23 | THE VOICE JUNE 28 - JULY 4, 2012
Pull-Out
POSTER BATTLE
J COLE & KENDRICK LAMAR
Right track Angel to work with Lewis Hamilton
Reunited So Solid announce comeback
Kyra:
Divine soul
24 THE VOICE JANUARY 24 - 30, 2013
CONTROVERSIAL COUPLES
Rihanna and Chris Brown, need we say more? Here’s a look at other eyebrow-raising romances 1
They broke up in 2009 after Chris assaulted the Bajan singer. Following years of cursing each other on social networks, they have reportedly reconciled
6
KIM KARDASHIAN & KANYE WEST
Just weeks after announcing her spilt from husband of 72 days, Kris Humphries, Kim began dating long-time friend and rapper, Kanye West. The couple are expecting their first child later this year
11
RICHARD WILLIAMS & LAKEISHA GRAHAM
The 70-year-old father of Tennis aces, Venus and Serena, started dating 33-year-old tennis fan, Lakeisha, a few years ago. Lakeisha reportedly gave birth to the couple’s first child in September
18
2
CHRIS BROWN & RIHANNA
ALICIA KEYS & SWIZZ BEATS
Miss Keys was branded a “home wrecker” when she began dating producer Swizz Beatz, who, according to his ex-wife, was still in a relationship with her
BOBBI KRISTINA & NICK GORDON
Nick is the adopted son of Whitney Houston. Bobbi is the biological daughter of the late singer. They announced their engagement last year
7
NICKI MINAJ AND SAFAREE SAMUELS
The fiery rapper dumped her hype man boyfriend, Safaree, in 2011 after he allegedly assaulted her. They have reportedly reconciled within the last few days
12
SHAUNIE O’NEAL & MARLON YATES
Shaunie, the ex-wife of basketball star, Shaquille O’Neal, started dating 24-year-old model, Marlon Yates, after her divorce. He is 14 years her junior
17
3
FANTASIA BARRINO AND ANTWAUN COOK
The American Idol singer allegedly carried on a year-long relationship with Cook while he was still married. She gave birth to their first child last year
8
JENNIFER LOPEZ & CASPER SMART
At 43, singer Jennifer Lopez is 18 years older than dancer boyfriend, Casper Smart. The pair began dating after J-Lo divorced hubby, and father of her twins, Marc Anthony
13
KOBE & VANESSA BRYANT
The Lakers star was exposed as a love rat in 2011. Some reports claimed he had cheated on Vanessa with over 100 women. The couple have now cancelled plans to divorce
4
P DIDDY & CASSIE
They’ve been friends for years, so it was only a matter of time. P Diddy, a father of five, had formerly reconciled with long-term partner Kim Porter, with whom he has four children
9
RITA ORA & ROB KARDASHIAN
We don’t know how this began, but we know it ended in tears and humiliation. Following their spilt, reality star Rob took to Twitter and allegedly accused the pop star of cheating on him with “20 dudes”
14
LIL WAYNE & DHEA
Some time last year the Young Money rapper announced that he was engaged to socialite Dhea after a string of failed romances. Can Dhea make an honest man of Lil Wayne?
ALEXANDRA BURKE & JEREMY PIVEN
Junior Ogunyemi
The X Factor winner was pictured slipping into a London hotel with ‘Hollywood womaniser’ Jeremy last week. She failed to respond to speculation
THE SHOW Me Amazing Football Academy is the brainchild of Junior Ogunyemi. The 20-year-old Londoner established his institute on limited resources and a deep desire to use football as a vehicle to transform lives and has watched his sporting venture grow from strength to strength. Junior’s efforts were recognised with the Unlimited Sport Relief Award in 2010, where he received a £7,500 prize fund for his academy. He was also the recipient of the National Varsity Pitch Social Entrepreneurship Award 2010, which he collected at the British
Library after pitching his ideas to prominent businesspeople. They included Doug Richards of BBC’s Dragons’ Den and Richard Tyler, the enterprise editor of the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. He has also been awarded a £2,000 start up funding from Knowledge East Enterprise Network and is about to launch his second venture, student magazine Spotlight 22. “I have so many ideas. My aim is to turn all of my hobbies into businesses, so it never feels like work!” * www.rarerecruitment.co.uk
5
CHAD JOHNSON & EVELYN LOZADA
The married couple hit headlines late last year following a domestic dispute. There were allegations of cheating and claims that Chad headbutted the reality star. They have reportedly reconciled
10
TIGER WOODS & ELIN NORDEGREN
Shamed golfer, Tiger Woods, whose affairs with numerous women hit headlines in 2010, is trying to win his way back into his ex-wife’s affections. There’s talk of a $200m pre-nup deal
15
DRAKE & KARRUECHE TRAN
One is the ex of Rihanna; the other is the ex of Chris Brown. As far as controversy goes, this is it. Nothing has been confirmed, yet Karrueche set tongues wagging when she tweeted Drake’s lyrics
youngvoicesmagazine
@youngvoicesmag
JANUARY 24 - 30, 2013 THE VOICE 25
www.voice-online.co.uk/entertainment
UK singer Kyra talks to YV’s Dionne Grant about measuring success, working with Alexander O’Neal and her hopes for the future
S
HE MAY be 24years-old, but UK songstress Kyra’s musical taste could easily be mistaken for someone twice her age. To such an extent that when she was offered the chance to perform with any musical act in the industry, she chose Eighties crooner, Alexander O’Neal. She laughs when I question her about her interesting choice. “Yeah, wow you went right back in the notes,” she says, obviously surprised at the depths of my investigative work. She explains: “A few years ago, BBC 1Xtra invited me to be part of their Electric Proms and they basically said I could chose who I wanted to work with and they would try and make it hap-
pen. I went for the throwback artist, rather than the modern day artist. We got together in the studio, wrote a song called Hello and recorded it. It was a really good. “If I had it my way, I would do a straight soul album, real throwback stuff, but sometimes it’s what’s digestible for other people as well. I really love soul music; Earth Wind and Fire, Fatback band. Admittedly, I don’t really listen to large amounts of modern music. When I’m at home, I put on a throwback Bobby Womack track.” That’s Kyra in a nutshell. Although she has all the fittings of a modern-day pop star; the looks, voice and bubbly personality, she is deeply-rooted in genres past. Something, she says, she owes to her musical father.
“My dad plays the bass and I was brought up on rare groove and soul. My brothers, sister and I were always singing and dancing to something. There has never been a music-free day in my house.” And if you listen to her music, you can hear these soulful elements littered throughout her body of work, which includes debut track Good Love, hailed as the summer anthem of 2012 by Choice FM and new single Next Year, a light-hearted take on the woes of making resolutions. “I say everything has an element of soul in what I do. Definitely some reggae influences in there and some pop. With songs like Next Year, people say they can relate to them. That’s what I write about, I write about my life experiences.”
When I catch up with Kyra, she’s on a week-long writing course Birmingham. A trip, she says, is helping her “refine her sound.” “I think the importance of this week has actually been great for me in terms of refining my sound. I feel like I have about five albums in me right now. “I write everything, but I definitely co-write with other people as well. I’m very, very involved with the whole creative process, the sounds I want to hear and lots of other stuff. When I go into the studio, I will literally just vibe. Melodies, words, and concepts just come to me.” Kyra started taking music seriously when she finished secondary school. She travelled to LA, New York and Atlanta to write and record with the likes of Bei Major (Tinie Tempah, Keri Hilson) and Mike Kalombo (So So Def), among others. “It really honed my writing skills. The Americans are really great with a pen. They have this amazing work ethic. It showed me that you’re one of many. The person that is cleaning the bins is an amazing vocalist.” Has it been easy breaking into the industry despite her wealth of experience? “It’s quite a weird one because for me, I don’t feel like I’ve been trying to break. I actually just feel like I’ve been living, singing and developing. People say, ‘you’ve been singing for a while, why haven’t you been signed?’ I don’t really see it like that. It’s not about your talent, it’s about who is around you, the right timing and the right music.” Up until late
last year, the singer was managed by XYZee, the name behind UK rapper Wretch 32, George The Poet and singer Jacob Banks, but in a “YV exclusive” (her words, not mine), they parted ways in September. “Sometimes things don’t work out,” she says. “It was amicable. Obviously there were things that didn’t work out between us, but I still see the guys and I support them fully. Working with Wretch 32 and Zeon (founder of XYZee) was fantastic, but sometimes things don’t work out, it’s not always personal. She did, however, support Wretch on a nationwide tour, an experience she lists as the highlight of 2012. “It was a massive highlight. I can’t explain how amazing it was to be on stage every night in front of thousands and to actually have an audience responding to you and singing them back to you was awesome.” Our conversation comes to an
ANTHONY HAMILTION:
The soul singer said his recent Grammy nominations took him by surprise but is "amazed" by the honour.
apt close with some advice for aspiring singers. “Set yourself realistic goals that are attainable. It’s all good saying that you want to perform at Glastonbury, but have you even got a song? Don’t be scared to get out there and do it. I can’t explain how priceless it is to go out and perform, because that’s really where you are going to hone your skills. Every gig, whether there are two people or two thousand people, is a learning curve. She adds: “Right now is such an amazing time for UK females. We have had the success of Emeli [Sandé], Adele and Jessie J, which is inspiring. You really have to come in with your own stamp. In some ways, you can view it as harder, but I actually view it as a positive. It makes me want to be even better.” Next Year is scheduled for release on January 28. For more information, visit: www.mynameiskyra.com
ANGEL:
After weeks of speculation, the singer confirmed that he is helping F1 ace, Lewis Hamilton, launch his singing career.
OR BUSTED? F F BU
Dear Kat,
I didn’t get into any of the universities I applied for but I lied to my boyfriend about it. I didn’t mean to, but I just wanted to impress him and now he has told everyone that I am going to a good one to study. My mum said I should tell him the truth and that he won't judge me, but he is really smart and I am afraid that he'll leave when he knows that I'm not. What should I do? Katia, 18
DAPPY:
BUFF
The N-Dubz star has been found guilty of affray and assault following a brawl at a petrol station in February.
Dear Katia,
I think it's a bit harsh to say you're not smart, getting into university is really hard in this climate and not getting a place is nothing to be ashamed of.
BUFF
Explain that you were embarrassed and that you did not mean to lie. If he really cares about you, he will support you in finding another place. Also, please consider all of the options you have. It might be the case that you can go to your second choice university and maybe retake your exams?
KARRUECH E TRAN:
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Retro, trendy, swag
Founding member of So Solid Crew, Megaman, confirmed that the group will embark on a reunion tour.
Don't be afraid to do whatever it takes. Hope this helps.
DELILAH:
Alleged nude images of the UK singer were posted online by an anonymous source last week.
“21.3.13 #WeBeginThings Tickets Go On Sale Friday 9am #SolidLove #StarsUp”
TINIE TEMPA
H:
Suave, smart , sharp
So Solid Crew
LEONA LEWIS
26 THE VOICE JANUARY 24 - 30, 2013
LE T T A B R E T POS K LAMAR
d KENDRIC
J COLE an
To access Mobil app for The Voice
SCAN ME VOTE NOW!! Email us at young.voices@gvmedia.co.uk or tweet us @Youngvoicesmag #YVPosterBattle