Some of the more interesting news and rumors from the past week:

• Usher's wife says she was surprised when the entertainer filed for divorce earlier this month and claims the two were intimate less than a week before he moved to end the marriage.
• An R. Kelly representative is denying a National Enquirer report that Kelly's home had been searched by Chicago-area police as part of their hunt for a missing 17-year-old girl.
• Quincy Jones vowed to buy back Vibe magazine a day after bosses declared the publication was closing.
• Ginuwine's sixth studio album, A Man's Thoughts, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's R&B album chart.
• What are the best R&B songs of 2009 so far?
• And what about the best R&B albums?

As this is being written, 2009 is now halfway over, so it's time to look back at some of the best album covers of the year so far. Although other music genres have been known to rely on abstract images and photographs as cover art, R&B and Soul music have always been known for their warm, intimate portraits of artists as covers. And so far in 2009, there were over half a dozen covers that stood out as being above the rest. So this gallery - which has a brief comment on each page about the respective cover - is dedicated to them.

• Best R&B/Soul Album Covers of 2009
• Best Covers of 2008
• Best Covers of 2007
• Best Covers of 2006

As this is being written, 2009 is now halfway over, so it's time to look back at some of the best albums of the year so far. This year's list includes two highly successful veterans, Prince and India.Arie, plus a mixture of other veterans (Teena Marie, Al B. Sure!) and up-and-comers like The-Dream, Chrisette Michele and J. Holiday, all of whom released their second albums in '09. But the biggest surprise on the list might be the self-titled debut by Ryan Leslie. It's not the best album on the list, but it does a lot to dispel the thought that producers can't/don't make good featured performers. The album's tight. For more, check out the full article on the best R&B/Soul albums of 2009 (so far).

• Best R&B/Soul Albums of 2009
• Best Albums of 2008
• Best Albums of 2007

The year two-double-oh-nine is now halfway over as this is being written, so it's time to look back at the best R&B/Soul songs of the first half of the year. So far there have been a handful of truly phenomenal songs, like Maxwell's "Pretty Wings" and India.Arie & Musiq Soulchild's "Chocolate High," plus some addictive tracks that are a snapshot of a moment in time, like Jamie Foxx & T-Pain's "Blame It" and Keri Hilson & Lil Wayne's "Turnin' Me On." The biggest surprise here though, is probably the debut single by formerly unknown singer Jeremih (it's pronounced jere-my). His "Birthday Sex" simply oozes with sensuality. For more, check out the full article on the best R&B/Soul songs of 2009 (so far).

• Best R&B/Soul Songs of 2009
• Best Songs of 2008
• Best Songs of 2007

To all you deal hunters out there, check this out: the new self-titled debut album by singer Jeremih (pronounced jere-my), which features his surprise hit “Birthday Sex” is the Amazon Daily Deal. That means from now through Fri., July 3, you can cop the digital version of the entire album on Amazon.com for just $2.99. The album, which just came out June 29, has 13 tracks, including two versions of "Birthday Sex" (the regular, slow version plus an up-tempo one). A review of the album will be posted here on Fri., July 3, but in the meantime, if you'd like to go ahead and grab album before the special deal expires, you can do so via the link below.

• Buy/download the album (via Amazon.com)

Image ©  Def Jam.

The 2009 BET Awards may have been originally conceived as a venue to hand out some award statues, but after the King of Pop, Michael Jackson died, the event was reconfigured to be part awards ceremony, part tribute. This 2009 BET Awards photo gallery is of some of the best on-stage moments during the show, including shots of Beyonce, Keri Hilson, New Edition and of course, the show's host, Jamie Foxx.

• 2009 BET Awards Photo Gallery
• 2009 BET Awards Red Carpet Photos
• 2009 BET Awards Winners & Nominees

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

The 2009 BET Awards were held last night (June 28) at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. This year's show will undoubtedly always be known as the Michael Jackson tribute show, since it took place just three days after the King of Pop died, and much of the program was dedicated to honoring MJ. But there were actual awards handed out during the show, too. So if you're looking for who the nominees and winners of the 2009 BET Awards were, your R&B/Soul Guide has got that info for you, as well as photo gallery of stars on the red carpet arriving for the show. Tomorrow a gallery of the actual show itself will be posted here, but in the meantime, check out the links below.

• 2009 BET Awards Red Carpet Photo Gallery
• 2009 BET Awards Nominees & Winners

Image © Black Entertainment Television. Read more...

Some of the more interesting Michael Jackson-related news and rumors from the past week:

• Michael Jackson died suddenly on June 25, 2009 in Los Angeles at the age of 50. The cause of death is currently unknown, but he went into cardiac arrest right before he expired.
• Michael's ex-wife - who's the mother of his two older children - is in line to obtain custody of them, even if Michael designated someone else as their guardian, legal experts say.
• When he died, Michael was rehearsing for a concert run in London. Full info on ticket refunds from official ticket sellers and third parties is expected in a few days.
• Michael will once again make music history next week, when many of his albums shake up the Billboard charts with incredible sales increases.
• Michael's music is currently dominating music sales at iTunes, amazon.com and other online music retailers.
• Prisoners in the Phillipines have paid tribute to Michael with a reprise of their YouTube dance hit, "Thriller."
• When he died, the King of Pop was reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt.

Breaking news: In a very shocking occurance, the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, has died. According to various reports, Michael Jackson was in Los Angeles rehearsing for a series of London concerts he'd been scheduled to perform when he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital.  Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told the L.A. Times that Jackson was not breathing when paramedics arrived at his home and CPR was performed. TMZ.com reported that he may have suffered cardiac arrest. Michael has joined a long list of talented, iconic performers who died suddenly and before their time, including Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Donnie Hathaway, Ritchie Valens, Elvis and many others. Say what you will about the man's oddities, but there's no denying that he was one of the most talented performers of his lifetime. Rest in peace, M.J.

• Pop Star Michael Jackson Dead at 50 (latimes.com)
• Singer Michael Jackson Dead at 50 (msnbc.com)
• Michael Jackson, Music Legend, Dead (cnn.com)

And now for something a lil' bit different: a cover of a Jazz song by a World Music/Soul/Electronic artist. The song is "Be My Husband," a tender, but upbeat song originally recorded by the late, great Nina Simone. This version is by Joy Jones, an eclectic songer whose latest album, Godchild, drops July 7 via Future Soul Records. It's a little different than what's usually posted here on the About R&B site, but is worth a listen if you're open-minded toward new music. And it's free, too: courtesy of Joy and her label, you can stream or download the track by clicking the link below.

• "Be My Husband" (Nina Simone cover) free MP3

Image © Future Soul Records.