People want to know when Alicia Keys is going to break her silence on the matter of her breaking up the marriage between her fiance Swizz Beatz and his ex-wife Mashona Dean.

Clutch Magazine  wrote a piece on whether her being mum is damaging to her career. As an Alicia Keys SUPERFAN, I honestly think it could be harmful, as much as I hate to admit it.

Clutch reported that at the Essence Music Festival that took place over Fourth of July weekend, they say that when Alicia took the the stage, the vibe was weird, and the crowd was hushed.

I love Alicia for many reasons. Her songs evoke a lot of emotion in me, due to their lyrical content. There was a song for every occasion. “Teenage Love Affair” or “You Don’t Know My Name” for a crush; “No One” and “If I Ain’t Got You” for feeling in love; “A Woman’s Worth” and “Superwoman” for feeling empowered.

I even spent my hard earned cash for a ticket to her latest concert. An overpriced ticket at that, and she doesn’t even dance! But I didn’t care. Seeing her perform in person was like a dream, and I was able to cross it off my bucket list.

She made us ALL feel empowered! Everytime I saw her in an interview or read an article, I felt her spirit. She was one of the few celebrities who always seemed to lift our people up, instead of bring us down.

But then the news broke out. Alicia was a homewrecker, and she was having Swizz Beatz offspring.

I was so disappointed in her! How could someone who preached about loving one another and feeling good about ourselves make another woman feel like a wreck? Granted, their marriage might have been over before Swizz and Alicia’s began, but come on Alicia, you’re not helping the situation!

How am I supposed to feel about her now? I must admit: during her lackluster performance at the BET Awards, I left the room. I never thought I could ever be brought to that, but I couldn’t even watch the whole thing. At first, it was because of those ill-matched shoes, but honestly I feel like there’s no morals anymore. How can I believe in her??

There’s so much more to life than maintaining privacy when you’re in the public eye. When your image coincides with what you’re trying to sell to us, you owe it to us to explain. If your image equals togetherness and people are questioning whether or not you tore another couple apart, let us know the real deal, or else I can no longer buy into or respect who you are as an artist or as a person.

From COCO & CREME - One woman’s trash is another woman’s new wardrobe. It’s no surprise that celebs like Solange Knowles, Zoe Kravitz and girl group Electrik Red are hitting up racks at thrift and vintage shops to create one-of-kind ensembles at insanely discounted prices. Now you can get in on the craze with Coco & Crème’s go-to guide for everything you need to know to get the best thrifted and vintage finds!

Thrifted vs. Vintage vs. Consignment
Thrift shop merchandise can come from any era and price point. Since thrift shop items are typically donated, clothes might be stained, ripped or worn and are significantly cheaper than vintage and consignment pieces.

Vintage stores typically sell premium or designer clothing. They get their merchandise from wholesale retailers of used clothing, swap meets, vintage fairs and estate sales or flea markets. There are usually decades of trends to choose from. The clothes tend to be pricier and better quality than thrift shop merchandise.

At consignment shops individuals sell their used clothing through a dealer who takes a percentage of the profit. Most shops won’t accept merchandise unless it looks like new. Because of this, the items sell at a higher price than those found at thrift shops. Since the dealers must share their profits, they want to get the highest price possible and typically sell high-end goods.

Thrift Tips:
1. Shop where the good stuff is. Thrift shops in upscale neighborhoods tend to be chock-full with upscale merch. But be careful not to completely overlook any thrift stores, flea markets or garage sales.

2. Go often. Chances are that you won’t find something every time you step foot in a thrift store, so make a stop every chance you get and get familiar with when they restock.

Check out the rest of the tips at Coco & Creme !

I love anything with studs and chains, so of course I would be in love with these sandals from Camilla Skovgaard. And the platform on these shoes – HOT. Net-a-porter.com , $440.

Nicki Minaj is back with her second solo video for her summer smash “Your Love.” It’s a cute effort, definitely better than “Massive Attack,” I’ll say. It’s pretty basic, but it actually goes with the song (so proud lol).

Photo: MTV

Breakups can be beyond tough — heartbreaking and heartwrenching, even. We can’t dwell on the past because that will opnly make us hurt more. Here’s some helpful tips to make it a speedy recovery.

1. Delete him from your life. It may sound harsh, but it needs to be done. Erase his contact info, including his phone number, e-mail address, Facebook, stop following him on Twitter — all of that. Block him if you have to. As women, we’re so easy to forgive and be understanding, but you broke up for a reason. You can’t get rid of your past if he’s still in your present. It will be really hard, but practice some restraint and willpower. It will get easier as time goes on.

2. Get your life back. Do the things you used to do before you got together. Everyone loses a bit of themselves when they’re in the wrong relationship. We sacrifice the things that we used to hoping to make new sacrifices together. Since that didn’t work, try going out the club with your girls or have an exciting night out.

3. Take time to know who you truly are. Go on vacay by yourself. It doesn’t have to be anywhere far if you don’t want to, and it can be just for a weekend. If that might be too much for you, try making a day for yourself. Go to the spa — treat yourself. Try meditating. Cut yourself off from the rest of the world for a bit (i.e. no cell phones!). This way you have time to reflect on what you want in a relationship and who you will and will not deal with for the next relationship.