For several years, many music fans and critics alike have speculated that Kelly Rowland was/is jealous of her more successful band mate Beyoncé Knowles. On May 15, Rowland confirmed this in the first verse of her new single, “Dirty Laundry,” that there was a time that she envied Beyoncé’s solo success. She sings, “when my sister was on stage, killin’ it like a (expletive)/ I was enraged, feelin’ it like a (expletive)/ Bird in a cage, you would never know what I was dealing with/ Went our separate ways, but I was happy she was killin’ it/ Bittersweet, she was up, I was down…”

While there may have been a time that critics would have reveled in such a confession, a much more harrowing revelation came as the song played out. In the second and third verses Rowland revealed a dark secret that she had been holding onto: she had been in an abusive relationship for many years.

Rowland sings, “this (expletive) puttin’ his hands on me…I was battered, he hit in a window like it was me until it shattered/ He pulled me out, he said ‘Don’t nobody love you but me / Not your mama, not your daddy and especially not Bey.’”

While Rowland and Knowles have since rekindled and strengthened the bond between them, the abuse is still a sensitive subject for the former. “It was very emotional. It took me days to record,” Rowland said in an exclusive interview with Billboard. “I had to get past being so upset and actually sing the song, not sob through it. I always hope that my music can inspire someone, the same way other artists inspire me.”

Since the song’s premiere, many fans of Destiny’s Child have made a connection to one of DC3’s last songs as a group, “Girl.” In this song the trio sings to a friend who has been going through a hard time in a relationship. In the first verse Beyonce sings, “in your face I can see the pain, don’t you try to convince us that you’re happy./ We’ve seen this all before, But he’s taking advantage of the passion/Because we’ve come too far for you to feel alone, you don’t let him walk over your heart.” In the accompanying video, the member that was being sang to was none other than Rowland. Fans flocked to YouTube and other social media outlets to express shock and sadness as well as admiration for Rowland’s willingness to share her traumatic ordeal with them.

While no one knows for sure who the man that Rowland was referring to is, her ex-fiance, NFL player Roy Williams, assured her fans and his as well that he was not the abuser. “So Kelly has a new song. Called #DirtyLaundry.. & what ever she’s saying in it ppl thinks it’s me. #wow #imnottheonlypersonshedated #wasntme,” he tweeted.

While the speculation of which ex is guilty of abusing the songstress continues, fans can focus their attention on “Talk a Good Game,” Rowland’s fourth studio album led by “Kisses Down Low,” which will arrive in stores on June 18.

Image credit: Kelly Rowland on Instagram

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Michelle Williams continues to expand her brand and make a name for herself in the entertainment industry with a new reality series, My Sister’s Keeper. Produced and distributed by Entertainment One (eOne), the series will follow Williams’ journey of writing and recording her third Gospel album, and other aspects of her life.

“I am very thrilled about this opportunity, to extend into television with the eOne family as well, with this series,” she said in a release.

“Working together on my new gospel album and television series, I am excited to share with everyone a behind-the-scenes look at the inspiration and journey of recording for the album, performing, fun family times and other unforgettable experiences out together with my dear sisters.”

One of those sisters sang alongside Williams in a gospel group, United Harmony. Destiny’s Child fans may remember a mini reunion that Williams had during an interview with Ananda Lewis on MTV’s TRL. Fans will have to watch the show to see what musical surprises, if any, the Williams sisters may be cooking up.

“We’re very excited to expand upon our relationship with Michelle on this new collaboration that will provide fans with a peek into her everyday life,” said Tara Long, Senior Vice President of U.S. Alternative Programming.

“eOne’s versatility across all pillars of entertainment from music, film and television through development, production and distribution enables us to offer comprehensive multi-platform opportunities for our partners.”

Williams’ career in entertainment spawns more than a decade. She got her start as a background singer for R&B singer Monica in 1999 and joined Destiny’s Child in 2000.  Alongside Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland, Williams traveled the globe, selling out shows and collecting major music awards. In 2002, however, she branched out and forged a solo career.

On April 16, 2002 Williams released Heart to Yours via Sanctuary Records and Columbia Records. The album was well received by critics and performed marginally well on the music charts. Do You Know followed in 2004 and featured appearances by former band mates Knowles and Rowland. Knowles and younger sister Solange also wrote and produced on the album. Again, the album received positive reviews. The album did not perform as well as its predecessor though. In 2008 Williams ventured from gospel music and issued a dance/pop album titled Unexpected.  The album was a commercial disappointment. It is Williams’ lowest selling album to date.

In 2003 Williams made her Broadway debut in Aida, replacing Grammy-winning singer Toni Braxton in the lead role. The year 2007 saw Williams star in Oprah Winfrey’s The Color Purple, followed by a ground breaking, historical portrayal as Roxie Hart in Chicago in 2009. Williams is the first woman of color to take on the lead role. In 2011, Williams made a brief departure from the Broadway stage to act in a David E. Talbert play, What My Husband Doesn’t Know. Broadway fans saw Williams return to them in 2013 with a role in Fela!

In addition to being a singer, songwriter and actress, Williams is also a philanthropist, designer and a minority owner of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.

Image Courtesy : Michelle Williams

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The 23-year-old Korean Han Hee-jun, who was one of the top ten participants of American Idol Season 11, is poised to make his debut in the U.S. music market.

Han made the top 9 of American Idol last year, which was a first in the show’s history for an Asian. Han has made a contract with Korean agency Polaris Entertainment, and is ready to release his first single in the U.S. It has been reported that Han is going to work with famous agent Max Gousse, who used to manage many big stars such as Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, and Usher, making the possibility of Han’s success in the U.S. stronger.

According to the Korean daily newspaper Chosun Ilbo, Han was contacted by at least 100 agents after the show, but he decided to choose a Korean agent because he wanted to stick to his Korean background.

When Han participated in American Idol last year, he was one of the most popular contestants in terms of Internet voting score. He said, “I think using a chest voice made me popular because that was little bit unique compared to other participants who were using either a head voice or a nasal sound.”

Han participated in American Idol to raise awareness about the disabled at a missionary organization in New York, where he is working as a volunteer.

“I used to suffer from severe depression. I was getting vocal training from some agency in Korea for two years to become a professional singer from 2010, but it didn’t work well. I also participated in a Korean singing competition show, but I didn’t make it. These failures put me a depressing situation,” Han told the Chosun Ilbo.

Han added, “I happened to visit a missionary organization in New York and meet about 200 disabled people there. I saw them happy by singing and playing music instruments together. It opened my eyes and made me decide to participate in American Idol because once I make it up to 24 people, I will have a chance to talk about my personal life story, and I thought if I can let people know about these disabled people’s story, they can get more help from here and there.”

His goal has been achieved. After getting exposure on national television, the missionary organization and the disabled received many donations from across the U.S.

Han has an English name, “Dante.” However, he always goes with his Korean name “Hee-jun.” That is because Han’s goal is to be a famous singer in the U.S. as a Korean, just like Psy.

Image Courtesy : Heejun Han Fan Page

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A budding artist has recently been thrust into the limelight all due to a single Instagram re-post by megastar Beyoncé.

A couple weeks ago, 20-year-old Baltimore artist, Briah Neale posted her painting of Beyoncé on her Instagram and it was re-posted by Beyoncé, which has since garnered immense attention towards Neale and her art work. The recognition which Neale has received by Beyoncé is something that she is humbled by and still in awe of.

“I was honored to have her recognize my artwork, I appreciate any and everyone who loves my artwork but it is amazing to have the person you created for to feel the same as well, sort of like an affirmation of a job well done. Beyoncé is very influential, not just in the music industry but in the world…right now it still hasn’t sunken it yet,” Neale said.

Neale has always dreamed of becoming an artist but she did not think that her dream would manifest so suddenly.

“I can remember being that kid in second when asked what I wanted to be saying an artist, or sitting on the curb at recess with my best friend drawing. I never wanted anything more; I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else. However, I didn’t expect the recognition to come at all I never thought my art would have this affect. I just create because it’s what I love and I still would without any accolades or praise,” Neale said.

Neale has been painting in her animation style for about four years now and she first learned how to manipulate oil paints in the summer of 2009 during a portfolio building course taken at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

“The skills I learned there were traditional stylings but I have recently come into my own style, giving each of my pieces a sort of pop art feel,” Neale said.

The Beyoncé piece is 14 x 17″ and it is mixed media on a Bristol board. She used everything from a sharpie marker, to Speedball inks, acrylic paint, oil paints and gouache. She wanted it to be fun and playful like the image but she chose a more pastel palette because it seemed softer. Neale imagined Beyoncé being “very dainty, very feminine and I wanted to play on that.”

The enormous attention surrounding Neale and her work has become a whirlwind with her receiving countless emails, inquiries and comments through email Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram regarding the prints of the Beyoncé piece. She did not realize how many people saw the painting until requests started pouring in. She has heard from Singapore, Japan, France, Thailand, Australia, Canada, Germany, and London and all over the UK.

“Beyoncé has diehard fans who just want to feel like they have a piece of her and knowing she approves makes it that much more special,” Neale said.

Having such a strong demand for prints, Neale has decided to sell 99 exclusive prints that will be autographed for authenticity. She is building a website and will be releasing them and have her other artwork showcased at the top of this year.

“I chose to do 99 copies because to me the piece was special so I wanted it to be a rarity, a treasure. That much more exclusive knowing that only 99 in the world have been made and once they are gone they are gone. I will not do a reprint, each one of them will be number 1 of 99, 2 of 99 and so forth,” Neale said. She also plans to get the original piece sent to Beyoncé in the near future.

For Neale, having Instagram as the media outlet that got her noticed was a shock but it was not completely unexpected.

“I know the influence that social media has on my generation and the world as a whole in today’s society. I knew very well that it could be a gateway to get my artwork exposure, but I never imagine it would happen so quickly and on a scale of this magnitude,” Neale said.

She is grateful for the rise in recognition and as far as what it will do for the future it has definitely gotten her name out there and even better on a global platform.

“I am so excited for what is next for me, I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me, and I can’t wait to show the world my full potential.”

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New York, U.S.A. — WAT-AAH!, a line of functional water for kids and teens, announces “Move Your Body 2013″  in celebration of the 3rd year anniversary of Let’s Move!. This year with the support of professional athletes and celebrities, thousands of children from over 600 schools across the United States will come together to move and dance in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to combat childhood obesity.

In 2011, WAT-AAH! joined NABEF, who teamed up with Beyonce as she debuted “Move Your Body” for the Let’s Move! Flash Workout event. The song and music video instructed a pre-choreographed dance routine re-recorded from her hit single “Get Me Bodied.” It was performed simultaneously by thousands of school children on May 3rd. The event gained global recognition as Beyonce surprised students at Harlem’s P.S.161 and First Lady Michelle Obama surprised students at Alice Deal Middle School in Washington, D.C. to participate in the initiative.

With the success of this initiative, in 2012, WAT-AAH! decided to continue to spread the message and spearheaded an even bigger event involving thousands of kids and NFL and NBA athletes with its nationwide “Move Your Body 2012″ event.

“The success of the last two years proved this event is not only worthwhile, but that it is also very meaningful to the children and to those involved,” says Rose Cameron, CEO and Founder of WAT-AAH! “As a brand and a company, we are more than thrilled to facilitate ‘Move Your Body 2013,’ providing the children a significant venue to stand up once again and support Let’s Move!, the fight for their health and their future,” she adds.

Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. The numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children are overweight or obese. Studies have shown that chronic obesity-related health problems can cause such diseases as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma among children.

This year, WAT-AAH! looks to encourage even more schools to take part in the campaign and spread the message of healthy hydration and physical activity to even more students. To resonate with kids and teens, WAT-AAH! uses fun and contemporary approaches in its initiatives, and believes that celebrities can play an important role. Some of its major partnerships have included young celebrities such as OMG Girlz, Diggy Simmons, Willow Smith, Nick Cannon, Ryan Beatty, Cody Simpson, along with NFL athletes such as Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints and Pat Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals, who have come together to take a stand for kid’s health.

Image Courtesy : U.S. Army IMCOM

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Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, one-third of super girl group TLC, is ready to make her comeback. At the age of forty-two the raspy voiced songstress is stepping back into the limelight with a new reality show titled “Totally T-Boz” which will premiere on January 1.

The reality show will capture Watkins attempting to reclaim her position in the music industry as well as some of her most vulnerable moments including her divorce, financial problems and life threatening illnesses.

In a sneak peek of the first episode, Watkins meets with music producer Bangladesh (Beyoncé, Missy Elliot, Kelly Rowland, etc.) who expresses his doubts about T-Boz’s commitment to crafting a new album. He has some serious questions for which Watkins does not seem to have the answers. One thing that T-Boz does make clear, however, is that she does not mind proving herself to music consumers.

“I guess I have to prove myself all over again, even if it’s to the world,” said Watkins. “I don’t have a problem doing that.”

Proving herself to the world may be harder than she expects. Indeed, the music industry has seen many changes since her days of girl group domination alongside Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. The last full length album that Watkins was featured on was TLC’s ’3D’.  Released in 2002, seven months after the car crash death of Lopes, 3D achieved platinum status in the United States.

That same year T-Boz was hospitalized for four months due to complications of sickle cell anemia. The singer had been diagnosed with the disease during her early childhood and went public with her illness in 1996.  She later became a spokesperson for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.

In 2004, Watkins filed for divorce from her rapper husband Mack 10. The two married in 2000 and welcomed a daughter, Chase, shortly after their nuptials. In the years since the dissolution of her marriage, Watkins has had to care for her daughter on her own while battling sickle cell anemia and, most recently, a brain tumor. Mack 10 reportedly owes the singer more than $250,000 in back child support. Her medical issues and lack of support from her ex-husband led Watkins to file for bankruptcy in 2011.

“Totally T-Boz” will also chronicle Watkins’ challenges and joys of single parenthood. The singer is not necessarily alone though. Along for the ride are her support system which includes her younger brother, Koya, cousins Barb and Chris and friend Tae-Tae, as well as her business partner, Tara. “Totally T-Boz” will premiere on January 1 at 8/7c on the TLC network.

Image Courtesy : Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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Los Angeles, U.S.A. — After more than 2.4 million votes were cast internationally, ‘Hunger Games’ humble yet fierce Jennifer Lawrence took the number one position on AskMen’s “Top 99 Most Desirable Women” list. In the poll, which surveyed AskMen readers, Lawrence shot up ahead of her Hollywood peers, including Kristen Stewart (No. 7), Jessica Biel (No. 24), Charlize Theron (No.97) and reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who dropped from No. 8 on last year’s list to No. 98 this year.

The 12th edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women poll, calls on AskMen readers to elect women who most closely match their ideals. These men were tasked with voting on more than just sex appeal, taking into account character, intelligence, talent, sense of humor, professional success, achievements in 2012 and potential for 2013.

Lawrence’s victory follows an incredible 2012 for the 22-year-old starlet, whose breakout performances in ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Silver Lining Playbook’ turned the heads of men worldwide and pinned her as the next big thing. Lawrence is followed by ‘TED’ actress Mila Kunis, who has consistently appeared on AskMen’s Top 99 since 2008 a Sports Illustrated turned Vogue model Kate Upton stayed high up on the list, landing at No. 3, dropping only one spot from the 11th edition of the list.

With more than 40% of the women on the list appearing for the first time, it’s fair to say there is a new breed of strong and independent women taking over. Take Lawrence’s No. 1 ranking after her fearless roles, or Claire Danes, who earned an Emmy this year for her standout performance on Homeland, at No. 20. Anne Hathaway shaved her head for her dramatic role in ‘Les Miserables’ and came in at No. 47. Other powerful women on the list include Marissa Mayer, President and CEO of Yahoo, at No. 59, First Lady Michelle Obama at No. 33 and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Russian activist-punk group Pussy Riotat No. 85.

James Bassil , Editor-In-Chief of AskMen, commented, “The top-rated women on AskMen’s 12th edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women list speaks to men’s growing comfort with strong and independent partners. While undeniably successful candidates like Marissa Mayer have rocketed up the list, the more ambiguous “career” women — like Kim Kardashian – have plummeted on it.”

The “Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2013″ features a new generation of leading women:

• “Girls” actresses Jemima Kirke (No. 51) and Allison Williams (No. 42), “Mad Men” actress Jessica Pare at No. 9, Beyonce’s sister, singer Solange Knowles, at No. 50, Australian Youth Olympian Michelle Jenneke at No. 10 and newlywed U.S. soccer team goalie Hope Solo at No. 30.
• Music icons have historically pushed boundaries on what’s considered desirable, and this year is no different, with American Idol judge Nicki Minaj dropping off the list and making way for newbies Azealia Banks (No. 49) and “Call Me Maybe” singer Carly Rae Jepsen at No. 75.

For a third year in a row, TV actresses dominated the list, with 24 TV stars claiming spots. “Modern Family’s” Sofia Vergara topped last year’s list, and she continued to hold strong at No. 12 this year. Has dating bad boy Kanye West hurt Kim Kardashian ’s image? The reality tv star dropped to No. 98 on this year’s list. Perhaps not, as “bad girl” Kristen Stewart ’s public infidelity had no impact on her desirability, which resulted in a climb from No. 27 last year to No. 7 this year. Likewise, Scarlett Johansson fell from No. 7 to No. 45. Will her upcoming sultry performance in ‘A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ on Broadway restore her sex appeal?

Votes for the 12th annual list also prove that men are loving women over 40, including Vergara (No. 12), Sarah Silverman (No. 23), Lucy Liu; (No. 69) and Rachel Weisz (No 72). First Lady, Michelle Obama , at age 48, is the oldest woman featured on this list, at No. 33.

For exclusive videos, photos and comments from this year’s honorees, visit www.askmen.com. Up-to-date coverage of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women can also be found on AskMen’s Facebook and Twitter.

Here is what some of the Top 99 women had to say
“Thank you Ask Men for choosing me this year! It’s such an honor and I hope I can continue being park of the AskMen family!” – Jessica Gomes, No. 8

“I love AskMen.com. Thank you for including me amongst these incredible women. Honored!” – Candice Swanepoel, No. 11

“I am hugely flattered to have been voted on to the AskMen Top 99 Most Desirable Women list. Please pass on a sincere thank you to all the readers who voted for me.”- Emilia Clarke, No. 15

“Being on the Top 99 list of askmen.com is extremely flattering! Thank you xx” - Chanel Iman, No.26

“Thank you Askmen.com! It is so amazing to be on your Most Desirable list!”- Olivia Culpo, No.36

“I am honored. I will adore this moment because I fear this title will drop next year because it’s hard to look amazing in bobsled with snot running down your nose” – Lolo Jones, No.41

Image Courtesy : Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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Mýa and Michelle will design new collections for Ghanaian clothing brand Koshie O as a part of “The Koshie O Woman” campaign. The campaign celebrates strong, confident, independent women who possess the ability to multi-task while remaining fashionable. The singers will co-design and name the pieces along with founder and Creative Director of Koshie O, Nina Baksmaty. As part of the Spring/Summer 2013 collection, the pieces will be available for purchase in July 2012 and will be available to consumers in Spring 2013. “The Koshie O Woman” campaign will feature many more celebrity women who embody what the brand represents. Fans will be allowed to follow the process via social media networks.

While neither has been extremely vocal about the projects, which are still in the beginning stages, Michelle recently took to her twitter to say, “Bout to hop on a design call w/Koshie O. Designing some new clothes…..line will be out next Spring. This is a COLLABORATION for charity!” A percentage of the profits from the sale of this unique capsule collection, which will feature custom prints, will be donated to Mercy Corps, a global aid agency involved in helping populations stricken by tragic events in over 40 countries around the world.

Nina has stated that she is sure that the public is going to love what Mýa and Michelle will contribute to Koshie O. She says, “The whole Koshie O. team is excited to be working with Mya. We absolutely love her talent and her fashion and we strongly believe that Koshie O. and Mya are going to create magic together.” On working with Michelle, Nina states, “It is such an honor to have Michelle Williams design pieces for Koshie O. She has been an inspiration of mine from her Destiny’s Child days.”

Koshie O “integrates African themes and aesthetics with modern designs,” according to its website. Founder Nina Baksmaty, who is Lebanese and Ghanaian, was raised in Ghana, but was educated and currently resides in the United States of America. It was her Ghanaian upbringing among traditional dress makers and artisans, as well as being in the presence of her designer mother, which fueled her desire to be a designer.

In 2010, Nina launched Koshie O and has since been featured in the Washington Post and Upscale Magazine, and has garnered mentions from Fox 5 News. Singer Ledisi, as well as model and reality television star Cynthia Bailey, are among the numerous women who proudly wear Koshie O.

Image Courtesy of  Mya

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With summer coming, all of us are beginning to worry about our bikini bodies and what we can do to lose weight fast. There are many diets out there that have reached popularity, but have negative health effects. Plus, they may not be effective in the long run.

One old diet is the Cotton Ball Diet. The cotton ball diet is exactly what it sounds like: you eat cotton balls, either by themselves or soaked in gelatin. The idea is to fill up your stomach with something that will take away hunger but not add any calories. However, the cotton ball diet deprives your body of key nutrients. Even the fiber that people believe they are getting isn’t the type of fiber necessary to sustain bodily functions. Not to mention the inevitable digestion problems.

Another old diet it the Tapeworm Diet. Before being banned in the United States, Fly by Night, Inc. sold pills called Megaslim that supposedly contained a live tapeworm. You could eat as much as you want, and the tapeworm would absorb at least half of the calories for you. Yet tapeworms may not actually eat enough of what you ingest to make you lose weight, and can cause bad infections, malnutrition, and even death by reaching other parts of your body, like your heart or brain, through your bloodstream.

New diets, reinforced by celebrities, are reaching popularity as well. The Lemonade Diet, also called the Master Cleanse, involves drinking a mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice, syrup, purified water, and cayenne pepper for ten days.

The purpose is to cleanse the colon of built-up toxins while making the dieter feel younger and more energized. Beyoncé made this diet popular when she announced that she lost twenty pounds for the set of DreamGirls. However, after ten days on this diet you verge on starvation. Beyoncé herself says she wouldn’t recommend this diet for anyone.

The Cabbage Soup Diet involves one week of eating cabbage soup, water, and vitamins. The soup consists of cabbage, peppers, onion, tomatoes, carrots, mushroom, celery, and spices. You can eat as much as you want of this soup, but nothing else. Some celebrities like Sarah Michelle Gellar have reported results about this diet. You burn more calories digesting these foods than eating them.

The Grapefruit Diet, in which you eat nothing except one grapefruit per meal and a lot of water, is based on the principle of cutting back carbohydrates. A variation of this diet is to eat a grapefruit before every meal to cut back on meal size. The grapefruit can be replaced with any other fruit or vegetable.

Dieters average losing about ten pounds in a twelve day period. Yet this diet averages about 800 calories a day. The minimum calorie goal is much higher, and depends on the dieter’s height and weight. Similarly, both Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston support the Baby Food Diet, with which you replace two or three meals a day with jars of baby food.

You can also have one adult meal and snack on the baby food all throughout the day instead. This diet cuts out a lot of the fillers and added ingredients that adult food features. It also cuts out too many calories: dieters eat less than they should.

The goal with any of these diets is to shed pounds fast, and see immediate results. Yet most of these pounds come from water weight-dieters are likely to gain it all back once they begin to eat regularly again! Plus, most of them deprive your body of key nutrients and starve you, which could have damaging effects on other internal organs if used too drastically or longer than recommended.

Make sure to talk to a doctor if you are going to attempt one of these diets. It is much healthier to simply watch what you eat, cut out fatty or processed food, and exercise regularly. Those pounds have a chance of staying off, even if it takes a longer time.

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Blue Ivy Carter was born among the lavish extravagance that could only be the product of the second richest celebrity couple in the world, parents Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z (Shawn) Carter. Her arrival in Lennox Hill Hospital was enshrouded by partitions and restrictions in the neonatal unit.

There were covered maternity windows, and the security cameras were reportedly taped over. Some parents who were present on that same night are angry, because they were restricted access from their newborn babies as a result of the extra security measures. A man was separated from his wife and daughter for three hours, for reasons unknown to them.

Even the State Health Department was interested in the accounts of disruption to all of the other hospital patients. The spokeswoman for Lennox Hill, Ann Silverman, said the hospital received “no formal complaint” about security measures. She stated that, “The security plan was designed not to limit access to patient care areas.”

According to accounts, one guard went to far as to tell concerned parents that the extra security in the maternity ward was due to hazardous materials. The special treatment given to Blue Ivy was not singular to her parents, nor to Lennox Hill Hospital. Rather, executive suites are popping up all over the country, in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Baltimore, among others.

The services that accompany these accommodations can include gourmet food, butlers, and in the case of Blue and parents, four flat screens in the delivery room. According to the New York Times, health care specialists say this is part of an international competition for wealthy patients, who have no problem with shelling out the money for these services. The idea in part of the hospitals is that this money will trickle down through the system an benefit the ‘regular’ patients.

As we witness the amount of growing amenities for those who are able to pay for them, the government is scaling back hospital reimbursement, in an attempt to streamline the health care system, and make it more equal, as well as affordable.

The same hospitals with special accommodations have crowded emergency rooms filled with long wait times and uncertainty. According to the Times, many New York hospital rooms are still at double occupancy, even as single occupancy is becoming the national standard. The extra space is optimal for infection control, as well as for quicker recovery time. The higher standard, though, appears to be reserved for those who can afford to pay for it.

Wealth can also serve as a target for fund-raising within a hospital. In a presentation posted online, titled “Grateful Patient Basics,” by a company called Blackbaud, fundraisers are urged to send hospital admissions lists to the development center in order to determine a patient’s wealth.

They are urged to do so shortly within admission to the hospital, preferably within hours. Hospitals are encouraged to make haste with a potential donor in their midst, with more visits from hospital staff, as well as special efforts to make the patient as comfortable as possible.

This would indicate that for those who are uninterested in becoming donors, wealth can also be a crutch in the healthcare industry. Although they may be made to feel more welcome during the hospital stay, it is not out of a gesture of selfless kindness. They too are placed in a position of disadvantage, albeit a different one, as someone who has to wait for hours before they are even called to triage, uncertain when they too will feel some measure of relief.

There is an unquestionable gap in the way patients are treated in hospitals. Those who can, pay for hotel accommodations in an institution where space is limited and precious. Their money is welcome, as is the possibility of future donations.

All others must languish in the emergency room, until a space is made in a double-occupancy hospital room.

Dylan Armajani / Shutterstock.com

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A rare species of horse fly has remained nameless for decades – there are over 4,000 species of horse flies worldwide to be categorized and named, after all. That is, until researcher Bryan Lessard, who works at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia, decided to name the insect after the American pop star, Beyonce Knowles, who, with her past group, Destiny’s Child, in 2001, released the hit single “Bootylicious.”

The horse fly was found in the Queensland providence – a northeastern area in Australia – with two other horse fly species in 1981, the year Ms. Knowles was born. ”It was the unique dense golden hairs on the fly’s abdomen that led me to name this fly in honor of the performer Beyoncé, as well as giving me the chance to demonstrate the fun side of taxonomy – the naming of species,” Lessard states in CSIRO’s media release.

As stated by the researcher, the horse fly is an “all time diva of flies,” having a “bootylicious,” golden rear end. The species, named Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae, is one of the five species of horse flies belonging to the new species subgroup (Plinthina), which has been doubled in the number of species due to the discovery of the fly with the golden butt. More than one hundred species of horse fly are categorized in the genus Scaptia.

“Most Australian Scaptia species have been described,” Lessard states. “However, these five ‘new’ species of a sub-group (Plinthina) have been housed in Australian collections since the group was last studied in the 1960’s.” More detailed information regarding Beyonce’s fly is provided in Lessard’s paper, which was published in the August online edition of the Australian Journal of Entomology.

Horse flies are more than their frightful appearances and ferocious stings. They actually play an important role in the ecosystem. “Horse flies act like hummingbirds during the day, drinking nectar from their favorite varieties of grevillea, tea trees, and eucalyptus,” explains Lessard. According to the research organization’s news blog, the CSIRO has yet to hear any reaction from Beyonce, who has recently given birth to her first child, Blue Ivy Carter.

Beyonce is not the only celebrity to have a species’ binomial nomenclature designated after a celebrity’s apellation. Others include Arnold Schwarzenegger and the carabid beetle, Agra schwarzeneggeri, Roy Orbinson and the beetle, Orectochilus, Sting and the frog, Hyla stingus, Frank Zappa and the spider, Pachygnatha zappa, and Mick Jagger and the trilobite, Aegrotocatellus jaggeri.

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Beyonce’s sold-out four nights at New York’s famed Roseland Ballroom back in August was a resounding success with the first night’s tickets selling out in a record 22 seconds. “4 Intimate Nights With Beyonce” was a fan and critical favorite with Rolling Stone Magazine declaring that the club had turned into a coliseum with Beyonce’s “rafter-rattling force.”

The energy and the magic of those nights were captured forever and released last month as “Live At Roseland: The Elements Of 4″ deluxe package, a two-disc DVD concert film executive produced by Beyonce for her own Parkwood Entertainment company, in association with Columbia Records.

The global entertainer partnered with Treemo Labs to create the “Beyonce: Live At Roseland” App, which is available now. http://bit.ly/Beyonce_Roseland. This marks an alternative distribution model for long-form content that was previously only available on DVD.

The “Beyonce: Live At Roseland” App is a unique, immersive experience for Beyonce’s fans with music, concert footage and incredible photographs that tell the story of what it was like to be on stage and backstage with Beyonce during her performances at the Roseland Ballroom.

“Offering all of these materials in an App represents an industry first and demonstrates again why Beyonce is a music and entertainment industry visionary,” said Brent Brookler, CEO and founder, Treemo Labs. “We’re extremely fortunate to have been able to work with her and her team on this project.”

The App, available for iPhones and iPads, features the full Roseland concert and a photo gallery containing over 25 photos with pinch and zoom capabilities, all of which do not require an Internet connection to view. Additionally, the app enables fans to download the bonus video content — “Behind The Stage” from Roseland and “Behind The Camera” from Beyonce’s music videos. Fans can also share photos and the concert app with friends via social media or email.

Track listing for “Beyonce: Live At Roseland” App:

The Journey B “4″…

1. Intro
2. I Wanna Be Where You Are
3. No, No, No Part 1
4. No, No, No Part 2
5. Bug A Boo
6. Bills, Bills, Bills
7. Say My Name
8. Jumpin’ Jumpin’
9. Independent Women Part 1
10. Bootylicious
11. Survivor
12. Bonnie And Clyde
13. Crazy In Love
14. Dreamgirls
15. Irreplaceable
16. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)

“4″

1. I Care
2. I Miss You
3. Run the World (Girls)
4. 1+1
5. Party
6. Love on Top
7. Best Thing I Never Had
8. Countdown
9. Rather Die Young
10. End of Time
11. I Was Here

“Live At Roseland” concert film was directed by Beyonce, Ed Burke and Anthony Green, and executive produced by Beyonce for Parkwood Entertainment, in association with Columbia Records.

Image Courtesy of  https://www.facebook.com/beyonce

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In wake of her televised pregnancy announcement, recording artist Beyoncé Knowles has seen a significant rise in her the sales of her latest album release. Billboard, a music industry magazine that monitors album success, has reported that sales for the fourth album, which was subsequently titled ‘4’, is expecting to see a surge of 40 percent since its June 4th release date.

Sales for ‘4’ for the first week of September are currently at 40,000. The boost in sales is expected to increase Knowles spot back into the top ten, the singer had recently slipped to 12 in the previous week. In spite of the boost Lil Wayne’s Album titled Billboard has also predicted that the song Knowles performed on the VMAs titled “Love on Top” will top the digital charts and hot 100 in the wake of the announcement.

Critics have credited the sudden album interest to Knowles’ two maternal announcements the most well-known being during her highly anticipated performance during the MTV’s Video Music Awards. The first one occurred during the pre-award’s black carpet where she is seen posing and while clutching her stomach.

After performing her last song, Knowles opened her jacket and began rubbing her stomach, while her husband of three years Sean “Jay-Z” Carter, watched and celebrated in the audience with Kanye West. This is suspected to be Carter and Knowles first child together. Album sells weren’t the only area in which the baby news has caused a surge as twitter reported the highest tweet record with over 8,000 tweets per second during the singer’s performance.

The record before that was a little over 7,000 and was credited to Japan winning the women’s world cup back in July.
Surprisingly, the pregnancy has also created buzz amongst the pro-marriage activists who fear that many of Knowles female fans would purposely get pregnant in order to share the experience with their idol.

“It almost scares me to imagine how many young females will get pregnant on purpose so that they can share being pregnant with Beyoncé.” Says Tony Anderson on his BET blog, “It seems a bit excessive to believe that because a celebrity does something, others will copy, but let’s be real — we live in a society where celebrities are worshiped.”

Other pro-marriage activists are using the pregnancy to sway others to follow Knowles and Carter’s lead of getting married and then having a child. Justin Combs, son to hip hop entrepreneur Sean “Diddy “Combs, used the announcement as a means to express his views on marriage.

“Beyoncé dated, married, THEN got pregnant…young ladies take note.” Combs posted on his twitter. Since then, the message has been re-tweeted several times. Knowles and Carter originally decided to keep the pregnancy a secret, but changed their mind.

Many sources tribute the couple’s ability to keep the news from going public sooner to use of clever styling, along with the use of private jets, and hotels with multiple entrances and exits thus making it difficult for photographers to film the couple. As of yet the couple has yet to announce a due date, though if she is reportedly four months pregnant as sources close to the couple claims, she may give birth in February.

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With her one-year disappearance act from the stage Beyoncé fans needed something to quench their “Single Ladies” thirst, well she came back with vengeance and did not disappoint. Her album titled “4” is her fourth album debuted June 24, 2011.

A great kick off to Summer 2011. Her first single and track 12 off the new album is a female anthem entitled “Run The World (Girls)”. The aggressive anthem paid homage to all estrogen carriers and all the possibilities we posses. The song borrowed collaborative music project from Major Lazer’s eclectic and funky beat as a base.

The song both fun and upbeat also deliver a message that can’t be faulted, another gold star for her achievement in the Women’s Movement. The video for her first single, was released May 18, 2011, was very much empowering like the song itself. Beyoncé donned a tall Egyptian like crown with 50-100 other girls danced and pranced their way around the deserted location with lions and hyenas in toe.

The fashions featured the late great Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, and a Gareth Pugh intricately cut gold-mirrored mini dress matched with McQueen heels a personal favorite of mine from the video. Nevertheless a great opening to her new album and spark back in her fans.

The album itself like her 3 previous solo albums is a work of art and takes you on a ride into Beyoncé world that were not always able to reach. If “art imitates life” than Mrs. Carter is a lot deeper than we thought or than she lets us on to believe. The album starts off with “1+1, I Care, and I Miss You”. These 3 songs are smooth melodic that show the bootylicious diva’s more intimate and vulnerable side.

“I Miss You” one of my favorite tracks on the album and was produced by upcoming producer Frank Ocean of OFWGKTA. As soon as you get to track 4 “Best Thing You Never Had” you get the more common Beyoncé we have all come to love. This is also the second single off the album; the song puts you in the mind of her 2006 hit “Irreplaceable”.

Track 5 “Party” is the only song on the album featuring another artist beside herself, Kanye West and Andre 3000 (from Outkast) gifted the singer with their versatile and unique sounds and it has been said to be the third single released from the album.

Track 6, 7, 8 “Rather Die Young” “Start Over” and “Love On Top” are very strong ballad songs and have a very old school feeling to them and seem like timeless pieces. When you get to track 9, 10 “Countdown” and “End Of Time” are really the only up-tempo songs on the entire album, which is a shock to me because she’s mostly known for her radio friendly dance songs.

But don’t get me wrong these songs can sell the whole album by themselves. “Countdown” takes a sample from Boys II Men “Uhh Ahh”. “End Of Time” is a fast paced song with drums and horns galore.

And what Beyoncé album would be complete without a declaration song track 11 “I Was Here” is a song about all her accomplishments and leaving her mark on the world. All in all “4” is by far my favorite Beyoncé album from its humble beginnings, loud and retro core, and uplifting ending; it’s classified as a classic in my library.

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First off, I think it’s extremely important to note that the most anticipated album we have seen in a while did not leak weeks in advance.  That is an unexpected miracle that could solve the problem of leaks in the future, but I may be looking too much into this.

The album was not released to major store outlets as it has been done in the past, the album was released through iTunes exclusively and physically became available on the 8^th.  In a recent interview, Jay Z said that the process of releasing an album lends itself to getting leaked very easily as albums are shipped weeks in advanced to various stores around the country.

Through that stage of the whole process anything can and usually does happen, the album is there for the taken.We see the plan put into action with an album that didn’t even receive the usual visual treatment most albums get.

Listening to the album after purchasing it, a lot of things became clear that were blurry before.  Mainly, who the better rapper was; at this point I wouldn’t expect Jay Z to rap circles around the man with the biggest ego outside of Jay Z.  Kanye seemed as if he were content in playing the background allowing the “God Emcee” to control the album.  After a song called “Who Gon Stop Me” the 8^th song on the album in which Jay decided to really take control, the album was dominated by Jay Z and Kanye played second fiddle.

This album also brought Frank Ocean to a wider group of fans who otherwise would have never listened or taken time out of their day to listen to his album.

Ocean is now being seen as the next in line to the R&B throne and Jay Z after hearing his popular album “Nostalgia” felt he would be perfect for the album.  Frank Ocean is featured on two songs, the intro which is called “No Church In The Wild,” and the triumphant “Made In America.”

The Album is receiving pretty good reviews at this point (77 grade on Metacritics website), not unexpected given the parties involved.  Jay Z proves he is still king in terms of rapping ability but Kanye shows his mark and brilliance in the overall production of the album.  The album is sort of a Jay Z release with production done by Kanye, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

This is an album with a bunch of songs made to be performed in a packed stadium accompanied by great lyrics from both artists, as good as the album is, it does not live up to the last solo efforts of either artists.

One last thing we learned is what Jay Z thinks of Beyonce: “if Picasso were alive, he would have made her and Mona Lisa can’t fade her,” one of the best and most humorous lines in the album all together.

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MTV’s Video Music Awards, usually abbreviated as the VMAs, has recently announced the nominees for the lively award show.  Sometimes called the “Oscars for youth” and owning similarities to the Grammys, the VMAs bestows a simple statue of an astronaut on the moon upon winning artist; the moon man acts as one of the earliest symbols of MTV.

But before an artist can even dream of gripping their own space figurine, a VMA victory will only be a potential achievement with a marked nomination.

A list of potential winners of the music networks coveted honor include the likes of pop artists such as Lady Gaga and Beyonce (all in the run for the “Best Female Video” award) to Cee lo Green who is nominated. Katy Perry, who nabbed a whopping 9 nominations, leads with the highest number of nominations followed by soulful British singer who was named a nominee for 7 awards.   Awards up for grabs also include “Best Collaboration”, “Best New Artist” and “Best Rock Video”.

With the first VMA ceremony held in 1984 at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, an expanding group of winners within an array of awards has been rising for some time. In 1984 style icon and entertainer Madonna performed “Like a Virgin” while Cyndi Lauper won the “Best Female Video” award for “Girls just wanna have fun”.

The long-standing award ceremony was and continues to be, home for a multitude of memorable moments such as Michael Jackson’s first VMA performance in 1988 with “Bad”.  The VMA awards have even hosted its fair share of fashion faux pas like when Lil Kim showed up to the 1999 VMA award grounds with very little fabric to cover her petite body and with pasties instead to act as attire.

While the ceremony is typically broadcasted live in mid-September, the 2011 MTV VMAs will be held on August 28, 2011 in the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California.  You can find a complete reading of this year’s VMA nominees on MTV’s website. Additionally, voting is now open on the music channel’s site- so go and vote for who you believe deserves their very own moon man.

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A lot of rappers and musicians talk of doing albums together but these albums never really materialize.  It’s understandable considering these artists are busy touring and taking care of their personal obligations to labels and other commitments that are not familiar to us all.

So you could understand why many were skeptical about Watch The Throne, an album being recorded by two rappers who have proclaimed themselves the greatest rappers alive.

After months of rumors, a song called H.A.M was released featuring both rappers; at that point I wasn’t sure whether to rejoice at the possibility of this actually happening or whether I should feel some disappointment about the song itself.  Now we are in late July and a track list has surfaced after a listening party in which Jay Z reportedly played several songs off the highly anticipated album.

Last week, a song titled “Otis” after the great Otis Redding was released, not sure if the song itself will be on the album or the bonus tracks added on, but both legends sounded hungry and in great lyrical form.

The album art also surfaced, a little later than most people expected given the fact that the album is scheduled to be released early august—august 8^th to be exact.  The cover is in line with an album being released by Kanye, in that it is very artistic, different, with a bit of royalty added on; it fits the title of the album, all that remains now is the music, the lyrics and the emotions behind them.

This album will be the first for both men together, Watch the Throne will be Jay Z’s return to recording since the classic Blue Print 3, his latest number 1 album; also Kanye’s return since his last effort, My Beautiful Dark Fantasy which was also a classic in the eyes of many.

Featuring on this album will be his wife Beyonce, who has just released her own number one album titled 4 and newcomer Frank Ocean who is being viewed as the heir apparent to the R&B Throne; it’s only fitting that he would be on this album with rap royalty.

This is definitely one of the most anticipated albums of the year without a traditional approach to being released; there is no video as of yet with us being only weeks away.  But then again, this is Jay Z and Kanye, how much promotion do they really need?

Music fans everywhere know about this album whether they are rap fans or not, name recognition will get them to the top of the music world alone, but only the music will keep them there.

We will find out in 2 weeks or so where this album will be ranked in comparison to their individual releases, after all, these two giants have no equals in the rap world or the music industry.

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According to Beyoncé’s debut single Girls Run The World from her latest album 4: “My persuasion can build a nation. Endless power our love we can devour. You’ll do anything for me” – the album hit stores June 28.

This anthem was the lead single from Beyoncé’s latest solo album 4. The song samples “Pon De Floor” by Major Lazer and has been met with mixed feelings. The radio doesn’t seem to be picking it up as a summer hit. Some feel this song is controversial because it sends messages of false hope; this song has a nice beat and interesting dance pieces in the music video.

“It’s definitely riskier than something a bit more…simple,” Beyoncé told Billboard.com of the single. “I just heard the track and loved that it was so different: it felt a bit African, a bit electronic and futuristic. It reminded me of what I love, which is mixing different cultures and eras — things that typically don’t go together — to create a new sound.”

Despite ridicule, 4 is doing well, it debuted at #1 last week on the Billboard albums chart, and most likely will remain there a 2nd week.

“You’ve got to remember that Beyoncé, being typical Beyoncé, her albums generally are anchored by really big hits; this album doesn’t have those hits yet,” Us Weekly senior music editor Ian Drew told MTV News. “It’s not to say that it won’t. There are some very strong songs on the album, but they have not been released yet. There are those songs on it, but they have not come out yet and they haven’t struck yet. Beyoncé is coming out at a time when radio is very crowded.”

4 is definitely different from Beyoncé’s first solo albums. This album focuses more on her vocals and shows she is growing and experiencing life, like any newly married 29-year-old woman. You can hear this in the lyrics of some songs, “When I think of the time I almost loved you/ You showed your ass and I saw the real you,” Best Thing I Never Had the second single off the album 4.

4 is an inspired title, Beyoncé gave her fans the credit with coming up with it. In addition to it being her favorite number. “It’s the day I was born. My mother’s birthday, and a lot of my friends’ birthdays are on the fourth . . . April 4th (or 4/4) is my wedding date,” Beyoncé explained.
More than 60 songs were recorded for this album.

This past year Beyoncé ditched her father as her manger and is currently managing herself. “I’ve only parted ways with my father on a business level. He is my father for life and I love my dad dearly. I am grateful for everything he has taught me.” Beyoncé said in a statement.

Her father, Matthew Knowles oversaw all aspects of Beyoncé career, from music to movies to fashion and more, he was there from the beginning, Destiny’s Child to her solo career, Beyoncé’s publicist stated.

“At this point, I really know who I am, and don’t feel like I have to put myself in a box. I’m not afraid of taking risks – no one can define me,” Beyoncé said.

4 is a deep, soulful album, some of the tracks are very romantic, dealing with being in love, to getting your heartbroken.

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Even though Beyonce may be rather quiet about her love life in interviews, she has no problem airing out her feelings in her track, “I Care”, off her studio album 4, released June 28. Produced by Jeff Bhasker, the track finds the captivating songstress singing about a relationship turned sour over some ominous notes. Beyonce puts all her cards on the table; however, the one who has her heart has swept them to the side. She belts out, “I told you how you hurt me, baby/But you don’t care/Now I’m crying and deserted, baby.” This song is a power ballad that recalls slow jams like the ones Phil Collins used to spill his heart in. She lets her voice own the song as the instrumentals crescendo around her.

MTV says it perfectly: “Lady Gaga is political, Britney Spears loves to party, and Beyonce knows all about matters of the heart.”

Her second track, “Party,” featuring Andre 3000, is the song that would have most likely been played at a house party in the mid-90s, As Beyonce sings, “So in love/I’ll give it all away/Just don’t tell nobody tomorrow,” listeners will be transported back to a time when pop princesses cared more about the heart than anything else. “Rather Die Young,” another track off her album has more of an “old-school” groove to it. Beyonce collaborated with Luke Steele of the electronic group Empire of the Sun.

The song is about how you can’t fight what the heart wants, even if it isn’t right. Comparing her lover to James Dean, it’s all about the “sexiness” of bad boys and the good girls who love them. But, she still keeps the sound soft. This track is really something beautiful, as Beyonce sings about being completely devoted to her man.

However, the most surprising song on her album is “Countdown.” Beyonce gets a bit sassy and futuristic on this track, which isn’t like the other songs on the album, but still has a “check on it” vibe. As MTV says, the singer gives fans a musical kick to the head during “End of Time,” a bombastic track, complete with “in-your-face bass line and a marching band. Beyonce keeps things melodic, sharing lines like. “Take you away from here/There’s nothing between us but space and time.”

Metacritic gave 4 an overall score of 70, saying that her fourth album has both “dance-floor-ready jams and down-tempo tunes that are a bit tamer than those in the last album.” Consequence of Sound said “between doing more of the same old goodness and boiling everything down to its most essential lethality, Beyonce also makes room on the album for more grandiose tracks that would sound right at home in Broadway musicals”, giving 4 a score of 90. On the other hand, both NOW Magazine and The Guardian agreed with a score of 60.

Now Magazine asserts that on 4, Beyonce’s missing a real sense of vulnerability but steps out from “behind club jams with beautifully nuanced mid-tempo production. Likewise, The Guardian had only statement about this album “it’s hard not to feel that what it might have been sounds better than what it is.”

Beyonce’s new album is a definite change of pace for this R&B queen. 4 is more relaxed and personal and emphasizes ballads and showcases the singer’s nuances. An album like this comes in a singer’s career when he or she feels like she has nothing left to prove. 4 is definitely the album where Beyonce pours out her feelings, expressing breakups, love, and her most intimate feelings of her love life.

She is not afraid to let the world know what she has been going through. Every song has power behind it. Beyonce sings her ballad songs beautifully and with feeling, guiding listeners through the pain and joy that is her life.

Track list
1. 1+1
2. I Care
3. I Miss You
4. Best Thing I Never Had
5. Party (featuring Andre 3000)
6. Rather Die Young
7. Start Over
8. Love on Top
9. Countdown
10. End of Time
11. I Was Here
12. Run the World (Girls)

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25 years of history making, and life changing television, ended yesterday, on May 25, 2011.  An atmosphere full of emotions surrounded Oprah’s final show. Goodbye is always a sad word. That denotes that something has ended and its time to say farewell. After being an iconic figure, a role model, and an admirable woman, she says goodbye to the screen.

Taking once again the stage, and standing in front of her audience, she began to say the first words of her final episode “”There are no words to match this moment.” The showed reveal all the greatest achievements that Oprah considered were made by her, or the ones that she had most pride for. “Every day that I stood here I knew that this was exactly where I was meant to be.”

The show had around 7 million of spectators that day. Exposing a remarkable cipher, and becoming the most important Oprah moment, in her 25 years debut on T.V.  The Oprah Winfrey’s Show was one of the longest running talk shows in United States. It began on 1986, and had emitted 24 seasons, and more than 4,000 episodes.

Everyone has a platform, Winfrey said. “Mine is a stage in a studio. Yours is wherever you are, with your own reach.” We’ve seen Oprah grow, and we have watched her ups and downs during her career. With a rough background and childhood, she found a way to start again, and succeeded becoming one of the most powerful women on the world.

Remarkably, every advertisement that was emitted during the final episode, having duration of 30 seconds was valued in one million of dollars.

The final program was recorded in the United Center and 15.000 people attended as an audience. During the record of the last episode, many artists, and important figures were present such as:  Beyonce, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Halley Berry, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Dakota Fanning, Jamie Fox Queen Latifah and many others.

“Well, I say, all sweet, no bitter. And here’s why. Many of us have been together for 25 years. We have hooted and hollered together, had our a-ha moments, we ugly-cried together and we did our gratitude journals. So I thank you all for your support and your trust in me. I thank you for sharing this yellow brick road of blessings. …I thank you for being as much of a sweet inspiration for me as I’ve tried to be for you. I won’t say goodbye. I’ll just say, until we meet again. To God be the glory.

But for her fans out there not everything is sad news, because she will not be leaving the small screen completely. She will dedicate her time completely to the channel OWN T.V, that stands for Oprah Winfrey Network. Released a couple months ago.

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