While I wasn’t necessarily feeling “Triumphant,” Mariah Carey’s last single with Rick Ross, nor was I crazy about her track “Almost Home” for the movie Oz, The Great And Powerful, this new joint I can rock with. Just a few days ago, “#Beautiful” dropped and I could groove with it, but wasn’t 100% sure if it was a winner in my book yet. But now that the video has been released, I love it! Carey debuted the video during American Idol yesterday, which was directed by Joseph Kahn, and in the clip, the iconic singer rides along on a motorcycle with the very handsome Miguel as they sing and let the “wind” (fake) blow though their hair (and in Miguel’s case, bouffant). Later in the video, Mimi writhes around and dances in a tiny yellow dress in front of Miguel in a barnyard. And yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of it. But I can say that the visuals match the song well. The song was co-written and co-produced by Miguel, and we’re digging it.

Even if things don’t work out as a judge on American Idol (and I hope she leaves on her own accord after the hot mess of a way she’s been portrayed through the show), she’s got a great summer to look forward to, because we’re sure this jam will be a winner on the charts. Check it out for yourself and let us know if it’s a pass or play for you!

They say you can’t trust a big butt and a smile, but what about a big butt with a smile and no brains to go with it? Looks will get you far in Hollywood — very far actually — but there’s still something a little unnerving about people with all this money, power, and fame, and no good common sense or even book smarts to go with it. We’re not mad at these marginally clueless celebs, we’re just saying…

Photo Credit: DCRose.com

Kimbella

She’s lost the baby weight and she looks great. But Kimbella is giving dumb blonde a whole new meaning for black women. She’s done a lot to support people’s assumptions that she’s just a vapid model. But get this, she told Sister to Sister that she has a Master’s Degree. I’m going to need to see that sheet of paper because I don’t believe it.

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If you ask me, “beautiful” is not a word to be thrown around lightly. Sure, I think beauty can be found in a lot of places; but when it comes to people, beautiful is just as much about a person’s actions and thoughts as it is about the outward, physical appearance, people are often referring to when they use the word. I guess I’m of the same mind as Italian actress Sophia Loren, who had this to say about beauty:

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”

But maybe everyone doesn’t see it like that.

A few months ago, I started dating this guy and from our first date, until now, every time we’ve seen each other, he’s made a point to tell me that I’m beautiful. The first time, I appreciated it. Maybe even the second time too. But eventually, I started to resent it a little bit. And not because I didn’t believe him, or thought he was being insincere. I’m not being conceited when I say beautiful is not a new word for me. I’ve heard it from my father, my family, my friends, strangers who meant it and strangers who just wanted something from me. I’m comfortable with the word. I just wondered why he was using it so frequently, when he really didn’t know me yet. If he had been calling me pretty that would have been easier to stomach. But to me, the use of the word beautiful required knowledge about me he just didn’t have yet. So one evening, after he’d said it again, I had to tell him: “You know I really don’t know how to take that. I don’t know if I’m supposed to say ‘thank you,’ when I really had nothing to do with how I look.”

His answer was perfect. Essentially, he told me that our definitions of beauty weren’t too far off from one another, that beauty, and my beauty in particular, was more than just my physical features. And I believed him.

So my question to you ladies, is this: Do you have a problem with a man commenting exclusively on your physical features? What is your definition of beauty?

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As a genealogy buff, I’m fascinated by the composite of different races within blacks of African descent. Apparently, I’m not alone. Some of us love to let others know that we are more than just black. This almost goes hand in hand with people that love to tell others that their curls aren’t as tight as the rest of ours because they claim to be mixed with something. Yeah, whatever. But there is something to be said about being proud of one’s origin. Knowing where we came from is an integral part of knowing who we are. Unfortunately, many of us don’t know our genetic makeup due to lack of historically relevant data, money (for genealogical testing), or interest in knowing our backgrounds. Maybe if more of us did, we too could be like these nine celebs that are proud (some maybe too proud at times) of their diverse lineage.

You’ve got to love a man who is both conscious of things going on in the world around him, but also happens to be a stone cold fox. Marvin Pentz Gaye was all that and more during the 44 years he was on this earth gracing us with his musical talents and presence. While he was deemed by many as a major sex symbol in the ’60s and beyond, Gaye tried to move past that image to be seen as a true artist. However, he was able to be both whether he liked it or not: make music that mattered and remain a beautiful man. I’m a huge fan of Gaye’s music (“I Want You” and “After the Dance” are my jams!), so I’m excited to present to you this slideshow of the legendary crooner who sang about love in a way everyone could enjoy and respect. He seems perfect in getting prepared for Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!

Look at Gaye as a young boi (*in my Lauryn Hill voice*). Dashing good looks!

How can we do a series on beautiful black men of the past and NOT have our main man Billy Dee Williams featured? Williams was and still is pretty as he wants to be with his Colt 45 sponsoring self. The West-Indian, Harlem raised actor, artist, singer and writer has been a sex symbol for our mothers, our mother’s mother and now it’s time we drool over the old-school player ourselves. Check him out.

I have to give it to Keyshia, she is one of the few people who can look great in almost any hair color, and she’s done most of them! As versatile as her hair has been over the years, we had to give her some props with an album that looks back on all her big hair hits! However, because we’re not bias, we’ve also got to showcase a few of her big hair what the hot messes!? You know, so you guys know what NOT to try. In the end, it’s always all love though! So check her out and take notes…

Just a heads up, if you were thinking this was going to be one of those posts that idolizes “blue-eyed soul singers” or says folks are out here trying to “sound black” (as if there’s one way to sound black), you’re mistaken. This is a list about a few individuals with voices that we accidentally assumed at one point and time belonged to black people. It wasn’t until videos popped up for some of our favorite jams that we didn’t see a black man or woman, but a white man or woman–and it surprised the hell out of us. A lot of these singers are probably your personal favorites by now, some you may have never heard of, but don’t lie, you know you were telling your friends at one point or another, “Oh snap, I just assumed he/she was black…”

You’re not the only one.

Sexual chocolate! What can I say about Lance Gross that hasn’t already been said about Hershey’s chocolate? I mean, just look at the man! He’s delicious! But if you need further proof, click on through our gallery of Lance “Luscious” Gross. And yes, I just made up that nickname for him. And yes, it’s very well-deserved.

Somebody is very far along! The very fabulous Nia Long, the happy mother-to-be of her second child (her first with NBA player Ime Udoka), is gracing the cover of Ebony’s November issue. With skin just a-glowing and a fierce facial expression, Nia did two covers: A profile with some lovely makeup applied if I must say so myself, and the other, a shot of her bare belly, Long holding herself in all her glory. Both shots are pretty epic, and very beautiful. But outside of the cover, in the new issue, Long talks about how shocked she was by her new pregnancy, marriage, how she’s been reconnecting with her family in the West Indies, and having a baby after 40: “The medical profession tries to tell every woman, ‘Have your babies before 40…’ Society tells us ‘Get married before 30…’ I think if we just take our time as women, and do what comes natural to us and for us, we would make fewer mistakes.” I love it! Hey, if Demi Moore and everybody else can bare their bellies and behinds on the cover of magazines while pregnant, Miss Long definitely can–and she looks amazing. Would you agree?