Live Video of the Day: "I Cried/ Same Kinda Man" (Candice Glover)

Yesterday, current American Idol winner Candice Glover returned to the Idol stage to perform her lead single "I Cried" and album cut "Same Kinda Man," to help promote her recently released debut album Music Speaks, which just debuted at #18 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Charts.

Armed with her soulful pipes, Candice belted out a riveting rendition of her Jazmine Sullivan penned single "I Cried" and a smooth performance of potential single "Same Kinda Man."

With that said, watch Candice's performance of "I Cried" and "Same Kinda Man" below and if you haven't picked up Music Speaks, it's worth a listen in my opinion.

Remix: "Glitter and Gold (Tom Farrago Remix)" (Rebecca Ferguson)

I don't know about you, but Rebecca Ferguson's "Glitter & Gold" is definitely always on my uptempo playlists and though "Glitter and Gold" didn't received the single's treatment here in the States yet, Tom Farrago's remix of the joint has me feeling the song even more than the sleek visual that accompanies the official release.

With that said, take a listen to "Glitter and Gold (Tom Farrago Remix) after the jump and Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "So Anxious" (Ginuwine)

"So Anxious" - Ginuwine

• Writers: Sean Garrett and Tim Mosley
• Producer: Timbaland
• Record Label: 550 Music/Epic
• Released in 1999 from 100% Ginuwine
• Peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart

New Video: "Gone" (Alexis Jordan)

It's been a minute since we've heard from Roc Nation's Alexis Jordan and while she's made some traction overseas, it seems as though 2014 might be here year to finally break here in the states with her more mature sound and style.

Now just 21, Alexis Jordan is back bringing it with her new song and accompanying video for "Gone" with a catchy chorus including her commanding that that she's 'already gone, I'm already ain't no waiting I had to move on."

Produced by Mel N Muse production "Gone" clocks in at just under three minutes and is a solid banger in my book that with the right promo and radio play could really help establish Alexis Jordan here in the States.

Take a listen below and watch her new video for "Gone" and hopefully 2014 brings us more new music from Alexis Jordan!

TV Rewind: "Mary Mary" Season 3 Ep. 1

Last night, We TV brought back their hit reality show Mary Mary for its third season and while the gospel duo Mary Mary had taken a three month hiatus for Erica to start working on her solo career and Tina to deal with family matters at home, the drama continues with Mary Mary.

Once again, there is drama with management coming from both Mary Mary and their manager. In addition, Tina decides to open up about some of the issues in her marriage while Mary Mary grace the cover of Ebony.

Peep the latest episode of Mary Mary from We TV below and Enjoy!

Second Listen: "Can't Get Enough" (Tamia)

As Tamia is between albums after releasing her fifth studio album Beautiful Surprise back in 2012, I am reminded of her joint "Can't Get Enough," which was the lead single from her 2006 fourth album Between Friends.

Produced by Rodney Jerkins, "Can't Get Enough" would go onto peak at #7 on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay charts and help reintroduce Tamia to the marketplace on her own independent terms. With that said, take a  second listen to "Can't Get Enough" below and Enjoy!

Live Clip: "I Cried" (Candice Glover)

Yesterday, Candice Glover stopped by FOX's Good Day LA to help promote her recently released debut album Music Speaks and during her time on the FOX affiliate station, Candice belted out a flawless rendition of "I Cried."

With that said, watch Candice's powerhouse performance of her lead single "I Cried" from her debut album Music Speaks below and if you like what you hear, go out and support her by purchasing a copy of her album and/or single.

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Amazing Cover: "Stormy Weather" (Fantasia)

During the 2014 Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Party, Fantasia offered up one of the evening's highlights with a powerful performance of the jazz standard "Stormy Weather."

Currently co-starring in After Midnight on Broadway, Fantasia's spirited rendition of "Stormy Weather" has me begging to hear a full on jazz album from her sometime during her legend-in-the-making career as her voice can really do anything in my book.

With that said, watch Fantasia's powerful performance from earlier this year of "Stormy Weather" from Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Party below and Enjoy!

Live Audio: "Ave Maria" (Aretha Franklin)

Back in 1987, Aretha Franklin released One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, a live gospel album on Arista Records. Recorded at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, over the course of three nights (July 27, 28, and 30, 1987), One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism became an album that combined the gospel talents of Aretha, her late sisters Erma and Carolyn, and fellow gospel singer Mavis Staples.

While it peaking at #106 on Billboard's album chart and has sold approximately 300,000 copies, it pales in comparison to Aretha's legendary classic Amazing Grace recording in respect to both critical and commercial acclaim. Though Franklin's 1972 double-platinum Amazing Grace is regarded by many of one of, if not the best live album of all time, Franklin's One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism showcases off Franklin's legendary pipes in a way that deserves to be recognized.

With that said, below you can hear her sublime rendition of "Ave Maria," which is lifted from the project and hopefully you will (re)discover Franklin's slept-on live LP One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism, as it truly is a great body of work!

Live Video of the Day: "If You Think You're Lonely Now" (Bobby Womack)

Best known for his classic 1981 hit "If You Think You're Lonely Now," from his fifteenth studio LP The Poet, Bobby Womack's "If You Think You're Lonely Now" is one of those timeless classics that comes along ever once in a while.

An evergreen classic that has stood the test of time, few have ever attempted to cover it and only K-Ci has actually recorded and released a rendition of "If You Think You're Lonely Now." Interestingly enough, K-Ci's rendition would go onto chart higher than Bobby's, but he still has the definitive version and you can watch him offer up a sublime performance of his cut below.

Song of the Day: "Shine" (Luther Vandross)

"Shine" - Luther Vandross

• Writers: James Harris III, Terry Lewis, Bernard Edwards, & Nile Rodgers
• Record Label: J/Epic/Legacy Recordings
• Released in 2006 from "The Ultimate Luther Vandross"
• Peaked at #31 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
• Originally recorded for the soundtrack to the movie The Fighting Temptations, but failed to make the final cut.

Second Listen: "Sweet Thing" (Rufus ft. Chaka Khan)

Chaka Khan was honored last  year at the world famous The Apollo Theater for her career milestone accomplishments that capstones the year of her being in the entertainment business for over 40 years! With that said, Mary J. Blige of course came and performed "Sweet Thing" in honor of Ms. Khan, but I wanted to take it back for a second listen to the original 1975 recording of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan.

Lifted from the group's LP Rufus featuring Chaka Khan, "Sweet Thing" is one of those evergreen songs that never gets old and always gets you in the groove. Therefore, take a listen below to "Sweet Thing" and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "All The Man That I Need" (Ledisi)

This past holiday season, Ledisi offered up the best rendition of of the Whitney Houston iconic #1 classic hit "All The Man That I Need" sans The Voice's in my humble opinion.

Possessing one of the best voices in music history in my opinion and clearly one of the best voices in the game right now, Ledisi's powerhouse vocals and her dedication to training and studying throughout her career continue to offer once in a lifetime performances and moments that I continue to enjoy.

If you don't get to shouting and/or putting your hand up when watching Ledisi's sublime performance of "All The Man That I Need," then you might want to make an appointment with a cardiologist and fast because something is wrong with you.

Either way you feel, watch Ledisi's praise-inducing rendition of "All The Man That I Need" below and Enjoy!

Remix: "Dark Horse (Unicorn Remix)" (Dawn Richard)

While Dawn Richard is busy working on her sophomore solo album Blackheart and working on the reunion of Danity Kane, Dawn put some time in the studio to offer a darker take on Katy Perry's latest #1 hit single "Dark Horse" from her latest LP PRISM.

Produced by Noisecastle III, the darker Unicorn mix features a reworked instrumentation and some smokey haunting vocals from Dawn Richard.

With that said, take a listen below to Dawn Richard's remix of Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" in the form of "Dark Horse (Unicorn Remix)" and Enjoy!

New Video: "Cry Baby" (Raheem DeVaughn)

The King of Loveland, Raheem DeVaughn released a new video a few days ago for his new single "Cry Baby," which serves as the official follow-up to "Pink Crush Velvet" from Raheem's latest album A Place Called Love Land.

"Cry Baby" is one of my favorite joints from Raheem's latest LP A Place Called Love Land and the official video for the sexy jam is rather simplistic, yet sexy finding Raheem and his leading lady in a very Adam and Eve pose spliced throughout.

With that said, peep the official video for "Cry Baby" via Raheem DeVaughn below and Enjoy!

Live Video of the Day: "20 Feet Tall/The Healer" (Erykah Badu)

Today marks Erykah Badu's forty-third birthday and I thought it would be appropriate to revisit one of  my favorite performances from her.

Back in 2012, Erykah Badu was one of the headliners for the Java Jazz Festival and she opened her set up with a powerful rendition of her joint "20 Feet Tall." Lifted from Badu's fifth studio album 2010's  New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), she then went into a funky live version of the third and final single from her fourth album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) entitled "The Healer."

With that said, why not take a few minutes and get re-acclimated to Badu's live renditions of "20 Feet Tall" and "The Healer" as we eagerly await the forthcoming release of her sixth studio album. and Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "Lean on Me" (Bill Withers)

"Lean on Me" - Bill Withers

• Writers: Bill Withers
• Producers: Bill Withers
• Record Label: Sussex Records
• "Lean on Me" was featured on 1972's from Still Bill

Cut: "Is It Because I'm Black?" (Syl Johnson)

With today marking the two years to the date that Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman in Florida, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit this classic cut from Syl Johnson.

Back in 1970, Syl Johnson released his sophomore album Is it Because I'm Black? and the title track would go onto because one of his biggest hits to date. Peaking at #11 on the Best Selling Soul Singles,

Johnson wrote the title track in response to the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and it still resonates loud and clear today. With that said, Syl Johnson's legacy still lives on through this powerful cut and you can take a listen to "Is it Because I'm Black?" below!

Live Clip: "Can't Raise A Man" (K. Michelle)

Last night, K. Michelle appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and offered up a powerhouse performance of her current single "Can't Raise A Man," which is lifted from her 2013 debut album Rebellious Soul.

Already burning up the charts, K. Michelle is currently on tour with Robin Thicke as a special guest on his Blurred Lines Tour and I am sure she is converting fans of Thickes with her honest and powerful soulful songs.

With that said, watch K. Michelle's performance of "Can't Raise A Man" below and if you like what you hear and see, go out and support her by purchasing her album Rebellious Soul.

Live Clip: "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Aretha Franklin)

During Monday's telecast of the 2014 BET Honors, they closed out the ceremony with a touching tribute to the late Nelson Mandela and what better person to honor the fallen civil rights activist than the Queen of Soul who was honored that night.

Opting to perform a touching rendition of the Sam Cooke classic, Ms. Aretha Franklin's riveting performance of "A Change Is Gonna Come" is just further evidence in my book as to why she is considered by many to be the best singer of all time.

With that said, watch Aretha Franklin's touching tribute to Nelson Mandela from the 2014 BET Honors below and Enjoy!

Second Listen: "He Is" (Heather Headley)

Back in 2002, Heather Headley released her debut album This Is Who I Am and the album would go onto garner her two Grammy Award nominations one for Best New Artist and the other for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

With that said,  her second single "I Wish I Wasn't" became her breakout hit, "He Is" was the song that started it all and is highly underrated just like Headley and her musical discography in my book.  Take a second listen to "He Is" below and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Amazing Grace" (Karen Clark-Sheard)

This past Monday during the 2014 BET Honors, Karen Clark-Sheard was called upon to offer a riveting performance of the gospel hymn classic "Amazing Grace" in honor of Aretha Franklin and her iconic rendition and landmark album of the same name.

Anointed with a voice from god, Karen Clark-Sheard tore the roof off the building that night with her powerhouse rendition and I don't know about you, but I got to shouting when watching after she unleashed a vocal run midway through that took the whole audience by storm.

With that said, watch Karen Clark-Sheard's phenomenal rendition of "Amazing Grace" below and Enjoy!

Interview: K. Michelle

Earlier tonight on The Arsenio Hall Show, K. Michelle stopped by and opened up about being a country fan, learning how to yodel, and being classically trained on the piano as well as being able to play guitar.

With that said, peep K. Michelle's interview from The Arsenio Hall Show below and Enjoy!

Live Video of the Day: "BET Honors Medley" (Jennifer Hudson)

Last night, BET aired their telecast of the 2014 BET Honors and one of the musical highlights for me of the night had to be Jennifer Hudson's medley of classic hits from Aretha Franklin that ranged from "R.E.S.P.E.C.T.," "Think," "Day Dreaming" and a powerhouse rendition of the Queen of Soul's iconic and classic hit "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)."

Why Jennifer Hudson hasn't been asked to star in the rumored biopic of Aretha Franklin is unclear, but I think her medley performance from last night's BET Honors was not only a powerhouse performance but an aced audition.

With that said, watch Jennifer Hudson's powerhouse performance from last night's BET Honors below and Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (Nina Simone)

"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" - Nina Simone

• Writer: Weldon Irvine
• Composer: Nina Simone
• Producer: Stroud Productions
• Record Label: RCA Records
• Released in 1970 from Black Gold
• Peaked at #8 on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart

Cut: "I Don't Know Why, But I Do" (Chrisette Michele)

Chrisette Michele's third album Let Freedom Reign was extremely slept on and the public truly missed out on some timeless material off of the songstress' album.

One of those cuts is the Jazmine Sullivan and John Legend penned ballad "I Don't Know Why, But I Do" which is a powerful song that has that John Legend sound written all over it.

With that said, take a listen to the sublime cut from Chrisette Michelle after the jump and enjoy her wonderful vocals on "I Don't Know Why, But I Do."

Remix: "Rock With You (Milo Mills Edition)" (Janet Jackson)

One of my friends posted this sublime remix to Janet Jackson's "Rock With U," which was originally lifted as the second single from her tenth studio album Discipline (2008) and this remix really transforms and brings "Rock With U" in my opinion into 2013/2014.

Released a few months ago by Millo Mills, his take on Ms. Jackson if you're nasty's "Rock With U"  in the form of "Rock With You (Milo Mills Edition)" is a great mid-tempo banger that if you missed like me, can be revisited below!

Amazing Cover: "Nessun Dorma" (Aretha Franklin)

This performance is why Aretha Franklin has transcended to become the Empress of Music. On a moments notice, she performed this amazing cover in a different key then she had performed it nights before.

In addition, The Queen went on stage without practicing, warming up, or having enough time to fully comprehend what she was doing. This simply, is what legend are made.

Take a few minutes and watch Aretha Franklin's riveting rendition of "Nessun Dorma" below and Enjoy!

Second Listen: "Gotta Go Solo" (Patti LaBelle & Ron Isley)

Patti LaBelle and Ron Isley came together to record one of my favorite duets in recent history entitled "Gotta Go Solo."

While casual listeners and some fans of both of these legends have overlooked "Gotta Go Solo," it's such a great contemporary song that plays on the Mr. Big persona as well as offers up solid vocal showings from both LaBelle and Isley.

Take a second listen after the jump to this great classic and Enjoy!

Live Video of the Day: "Adorn" (Alicia Keys)

Back during the 2010 BET Awards, Alicia Keys took part in a Prince tribute that took the roof off of The Shrine here in Los Angeles.

As we are on the cusp of the 2013 BET Awards, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit Alicia's electric performance that really was one of the highlights from that night. Catch Alicia Key's powerful performance of "Adorn" below and Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "Heaven and Earth" (Al Jarreau)

"Heaven and Earth" - Al Jarreau

• Writers: Louis and Linda Biancaniello
• Producer: Narada Michael Walden
• Record Label: Warner Brothers
• Released in 1992 from Heaven and Earth
• Won the 1993 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

Remix: "Say Yes (Timbaland Remix)" (Floetry)

Floetry's breakout song "Say Yes" received the remix treatment from a lot of producers during the group's apex, but the Timbaland remix crafted with Floetry not only turned "Say Yes" on its head, but Timbaland created an almost unrecognizable remix to the duo's Grammy nominated hit.

With that said, take a listen below to Timbaland's sublime remix of  Floetry's Grammy-nominated  hit "Say Yes" and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Crazy In Love" (Emeli Sandé)

While Beyoncé and André 3000 covered Amy Winehouse's classic and iconic, in my book, joint "Back to Black," for the  The Great Gatsby soundtrack,  Emeli Sandé has returned the favor a bit for Beyoncé by covering her iconic joint "Crazy in Love" for the official soundtrack for The Great Gatsby.

Featuring The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, this rendition of "Crazy In Love" has a different throwback/big band feel to it and you can take a listen to it go down below as I was revisiting the soundtrack earlier this morning.

Live Audio: "Didn't We Almost Have It All" (Whitney Houston)

With a rumored live album and hopefully DVD slated for later this year via Clive Davis and RCA of some of Whitney's greatest vocal moments, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit one of those gems from her The Greatest Love Tour, which was Whitney's first headlining tour.

As you will hear below, even at her tender age, she showed amazing presence of stage and security in her singing. Luckily for us, a fan at her 1986 concert at Madison Square Garden in NYC recorded her sublime rendition of "Didn't We Almost Have It All," which she performed in concert before her sophomore album was released.

With that said, take a few minutes below to listen to her powerhouse performance of "Didn't We Almost Have It All" and Enjoy!

Cut: "Locked (Locked In Love)" (Brandy)

With Brandy's  sixth studio album Two Eleven, seems to sadly of cooled off, I thought I would revisit one of my favorite cuts from her last studio album Human.

Released back in 2008 under Epic Records, Human would be Brandy's first and only release with the Sony label and while the LP didn't prove to be a commercial success to the scale that people expected from Brandy, it offered up a cohesive album in my opinion that featured a lot of standout tracks from Brandy, including the Frank Ocean penned "Locked (Locked In Love)."

Though "Locked (Locked In Love)" was a bonus track on the deluxe edition of Human, the mid-tempo from Brandy showcases off her sublime vocals in addition to a strong melody. With that said, take a listen below to "Locked (Locked In Love)" below and Enjoy!

Second Listen: "Lose to Win" (Fantasia)

Something in my spirit made go back to Fantaisa's "Lose to Win" last night after doing some reading about the political economy of jazz and I thought I would share it as a second listen to her Commodores' 1985 single "Nightshift" sampled joint.

Her smooth mid-tempo "Lose to Win" was a solid reintroduction to the marketplace for Fantasia and it was a great taste for what her album Side Effects Of You had in stores. While the single and album could've been marketed more, as Side Effects Of You has a lot to offer on the single's tip, I'm glad "Lose to Win" made the cut as the set's first single and you can take a second listen to it below!

Remix: "Give Me Love (New Machine Remix)" (Ed Sheeran ft Mic Righteous)

Ed Sheeran's sixth and final single from his debut album + was "Give Me Love" and the production duo New Machine, have added their own take on Sheeran's latest hit.

Featuring emcee Mic Righteous, "Give Me Love (New Machine Remix)" gets a tempo change from New Machine and you can take a listen to it below as we all eagerly await for Ed's sophomore followup to +, which is rumored for release later this year.

Live Video of the Day: "Happy" (Pharrell)

Pharrell continues to bring happiness throughout the world with his infectious anthem "Happy" from Despicable Me 2 and this time, he took it to German talk show Wetten, dass..? on Saturday wearing his famous brown Vivienne Westwood 'Mountain' hat.

Backed by a choir, Pharrell along with a kid from the audience, who stole the show with his unrehearsed moves, offered up an infectious rendition of "Happy" and you can watch an interview with Pharrell and his performance of "Happy" below!

Second Listen: "Whip Appeal" (Babyface)

With Babyface and Toni Braxton's collaborative Motown album Love, Marriage, & Divorce still heating up the charts, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit my favorite Babyface classic hit "Whip Appeal."

Back in 1989, Babyface released his sophomore album Tender Lover and his album exploded selling in excess of 3 million copies in the US alone and spurred four top 5 R&B hits including "Whip Appeal." In addition to peaking at #2 on the R&B charts, the single was then his largest pop crossover hit peaking at #6 on the Hot 100,.

With that said, take a listen below to Babyface croon away on one of my all time favorite 80s joints "Whip Appeal."

Song of the Day: "Love and War" (Anthony Hamilton ft. Macy Gray)

"Love and War" - Anthony Hamilton featuring Macy Gray

• Writers: Anthony Hamilton, Mark Sparks, Ron Feemster, Erick T. Coomes, Erick Walls
• Producers: Anthony Hamilton & Mark Sparks
• Record Label: Universal Records / Rhino Records
• Featuring on 2001's Baby Boy soundtrack and 2005's Soulife

New Video: "Falling" (Yuna)

Malaysian singer/songwriter Yuna  released her latest album Nocturnal back in October, and now the famed songstress has released an official video for her joint "Falling," which is one of my personal favorites from her album.

Released over two weeks ago, it's better late than never and the accompanying simplistic video offers cuts between Yuna performing "Falling" with assorted animals and dancers during different cutaways. With that said, watch the official video for "Falling" below and Enjoy!

Live Audio: "The Makings of You" (Lauryn Hill)

On February 22nd, 2000, Lauryn Hill performed a sublime cover of the Curtis Mayfield classic "The Makings of You." Lifted from the Curtis Mayfield Memorial Concert in Los Angeles, Hill and the band find the perfect balance of staying true to the original while at the same time making it their own.

With that said, take a listen below to Lauryn Hill's amazing cover of "The Makings of You" and hopefully this new year will bring us some new music from Ms. Hill in the form of the highly anticipated followup to her groundbreaking The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill LP.