Promising Future: Jazmine Sullivan

Now Jazmine Sullivan is an artist who has shown her potential within music for a while now, with the release of her debut album she reached out to a whole new audience, as well as fans that she had previously picked up over the years before her debut being released. Her material from before her debut had the edge over her latest material, but there are some great tracks on the album. If you haven’t heard anything from this artist from before she released her debut project, it’s worth checking out.

Here is the new video for her latest single from her amazing debut album.

Jazmine Sullivan – Lions, Tigers & Bears

Underrated: SugaRush Beat Company

SugaRush Beat Company are a collective that released their debut album last year and a very good album it is too, the collective consist of Ida Corr, Jaz Rogers and Rahsaan Patterson. Their debut album is definitely worth checking out, if you haven’t already. It’s a hot album.

Here is their latest video.

SugaRush Beat Company – Love Breed

Talented: Kaz James

Kaz James is an Australian artist who released his debut album last year in his home country, the third single to be taken from the album features Macy Gray.

Here is the video.

Kaz James – Can’t Hold Back (feat. Macy Gray)

Star: Leona Lewis

Leona Lewis has had amazing success as an artist since winning the X Factor back in 2006, the release of her last single ‘Run’ saw her achieve even more success. She is said to be working on a follow up to her 2007 album ‘Spirit’, which should be interesting to hear.

In the meantime, here is her new video.

Leona Lewis – I Will Be

Talented: Raphael Saadiq

Last year saw Raphael Saadiq release his latest album and a very good album it is too, this album showcased what a lot of people already knew, that this is an artist who continuously steps up his game with each release.

Here is his latest music video.

Raphael Saadiq – 100 Yard Dash

Underrated: Chrisette Michele

Chrisette Michele is an who continues to go from strength to strength, with her second album said to be due for release soon, a new song has surfaced which is said to be her new single. Chrisette’s debut album was very underrated and definitely one of the best releases of that year, hopefully her next album can bring bigger things her way. I would recommend checking out her debut album, if you haven’t already.

In the meantime, here is the new song that has surfaced.

Chrisette Michele – Epiphany

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Credit: Music Is The Heart Of Our Soul

Underrated: Mary Mary

Mary Mary are very underrated within music, last year saw them release their latest offering in the form of their album, ‘The Sound’. It would be nice to see these girls receive a little more love within music, as they consistently deliver great album after great album.

Here is their latest music video.

Mary Mary – I Worship You

Future Star: Sabrina Starke

Sabrina Starke is a Dutch singer/songwriter who has been doing her thing within music for a while now and her debut album which is aptly titled, ‘Yellow Brick Road’, should lead this incredible talent to bigger things within music. She certainly has what it takes to be a huge star. Thankyou to Brown Sugar for the heads up on this artist.

Below is one of her video’s to hopefully give you a little more insight into this artist. If you wish to know more of this artist, as well as listen to tracks then you can do so by clicking here.

Sabrina Starke – Foolish

Star: Janelle Monae

Janelle Monáe is someone who has had a pretty good couple of years, showcasing herself to be a star to watch out for, she has always brought something a little more edgy and different to the industry, which is exactly what music needs right now. There are far too many artists out there doing exactly the same thing as many others are doing, so it’s always great to see someone flipping things around a bit and doing something fresh in music. Last year saw Janelle release ‘Metropolis: The Chase Suite I’ physically after inking her deal with Bad Boy, I had already purchased it the year before when it was on iTunes and it sounds just as good now as it did nearly two years ago.

If you don’t already have Janelle’s album, then you are definitely missing out on a masterpiece. You can find out more, as well as listen to songs by clicking here.

In the meantime, here is a video a performance she did a while back.

Janelle Monae – Sincerely Jane (Live On TBS STORYline)

Talented: Dwele

Last year saw Dwele release his latest album, ‘Sketches Of A Man’, which is an album that people who like music with substance should check out. Dwele is an artist who continuously showcases what an amazing talent he is within music.

Here is his latest video, which apparently was filmed at his home.

Dwele – How I Deal

Talented: Keyshia Cole

Keyshia Cole is someone who dreamed of becoming a star and fought hard to keep her dream alive, this artist is very talented at what she does and has not long since released her latest album.

Here is her latest video for you to check out.

Keyshia Cole – You Complete Me

Talented: John Legend

John Legend has not long since released his latest album, ‘Evolver’, which hit the shops last year. Now John Legend is a very talented artist, so his latest album is definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already.

In the meantime, here is his latest video.

John Legend – Everybody Knows

Historic: Barack Obama Officially Becomes President

Today is a historic day for the world when Barack Obama officially became the new president of the USA. So much hope has come with this man and rightly so, he talks the talk and walks the walk, promising of better times ahead. This is the kind of attitude that the people need in charge of them and their country, he has just become one of the most powerful men in the world and after a dismal few years in the world with wars, the economic meltdown and climate issues, the future begins to look a little brighter. President Obama has given people hope for the future; this is an event that will be marked down in history.

Here are the video’s from the big event occurring in the USA today.

Barack Obama Taking The Oath Of Office



Joe Biden Taking The Oath Of Office

Future Stars: Mamas Gun

Mamas Gun are a British group who have been around within music for quite some time now, previously they have supported Craig David on some of his UK tour dates, they are a group that continue to highlight their potential within music. Their album, ‘Routes To Riches’, is said to be in the pipeline for a release this year. That alone is something to look forward, one listen to this group and you will no doubt want to hear more from them. If you do wish to know a little more about them, then you can find out more and listen to tracks by clicking here.

After featuring an interview with this amazing British act last month, I decided that I should probably post a video that they did to give you a little more insight into them and their work.

Mamas Gun – Pots Of Gold

Talented: Guy Sebastian

Guy Sebastian is an artist featured on the site a lot; an incredibly underrated Australian artist that began his music career on the hit TV show, ‘Australian Idol’. It was this show that he won a few years back and showcased himself to be a very promising talent within the industry, an artist to certainly watch out for, someone who has consistently delivered amazing album after amazing album. Still, with pretty limited success and picking many international fans up along the way, Guy Sebastian certainly has a very promising career ahead of him. His albums are definitely worth checking out. There will be a promotional album posted soon with a selection of his work from each album, with which I have been given the go ahead to feature.

In the meantime, here is an old video of this artist doing what he does best with a medley of classics from The Beatles.

Guy Sebastian – Yesterday/Hey Jude (Live Medley)

Underrated: Syleena Johnson

Syleena Johnson is gearing up for the physical release of her new album, ‘Chapter 4: Labor Pains’ hit the stores this past Tuesday and is worth every penny. If you like music with a bit of substance, you should really like this album. Syleena Johnson is an artist who has yet to disappoint, with each of her releases she has continuously stepped up her game, so it remains a mystery why she is still so incredibly underrated within music.

Until then, here is an album sampler to give those who haven’t yet heard this incredible album a little more insight. You can purchase the new album by clicking here.

Syleena Johnson – Chapter 4: Labor Pains Sampler

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Underrated: Ginuwine

Ginuwine is an artist that I have been a fan of for numerous years now and with him confirming that an album is due this year along with numerous tracks surfacing, it’s great news.

It’s still hard to believe that Ginuwine is so underrated within music, his previous albums were really good so the quality is there within his material and his new material sounds just as great. I guess you could put it down to the fact that there are now a million and one different artists trying to do the same sort of music, it makes it a little harder for artists to get a break nowadays. But Ginuwine is someone who has proved himself time and time again to be someone special within R&B music.

In the meantime, here is one of his new songs to give you a little insight into what to expect from his new album.

Ginuwine – Even When I’m Mad

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Amazing & Underrated: Guy Sebastian

Guy Sebastian as some people may already know is an Australian singer/songwriter and a very talented one at that, I’ve made many posts about this artist and how he deserves so much more success internationally. But for starters, he is said to have inked a deal with Sony BMG in the USA. This comes as great news, Guy Sebastian certainly deserves a lot more success with his talent.

Here are a couple of performances he recently did. Guy Sebastian just gets better and better, surely no one can say this artist lacks talent.

Guy Sebastian – Crazy/I Will Survive (Medley) (Live At Australia Zoo)



Guy Sebastian – Black and Gold (Live At Australia Zoo)

Talented: LeToya Luckett

Former Destiny's Child member, LeToya Luckett, is said to be releasing her new album pretty soon. After all, it has been a while since she last had an album out. 2006 saw her release her debut album.

Here is a new song which is said to be from the upcoming project to give you a little more insight.

LeToya Luckett – Not Anymore

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Future Star: Melanie Fiona

Melanie Fiona is a singer/songwriter from Canada and a very promising one at that, last year a few talented artists released amazing material and this year looks no different with Melanie Fiona gearing up to release her promising debut album, ‘The Bridge’. The song to surface that shows this artist as an amazing talent to watch for is the song, ‘Give It To Me Right’. Now if the backing track sounds familiar then that is because the song sample is The Zombie’s hit, ‘Time Of The Season’. A great combination, this artist has so much potential. If you like Jazmine Sullivan, this artist should be right up your street. She recently supported Kanye West on his tour, which touched down in the UK in November.

Here is her song and a video to give you a little more insight into this incredible talent.

Melanie Fiona – Give It To Me Right

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Melanie Fiona – The EPK

Star: Jazmine Sullivan

Jazmine Sullivan is someone who has a very promising future in music, an artist who has been doing the rounds for a while now, she finally got round to releasing her debut album last year. Now Jazmine is someone who has showcased herself to be an amazing talent within music, delivering amazing vocal after amazing vocal and keeping fans on their toes since they first came across her talent. Her earlier material is pretty amazing, so as you can imagine her album was eagerly anticipated and worth the wait it was too, as it is a very good album. Her earlier material has the edge over it, but it was still a great album none the less.

Anyway, here is a performance that she did recently in the USA for the Late Late Show.

Jazmine Sullivan – Bust Your Windows (Live On The Late Late Show)

Talented: Tamar

Tamar is a singer/songwriter from the USA who is gearing up for the release of her debut album. She is actually very good and should be an artist to watch out for in the future. Her song ‘Purified’ is something really special, the video is posted below for you to check out. If you would like to find out more about this artist, then you can do so by clicking here.

Tamar – Purified

Star: Melinda Doolittle

Melinda Doolittle as most of you will probably already know was a finalist on American Idol a couple of years ago coming third in the competition. Well she is now gearing up for the release of her debut album which is due out very soon and is well worth the wait. This artist showed her potential on American Idol back then and continues to do so now; her debut album will definitely be worth every penny. It’s nice when a really talented artist receives recognition.

With all of that said, Melinda is now giving away her song ‘Coming Back To You’ for free on her website. If you like music with substance, then it is definitely worth checking out. Melinda Doolittle’s debut album, ‘Coming Back To You’, is due for release on February 3rd.

JILL SCOTT CONFIRMS THAT SHE’S EXPECTING

Jill Scott is pregnant with her first child, the R&B singer and actress revealed to reporters at the Television Critics Association conference in Los Angeles on Friday.

Promoting her new HBO series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, based on the popular novels by Alexander McCall Smith, Scott said she discovered that she was pregnant just before leaving for Botswana where she filmed the show.

"The first trimester I spent in Botswana," said the star, who is due April 25. "That was one of the biggest challenges of my life. First trimester! You're sick every morning. It was seven hours time difference, the heat, the bugs, the 14 hour days."

Still, the actress, who is engaged to drummer Lil' John Roberts, says she's glad she went through with the plans to film. "My doctors gave me a clean bill of health and said you can do this, so I did it."

Scott, 36, is a three-time Grammy Award winner and star of the 2007 Tyler Perry film Why Did I Get Married?

SOURCE

A big congratulations to Jill Scott and her partner, she’s one of my favourite artists so it’s nice to hear that she is very happy and expecting her first child. A big congratulations to the one and only Jilly from Philly.

INTERVIEW SPECIAL: SYLEENA JOHNSON

Over the past number of months you may have noticed that Sexy Never Left has been showcasing a number of interviews with acts upon the site, well this month is no different. As mentioned a few months back, I now have an interview with the incredibly talented, Syleena Johnson.

It was announced that the interview was to be posted around September last year, but with the album release date being pushed back I figured it would be better for this interview to coincide with the album release, seeing as the album is already available digitally and will be physically available next week. Here is a treat for all of you Syleena Johnson fans out there.

Your new album is due for release soon, will there be a physical release of the CD or is it just a digital release?

The album will be available on January 13th and has been released digitally on all of the major sites as of now. The physical release date will be in January.

What can fans expect from Chapter 4?

Struggle, mixed with love and maturity. It’s the very essence of who I am and have always been.

What are your feelings towards your previous record label?

It was a huge learning experience that made me stronger. A lot of the knowledge that I have today comes from that relationship and that provided me with valuable insights into the business. .

How have your experiences within the industry affected your writing process?

I write about the things that are familiar to me and that come from my life and the lives of my friends and family. The different things that I’ve experienced in the music industry have contributed to some of my work, but probably just as much as everyday living.

What are your thoughts and feelings towards artists of today?

The music industry is ever evolving and turning into something that is really cool.

If you could tour with anyone, who would you choose?

Either Anthony Hamilton or Joe. I am a great fan of their music and talent.

Will you be touring soon?

I am looking to tour in the near future. We’re in the process of working with booking agents and then I can get out in front of my fans and share ‘Chapter 4: Labor Pains’.

If so, where are you planning on taking the tour?

That is yet to be decided.

Do you have any plans for shows in the UK?

I am so thankful for the support that I have from the UK. I have received positive feedback for the three songs that are out right now: ‘It Is True’; ‘Shoo Fly’ and ‘Freedom’. I have performed in the UK many times and look to return when the opportunity arises.

Sexy Never Left believes in bringing real talent forward and giving them a chance to shine within the industry, do you think talent gets a fair deal in music today?

No, I do not. The industry is financially driven and because of that we have lost the focus on what everything should be about.

Has this always been your choice of career?

I really wanted to play basketball professionally when I was younger. I mean, it does not get any better than playing a sport for a living. It is hard work, but it is a lot different from what I am doing now as the CEO of my own label, Aneelys Records, an artist with a new album dropping in January and the mother of a new baby.

What do you believe you bring to music?

Reality, passion and strength is all reflected in my music and will continue to do so down the line.

What motivates you as an artist?

The things that I go through on a day-to-day basis. The challenges and obstacles that I face everyday continue to drive me as an artist.

If you could re-live one moment in your career so far that you've been completely happy with, what would it be?

General longevity despite all of the punches that I have taken and the completion of ‘Chapter 4: Labor Pains’, since I was able to do this on my own without being on a label.

Is there anything that you'd like to achieve in your career that you haven't already?

I would like to win a Grammy as an individual artist. I have been nominated as a supporting artist in the past, but that is not the same. I would also like to participate at the award shows like my peers. An appearance on late-night television shows would be great, too.

Are there any artists out there that you model yourself on?

Mary J. Blige, because she is true to whom she is without feeling compelled to do what everyone else is doing. I would love to have a career like she has had.

If you could say one thing to the people reading this interview, what would it be?

Go out and download ‘Chapter 4: Labor Pains’ now on iTunes, you can also buy the physical release on January 13th.

I'd like to thank Syleena Johnson for taking the time to answer these questions. This album is definitely worth the wait, Syleena Johnson always has a tendency to bring the goods when it comes to releasing new material. She has always been on top of her game and if there is one album worth purchasing, it will be her newest offering. It is beyond belief that she is still so incredibly underrated within the industry, but that doesn’t stop this artist from being incredibly talented at all that she does. Please, show your support to such an amazing talent and buy the album when it is released, you can do so if you click here.

Talented: Sharifa Shi

Sharifa Shi is a British singer/songwriter who has been doing her thing within music for a number of years now, she previously teamed up with other British artists Baby Blue and Swiss to collaborate on a couple of songs, also taking time to release her own effort in music, which was actually pretty good. Still, this is an artist who hasn’t received the credit she so deserves for her talent, so it would be great if a record label were to take her under their wing and really showcase what a great talent she is.

If you would like to know more about this artist, then more information as well as songs can be viewed if you click here. In the meantime, here is a live performance that she did a while back to give you a little more insight into this talent.

Sharifa Shi – Reap What You Sow (Live Acoustic)

Underrated: Kindred The Family Soul

Last year I posted this song when it was being given away for free on their website, well now it seems it’s time for the video of this amazing song to surface. Now you hardly hear much of this group over here and they’re so talented, so it seems a great shame that their music seems to go completely unnoticed. But on another note their latest album, ‘The Arrival’, shows exactly why this act are not to be messed with. If you like this kind of sound, then their albums are definitely worth purchasing.

In the meantime, here is the video for the debut single from their latest album for you to take a look at.

Kindred The Family Soul – House Of Love

Underrated: Bryn Christopher

Now here is a British artist that I have talked of before on the site and a star who certainly has what it takes to be huge within music. His album sounds amazing and is definitely worth picking up if you are still deciding what album to invest your well earned pennies into. His latest song is called ‘Fearless’ and shows you exactly what you can expect from this amazing talent from Birmingham, UK. I stand by what I’ve been saying all along that this artist is someone to watch out for within the industry, so much talent has been coming forward over here, it’s about time that some of it was recognised.

Here is his latest video to give you a little more insight into this artist.

Bryn Christopher – Fearless

Future Star: Daniel Merriweather

Daniel Merriweather is an Australian singer/songwriter who has been showing so much promise for a while now. Some people may already know him as the guy that provides the vocals to Mark Ronson’s cover of the song, ‘Stop Me’. Finally there is said to be an album out in the near future. So, Daniel Merriweather is certainly an artist to watch out for.

In the meantime, here is his video for his latest song where he collaborates with artist, Wale.

Daniel Merriweather – Change (feat. Wale)

Talented: Eric Benet

Eric Benet has not long since released his latest album ‘Love and Life’, which is in stores now and is definitely worth checking out. This is an artist who is still so underrated within music.

On another note, here is a performance that he did a while back in the USA.

Eric Benet – The Hunger (Live On The Ellen DeGeneres Show)

Amazing: Naturally 7

Naturally 7 are an acapella group from New York that create music with only their voices as their instruments, their new album is released today here in the UK and is definitely worth checking out if you like something different. These guys certainly know to do a good tune, as their take on the classic Phil Collins hit is very impressive. This group have been around for a while now and had a few albums out already, their latest offering is worth checking out.

Here is their cover of a classic Phil Collins song as well as another video to give you a little more insight into this amazing group.

Naturally 7 – Feel It (In The Air Tonight)



Naturally 7 – Wall Of Sound

OUT WITH THE OLD (2008) AND IN WITH THE NEW (2009)

Well with 2008 well and truly over and all of the great albums that were released over the past year, I thought it would be a good idea to see what some of your favourite albums were from the past year. There were quite a few released, some great, some downright horrible. But it’s upto us (the people that buy the albums) to decide which were your favourite releases from last year.

Below are a few albums that I really enjoyed (in no particular order):

Jazmine Sullivan – Fearless
Duffy – Rockferry
Adele – 19
SugaRush Beat Company – SugaRush Beat Company

There were a few more, but the list could be really long. So it’s been narrowed down to that.

So, the question to begin the year on the site is:

What were your favourite albums of last year?

It’ll be interesting to see who liked what during last year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I mentioned beforehand that the site will be back up and running today after Christmas and New Year, I hope that everyone had a lovely time over the festive season.

Rather than bore you with an essay of what’s to come on the site, I’d much rather get right to it.