Idol Chit-Chat

Kris Allen's New Video Debuts!

2009-11-06T16:50:00.001-05:00

Today AOL Music is debuting Kris Allen’s first video, “Live Like We’re Dying”

You can also see it here. I am already in love with it…

Plus, in conjunction with the theme of the song, Kris’s website, www.krisallenofficial.com will be hosting the “Every Second Counts” contest. Fans can submit entries showing how they live life to the fullest every day. The winner and three of their friends will get to fly to New York for a special performance by Kris.

But the BIG news out of the Kris camp is that AOL Music will debut his CD this Monday, a whole week before it is released, as part of its Full CD Listening Party.

“Kris Allen” hits stores November 17th…

Carrie Underwood CD Review: Back to What She Does Best

2009-11-03T20:31:00.001-05:00

You guys have been around me long enough by now to know that I am not a country fan. So when it comes time to review a country CD from an “Idol” artist, it’s pretty hard for me.

And it’s even harder for the artist because the CD really has to be good to impress me. After a couple of listens to Carrie Underwood’s “Play On,” I’m not completely impressed, but I’m getting closer…

You might remember that I was pretty hard on Carrie’s last effort, “Carnival Ride,” because I felt like she was trying too hard to prove that she’s a country artist. And after two songs I started to think I might have the same problem this time. But “Play” manages to totally outdo “Ride” by combining just the right combination of uptempo tracks and power ballads that concentrate more on the songs than what genre they are.

But make no mistake this is not Taylor Swift we’re dealing with here. These are all country songs. They may have some pop embellishments that could lend themselves to the pop charts, but Carrie is not deserting her roots anytime soon…

Carrie does work with a lot of songwriters known for their pop hits and some of them really work (the Kara DioGuardi co-written “Undo It”) and some of them don’t (Kelly Clarkson hitmaker Max Martin’s “Quitter”). But you’ve also got all the usual stuff you get with a Carrie CD. You’ve got your “So Small” sweeping anthems (“Change,” “Play On”) and your gritty “Before He Cheats” girl anthems (“Cowboy Casanova,” “Songs Like This”). Plus you’ve got your sensitive “Just a Dream” power ballads (“Mama’s Song,” “Temporary Home”).

But the best tracks on the CD are not the usual Carrie stuff. “Unapologize,” which was co-written by Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida (who co-wrote “Permanent” with David Cook), has a great sound and a super catchy chorus. It reminds me of some of my favorites from Carrie’s first album.

And the CD’s best track is a beautiful haunting duet co-written by Carrie, David Hodges (Evanescence) and Steve McEwan (“Just a Dream” and the under appreciated David Archuleta track “Touch My Hand”) called “What Can I Say.” But the song is almost ruined by Carrie’s choice of duet partners, Ashley Clark of Sons of Sylvia (We know them better as The Clark Brothers who won “The Next Great American Band.”). Ashley’s voice is just not strong enough to compete with Carrie’s and it almost brings the entire song down. Fortunately Carrie’s gorgeous vocals are enough to carry it for both of them. I think it could be one of Carrie’s best songs yet…

With “Play On,” Carrie takes good songs and gives them a country touch instead of trying to find blatantly country songs. And no doubt she’ll get some flack from critics who think she’s trying to compete with Taylor Swift. But personally I think she’s just doing what she does best. Which after the disappointment of “Carnival Ride” is great to hear…

Play on, Carrie. Play on…

“Play On” is available now…

Please Note: This review was based on an Internet stream of the CD and not the actual CD.

Photo Credit: Arista Nashville

Adam Lambert Unveils His New Single

2009-10-30T18:42:00.001-05:00

Okay, I’m going to admit that I’m a little confused…

This morning, Adam Lambert revealed his new single on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show. And it’s not “Time For Miracles,” the theme song from “2012” that is currently accompanying the movie’s trailers.

It’s “For Your Entertainment,” the title track from his debut CD dropping November 23rd.

So here’s where I’m confused. Why go to all of the trouble to make Adam the centerpiece of a multi-million dollar movie promotional campaign if you’re not going to back the single?

Having heard the song over the latest “2012” trailer playing in theatres now, I can tell you it works very well to sell the movie (much better than the video).

And personally, I think “Miracles” might be a better song.

What do you guys think? And be warned that this video could be taken down at any time by RCA…

Adam's CD Cover Art UPDATED

2009-10-28T10:37:00.004-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, hot off the presses this morning is the cover art for "For Your Entertainment," Adam Lambert's debut CD hitting stores November 23rd.

What do you guys think?

UPDATE: Here is what Adam had to say about the CD cover on his Twitter page today:

“Thank you to those who appreciate and understand that the album cover is deliberately campy. It's an homage to the past. It IS ridiculous…For those that don't get it: oh well... Glad to have gotten your attention…androgyny. Rock n Roll.”

Adam also shared some details about the CD:

“Well here's some more album info for you guys! The upcoming single was produced by Dr Luke!!...There is also a song called "Soaked" written by Muse! Also a tune called "Music Again" written by Justin Hawkins of the Darkness!...I also wrote on four songs on the album. "Strut", "Aftermath" "Broken Open" and "Down the Rabbit Hole" (iTunes bonus track)”

Photo Credit: RCA

Are Carrie and David Doing Van Halen for the Holidays?

2009-10-23T15:15:00.001-05:00

You’ll remember that last week I told you about Carrie Underwood’s holiday special. Well, the portions with David Cook have already been taped and details are starting to leak…

I hesitate to tell you what all of the details are in case they end up on the cutting room floor, so if you want to check them out for yourself, you can visit MJ’s Big Blog.

I will say that if everything that was taped makes it, it’s going to rock—especially the Carrie-David duet of the Van Halen classic, "Why Can't This Be Love." And an NPH appearance is always a good thing…

I also appreciate the fact that “Lie” is Carrie’s favorite track on David’s CD. It’s mine too and I hope his performance of it does make it on the show so it can be his next single…

The special is scheduled to air December 7th on FOX…

David Archuleta Christmas CD Review: Beautiful, But...

2009-10-22T19:50:00.002-05:00

If there was ever an “Idol” who was meant to record an album of traditional Christmas songs, it’s David Archuleta.

Archie was custom made for it with his angelic voice and cherubic face. And both are on full display with his new Christmas CD, “Christmas From the Heart.”

David brings us “Joy to the World,” “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “Silent Night,” “The First Noel,” “O Holy Night,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “What Child Is This” and “Ave Maria.” David also shows us his flair for other languages with the French “Pat-a-pan” and the Latin “Riu Riu Chiu.” Plus, David adds Filipina star Charice Pempengco to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

The CD concludes with an original that David co-wrote, “Melodies of Christmas,” that was co-produced by his dad and co-manager, Jeff Archuleta.

It’s probably no surprise that the songs all sound gorgeous and have beautiful arrangements. Regardless of whether you’re an Archie fan or not, you have to admit he has a beautiful voice and Christmas carols are a great way to showcase it.

Now here comes the but…

BUT, after about the first three, you start to wish there was something else on here. Yes, the songs are beautiful, but they’re all slow. I completely understand wanting to stay in the traditional direction, and I applaud David/Jeff for wanting to stick with songs with the Christian message, but couldn’t they have thrown in a few bouncier ones? Anyone who owns a Christmas CD from a contemporary Christian artist knows it’s possible to do upbeat without losing the message.

If Simon Cowell were critiquing this album, he would probably say that this album ages David. Granted, he would say it in a much more clever way, but he’d still be right. David is young and should have done a few songs that would show that exuberance off a little more. Maybe a cover of Ray Parker Jr.’s “Christmas Time Is Here” or even the more traditional “Go Tell It On the Mountain.”

And I was more than a little disappointed that he didn’t do “The Little Drummer Boy.” I know he did the French version, but that’s not the same.

And is anyone else shocked that he didn’t tackle “Mary Did You Know?” Maybe he realized that he couldn’t possibly outdo Clay Aiken on that one. Or Donny Osmond for that matter (Yeah, that’s right. I said it.)…

The one chance David has to break away, “Melodies of Christmas,” falls flat because it comes off overly produced. It’s a clever track that should still get some play this season, but I think it could have been done a little better.

All of that having been said, “Heart” is still solid. It’s just not a CD that you’ll be playing during your more festive holiday parties this year. Save the Elliott Yamin or Kimberley Locke CDs for those…

“Christmas From the Heart” is available now…

Photo Credit: Jive Records

"Time for Miracles" Video: Adam Takes Center Stage

2009-10-21T14:35:00.000-05:00

If you haven’t had the chance to check out Adam Lamberts’ “Time for Miracles” video, be sure to check it out here.

I know the Adam fans will get mad at me for saying this, but I’m a little disappointed. Not in him, just the video.

I think it’s a little strangely edited in places, which robs the video of any flow. And the song is about not giving up on love, but the only reference in the video we see to love is at the song’s most dramatic point, when we should be seeing something else. And the couple we see during that sequence was never shown previously in the video so we can’t be excited that they’re together in the end.

And where in the world is John Cusack?

It’s clear that Adam is the selling point here. I just thought they’d try a little harder to sell the movie.

What do you guys think?

Time For Miracles

Adam Lambert | MySpace Video

Ryan Star Helps the Unemployed "Breathe"

2009-10-20T20:13:00.002-05:00

From time to time I like to update you on David Cook’s tourmate, Ryan Star. And when you do something this special, it deserves to be told…

Ryan’s new music video, “Breathe” will debut tomorrow on CNN.com and on CNN during the 2 p.m. newscast. The video features Ryan performing on the streets of New York with actual unemployed people. A special website http://www.breathe4jobs.com/ will allow employers to contact the people in the video.

In a press release, Ryan said, “I wanted to do something more important than just another typical video. I wanted a video that was relevant and can make a difference in the real world. Our world. So when I started thinking of how to represent ‘Breathe,’ this idea made sense because unemployment is the common thread that I have been seeing everywhere I have been touring. It just feels to me that people everywhere need to hear a positive message, that things will all be ok and that we are here for one another.”

“Breathe” is available on digital music outlets now. Ryan’s album, “11:59,” is scheduled to be released early next year…

Photo Credit: Atlantic Records

Allison's CD Cover

2009-10-20T19:54:00.000-05:00

My hero Slezak at EW.com has the first look at the cover to Allison Iraheta’s CD, “Just Like You,” which drops December 1st.

You can see it here. It’s pretty cool…

Adam Lambert Video Hits Tomorrow

2009-10-20T14:52:00.000-05:00

So for those of us looking forward to the Adam Lambert “Time For Miracles” video with lots of epic movie clips the wait is almost over…

Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced today that the video will debut exclusively on MySpace Music beginning at midnight Wednesday.

The song is available on iTunes now and will be included on Adam’s album, “For Your Entertainment,” which hits stores November 23rd.

To see the video, go to www.myspace.com/music.

Jason Castro's Release Date Moved

2009-10-19T20:28:00.000-05:00

See, this is why I added that caveat about release dates changing…

I have just been informed that Jason Castro’s debut CD will now be released January 26, 2010.

So please mark your calendars accordingly…

In the meantime, you can enjoy Jason’s first single, “Let’s Just Fall In Love Again.” But be warned, it’s SUPER catchy…

Adam Tweets His Album Title

2009-10-19T20:09:00.001-05:00

Adam Lambert tweeted about an hour ago that his album will be called “For Your Entertainment.” Nice…

No album cover photo has been released yet, but I’ll be sure to get it to you when it is.

Also, Adam tweeted that he will be on the cover of November’s “Details” magazine and he says the photo shoot “got pretty racy- you all are in for a surprise.”

Hmmm…

“For Your Entertainment” is scheduled to be released November 23rd…

Photo Credit: Frank Micelotta/FOX

Kris Allen's CD Cover Revealed!

2009-10-19T20:02:00.002-05:00

My friends at 19 Entertainment sent me over this picture of the Kris Allen CD cover.

I, of course, love it.

What do you guys think?

Photo Credit: 19 Entertainment

Kris Allen Rocks Britney?

2009-10-19T19:54:00.001-05:00

Kris Allen was in the Cincinnati area last week as he performed a special concert at Seton High School after the school raised $5000 for breast cancer research.

He treated the screaming 540 female students (It’s an all-girls school.) to a taste of this cool cover. Take a listen if you can handle all the screaming…

Adam's "Miracles" Hits the Web

2009-10-19T19:47:00.001-05:00

The entire version of Adam Lambert’s “Time for Miracles” has hit YouTube, accompanying a video of the Kentucky Derby of all things…

It’s a sweeping dramatic ballad, which is perfect for Adam’s voice. But it just makes me wish someone would’ve given his version of “No Boundaries” a real listen (I know. I need to get over that.)…

I feel quite certain a video with lots of movie footage is being put together right now.

Now who’s ready to join me in a campaign to get the song an Oscar nod so Adam can perform during the ceremony?

You can hear the song here…

Carrie To Hit TV For the Holidays

2009-10-13T18:45:00.002-05:00

Carrie Underwood is returning to FOX for a holiday special…

“Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” (working title) will be produced by Nigel Lythgoe and Adam Shankman.

I’m worried already…

According to the press release, Carrie will sing previous hits, holiday classics and songs from her new album. But “The Hollywood Reporter” adds that she will “participate in comedy bits.”

Now I’m really worried…

Joining her for the special are Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton and David Cook.

Now I feel a little better…

Additional guests will be announced at a later date, but I would be stunned if we didn’t see more people from 19 Entertainment (Kris or Adam, maybe?).

Some heavy hitters will be working with Carrie behind the scenes as well. According to the “Reporter,” “Seinfeld” alumna Carol Leifer, former “Frasier” exec producer Jeffrey Richman and actor/writer Seth Morris are writing the comedy sketches…

The two-hour special is scheduled to air December 7th at 8 p.m.…

Photo Credit: Matthew Rolston/Sony Music Nashville

Get Ready for the "Idol" CD Onslaught

2009-10-12T17:51:00.004-05:00

The onslaught is about to begin…

I had promised you a few months ago that an onslaught of “Idol” related releases was coming this fall. Well, some titles have been pushed back, but others have moved in to take their place.

So here’s a rundown of what’s coming out when with the caveat that release dates are always subject to change…

October 13th
David Archuleta, “Christmas From the Heart”
*I hope to have a review of this one later this week.

November 3rd
Carrie Underwood, “Play On”

November 10th
“2012” Soundtrack
*The movie’s theme song, “Time for Miracles,” is performed by Adam Lambert.

November 17th
Kris Allen, TBA
Jason Castro, “Jason Castro”

November 24th
Adam Lambert, TBA
“A Very Special Christmas Volume 7”
*This Christmas CD, which benefits the Special Olympics, features tracks from Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler.

December 1st
Allison Iraheta, TBA

January 5th
Katharine McPhee, “Unbroken”

Bucky Covington’s second CD has been moved to the spring.

By the way, the release date for “11:59,” by Ryan Star, David Cook’s tour mate, has now been bumped to December 29th…

Photo Credits: Arista Nashville and Amazon.com

Adam Lambert Looks to "2012"

2009-10-12T17:48:00.002-05:00

Adam Lambert has recorded the theme song for the upcoming movie, “2012.”

The song is called, “Time For Miracles,” and you can get a VERY brief taste of it here.

No word on whether the song will be released as a single and if so, if it will be the first single from Adam’s album, which is scheduled to hit stores November 24th…

“2012” hits theatres November 13th…

UPDATE: Just in case the video isn't working, here's the link.

Blake Lewis CD Review: His Music His Way

2009-10-05T22:56:00.002-05:00

When I talked to Blake Lewis a couple of weeks ago, he described his new CD, “Heartbreak on Vinyl,” as a dance record with a touch of 80s nostalgia.

I couldn’t agree more as the first time I heard it, I thought it sounded like updated Erasure. And since I adore Erasure, I adore “Heartbreak”…

The album kicks off with the beyond catchy title track that not only begins Blake’s ode to his lost love, it also laments the loss of his beloved record stores. You can’t listen to this song without getting it stuck in your head.

But the catchiness doesn’t end there as Blake goes full throttle through nine more tracks that are guaranteed to get you up dancing. “Binary Love” and “Freak” are upbeat numbers, while “Sad Song” beautifully combines melancholy lyrics with a great beat, a la Information Society. “Rhythm of My Heart” completely changes up the tempo as Blake adds a seductive edge over his beatboxing. “Afraid” picks things up again with a pounding beat.

“Left My Baby For You” tells the story of Blake choosing his career over his girlfriend and then going back to tell her he was wrong. I have to say that it’s probably my least favorite song on the CD because it just throws in too many elements. But it still has an amazing beat.

“Rebel Without a Cause” is the tale of Blake realizing his mistakes and it features some truly gorgeous moments. And of course, there is a musical interlude breakdown, “Superscratchavocalisticturntablelicious.” But I have to say it’s a little too short. I always like hearing Blake showcase his beatboxing talents.

“Our Rapture of Love” is just as seductive as the title suggests. It reminds me of Erasure, Kon Kan and When In Rome thrown together. And I mean that as a HUGE compliment. This song has real single potential.

Things finally slow down with “The Point.” And when Blake hits those opening strains, you almost want to cry for him, because you’ve been on this journey with him through the CD and you can see it coming to a heartbreaking end. Blake never gets enough credit for his vocals and this one shows off his voice well.

Things pick back up with “The Remedy,” which is impossible to listen to without at least bobbing your head. Then Blake closes the CD with “Love or Torture (Please Don’t Stop)” with the uber-catchy chorus of “Please don’t stop/I want a taste of what you got/I wanna know what gets you hot/So baby please don’t stop.” And when this song reaches its end, you’ll wish that Blake hadn’t stopped and you’ll immediately go back to track one and start again.

Probably the thing that stands out the most about “Heartbreak” is that it is a continuous story, which leads to a more cohesive album as opposed to a collection of singles. That’s a good thing, but it can also make some of the songs run together. But when they’re this fun, I’m not sure that matters.

I would also actually prefer there were more single possibilities because I believe Blake deserves a great deal of success. But since he is finally making his music his way, maybe that doesn’t matter either.

What does matter is that “Heartbreak” is a good CD that will take you back to those electronica filled days of the past—or take you there for the first time. And trust me, they’re a great place to go…

“Heartbreak on Vinyl” is available in stores and online Tuesday, October 6th…

Photo Credit: Tommy Boy Records

Allison Iraheta's New Single

2009-10-05T15:55:00.001-05:00

Allison Iraheta officially released her first single on AOL today. It’s called “Friday I’ll Be Over U”…

You can hear it here.

It goes to radio tomorrow and will be available on iTunes Tuesday, October 20th. The song comes from Max Martin, who is best known for Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” and “My Life Would Suck Without You.”

And it’s clear that the Kelly Clarkson route is the way Jive/19 intends to take Allison, which kind of surprises me. I don’t know why, it just does…

According to Jive, Allison’s album will hit stores December 1st. Among the heavy hitters she’s working with are Martin, Howard Benson (Daughtry) and Kevin Rudolf…

Photo Credit: Jive Records

Bucky Covington's New Single: You "Gotta Be" Kidding Me

2009-09-30T19:09:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, it’s hard for me to actually say what I think on this blog. I may not like a song or an album, but I like the person behind it, and I don’t want to tear them down…

But sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade. And this is one of those times…

Bucky Covington has just released the new single from his upcoming sophomore album (which has now been postponed until Spring 2010) and as I listen to it right now, I just can’t help but shake my head…

It’s a cover of the Nickelback smash, “Gotta Be Somebody.”

I ADORE this song more than I can say, so it absolutely pains me to hear what Bucky has done to it. It’s not that he has a bad voice or anything—because he doesn’t—it’s just that this song should not be countrified. And Bucky is no Chad Kroeger when it comes to singing.

Plus, Bucky tries to change it up with subtle lyric changes and rhythm changes with some of the words and they don’t work. Especially when he takes the curse word out of the second verse.

I really like Bucky and I really like the people at his label, Lyric Street, but I just don’t know what they’re thinking with this one. Do I think it’s a hit? Yeah, probably. But by covering such a familiar song that is still getting lots of pop airplay, what is that going to do for his credibility?

Not to mention what it’s going to do to my ears. I don’t think I can ever hear the Nickelback version the same way again…

Photo Credit: David McClister

Carrie Underwood's New Single...

2009-09-25T19:55:00.000-05:00

This week, Carrie Underwood released her first single from her upcoming third album, “Play On,” which will hit stores November 3rd…

The song is called “Cowboy Casanova” and you can hear it here.

Personally, I’m just not sure. I mean it’s good, but…

What do you guys think?

Blake Lewis: "I'm learning from my mistakes"

2009-09-24T21:19:00.002-05:00

In my opinion, Blake Lewis is still the most original contestant in “Idol” history. Blake took chances that no other contestant ever had before. And without him opening the door, there would’ve been no David Cook, and possibly no Adam Lambert…

But sadly the powers-that-be didn’t embrace that originality and tried to shove Blake into their usual mold. The result was that Blake’s CD, “Audio Day Dream”—which I still consider to be among the best “Idol” albums ever—did not get the promotion that it deserved.

Thankfully, though, Blake has not let that experience stop him and he’s now found a home at Tommy Boy Entertainment, which is much more suited to his style. “Heartbreak on Vinyl,” Blake’s sophomore album, will hit stores October 6th…

Monday, I had the chance to chat with Blake about the CD and what he learned from his “ADD” experience…

For those who haven’t heard it, Blake described “Heartbreak” as “kind of an indie pop dance record with a nostalgic 80s feel.” He hopes that it will make people “lose their inhibitions and just rock out. I’m really proud of this record.”

Blake co-wrote almost every track on this “very personal record.” He told me, “It’s about my last love.” When Blake mentioned that some of the songs were very personal, I asked him which ones in particular and he ended up naming almost all of them. “It was very cathartic,” he said.

A trip to New York’s Union Square Virgin Megastore, which was getting ready to close, inspired one of the catchiest tracks on the CD, the title track “Heartbreak on Vinyl.” Blake described it as “a sentimental song about indie record stores closing down. I’m a huge advocate for shopping at record stores.” But Blake knows that sadly, those opportunities are becoming few and far between as the music industry continues to change.

And speaking of the industry, what did Blake learn from his “ADD” experience that is helping him today? “So much. I learned about the jaded music industry. How it’s eating itself. I learned money talks…It’s too much to explain. But I’m learning from my mistakes. It was a great learning year.”

I had to ask if “Heartbreak” is more like what he wanted to do the first time around. “Yeah definitely. But Clive Davis and the powers-that-be would not let me.”

Of course, I had to turn our conversation eventually to “American Idol,” so I asked Blake if he gets tired of people still asking him about it. “Yes and no. It depends on if I’ve had 300 questions about it in a row. It’s part of my life and I embrace it. A lot of people care about this amazing show…And I made it pretty d--n far.”

And the number one question people still ask him about the show? No surprise, it’s “Is Simon really mean?” For the record, Blake says the answer is no.

I then turned to asking some of your questions. He didn’t answer whether or not he was single, but he did tell me which former Idol he would most like to work with. “I would love to take Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood and produce them in a totally different way. I like to take people out of their comfort zone.”

As for this season’s contestants, Blake said he’s a fan of Adam Lambert and Matt Giraud, but he said he “could find something fun to do with all of them.”

Blake said he is hoping to go on tour in November and December. He’s looking forward to sharing his music with his fans, but he admits that being on the road can be difficult. “The last tour was definitely hectic. It’s different being on the road. It’s mentally stressful.”

And not to worry “ADD” fans, Blake will be doing songs from that one on tour as well. “I’m very proud of that record. There are songs I love to sing from that record. Those are songs that will be in the mix.”

Since Blake has learned so much in such a short time, I asked him what advice he would give to someone just starting out. “Learn as much as you can about the music business. All the stuff that I didn’t know that would’ve helped me out.”

The good news is that it sounds like Blake is getting it figured out now…

I’ll have a complete review of “Heartbreak” next week. In the meantime, you can get more information on Blake on Blake’s website, or on Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace…

Photo Credit: Myriam Santos

Kris Allen’s Debut Single: SERIOUSLY Awesome!

2009-09-22T21:19:00.001-05:00

My partner in abnormality, Kris Allen —I’m sorry, but you know I am never going to let that one go. It was such an awesome moment.— has released his first single, “Live Like We're Dying.”

How is it? You can judge for yourself, but I judge it as SERIOUSLY awesome. Now, I will warn you that Kris is getting some flak for releasing a cover as his first single (It was originally recorded by The Script.), but when it’s this good and well suited to his voice, does it really matter? Now if he had released “Unchained Melody,” or something like that, I would have a problem with it…

I mean, seriously, could this be any catchier?

I’m actually starting to feel a little better about Kris’ chances now…

Be sure to let me know what you think…

My 15 Minutes With Blake Lewis: Throwing Objectivity Out the Window

2009-09-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

One of the main rules about being a journalist is to be objective, but let’s face it. Sometimes it’s hard…

Over the last few years I’ve been doing this, I’ve gotten to talk to a lot of cool people and I usually try pretty hard not to gush. But sometimes, I just can’t help it.

And yesterday was one of those times, as I got to talk to one of my all-time favorite Idols, Blake Lewis…

I just couldn’t help it, because I will always feel a personal connection to Blake. Not just because I texted my fingers off for him when he was on the show. And not just because I screamed my head off for him when he came to Huntington as part of the Idols tour. No, it’s more personal than that. See, it was Blake’s CD, “Audio Day Dream,” that got me through the worst time in my life—the eight weeks my mother was sick before she passed away.

I live an hour away from home, so when I got the phone call that she was at the hospital, I had to make that long drive all the while having no idea what was going to happen when I got there. “ADD” was in my CD player. I hit play and listened to the entire CD from beginning to end. Without it, I think I would have gone insane. And during those numerous trips to the hospital, it was songs like “1000 Miles” and “I Got U” that kept me together…

I promised myself that if I ever got the chance, I would find a way to tell Blake thank you. And yesterday, I got the chance. I admit, I debated it, but I threw objectivity out the window and told Blake that it was his music that got me through a rough time in my life and I just wanted to tell him that. And he very graciously thanked me in return.

It was the most unjournalistic thing I’ve done in my journalism career, and I’m sure that if any of my journalism professors are reading this, they’re raking me over the coals as we speak. But it made me feel better…

Probably freaked out Blake, but it made me feel better…

Tomorrow I’ll have more from my interview with Blake, including the personal story behind his new album and some thoughts on what went wrong with the first one…

So Stay Tuned…