Courtesy of Vibe Vixen

When you’re going through something, there’s nothing like turning on that song—you know the one—that perfectly sums up how you’re feeling; and nothing makes you feel better than belting it out at the top of your lungs and not caring who’s around.

There are some ladies who just have a gift for putting the exact emotions you’re dealing with in a song and if it weren’t for their ability to connect with us through their music, we might really be busting some windows *hint*hint. Whether it’s a breakup, loneliness, depression, abuse, or family issues, these singers know how to get us through. Check out the top R&B ladies we owe our sanity to.

Lauryn Hill

Women everywhere are still struggling to accept that there will never be another “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” I don’t think there’s another album that has resonated with so many women (and men) across generations and musical genres. More than the circumstances Lauryn spoke to and the emotion she poured into the tracks, there was wisdom. Despite being her first solo album, it was almost as though she’d grown up in the process of making the music and the songs she sung were a result of the healing process. She talked about motherhood with songs like “Zion,” relationships on tracks like “Ex Factor,” “Can’t Take My Eyes off You, and “Nothing Even Matters,” and she even explored spirituality and God. No matter what you were dealing with in ’98 and what you’re facing now, this album still hits the spot.

Continue at Vibe Vixen!

By Aydrea Walden

Apparently, there’s a holiday coming up. I totally forgot that Feb. 14 is “a thing,” until a rehearsal I was a part of had to be rescheduled because the coupled-up members of the group were “probably going to have plans heehee,” and my editors called and asked me to write about the holiday.

To me, Feb. 14 doesn’t even register when I look at a calendar. It’s just a day … a Tuesday in 2012. And it’s not because I’m single and/or bitter (in case anyone’s keeping score, I am single, not particularly bitter). Even when I’ve been in a relationship on V-Day, I’ve never really understood why it’s such a big deal.

Another week, another day and another round of outrageous celebrity phrases! This week, the celebrity sound bites making headlines include everything from an TV personality’s homophobia-laced tweets to a pint-sized rapper’s heightened arrogance to a legendary singer’s dirty talk.  Plus, guess which View co-host admitted to having multiple abortions and which Super Bowl-winning running back wants his opponent’s wife to shut up.  And I quote …

Photography by Rony Shram | Styling by Bille Causieestko

Lie Sang Bong cardigan ($880); BCBGMaxAzria dress ($568);
Eugenia Kim fedora ($300); Dori Csengeri earrings ($442);
David Yurman cuff ($2,100) and blue topaz ring ($1,950);
Courtesan Studio bracelet ($300); Clara Kasavina bangle ($229);
Daniel Espinosa ring ($325); Charles David heels ($285).

It was a star-studded night with the premiere of Think Like a Man at the ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, Calif.

Related: Will You Be Watching?: ‘Think Like A Man’ Official Trailer [VIDEO]

Meagan Good, Gabrielle Union, Taraji P. Henson, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Kevin Hart and a host of other of hot stars came to support the premiere of the film’s screening.

Think Like A Man, based on Steve Harvey‘s 2009 best-selling book, tells the story of four friends who “conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey’s relationship advice against them.”

Think Like a Man open in theaters nationwide April 20.

Check out these red carpet arrivals!

(Getty Images)

Courtesy of The Frisky

Okay, so sometimes we fib a little bit when we’re dating a guy. Not about the big stuff — like our name or what we do for a living. It’s not that we mean to be dishonest, it’s just that our politeness, insecurity or desire to dazzle get in the way of the truth. And sometimes, before we know it, we’ve told you we read all of David Foster Wallace’s books, when really we’ve only read all of DFW’s book jackets. We meant to read the books in their entirety, we just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Anyhow, what we’re trying to say is that we’re sorry for all the stupid lies we’ve told.

1. I’m totally over my ex. I’m still Facebook stalking him and fantasizing about him sexually on a regular basis, but other than that, he’s old news.

2. I haven’t had sex with anyone in a while. Last week is a while, right?

3. I’m not on anxiety meds. As long as you don’t look in my medicine cabinet, I’m not.

4. I really like bluegrass music. Yeah, I really like to laugh at people who listen to it.

5. I’m not looking for a relationship. My ass, I’m not. I just didn’t want to overwhelm you on our fourth date.

Continue reading at The Frisky

Courtesy of Hello Beautiful

Denzel didn’t experience love at first sight when he met his wife Pauletta, but a year after the two met on the set of the 1977 film Wilma (in which they were co-starring)–Denzel knew she was something special.

Five years later they were married and built a beautiful family together which included four children who are all succeeding in their own right. Three are currently enrolled in college (Tisch, Yale and U.Penn) and one is a professional football player for the California Redwoods in the United Football League. A strong family unit speaks volumes of the family’s foundation–the parents. Denzel and Pauletta have been able to take the strength of their own 28 year-old relationship and share it with their children. This couple does more than make it last, they endure and thrive.

Why She Loves Him: Pauletta has no problem dealing with the women that come after her man. She told Essence that it would be senseless to be upset with flirting women because Denzel comes home to her. She even takes the flirtation as a compliment. However, Pauletta knows that Denzel’s appeal is more than his knee-weakening looks. He’s amazing inside and out. Pauletta told Oprah, “I thought he was cute, but I fell in love with his spirit. And then I thought, ‘Hmm, not a bad package.’”

Continue reading at Hello Beautiful

Courtesy of Essence.com

On November 27, 2011, former NFL star Chris Draft married the love of his life, professional dancer LaKeasha Rutledge, in an intimate and beautiful wedding ceremony surrounded by loved ones. Exactly one month later, on December 27, his wife lost her brief battle with stage 4 lung cancer, and he sat by her side as she took her last breaths.

When we shared Draft’s heartbreaking story with you, the outpouring of support and well wishes was tremendous. Then came your questions. What can you do to help? How could this happen? A healthy, 38-year-old woman whom friends described as a “fitness nut,” Rutledge never smoked a day in her life. Her diagnosis came just a year before her death, and seemingly out of nowhere. Draft, who’s continuing his fight for a cure through their organization Team Draft, must now begin to heal. ESSENCE.com sat down with him to learn what the couple’s last year together was like, and how Draft’s Valentine would have wanted to be remembered.

ESSENCE.COM: Since your wife’s passing, you’ve shown such strength and shared so much of her life with the world. Why did you choose to share her story in this way?

CHRIS DRAFT:We put the pictures up [online] so people could really see the life in her, not just how she passed away. We want people to see that her faith allowed her to live before her diagnosis, and to continue to live with it, and find the joy in each day. Even when you get bad news, you have to find the joy in life, which is definitely not easy. Most of the pictures in the montage people have seen are from the past year. She was still enjoying her friends, and still enjoying her family. Yes, it was a little different with cancer being there, but at the same time, you find a way to enjoy it. That’s where you’re at, you know?

Continue reading at Essence.com

It’s that time of year again! The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will honor the best and brightest in today’s music Sunday night on CBS (8 p.m.  ET/PT).

Music’s biggest night will feature performances from Chris Brown, Adele, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Alicia Keys and several others.

We send our congratulations to nominees that include Beyonce, Marsha Ambrosius, Cee Lo Green, the above mentioned performers and many others. But we have to tip our hat to those artists who have Grammys by the bundles.

Check out the top 10 biggest GRAMMY winners of all time!

The wait is over!

Related: Beyonce’s First Post-Pregnancy Appearance [PHOTOS]

Thanks to HelloBlueIvyCarter.tumblr.com, an account made by The Carters, the world now gets a glimpse of the most talked about baby of the year.

They shared this message with the public:

We welcome you to share in our joy.

Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives.

The Carter Family

Check out the preciousness that is Blue Ivy Carter!

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

At her peak, Houston was the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world’s best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.”

She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

Continue at the Associated Press…

Chaka Khan is finally speaking out about her thoughts on Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala, put on just hours after Whitney Houston’s body was found in the same Beverly Hilton hotel. She sat down with CNN’s Piers Morgan Monday night to express her disapproval.

Related: Celebs React To Whitney Houston’s Death

Chaka said she flew out from Miami Saturday afternoon to make the party in Los Angeles, but learned of Houston’s death after exiting the plane. She said she couldn’t put on makeup or get dressed, let alone attend the event where her close friend’s lifeless body was lying several floors up.

“I don’t know what could motivate a person to have a party, in a building where the person whose life he had influenced so enormously, and whose life had been affected by her,” she said. “I don’t understand how that party went on.”

The confusion over where Whitney Houston will be laid to rest has finally been sorted out as her body was delivered to Whigham Funeral Home in Newark, N.J. late Monday night.

Related: Celebs React To Whitney Houston’s Death

PEOPLE reports her body was flown from Los Angeles on Tyler Perry’s private jet to the Teterboro, N.J. airport where she was transported to a gold hearse. Fans lined the streets as the fallen icon was driven to the funeral home in her hometown.

The owner of Whigham Funeral Home told the Associated Press that the funeral will be held at noon at the New Hope Baptist Church. The service will be invitation only and there will be no wake or public memorial at Newark’s Prudential Center, as previously discussed. The family has requested a more personal funeral to say their final goodbyes.

Related: Chaka Khan Blasts Clive Davis’ Party [VIDEO]

“They have shared her for 30 some years with the city, with the state, with the world. This is their time now for their farewell,” Carolyn Whigham said. “The family thanks all the fans, the friends and the media, but this time is their private time,” she said.

Daughter Bobbi Kristina has also arrived in New Jersey, along with Houston’s bodyguard and brother-in-law Ray Watson.

By Tamara Best

There are some things you just don’t see coming.

A chance meeting with him led to an amazing friendship. We were inseparable, and as a result, always shrugged off questions on why we never dated.

As fate would have it, we both ended up single at the same time and the truth came out. He told me that he wanted to be with me, but the timing was never right. Speechless, I reached for the words to tell him I felt the same way, but my fear wouldn’t let me. Shortly after that conversation, I finally admitted to myself what I knew for quite some time — I loved him. Good-looking, caring and charming, there was something about him that made me feel cherished and safe.

Sure enough we crossed the friendship line and I knew there was no going back. I wasn’t supposed to fall for him. What the hell was I going to do?

[Image via Shutterstock.]

Courtesy of The Grio

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s romance remains a source of inspiration for Americans of all backgrounds and political persuasions. Their open displays of affection and flirtation are both charming and genuine. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, let’s look back at some of the most adorable moments the first couple have shared in front of the cameras.

President Barack Obama (L) and first lady Michelle Obama embrace before the president signs legislation into law that will provide business tax credits to help put veterans back to work during a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building November 21, 2011 in Washington, DC (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Continue at The Grio!

Mama, I Want to Sing isn’t a new story — audiences loved the off-Broadway musical in the ’80s. But one doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to tell a good tale.

Mama explores faith, family and the power of love, and stars singer Ciara as Amara Winter, a young gospel singer who breaks into the world of pop music. But her relationship with her preacher mother (Lynn Whitfield) is tested and strained once the media notices Amara. She, then, turns to her father (Marvin Winans) and Sister Carrie (Patti LaBelle). Like many stars, real and imagined, Amara must figure out how to balance her new fame while staying true to herself and family.

Mama features performances by R&B and gospel music legends, and actors, including Ben Vereen, Hill Harper, Billy Zane and Kevin Phillips, get screen time. And Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has released the film adaptation of Mama today, Feb. 14. There’s even a study guide to go along with this flick, so you don’t miss the important messages.

You definitely can’t beat good music and an enduring message!

[Fox Connect]

BET is offering up more airtime to husband and wife duo Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil as it picks up the couple’s newest series, Single Black Female.

Related: Larenz Tate, Wayans Bros. To Star In BET’s New Series

According to Deadline, the hour-long project will “[chronicle] the work and family life of a Black woman who is the host of a popular Atlanta-based talk show host in the vein of The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” The show will be produced by Akil Productions.

The Akils signed a production pact with the network back in May that includes a series and several pilot commitments. The couple has already struck gold with their wildly popular series, The Game, being moved from the CW to BET.

Mara is also the driving force behind Girlfriends, Moesha, and The Jamie Foxx Show, while Salim directed Jumping the Broom with Laz Alonso and Paula Patton. The couple recently wrapped up the remake of 1976′s Sparkle, featuring Whitney Houston in her last role.

Oprah Winfrey has given an official apology for her controversial tweet sent Sunday night.

Related: Oprah Winfrey Dedicated To Turning OWN’s Fortunes Around

During the GRAMMY Awards, the 58-year-old media mogul drew attention and criticism for asking her fans to tune into her network, OWN. She said:

“Every 1 [sic] who can please turn to OWN especially if u have a Neilsen box.”

Oprah deleted the tweet “at the request of Nielsen” and apologized by stating, “I intended no harm and apologize for the reference.”

Despite coming off as “desperate,” as her followers put it, Winfrey’s tweet breaches Nielsen’s policies and procedures. A representative for the ratings company said:

“[...] Nielsen is reviewing this incident with our clients and we may withhold, breakout and/or make a note in the ratings…We take any violation of our policy seriously and will work with clients to resolve the situation.”

It’s no secret that OWN has had a less than stellar start; in 2011, the network’s quarterly reports revealed Oprah’s brainchild lost millions of dollars and brought in poor ratings.

Her new show Oprah’s Next Chapter has picked up an audience but, apparently, not enough (see above).

R&B crooner Tank is all about the celebration of love this Valentine’s Day! The sexy singer (@TheRealTank) visited our friends over at VIBE Vixen to give the ladies some advice for V-Day.

In this scrumptious interview, Tank talks love, music and his forthcoming album, This Is How I Feel.

Watch below!

Also, don’t forget to check out Tank’s first mixtape Diary of a Mad Man and his latest single, “Next Breath“!

Whitney Houston‘s incomparable career influenced a generation of singers who strived for, at the very least, an ounce of her God-given talent.

Related: Celebs React Over Whitney Houston’s Death

It seems no one was more impacted than “The Boy Is Mine” singers Brandy and Monica, who often cite Houston as their inspiration for music. Both befriended and worked with the music icon throughout their careers, ingraining Houston’s singing style in every rift and run.

The pair was preparing to sing at Clive Davis’ annual pre-GRAMMY gala, but were too distraught to attend the event after receiving news of Houston’s death.

Related: Chaka Khan Blasts Clive Davis’ Party [VIDEO]

Ironically, Houston’s passing fell on Brandy’s 33rd birthday, making for an especially difficult day.

In their first interview since her death, Brandy and Monica sat down with E! News to discuss their new single “It All Belongs To Me,” but also share their special memories with Houston and how they’re holding up.