You already know how I feel about Queen Cassie‘s game-changer, “King of Hearts.”

You already know how I feel about King Richard X, the brilliant producer behind pop masterpieces like Rachel Stevens‘ “Crazy Boys” and “Some Girls,” Annie‘s “Anthonio” and “Songs Remind Me Of You” and Will Young‘s Echoes.

The two have now joined together in the form of Richard X’s long anticipated remix of “King of Hearts,” and I just…

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It’s been nearly six years since Bad Boy Records songstress Cassie first burst into the music scene with the platinum-selling “Me & U,” a spine-tingling slice of icy electro-R&B minimalism that rocketed to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2006.

While she’s released several songs over the past few years since her debut record, including “Official Girl (feat. Lil Wayne)” in 2008 and “Let’s Get Crazy (feat. Akon)” in 2009, the singer’s had a slow start-up for her sophomore attempt (which was at one time titled Electro Love), stalled by push-backs, delays and of course, the search for the right sound.

And then came “King of Hearts” in early February, a storming, tranced-out production filled with pulsating Ibiza jungle rhythms and haunting, chilly vocals a la “Me & U.” It was the perfect blend of futuristic dance production and Cassie’s signature delivery–the “it” sound that Cassie says will thread itself throughout her upcoming record.

Finally, the R&B songstress is now preparing to release her long-awaited follow-up in 2012.

I got the opportunity to speak with the Connecticutian chanteuse last week while she was promoting “King of Hearts” across the country. (She’s now popping bottles and getting merry in France for Paris Fashion Week–c’est bon, la vie!)

We spoke about the video for “King Of Hearts,” her producers, her sound and her fashion. Plus, she even hinted at what I can only assume to be my new personal anthem off the upcoming record: “Lonely Disco Ball.”

She’s a complete sweetheart, and one of the flyest chicks in the business: And now, an interview with Queen Cassie.

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Yesterday, I spoke with the inimitable Icy R&B princess, Bad Boy songstress and all around chic chanteuse, Cassie.

We gabbed about her upcoming music, the video for “King of Hearts” (and my .GIF wall post about it, which she called “amazing”), who she’s been recording with in the studio, her personal style, and Paris Fashion Week. I also geeked out a bit about “Skydiver” because, well, that’s how I roll. Watch for that to hit around Monday!

Until then, I’ve got a rather exciting contest to announce: In honor of the release of “King of Hearts” on February 14…

MuuMuse is proud to be giving away
a signed copy of Cassie’s “King Of Hearts.”

Yes, signed! Graced by Queen Cassie’s presence! Penned to perfection by the “Me & U” princess!

To enter to win, simply tag yourself OR comment on this post over at the MuuMuse Facebook page. One winner will be randomly selected and notified on Friday, March 9. US entries only, please!

Good luck! And now, let’s make your computer screen sizzle one more time…

“King of Hearts” was released on February 14. (iTunes)

Yesterday, Cassie premiered her long, long, long awaited new single, “King of Hearts.”

I like it. I like it a lot. Actually, it’s one of my favorite songs of 2012 thus far.

Now, the video for the song has arrived, which is more or less a 3 1/2-minute eyegasm of vintage Versace, wind machines, fire, bathtubs, leather boob straps, old-timey cameras and luscious lady lumps. It’s perfect.

For a deeper explanation, I’ve provided a more in-depth analysis…

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“King of Hearts” has been a long time coming–from leaked demos, to video previews, to grainy fan videos sent in from Kanye West‘s DJ sets overseas, to official remixes–but now, Cassie‘s major comeback single has finally been unleashed.

And the verdict? It’s one of my favorite songs of 2012 already. Easily.

From the opening drippy electro-blips, to the hand claps, to the ghostly moans echoing in the distance, to the stomping four-to-the-floor beat, the J2-produced club banger is a genius return for Cassie, meshing together the singer’s signature chilly-R&B delivery (“Me & U”) with the “jungle beats” of Ibiza (as she described in V Magazine last month) to form one long, hypnotic blast-off into the depths of space.

Still, this isn’t your standard dance-pop ditty found in heavy rotation your local Top 40 radio station–it’s better. Way better.

If there’s any comparisons to be drawn, “King of Hearts” channels elements of Janet‘s tranced-out Discipline masterpiece “Rock With U,” as well as Kelis‘ hugely underrated 22nd century dance floor masterpiece Flesh Tone.

It’s that kind of fresh, it’s that kind of innovative: The lyrics, the melodies, the song structure, the delivery, the beats–there’s not one part of this song that contains even a single molecular flaw.

“You are the prince of charm/Seduction is your art/You’ll never play my love/You’re just my king of hearts,” Cassie sweetly croons on repeat. Are there any other pop lyrics quite as charming out there right now? It’s the ultimate love letter–all the more fitting that the song is to be officially released on Valentine’s Day.

Simply put: “King of Hearts” is a game-changer. Please…don’t fuck this up, Diddy.

“King of Hearts” will be released on February 14. (iTunes)

One of MuuMuse’s favorite up-and-coming acts, Tinashe, has done a lot of growing up these days.

After separating from short-lived girl group The Stunners in 2010 and releasing “Artificial People,” her collaboration with OFM back in September of 2011, the blossoming 19-year-old singer-songwriter has just released In Case We Die on February 1, a conceptual mixtape (yes, that means free!) that serves up an unexpectedly more mature, introspective sound than any of her dance-pop productions of the past.

“I was very inspired by the thought of a lover’s last words before death–bearing their soul and their secrets before it was too late…and trying to capture that half-fear we all secretly have that the inevitable is sooner than we are ready for,” she explains of the mixtape.

The collection was reportedly self-penned, produced and record alone over a three week period. And if that’s truly the case, then Tinashe has just become more of a “One to Watch” artist than ever.

Harnessing the ghostly trip-hop production of artists like Canadian spook-R&B maker The Weeknd, Kanye West, and even subtle shades of Prince, the mixtape glides along wisps of drippy beats, echoed yelps, sultry Cassie-like icy R&B and strange, atmospheric sounds in the distance.

There’s plenty to soak in from this rich 15-track collection of tunes–from the moans and purrs above the super slow, slinky swag of “Boss,” to the autotuned Kanye-like grit of “Another Season,” to the unbelievably amazing “I Tried”: “I want you to know that I tried!” the songstress yelps above the song’s soldiering hip-hop thump and blazing synthesizers.

While not everything on this mixtape is as Top 40-friendly as her past releases (though tracks like “This Feeling” bounces with enough of a Rihanna-like bump to certainly prick some ears at radio), In Case We Die is by far her most impressive moment yet–an incredible display of stone-cold serious artistry, featuring daring production and introspective lyricism that deserves to have the blogosphere going positively abuzz.

Pay attention now, because this collection should seriously not be overlooked.

In Case We Die was released on February 1. (Download Now)

Got plans this Valentine’s Day? CANCEL THEM.

Queen Cassie is finally planning to unveil her much, much, much anticipated new single (and video!), “King of Hearts,” on February 14.

From her Twitter last night:

here is a lil Early Valentines Day love to celebrate King of Hearts video + single on Itunes on 2/14 RT http://t.co/s1voL1qS

The link leads to a gorgeous new promo photo of Cassie, shot by NYC fashion photography duo, Gomillion & Leupold (see above).

And now, for the billionth time, the “King of Hearts” video teaser that never fails to throw me into cardiac arrest:

“King of Hearts” will be released on February 14. (iTunes)

Cassie, Queen of Icy Electro-R&B, has been taking her sweet, sweet time to find her sound and deliver her long-awaited (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY) sophomore attempt–nearly 6 years after her debut record.

But between the video preview for her upcoming single “King of Hearts” and this brand new interview with V Magazine‘s Patrik Sandberg, it sounds like the engine’s are finally revving for Bad Boy’s ultimate Bad Girl.

From V Magazine:

The record itself maintains the dark and sultry elements of her early material but merges it with electronic dance, jungle, reggae, and even ska. “At the time I made the record I went out to Ibiza and I really started to feel these jungle beats,” she says. “But at the same time I wanted to keep the ‘Me and U’ tone, really simple and clean. I have a lot of friends who are DJs and they like to mix, so I like to leave a really clean skeleton with the vocal.”

The combination of these new influences with her clean style adds up to a perfect sum of what Cassie is all about this year. “In my video we called it ‘giving ’90s supermodel.’ It’s the perfect definition of who I am right now and what I’m going through,” she says, smiling. “People aren’t going to expect me to come out with what I have.”

For the full article, check out Cassie Ventura.

So let me just clarify this one, Cassie: What you’re saying is you’d like “to keep the “Me & U” tone”–that of course being “icy brilliance”–and then have it wrapped around Ibiza “jungle beats”–otherwise known as “flaw-free dance musique”–to create the sound for your new record. So what you’re actually saying is…IT’S GOING TO BE FUCKING PERFECT. K, just checking.

And as for that video? Well judging by the preview, I won’t be surprised if it winds up becoming my favorite video of the year. WERK, supermodel!

World: Begin clutching your pearls now. Cassie’s back. And now, the teaser that continues to gives me chills…