Mary J. Blige tried to hide her emotion at finally getting to perform with her musical idol, Anita Baker, at the 2011 BET Awards last week, but the hip-hop soul diva couldn’t help herself. “I wanted to cry⦠I wanted to cry so bad, because that woman is so special,” she told ESSENCE.com during the ESSENCE Music Festival. Singing “Rapture” with Baker was extra special for Blige since it was the song she recorded on a demo that was eventually given to Uptown Records CEO Andre Harrell, who signed Blige in the early ’90s. Read the full story on Essence.com
Jill Scott is voicing her satisfaction after earning her first career album chart topper. The R&B songstress knows the moment will only last a week due to Beyonce’s latest release ‘4,’ but she is glad for the personal achievement. “I know I only got a week! You know, Beyonce’s coming out and she’s amazing,” she tells MTV News. “I’m so glad I got my week. I’m enjoying. I’m lavishing in it.” She continues, “I didn’t see that coming. I guess every artist hopes that people will appreciate what they do and enjoy them, but I didn’t see it coming.”
Speaking of Beyonce, the R&B superstars fourth solo album ‘4,’ took the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart as expected, selling 310,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. The set also marks Beyonce’s fourth No.1 as a solo artist, making her the third act and second woman outside of Britney Spears to accomplish the feat (DMX was the other artist). According to Billboard, ‘4’s’ sales is lowest of her four releases: 2008’s “I Am … Sasha Fierce” entered with 482,000; 2006’s “B’Day” bowed with 541,000 and 2003’s “Dangerously In Love” started with 317,000 but the set is still one of the top 3 selling albums of 2011. Only Adele and Lady Gaga have sold more in the first week.
American Idol alum Jordin Sparks, who is currently touring with the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block, says she feels “lucky” that she continues to find success in her career. The 21-year-old tells Parade, “”I just feel lucky that five years later I’m still touring and people still want to talk to me. For me, I just keep going and say yes to things that I think are going to be really important.” Sparks also says having a good foundation and picking the right songs has helped her longevity. “I don’t want to get bogged down saying yes to things just because I can,” she says. “I want it to mean something. Trying to keep your head on straight and having a good foundation and base back at home and around you is key.”
From the latest SR Rounds, it’s clear that some of our most beloved artists are still making their mark in the music industry. Iconic hip-hop artist MJB has achieved her dream with a long-awaited album release, while Jill Scott has taken a moment to revel in her success and Beyonce is back at No. 1 again on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart! Even newcomer Jordin Sparks gets lucky with her debut single landing on the charts. Let’s take an exclusive look at these amazing accomplishments from some of today’s biggest stars!
Mary J. Blige made fans wait nearly five years for her thirteenth studio album Strength Of A Woman, but when it finally dropped last month, she was rewarded handsomely—the project debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. The first single “Thick of It,” written by PJ Morton and produced by Kanye West also peaked at No. 18 on the Adult R&B Songs chart which marked MJB’s ninth Top 20 appearance as lead artist – fulfilling a lifelong ambition for her!
Grammy Award winner Jill Scott recently earned two Grammy nominations for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best Music Video for “Can’t Wait.” This marks both her second year in a row receiving nods and continues to prove why she is one of this generation’s greatest soul singers ever. Meanwhile Beyoncé just can’t seem to be knocked off the top spot: Her collaboration with DJ Khaled & Rihanna “Wild Thoughts” tops Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart once again – giving Queen B yet another number one hit under her belt! And newcomer Jordin Sparks just got incredibly lucky with her new single “Double Tap” featuring 2 Chainz & Missy Elliott hitting #12 on US Rap Airplay Charts since its release earlier this week; proving that there is definitely more than luck involved when you have talent like hers!
Mjb’s Dream Comes True
MJB had been dreaming of success for a long time. She worked hard and put in the effort to make her dream come true, but it still seemed so far away. Finally, after years of waiting, MJB’s moment arrived. Her song “Be Without You” was soaring up the charts and becoming an instant hit. Everyone was talking about the breakthrough single that she released. It felt like a dream come true for MJB – finally all of her hard work had paid off!
The energy around MJB’s new release was highly contagious. People everywhere were singing along with her unique sound and catchy lyrics. The music video gained millions of views on YouTube and MTV rotation followed quickly behind that. This made it even more apparent how much people loved MJB’s music – they just couldn’t get enough of it!
By becoming one of the biggest artists in R&B today, MJB has proven that dreams really do come true if you stay committed and believe in yourself no matter what life throws at you. With this newfound momentum, there is no telling what heights she can reach next – sky’s the limit for this artist!
Scott And Beyonce Receive Accolades; Sparks Gets Lucky
Jill Scott also found success around the same time, with her single “Gettin’ In The Way” becoming a major hit. She was finally able to show everyone that she wasn’t just an artist who could write beautiful songs – she could sing them too! With this newfound confidence, Jill Scott went on to release several more albums and singles that have become modern-day classics.
Beyonce once again cemented her reputation as one of the greatest female artists in music history when her album ‘B’Day’ became an international sensation. Her powerful vocals combined with her ability to make even the most mundane lyrics sound meaningful created a perfect storm of iconic hits like “Irreplaceable” and “Beautiful Liar”. Beyonce showed us what it meant to be confident, independent, and unapologetically true to yourself – no matter what anyone said or did.
Jordin Sparks had luck on her side when she released her debut single “Tattoo” in 2007. Although not quite achieving the same level of fame as MJB or Beyonce’s releases, Jordin Sparks still managed to create a name for herself within the industry thanks to catchy pop tunes such as “No Air” and “Battlefield”. Overall, each artist made a lasting impression during these SR rounds and set themselves up for continued success in their respective fields.
Conclusion
It was an exciting night for music lovers as three of the biggest names in R&B/Soul earned well-deserved recognition. Mary J. Blige’s dream came true when she received her ninth Grammys nomination, proving that hard work and dedication truly pays off. Jill Scott also made history, becoming the first woman to be nominated in both the Best R&B Album and Best Rap Performance categories simultaneously. Beyonce continued her winning streak with another No.1 single this year, making it a total of six records from her latest album that have topped the charts! Lastly, Jordin Sparks got lucky after being nominated for five awards at last night’s ceremony – a feat only few artists can achieve.
Overall, it was an amazing evening full of surprises and celebrations for these talented musicians who continue to make their mark on the industry. From Mary J.’s career milestone to Beyonce’s chart success to Jordin’s once-in-a-lifetime achievement; each artist has worked tirelessly to get where they are today and deserves every bit of glory coming their way. Here’s hoping they all go home victorious next month!
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