bad news via social media. The singer stated he was “deeply saddened” by the news.

Smith stated on Instagram, “I am deeply, deeply saddened to tell my Australian fans, I have to cancel my Australian tour,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “I have been vocally exhausted for a while now however last night in Sydney I had a small hemorrhage on my vocal chords. The doctors have told me I need to fully rest until my vocal chords have healed, otherwise this could become a huge long-term issue. I am so sorry to all who have bought tickets, I truly am. This kills me.”

Sam Smith attends the BRIT Awards 2015 at The O2 Arena. (Getty Images photo/Karwai Tang).

The singer launched his tour Saturday at Brisbane’s Riverstage and played Monday night for the first of two dates at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion. Due to his injury, shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth have been canceled. Tour promoter, Frontier Touring, is reportedly working with Sam schedule a new tour for December 2015.

Sam Smith is a an English singer and songwriter. He became widely known in 2012 when he was featured on Disclosure’s single “Latch.” The song peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. His first number one single would come a year after when he was featured on Naughty Boy’s “La La La.” Since becoming a success, Sam has won four Grammy’s. These awards were for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album. His most popular songs are “Stay With Me,” “Lay Me Down,” and “I’m Not The Only One.”

Soul Singer Nneka Announces Tour This Summer

This summer, singer-songwriter Nneka will be touring across North America. The first date is scheduled for June 2nd in Seattle, WA. The singer will then make stops in cities like Oakland, L.A., Chicago, Toronto, and Philly. The last show is on June 23rd in New York.

The new tour will support Nneka’s new album, My Fairy Tales, that was released March 2nd. The songstress recorded the LP in France, Denmark, and Nigeria while living in Paris. Nneka continues to take on personal and political issues in her music, like she did in her previous album Soul is Heavy, released in 2012.

Nneka performs on stage at Circo Price Theater. (Getty Images photo/Carlos Alvarez).

The singer explained, “My Fairy Tales is a concept album, exploring the lives of Africans in the diaspora and the struggles they face,” she then added, “How we cope hustling in ‘another man’s land,’ but also the aspects of endurance, perseverance and gratitude.”

Nneka first got her start while performing as an opening act for reggae star Sean Paul at Hamburg Stadtpark. Soon she met and began working with DJ Farhot and released her first album, The Uncomfortable Truth, in 2005. In the following years she would tour with artists like Femi Kuti, Bilal, Nas, Gnarls Barkley, and others.

Nneka Egbuna is a Nigerian hip hop/soul singer, songwriter and actress. She sings in both Igbo and English. The singer was born in Nigeria, but soon gravitated to Germany to start her career in music. Her most popular songs include “Heartbeat,” “The Uncomfortable Truth,” and “Africans.”

Actors Jussie Smollett and Yazz From “Empire” to Perform at 2015 Billboard Music Awards

Empire stars Jussie Smollett (Jamal) and Bryshere “Yazz” Gray (Hakeem) will perform with Estelle to sing a medley of the Fox drama’s songs, “Conqueror” and “You’re So Beautiful,” at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. Both actors were featured on the soundtrack, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Smollett told Billboard that he was happy to perform, “There’s no way I could possibly love music more than I already do. The Billboard Music Awards has been the epitome of celebrating some of the best of the best in music.” He added, “To be included as a performer on this year’s celebration is a huge honor.”

Jussie Smollett and Bryshere Gray from Empire on March 16, 2015 in New York City. (Getty Images photo/Astrid Stawiarz).

The Empire soundtrack was released March 10 through Columbia Records. It is the first TV soundtrack to debut at No. 1 since 2010, when three different Glee albums arrived atop the list. During release week, Jussie Smollett performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and on American Idol three days later.

The Billboard Music Awards airs May 17th in Las Vegas. Hosting the show will be Ludacris and Chrissy Teigen. Performances include Fall Out Boy featuring Wiz Khalifa, Kelly Clarkson, Hozier, Nick Jonas, John Legend, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, Meghan Trainor, and others.

Empire is an American drama television series which debuted on Fox on January 7, 2015. The show centers around a hip hop music and entertainment company, Empire Entertainment. It includes the drama among the members of the founders’ family as they fight for control of the company. The show was created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, and stars in the show, Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson.

Luther Vandross Would Have Turned 64 on the 20th

Luther Vandross was one of the last truly great R&B singers. He would’ve turned 64 last Monday. The singer was born in 1951 in Manhattan, New York City. At the age of three, having his own phonograph, he taught himself to play the piano by ear.

Vandross started his career with various background contributions and songwriting credits. They included Chaka Khan, Ben E. King, Diana Ross and Donna Summer. After two failed albums as the leader of a soul group in the late ’70s, Vandross wrote commercial jingles for Mountain Dew, Juicy Fruit and others.

Luther Vandross performing on stage. (Getty Images photo/Kevin Winter).

The singer finally had a breakthrough in his career when he became the lead singer of a group called Change. In 1980, the group released its certified gold debut album, The Glow of Love, on Warner Bros. Records. A year later, Luther went solo and signed onto Epic Records. He soon released his debut album Never Too Much.

During his career, Luther sold over 25 million records worldwide, and received eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four different times. In 2004 he won a total of four Grammy Awards including Song of the Year for “Dance with My Father,” which was recorded not long before his death.

Luther Vandross was an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his hits, “Dance with My Father,” “Never Too Much,” “Here and Now,” and “Any Love.”

Mary J. Blige Believes New Artists Can Learn From Rihanna

The fight to be unique in today’s music industry is easier said than done, especially when there is a record label calling the shots. R&B artist Mary J. Blige knows a thing or two about being your own individual, but she also understands that it’s a battle.

The singer tells Elle, “I think, and it’s not the artist, but they have to fight for what they want and their identities and stuff like that. The fact [is] that everyone at these labels wants to do what everyone [else] is doing. You have to look like her; you have to be like her; you have to sing like her, and no one can express themselves.”

Mary J. Blige and Rihanna attend the Zac Posen fashion show at Vanderbilt Hall. (Getty Images photo/Chelsea Lauren).

Blige said that Rihanna was the perfect example of an artist who does her own thing. She states, “I look at Rihanna and I am so proud of her.” She then added, “She speaks loudly! You have to stand up and clap. She expresses herself through fashion. She actually can sing. And her songs mean something, even to me, you know?”

Mary J. Blige is an American singer, songwriter, model, record producer, and actress. She started her career as a background singer on Uptown Records in 1989. Since releasing her first album in 1992, the singer has released 11 studio albums and made over 150 guest appearances on other albums and soundtracks. Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, and been nominated for thirty Grammy Awards. In addition, eight of Mary’s albums have reached multi-platinum status in the United States.

Ella Fitzgerald Would Have Been 98 Today

Legendary jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was born today in 1917. She would have turned 98. The singer was also known as “Lady Ella” and the “First Lady of Song.” She became a success a little bit after the Harlem Renaissance era.

The singer showed a passion for song and dance at an early age, but her commitment to it was put to rest when her mother died when she was 15 years old. She soon began skipping school, and was sent to a reform school. Two years later, she was living on the streets. Still harboring dreams of becoming a star, she entered an amateur contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater and ended up winning first place.

Ella Fitzgerald pictured singing. (Hulton Archive photo/George Konig).

Winning the contest is what set her career in motion. She soon met a band member named Chick Webb and eventually joined his group as a singer. Together, the two recorded “Love and Kisses” in 1935. The singer soon was playing regularly at one of Harlem’s hottest clubs, the Savoy. In 1938, Fitzgerald put out her first No. 1 hit,”A-Tisket, A-Tasket.” The same year she would record her second hit, “I Found My Yellow Basket.”

Biography.com states, “The 1950s and ’60s proved to be a time of great critical and commercial success for Fitzgerald, and she earned the moniker “First Lady of Song” for her mainstream popularity and unparalleled vocal talents. Her unique ability to mimic instrumental sounds helped popularize the vocal improvisation of scatting, which became her signature technique.”

With all of the accomplishments of the singer, she is still honored and commemorated today. In all, Ella recorded more than 200 albums and some 2,000 songs in her lifetime. Her total record sales went beyond 40 million. She has won 13 Grammy Awards, the NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

R&B Singer Alex Harris Empowers the Community Through the Arts

Known on the stage as ALEX, this singer is very invested in helping the community. Harris told baystatebanner.com, “As an artist I see it’s my social responsibility to use my talent as an arts platform to empower the community.” He will be performing in Boston at Fenway Park this Saturday as part of a celebration for the first-ever baseball game between the North Carolina Central University Eagles and the Florida A&M University Rattlers.

ALEX has opened for numerous musicians such as Al Green, Eric Benet, John Legend, and Kirk Franklin. He’s also released the singles “Don’t Walk Away,” “Hope for Us,” and “Chocolate Tears,” which made it onto the American Blues Network.

ALEX performing at the Florida Grammy Showcase. (Instagram photo/alexthesinger).

After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and Psychology from LaGrange College in Georgia, Harris attended Boston University and graduated with a Master’s in Theology and Social Work. This is probably what inspired him to create the nonprofit organization, The Arts Conservatory for Teens; along with his travels around the world.

ACT’s goal is to “educate, empower and enrich the lives of youth and teens from the ages of 11 to 18 by fostering creativity through arts education, theatrical productions, career guidance, healthy living and leadership development.”

The singer is so passionate about music and helping young teens that he said, “I see the charity as my social responsibility. I think everyone has one. There are those who discover it and respond to it and others just kind of move around it.”

Rihanna Poses on Cover of V Magazine

Popular singer Rihanna recently graced the cover of V magazine. The magazine will be available on newsstands next month. In the issue, the singer wears a plethora of candy colored items. On the cover she is seen wearing baby blue bikini bottoms, a platinum wig, aqua eyeliner, and nothing else. The shots were taken by Steven Klein, and styled by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele.

In the cover story, Rihanna opens up about her creative process, her new album, and her recent single with Paul McCartney and Kanye West, “FourFiveSeconds.” On the subject of her absence from the music scene, she responds with, “I didn’t actually take time off. The past two years are the hardest I’ve ever worked. I’ve been working on two albums, an animated film, shooting for multiple magazines, designing for Puma and Stance [socks], a new line of fragrances, a summer tour, I launched my first annual Diamond Ball at the end of last year, and I’ve also been developing several projects to be revealed in the near future.”

Rihanna poses for V Magazine. (V Magazine photo/Steven Klein).

Rihanna is a Barbadian singer, actress, and fashion designer. Her career began when she met record producer, Evan Rogers in 2003. They then sent demos to recording companies. She soon signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings.

Both her debut album, Music of the Sun and its follow-up A Girl Like Me peaked in the top ten on the US Billboard 200. In 2007, she became globally known with the release of her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad , and its chart-topping single “Umbrella.” After the album was nominated for nine Grammy’s, “Umbrella” won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Rihanna is a hard working and talented artist that remains in the spotlight.