BEYONCE SHARES ARTWORK AND INSPIRATION BEHIND 'RENAISSANCE': Beyonce has shared the artwork for her upcoming album Renaissance. The album features a nearly nude Beyonce sitting atop of a crystalline horse glowing with electricity. The singer also explained the inspiration behind the cover art, saying, “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment.” She continued, "A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are.”
USHER TRENDS AFTER PERFORMING ON THE LATEST EPISODE OF 'TINY DESK': Usher was trending on social media after his tiny desk performance dropped. Usher performed hits like "You Make Me Wanna" and fan favorite "Superstar," along with "U Don’t Have to Call," "Nice & Slow," "Confessions Part II," and "My Way."Usher was backed by Grammy-nominated artist Eric Bellinger and social media star Vedo.
R. KELLY'S ATTORNEY CALLS RICO CHARGE INAPPROPRIATE: R. Kelly's attorney Jenner Bonjean has spoken out on his sentencing, saying that the RICO conviction is "inappropriate" and he intends on appealing the sentence. According to HotNewHipHop, Bonjean said in a statement, "These were not a RICO act violation. These were isolated events that happened many years and the government simply tried to plead around the statute of limitations to bring in a RICO charge, which was inappropriate." Bonjean added, "All I can tell you is there was no enterprise. There was no enterprise. It was one man with allegations by a number of women, which doesn’t make it an enterprise, and that is why he’s not guilty of racketeering."