Juanita Bynum is returning to the music scene in a pretty big way.  Right off the heels of a release a few weeks ago, she announced a signing/joint venture with Music World Gospel, the first offering of which is an EP entitled Soul Cry (Oh, Oh, Oh), the first in a trilogy of products, due in stores on June 22nd.

Though a widely-discussed and highly-debated topic on this blog and in Christian circles, Juanita Bynum’s ministry and reach is undeniably a force to be reckoned with– her chart-topping sales and high visibility demonstrate a loyal following of people whose lives have been significantly impacted by what she’s doing.

For your listening pleasure, I’ve just added her newest single, “Soul Cry (Oh, Oh, Oh)” to the PunditPlayer.

At first listen, I wasn’t really feelin’ it.  But I’ll be doggoned if I didn’t find myself singing “oh, oh, oh” while I was pouring my coffee this morning…

It’s catchy!

Click here to take a listen and tell me what YOU think of it!!!

Is it just me, or is Music World Entertainment, the music and entertainment corporate conglomerate founded by Mathew Knowles, up to a lil’ somethin’?

Not necessarily somethin’ bad, just somethin’… The latest news on the homefront is that Music World Entertainment has announced the launch of a new gospel label– Music World Gospel (kudos on the consistent branding, by the way!).  The new label will succeed its predecessor, Spirit Rising Music.

This news is on the heels of the recent signings of Juanita Bynum and Micah Stampley, who joined the then-Spirit Rising family of Brian Courtney Wilson  and Trin-i-tee 5:7 among others.  Music World Gospel will even be home to a special gospel compilation released by ESSENCE Communications (yes, the folks who put out the magazine, have the awards show and do the hot music festival– read: major mainstream opportunities for Music World Gospel artists).

This is not to say that Music World hasn’t already been successful in gospel– Michelle Williams debuted at #1 with her first solo project, and at #2 with her follow-up album.  Trin-i-tee 5:7 has experienced great sales and opportunities under Knowles’ direction.  And Brian Courtney Wilson has gone from relative newcomer to a Billboard top 10 mainstray since his release last year.

All I’m sayin’ is that, after laying juuuuust under the radar for some time, we’re gettin’ press release after press release about a bunch of new signing and new endeavors…

Could 2010 be the year that Music World took a big ol’ slice of the gospel industry pie?  I’m thinkin’ maybe…

Thoughts???

TWO top 5 debuts this week!

CoCo Brother’s Stand album has debuted at #3 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week.  Click here for more info on the project and to listen to the lead single from it– “Moving Forward,” featuring Joann Rosario Condrey and Tye Tribbett.

AAAaaand Ashmont Hill… I TOLD y’all about sleeping on one of my favorite groups!  Seriously, they’re no joke. Click here to open the PunditPlayer and listen to their new single, “Your Masterpiece.”  It’s incredible to me.

The full top 10 breakdown looks a lil’ somethin’ like this…

#1 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#2 | WOW Gospel 2010
#3 | CoCo Brother – CoCo Brother Live: Stand 2010
#4 | BeBe & CeCe Winans - Still
#5 | Ashmont Hill – Your Masterpiece
#6 | Juanita Bynum – More Passion
#7 | CeCe Winans – Songs of Emotional Healing
#8 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#9 | Hezekiah Walker & LFC – Souled Out
#10 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable

Okay, who’s got the new projects from CoCo Brother or Ashmont Hill?  Who’s planning to check ‘em out now???

Songs of Emotional Healing, the latest compilation album from CeCe Winans, debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week.  According to Winans, the 8-track album contains songs “for encouragement, comfort, healing and love.”

(Sidebar: I found it for less than $8 online.  Click here to check it out and buy it.)

Additionally, James Hall’s Voices of Citadel project, Won’t It Be Wonderful, climbed from #50 to #9.  That’s kinda hard to do, so a big “alright, I see you!” to you guys.

Everything else is pretty much the same cast of characters…

The Music World Entertainment camp issued an official statement today, clarifying that the “recent rumors of a personal relationship between Mathew Knowles and Juanita Bynum are false.  Their relationship is strictly professional.”

Personally, I hadn’t heard any such rumors.  Had you guys?

The latter portion of the statement was tagged with a reminder that the joint venture between Knowles and Bynum would be releasing a new single, “Soul Cry (Oh Oh Oh),” on June 22nd.  Maybe that was the real news nugget…

Either way, now you know BOTH bits of info!  Govern yourselves accordingly.

Not much movement in the top 10 of Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week.  In fact, the biggest change was that Brian Courtney Wilson’s Just Love jumped from #10 to #8 (niiiice!).  Other than that, not much news to report.  But report, I shall…

Here’s how the top 10 rounds out…

#1 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#2 | WOW Gospel 2010
#3 | Juanita Bynum – More Passion
#4 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#5 | Karen Clark Sheard – All In One
#6 | James Fortune & FIYA – Encore
#7 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable
#8| Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love
#9 | Earnest Pugh – Live: Rain On Us
#10 | Tamela Mann – The Master Plan

And that’s that!  Anyone picked up More Passion from Juanita Bynum since last week?

On the heels of the increasingly discussed signing of Juanita Bynum to a management/recording-joint-venture deal, Mathew Knowles’ Music World Entertainment announced Friday that it has just signed Micah Stampley to a management and joint-venture recording deal (Interface/Spirit Rising Music) as well.

A new release is in the works, but there has not been an announcement as to its title or expected release date.

A lot of you didn’t like the Juanita Bynum business move… is this one more to your liking???

Amidst a media-intensive week in which she announced signing to Mathew Knowles’ Music World Entertainment, Juanita Bynum’s new project, More Passion, debuted at #3 on Billboard’s Gospel Albums chart this week.  Congrats!

The top 10 looks a lil’ somethin’ like this…

#1 | Marvin Sapp – Here I Am
#2 | WOW Gospel 2010
#3 | Juanita Bynum – More Passion
#4 | BeBe & CeCe Winans – Still
#5 | Karen Clark Sheard – All In One
#6 | Fred Hammond – Love Unstoppable
#7 | James Fortune & FIYA – Encore
#8 | Tamela Mann – The Master Plan
#9 | Earnest Pugh – Live: Rain On Us
#10 | Brian Courtney Wilson – Just Love

Whatd’ya think of the sales breakdown?

Have you purchased Juanita Bynum’s More Passion?  Do you plan to?