Idol Headlines for 06/08/09

You really gotta love this guy Kris. Kudos to him for his loyal support.

I said this before but if all the publicity Kris gets is about how great Adam is, he needs a new PR agent stat. Like I said, I know Kris is open minded and likes Adam. Anything else we should know about him? I’m ready for something new.

Yeah I’m not sure what else Kris has to say to prove he’s not against Adam in any way. It’s great that he’s been so supportive, but Kris won AI. His publicity needs to be more about him and his career, not everyone else.

From People:

Meanwhile, Allen looked relaxed an hour before singing the national anthem, which he executed to perfection, drawing a huge ovation from the Staples Center crowd, which included Rihanna, Diddy, Simon Baker and Leonardo DiCaprio.

LOL. Relaxed. Perfection. Huge Ovation. Nice report.

Kelly is such a class act. I like that she’s so candid and open with her comments. It’s just a drag that she has to keep explaining about her personal life. I don’t know why people are so obsessed with knowing who people are sleeping with. They should worry about their own sex lives and leave other people alone.

kris can’t help what questions he is asked. the media is ALL ABOUT ADAM. although kris did win, i think most people knew that kris would have to deal with this. i don’t see why people have to get on him when he is just answering people’s questions about adam. if he didn’t answer the questions it would also get people all riled up. i don’t really get what some people want out of this poor kid.

Yeah Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not sure what else Kris has to say to prove heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not against Adam in any way. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s great that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been so supportive, but Kris won AI. His publicity needs to be more about him and his career, not everyone else

Bingo! Tell his publicist that. While I have no doubt that Kris wholeheartedly supports Adam, I totally believe that Kris doesn’t have much control over what gets put to press. 19 is using him to make Adam’s coming out more tolerable for middle America. It shouldn’t be on Kris to have to do that. Some more creative PR should be in order.

Nice article about Kris. I wonder if anything gets this guy riled up or nervous Sounds like he and Katy are having the time of their life!

I agree, meganb. Kris is just answering the questions he is asked.

I think it’s a bit hard for Kris fans because in some ways Adam will overshadow him. Adam is a very colorful person, and the media will love him. It can’t be helped that the media is interested in Adam. Kris is a more quiet kind of guy. I’m sure he’s okay with that. He seems very secure in his own skin.

It’s no use to worry about every article that comes out or to keep score about who’s getting more attention. It’s good to step back and put it all in perspective. One day Adam will get the attention, the next day it might be Kris. It will all seem less important looking back on it a year from now. They’re both riding high and why not just enjoy it.

I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a bit hard for Kris fans because in some ways Adam will overshadow him. Adam is a very colorful person, and the media will love him. It canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be helped that the media is interested in Adam. Kris is a more quiet kind of guy. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m sure heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s okay with that. He seems very secure in his own skin.

Kris is quiet, but he’s a winner. You can’t ever count the guy out.

When the record comes out, and Jive does their magic and he’s got a hit song under his belt, all this publicity stuff is not going to matter in the end.

Kris’s good looks don’t hurt him either. He’s extremely handsome and charming. I think his fan base will grow based on his looks and personality as well as his music. Actually I think he and Adam are both going to do very, very well (and Allison too).

Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s good looks donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hurt him either. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s extremely handsome and charming. I think his fan base will grow based on his looks and personality as well as his music. Actually I think he and Adam are both going to do very, very well (and Allison too).

I agree. But I think that it’s too bad that Kris’ record deal announcement was just sort of tossed into the end of the article:

And the couple have even more good news to share, as Allen has officially inked a record deal with 19 Recordings and Jive Records.

I said this before but if all the publicity Kris gets is about how great Adam is, he needs a new PR agent stat. Like I said, I know Kris is open minded and likes Adam. Anything else we should know about him? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m ready for something new.

19 is using him to make Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s coming out more tolerable for middle America. It shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be on Kris to have to do that. Some more creative PR should be in order.

The last issue of People had a big article about Kris with some great pictures. It was right in the centerfold and impossible to miss. There was a big photo of him in the contents section, as well.

This issue has the current piece, which is just a short piece, but only a half of it is about his reactions to Adam and his boyfriend. The other half is all about Kris — signing with Jive and other stuff.

I’ve also seen articles about Kris in a couple of other picture-type magazines. I’d rather see him in these magazines than in the tabloids.

I actually think Kris’s views about Adam’s relationship makes for great publicity for Kris. I know it made me feel good to read what he said, and that’s very positive publicity. So I myself am not worried about it.

Anything else we should know about him? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m ready for something new.

I want Baby Allen! But I think Kris said somewhere that he’s not ready yet. His record deal news (which isn’t really a news to us heh) is a great one as well

Kris gets asked about Adam, Adam gets asked if he’s gay. Neither of these things should matter and they will get old soon.

If I were a reporter out to get a few questions answered by either of these guys, I would NOT ask the same questions that all the other reporters have asked. Like Ted Turner said, “Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way!”

Nobody wants to read bits and blurbs with the same info that’s been going around for weeks.

ETA: Here are some questions I would like to see asked and answered. What’s the most significant change that has occurred in the last 8 weeks? Suddenly you are not anonymous, how are you, your family and your friends dealing with it? What major changes do you plan to make in the coming year? New house? New car? New clothes? Helping family and friends? Travel? How do you relax in your downtime? What is your schedule like?

But I think that ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s too bad that Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ record deal announcement was just sort of tossed into the end of the article:

I don’t think People magazine would consider that interesting news compared to Kris’s opinion of Adam’s boyfriend, which is more gossipy. BTW, People Online also featured Kris and Katy in their “Couples Watch” section on June 1.

Kelly on GMTV this morning

Interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtjgBP4AISI

I Do Not Hook Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX4yNkXURDs

HERES some pictures of Kelly performing at Capital FM Summertime Ball last night.

Kris is a cool dude and he is not phased about being asked about Adam. I hope they are both super successful and I don’t care who outsells who. I just look forward to Albums that are a cut above some of the rushed stuff that 1 and 2 are often faced with putting out there.

I think ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a bit hard for Kris fans because in some ways Adam will overshadow him.

A lot will depend on when their records come out. If Kris can get a hit song under his belt, then I’m sure he’ll get more press than he is getting now. If Adam also gets a hit song under his belt, then maybe Adam will overshadow him again. Time will tell.

A lot will also have to do with the tour. It will be interesting (to me at least) to see what the coverage will be of it. Kris will be the “headliner” and will perform last; however, if Adam has a set of songs like he did on the show then I’m sure he will be the most talked about person there since he is not only a singer but also a performer. It just depends.

Both of them will get a lot of press, it will just be directed differently. Unless Kris and his wife have a baby there isn’t anything interesting about his personal life for the media to grab onto, so Kris will have to make headlines with his music. Adam can make headlines with both his music and personal life.

I love Kris! & I love his friendship with Adam

I so agree with your post, MJ. Hopefully, Kris will have a hit and then all this fluff with Adam will be minor. And I think maybe Adam wishes all the *hoopla* was more about his amazing voice than his sexual preference.
Kris may not have anything more interesting to him other than a pretty normal life….with a very pretty wife….with a very pretty voice! There is certainly enough room in this big wide world for the *adams * and the *kris’s*…..I may prefer one over the other….but I am going to enjoy and cheer each one on!

His publicity needs to be more about him and his career, not everyone else.

kris canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t help what questions he is asked.

I agree. Plus, People chose to make the headline and lead-in about Kris’s Adam comments instead of the fact that he was singing the NA. Not sure what Kris or his PR folks could do about that.

I thought this was cute and wanted to share.

Adam Lambert’s Twilight Audition: Article Link

You know, clearly they are friends. But I also think it is a PR win for Kris and Adam to support each other. It actually expands that number of people who will consider buying their music. I probably wouldn’t have really thought much about buying Kris’ album except I like him so much, in part for being such a good friend to Adam. And because I like and respect Kris so much now, I will go out of my way to follow him, see him live, and buy his music.

I can’t speak for people who think Adam is too OTT gay, etc. but love Kris. I hope that Kris saying that Adam is his friend makes some of them listen to Adam with a little less bias.

Both of them will get a lot of press, it will just be directed differently. Unless Kris and his wife have a baby there isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t anything interesting about his personal life for the media to grab onto, so Kris will have to make headlines with his music. Adam can make headlines with both his music and personal life.

Yeah, I remember last year David Cook being photographed with various starlets, etc. — some of the stuff a single guy gets publicity for. If Kris were currently single, I have no doubt he’s be generating a large amount of that type of publicity, since he’s a young, great looking guy, with a friendly personality, and the press eats that stuff up. But that ain’t gonna happen.

When the record comes out, and Jive does their magic and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a hit song under his belt, all this publicity stuff is not going to matter in the end.

That sounds a bit like wishful thinking to me. Publicity always matters, even in my business, which is publishing. Name recognition is a big deal.

Fun article from the NYPost:

Adam Lambert’s ‘Twilight’ Audition

http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2009/06/adam_lambert_twilight_audition.html

Looking at the photos with Catherine Hardwicke , yes, I would cast Adam Lambert in “The Twilight Saga”.

That sounds a bit like wishful thinking to me. Publicity always matters, even in my business, which is publishing. Name recognition is a big deal.

I guess it depends on the publicity.

For instance, none of Adam’s publicity has been about his music. This stuff about his sexual preference is NOT going to sell his record once it comes out.

It’s all going to depend on whether Kris and Adam make good records and if their respective labels do a good job marketing them. A hit record for Kris could make all of the handwringing over his lack of publicity moot.

ETA: BTW, I just got US magazine in the mail, and there were 2 items in it about Kris. It’s not like he isn’t getting publicity, there just isn’t the frenzy around him, like Adam’s got.

For instance, none of Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s publicity has been about his music. This stuff about his sexual preference is NOT going to sell his record once it comes out.

I disagree. As I said, name recognition is all important, at least when it comes to selling novels. I’ve never tried to sell an album, but I think it probably still applies. Of course, it goes without saying the end product has to be good. But in this day and age, that’s not enough.

David tweeted:

“Digital bundle including Zero Gravity coming out on itunes tomorrow!”

“The digital bundle will include the Touch My Hand video, an unplugged A Thousand Miles, and Zero Gravity if you were wondering ”

Kirsten Jun 8th, 2009 at 10:17 am

From People:

Meanwhile, Allen looked relaxed an hour before singing the national anthem, which he executed to perfection, drawing a huge ovation from the Staples Center crowd, which included Rihanna, Diddy, Simon Baker and Leonardo DiCaprio.

LOL. Relaxed. Perfection. Huge Ovation. Nice report.

Thanks for pulling out this quote Kirsten! I was going to do the same thing! I agree, nice report.

Adam has had a lot of publicity about his music from the show. Since he doesn’t have a new album out yet, of course there isn’t any buzz about a new single. However, I have seen a lot of articles speculating on what type of album Adam will put out. There have been a lot of articles out about adam’s sexuality (too many), but its not fair to say that the media is ONLY interested in that. He didn’t win an award last night because of his sexual orientation. He won because of the music and performances he did on American Idol Show, and how he can possibly add to the music industry. Of course one’s personal life always draws interest. Look at Brangelina. I see more articles about them possibly getting married and/or adopting new kids than I do on what their next movie will be. I agree with Violator, publicity always matters.

Of course bad publicity (ex. Chris Brown) can always hurt one’s career… but the type of publicity Adam is getting to me will just make more people speculate about his album. Its putting a lot of high expectations on him, but if the album is good the rewards will be so much greater.

Anyways, like I said earlier. Both Kris and Adam will get publicity, it will just be directed differently.

When the record comes out, and Jive does their magic and heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a hit song under his belt, all this publicity stuff is not going to matter in the end.

I agree totally. He’s the American Idol, the publicity machine is in swing.

But some perspective is in order, methinks. Many of my favorite pop artists like flying well below the radar to concentrate on their music. The rest can be a distraction (at lest) and a papparazzi nightmare involving mental breakdowns, addiction, rehab etc. (at worst).

Kris seems level-headed, he’s in a strong relationship, his parents are totally behind him. That seems to me a great recipe for getting on with it and making some good music.

Think of all the really terrific musicians you rarely if ever read about in the tabs. They guard their privacy. Kris can’t do that now, but I imagine he will as much as possible.

Now to the more interesting (to me) question: what kind of record WILL the guy make? Will it be full of machine-tooled pop songs, the kind that so many Idols have been saddled with? Will he be allowed to do some covers, and to write some songs by himself? Will he be over-ruled on the arrangements, or can he keep his beautiful simplicity? I want to hear him on at least a cut or two with just his guitar or piano, and always with that direct, melodic hook and pretty voice upfront.

I disagree. As I said, name recognition is all important, at least when it comes to selling novels.

Name industry is very important in the entertainment industry. Not only in selling/getting endorsements, but also in people buying your music or seeing a movie. Some peolpe sell just because they are who they are, not because the quality of music/movie is good.

I actually think Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s views about Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s relationship makes for great publicity for Kris. I know it made me feel good to read what he said, and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s very positive publicity. So I myself am not worried about it.

I agree. They both have the opportunity of a lifetime and have said ad nauseum that they don’t feel like competitors. I’m pretty excited to hear what their music will be like. All the other publicity stuff is just fun fluff while we wait, as far as I’m concerned. I almost got my dream top 3. Can’t wait to hear about Allison’s signing.

I was reading US magazine at the hair salon and Kris is on the front cover in a small box (the people with the eight kids are the big cover story) with the headline KRIS ALLEN UNDERDOG REVENGE! No Adam on the cover. Kris’s box is the same size as Brangelina and the guy from Twilight.

I think they are running with a story and the underdog thing (with mentions of Adam) plus Adam supposedly coming out (I don’t think he was ever in) are the most salacious angles they’ve got for the moment. Once they start “Kris on the road and wife at home. Are they splitting????” and “Baby bump for Katy???” we will wish they could go back to the underdog stories and commenting on Adam’s love life.

I would also not expect too many reviews of the concerts, one way or the other. Arts reporting is being cut way, way back all over the place, and AI has never been that nice at supporting media on the tour, anyway (or mj would have all kinds of free tickets to the tour for her coverage during the year). There will be reviews in the big dailies that still exist (is it Seattle that doesn’t have a print version of a daily paper anymore?) and that’s about it. Season 5, I got sent to a nearby (larger) city to review the show and even then, AI didn’t offer press tickets. (My paper had to pay for the tickets.) Now, my reviews are limited to what happens in the actual town the newspaper is in, and I won’t be doing anything where the paper has to pay for tickets. Newspapers are in a world of hurt. Whether the Cleveland Plain Dealer can scratch up the cash to send a reviewer who thinks Adam was a highlight of the tour while the Columbus Dispatch’s “reporter” is Danny’s third-cousin-twice-removed who spends his whole review lamenting the fact that Danny didn’t win… Who cares?

You know, clearly they are friends. But I also think it is a PR win for Kris and Adam to support each other. It actually expands that number of people who will consider buying their music. I probably wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have really thought much about buying Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ album except I like him so much, in part for being such a good friend to Adam. And because I like and respect Kris so much now, I will go out of my way to follow him, see him live, and buy his music.

I agree, it’s a PR win for both. I think what you said proves why.

Once they start à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Kris on the road and wife at home. Are they splitting????à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Baby bump for Katy???à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  we will wish they could go back to the underdog stories and commenting on Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s love life.

This is sooooooooooooooooooooo true!! lol

I disagree. As I said, name recognition is all important, at least when it comes to selling novels. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve never tried to sell an album, but I think it probably still applies. Of course, it goes without saying the end product has to be good. But in this day and age, thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not enough.

I guess I’m remembering the media frenzy around Constantine Maroulis after he got kicked off the show. The media couldn’t get enough of him for awhile.

In the end, he couldn’t even get a label interested in signing him, and he was off the radar in about 4 months.

There’s also the danger that over-exposure could hurt Adam.

My point is, all this publicity is not going to guarantee success for Adam. While the fact that there isn’t an insane media frenzy around Kris at this point isn’t going to hurt him

Thereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also the danger that over-exposure could hurt Adam.

I think the same thing about Beyonce but yet I saw her on 6 more magazine covers yesterday at the grocery store.

My point is, all this publicity is not going to guarantee success for Adam. While the fact that there isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t an insane media frenzy around Kris at this point is going to hurt him.

I definitely agree with this. It can go either way for both of them.

Thank you Kirsten for pointing out the great review of Kris’s NA performance. A positive, objective viewpoint is so refreshing to read and the article delivered.

As far as Kris’s publicity or lack there of, I recently bought US Weekly, People, TV Guide (the issue with all three idols — Kris, Adam and Danny and what you didn’t know about them), and Entertainment Weekly, along with a teen magazine for my daughter, all featuring Kris Allen. Pictures of Kris in TV Guide, finally in print, doing his “philanthropy stuff” as he called it on Regis and Kelly made me so happy to see. This was the backstory that Idol Producers avoided — perhaps knowing it would most assuredly make this quiet, talented, unassuming kid a frontrunner. But they couldn’t contain his talent or his personality. lol

I read on WNTS that Adam, perhaps had a deeper fanbase, but Kris’s fanbase was broader, meaning Adam’s fanbase is intense, looking for any and all information, blogging, et al on a daily basis, even an hourly basis for some. Where as, Kris’s fans, perhaps, are not online 24/7, looking for every tidbit the blog/web has to offer. The average American will be reading People, US Weekly, and Entertainment Weekly and TV Guide.

That being said, I’m not worried about Kris Allen and publicity. The boy just wants to make music and be able to make a living from it. When asked what he wanted to buy with his upcoming new wealth, he had no answer, which made me smile. He asked what Adam said and the DJ stated, A house. If I recall correctly Kris smiled and did a soft laugh, nodding knowingly. I can’t remember him ever really answering the question for himself. I think he feels as if he’s got everything he needs.

Oh, and yes, I have one more thing on my mind. I’m glad Kris is being asked about Adam because it is a slap in the face, as Kris said in the Slezak interview, to all those in the media, as well as the Idol Producers, that wanted it to be about cultural issues. Every time Kris responds to their questions, he is saying, “look at us, yes, we are different, but we love each other.” Kris and Adam make us, as Americans, look damn good. This is what America is all about — cultural differences and the ability to overcome them. Yeah, it takes time and it might be difficult, but in the end, it’s all about the love.

I disagree. As I said, name recognition is all important, at least when it comes to selling novels.

On this, I totally disagree. Thomas Harris has always been a virtual hermit, and it sure didn’t hurt the sales of his Hannibal Lector books. JK Rowling has huge name recognition now, but she certainly didn’t before she sold a book. She also doesn’t have a tabloid life or gossipy magazine covers — the force of “Harry Potter” made her a star, not the force of “JK Rowling.” Most people wouldn’t recognize Patricia Cornwell on the street, and she’s had huge publicity for dumping her husband for a women and also for trying to solve the Jack the Ripper case. Nora Roberts sells more books than God, and I bet I’m the only one here who knows what she looks like or knows her real name. Twilight lady (the current 500-lb gorilla in the book world) has people in stores demanding Twilight or “that vampire book,” not Stephenie Meyer. And the trend of celebrity bios has almost completely died out (good thing, since they were losing money hand over fist on the things). In terms of “name recognition,” you can’t do better than Jay Leno, but his book was a bust.

Meanwhile, I’ve sold 35 romance novels in my lifetime (so far) and I can guarantee none of you would recognize my name.

In the book world, name recognition is a lot worse than with musicians, and even in music, there’s a lot to do with niche marketing. I said in a different thread that I have a relative who played on Demi Lovato’s new single and no one in the family had a clue who Demi Lovato was. So much for name recognition!

For instance, none of Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s publicity has been about his music. This stuff about his sexual preference is NOT going to sell his record once it comes out.

MJ, I agree that buzz and hype can turn and not necessarily translate into sales, but excluding the gossip-based sites not all of his publicity has been about his sexual orientation and there has been publicity about his music. Rolling Stone has actually been rather good at talking about his musical style and the Rob Sheffield article was quite well done. The talk of Adam being robbed was definitely more linked to him as a performer, not his sexual orientation — it’s just the sexual orientation was put there as a possible factor of this (and I am not trying to start a fanwar claiming that Adam was robbed; I am just going by what has been said in the media).

I do cultural studies and it is hard to isolate Adam from a cultural context. He went on the biggest show in the US which was open to the public’s vote and has been aligned with a social issue that has become the forefront of our country. So people are going to run with it. Most music has cultural context though and music icons/superstars tend to be apart of culture just beyond music. I am not trying to say Adam will be a huge star necessarily (the quality of his album will make or break), but just because there are cultural connections beyond music with Adam does not mean nobody cares about Adam as an artist. It actually places Adam more in the context of the entertainment world beyond the TV show.

My point is, all this publicity is not going to guarantee success for Adam. While the fact that there isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t an insane media frenzy around Kris at this point is going to hurt him

Oh, I definitely agree with this. As I said, the end product has to be good. And I think Kris is going to have the name recognition, too. I don’t think that will be a problem for him. My only point here is that some are trying to downplay the buzz around Adam and they shouldn’t because it’s a big deal. If he and his people are smart in how they handle all this, it could be a huge deal. Just think of the jump start he’s already gotten before the PR machine kicks in.

I thought this was cute and wanted to share.

Adam Lambertà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Twilight Audition: Article Link

Thanksomuch!!

You know, clearly they are friends. But I also think it is a PR win for Kris and Adam to support each other. It actually expands that number of people who will consider buying their music. I probably wouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have really thought much about buying Krisà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ album except I like him so much, in part for being such a good friend to Adam. And because I like and respect Kris so much now, I will go out of my way to follow him, see him live, and buy his music.

This.
Kris was one of my favorites…Adam stole my heart. I think their friendship is awesome…and it did influence me somewhat to buy more of Kris’ songs.
I am looking forward to both of their albums, and to the songs they choose for the tour.

These guys are so dang cute, I just want to pinch their little cheeks and hug them.

Nora Roberts sells more books than God, and I bet Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m the only one here who knows what she looks like or knows her real name

It’s Ellie something, right? lol.

I guess Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m remembering the media frenzy around Constantine Maroulis after he got kicked off the show. The media couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get enough of him for awhile.

In the end, he couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t even get a label interested in signing him, and he was off the radar in about 4 months.

I don’t think Connie had quite the same media frenzy, but it was my first year of really paying attention to AI. I don’t remember any contestant getting as much buzz as Adam, TBH. Katy Perry putting his name on her cape? I know, not fair, but funny.

I didn’t watch season 2, but I did tune into the finale and tried to vote for Ruben. Honestly, I didn’t care for either of them but Ruben is from the Ham. I didn’t get through, though.

I will agree that buzz does not = sales. The music and label support will matter for that.

The talk of Adam being robbed was definitely more linked to him as a performer, not his sexual orientation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s just the sexual orientation was put there as a possible factor of this (and I am not trying to start a fanwar claiming that Adam was robbed; I am just going by what has been said in the media).

Exactly. All through the show, most articles were about Adam’s music syle and performance. He was so different from any other idol contestant and in a ‘league of his own”. After he lost, the issue of his sexual orientation came up more as a way to possibly explain why he lost out to Kris. But most legitimate entertainment news sites have been about Adam the artist, and what type of album he’s going to put out.

I do cultural studies and it is hard to isolate Adam from a cultural context. He went on the biggest show in the US which was open to the publicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vote and has been aligned with a social issue that has become the forefront of our country. So people are going to run with it. Most music has cultural context though and music icons/superstars tend to be apart of culture just beyond music. I am not trying to say Adam will be a huge star necessarily (the quality of his album will make or break), but just because there are cultural connections beyond music with Adam does not mean nobody cares about Adam as an artist. It actually places Adam more in the context of the entertainment world beyond the TV show.

Nicely put. Its spot on.

I think publicity is key when launching a new product. Adam and Kris are new product. Kris will get some of that built in from being the Idol winner. Adam has to work harder to keep his buzz and publicity going, because it is not a given he will get automatic coverage when his record comes out. Plus, they are marketing to different audiences. Adam needs to build on his brand as this exciting, unpredictable, cutting edge celebrity – then hopefully follow that up with product that makes good on the image and appeals to the crowd that loves the glamorous life. Kris is doing the boy next door with a guitar thing… you don’t see Jason Mraz walking down a lot of red carpets. I think his publicity’s being handled correctly. No worries.

Totally off-topic, but I think with name recognition and books it is not about the author as a person, but the attachment to the author as a name. I have worked in bookstores on and off (easy job to go back to and great for a college student) and people tend to go for the same author over and over again, or find something similar. It doesn’t matter in the “star” sense, but pattern buying. Most people who ask for Nora Roberts or James Patterson probably couldn’t tell you anything about them, but that’s where books vary from music. I don’t think there is such thing as a “package author” but I could be wrong.

I am not trying to say Adam will be a huge star necessarily (the quality of his album will make or break), but just because there are cultural connections beyond music with Adam does not mean nobody cares about Adam as an artist. It actually places Adam more in the context of the entertainment world beyond the TV show.

Yes, this exactly. It seems as if he’s already moving beyond American Idol. It’ll be fun to see how it all plays out. And I think that’s a key word when it comes to Adam. He’s fun.

The Fact is people are moooooooore interested in Adam.

and that’s not because his sexual but his talent.

Meanwhile, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve sold 35 romance novels in my lifetime (so far) and I can guarantee none of you would recognize my name.

Ooohhh Smartcookie!! I am a romance book addict – I might have better chances in recognizing you than other posters – actually for readers name recognition doesnt matter much. I would not buy the books that I like but if a particular author had written something that I like – i have the tendency to get almost all of his or her books. Very costly habit esp when you consider there is so many romance books in the market. I think my Adam habit would follow the similar trend with my romance books habit.

Bingo! Tell his publicist that. While I have no doubt that Kris wholeheartedly supports Adam, I totally believe that Kris doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have much control over what gets put to press. 19 is using him to make Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s coming out more tolerable for middle America. It shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be on Kris to have to do that. Some more creative PR should be in order.

It’s very possible that the reporter asked Kris only a couple of questions about Adam and the bulk of the interview was about Kris’s music. But at the end of the day, it is the editors, not the reporter, not the PR person, that decides what gets featured in any article. Right now the upcoming RS cover is getting the buzz, so that is the angle the editors are going to use. After RS hits, and the tour starts, Adam’s personal life will not be the that important and I doubt Kris will be asked much more about it. I also agree that Kris comes off very well in this. It only makes Kris more appealing. Kris seems to be very mature and enlightened, which makes me think that his music will have some depth to it.

I have to say both Kris and Adam are a PR person’s dream come true. They both look good, they give good answers and are talented. I really do think this is such a win win for AI, for Adam and Kris and for us AI fans.

Totally off-topic, but I think with name recognition and books it is not about the author as a person, but the attachment to the author as a name. I have worked in bookstores on and off (easy job to go back to and great for a college student) and people tend to go for the same author over and over again, or find something similar. It doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t matter in the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  sense, but pattern buying. Most people who ask for Nora Roberts or James Patterson probably couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t tell you anything about them, but thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s where books vary from music. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think there is such thing as a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“package authorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  but I could be wrong.

I totally agree. I have been working in bookstores and libraries my whole life. My first part-time job was in a mall bookstore. I had the ISBN for the paperback of Hunt For Red October memorized (before scanning… am old )… I also had the men who were going to buy it pegged when they walked into the store. I also know what Nora Roberts looks like. She has a glamour shot. Don’t know her real name, but she also writes under Robb. I read her in high school. That’s about it.

Also, with the comparisons of Constantine to Adam. Constantine was never supposed to win…… Carrie was always the winner that season. In fact, it was a shame to put the rest of the contstants through the week to week competition…. Anyways, Adam cannot really be compared to past contestants because there’s never been an Adam on American Idol before. He was provacative and didn’t care. Thats why he got the media buzz that other contestants didn’t get. Eveyone had and continues to have an opinion about Adam. What other contestant had a performer sew his or her name into their cape?? It was wild! lol

Adam is going to have some good press leading up to the release of his album this fall. I just hope he delivers with some good songs/arrangements. I don’t think Simon said Adam has the potential to be a world wide star for his health. Its obvious he see’s money signs with Adam, but they are going to have to play their cards right.

For instance, none of Adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s publicity has been about his music. This stuff about his sexual preference is NOT going to sell his record once it comes out.

Yes and no. The top 40 radio market, of course, has little to do with music per se. It’s all personality (some might say “cartoon character”) driven. So the whole papparazzi/gossip rag thing might well be helping Adam sell in that market. Without a People Magazine “schtick” or fascination, he couldn’t be pushed to top 40. Fortunately, his schtick is more interesting and less destructive than getting drunk and smashing up a car five nights in a row.

At the very least, his red-hot media glare at least gives him the window of opportunity for that market, depending on “the product”. He’s an interesting “product” story because, unlike most Idol contestants, he can credibly pitch both top-40 pop pablum and/or good music.

I don’t think Kris minds talking about Adam at all because from that little extra stuff from Kris’s interview for EW, he talks about how he can go on about him and Adam’s friendship. I think he does want to inspire people to show that we can all get along, and somehow I never think it’s too cheesy coming from him.

In terms of publicity, I would compare Adam more to Taylor because even though he didn’t get a cape with his name, he did get a special request to sing his song again on results night. The media was fascinated with him, his love life, he even got included in People’s most beautiful list, etc.. However, his music was not able to transcend into radio and that’s what ultimately caused his album to “fail”. As long as Adam gets good material, I think he’ll be fine. Otherwise, no amount of publicity can generate good sales, because talking is free, but an album costs money.

The Fact is people are moooooooore interested in Adam.

and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not because his sexual but his talent.

If this is the case, then why do most articles about him only focus on his sexuality? And why can’t posts on message boards like this one go a page or two without discussing his sexuality.

I’m not saying he won’t be successful, even though I think he’s going to find that success on stage, not the radio, but if I was him, i would be worried about the direction that my “celebrity” is going. Nobody, well almost nobody, is going to buy his music just because he is a celebrity.

“If this is the case, then why do most articles about him only focus on his sexuality? And why canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t posts on message boards like this one go a page or two without discussing his sexuality.”

According to Google only 6% of the Adam Lambert search traffic is related to the word “gay”. I think that means that there is more going on then just his sexuality. Plus, he isn’t the first gay or “might be gay” contestant on AI. If it was just about being gay then we would all be talking about some other past contestants — and we aren’t.

There really is more going on.

I do cultural studies and it is hard to isolate Adam from a cultural context. He went on the biggest show in the US which was open to the publicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vote and has been aligned with a social issue that has become the forefront of our country. So people are going to run with it. Most music has cultural context though and music icons/superstars tend to be apart of culture just beyond music. I am not trying to say Adam will be a huge star necessarily (the quality of his album will make or break), but just because there are cultural connections beyond music with Adam does not mean nobody cares about Adam as an artist. It actually places Adam more in the context of the entertainment world beyond the TV show.

I’m not saying Adam should be separated from his cultural context. That would be impossible. It’s just that context seems to be overwhelming the picture at the moment, and in the end, I’m not convinced it’s going to sell records for him.

Hopefully, after the Rolling Stone article answers those questions, the media emphasis will shift. I’ll bet that’s what Adam’s peeps have in mind for him. Get the questions answered, and then move on to promoting the music.

Also, I was a little hyperbolic when I said “none” of the coverage has been about his music, but those articles get lost in the sauce compared to what’s overwhelming the news cycle right now.

I think the thing is, people love interesting stories. And to a lot of people, all of the speculation about Adam is interesting. That doesn’t mean that ANY of these people are going to go out and buy his album. Little to none of the media frenzy surrounding Adam lately has been about his singing…it’s been about his sexuality. That really isn’t going to help him sell albums.

That said, a lot of the media attention Kris has gotten has revolved around speculation about Adam. That’s not going to help Kris sell albums, either.

But…both of them are very smart, and very talented guys. They are both handling themselves very well and I have no doubt that each of them will be successful.

One last thought…it is great to see that they are supportive of each other. That 3 month tour could be awfully uncomfortable if they weren’t!

According to Google only 6% of the Adam Lambert search traffic is related to the word à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“gayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

And yet both magazine covers that feature Adam make it a point to stress his sexuality.

Actually as I think about this, the headline used by People was perfect. Yep, people are anxious for news on Adam (and while he’s an amazing artist/entertainer, I tend to think it’s more about his lifestyle), so the headline draws them in to read about the amazing job Kris does on the NA, receiving an ovation.

Some of Adam’s fans may be doubters about Kris’s abilities, so this shows some of what Kris can do and may help get rid of some of that doubt. Of Kris’s fans are going to read it because they’re eager for news on Kris. Headline does its job.

I could be wrong, but it’s a nice thought/idea anyway.

And yet both magazine covers that feature Adam make it a point to stress his sexuality.

And aren’t most magazine covers about Angelina about her and Brad although she is an Oscar winner? I think you have to have both talent and an interesting personal story in order to keep getting covers and the big press.

There have been a lot of articles out about adamà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sexuality (too many), but its not fair to say that the media is ONLY interested in that. He didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t win an award last night because of his sexual orientation. He won because of the music and performances he did on American Idol Show, and how he can possibly add to the music industry.

Great point!

While generally I agree with the statements “publicity won’t guarantee success” and the “end product has to be good,” with Adam I think the thing is that he’s got a couple of different tricks (potential end products) up his sleeve. Because of his dynamic live performance style, he could do well on tour even without a spectacularly selling album or one with only one or two moderate hits. He also has a definite international appeal and an interest in performing abroad, as he mentioned in one of the interviews last night. Plus he has acting and dancing chops so movies and (yes, the dreaded) Broadway are also potential avenues for him. So for Adam, anyway, I don’t know that it all hinges on having a super successful first album (although that would be good too, tm Eber Lambert).

Getting magazine covers doesn’t mean you are going to sell any albums, especially if you are a new artist, and the only thing that people have seen about you is constant talk about your sexual orientation.

As far as kris goes, there have been a lot of articles that are just about him, and more importantly, his talant for music. I think it’s him, not 19, who is trying to sell Adam to people, I think that’s just the type of person he is. After the show, he was constantly defenind Kara for NB, more than trying to promote himself. He is always trying to build-up other people, he did the same thing at the finale with Adam, and when he was voted into the top 13 on Group 2 night. He’s always talking about how Allison, Danny, and Adam are all talented and that he thinks this year’s top 13 is the most talented ever. That’s just the type of person he is. And, it’s one of the reasons many of his fans like him.

The top 40 radio market, of course, has little to do with music per se. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s all personality (some might say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“cartoon characterà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ) driven

Examples? If this was true Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan would have been triple platinum pop grammy winners. But you have to make catchy music that will get requested and played to sell singles and albums.

edit: DON’T comment on the thread. DON’T Lecture, DON’T criticize posters. READ MY GUIDELINES

And arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t most magazine covers about Angelina about her and Brad although she is an Oscar winner? I think you have to have both talent and an interesting personal story in order to keep getting covers and the big press.

What is Adam known for? 2 things: his over-the-top American Idol performances (which some people believe reflects his sexuality) and…. as the gay guy on American Idol. Adam isn’t some Grammy-award winning artist that has his accolades eclipsed by his sexual orientation. He’s not known for much (like his fellow contestants)

Personally, I don’t care whether Adam is gay or not. But every single discussion about him tends to be about it.

“ADAM LOST AMERICAN IDOL BECAUSE HE’S GAY! America is homophobic! Blah blah blah.”

Those discussions did happen, and on a rather frequent basis.

Ah, delete–duplicated.

While generally I agree with the statements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“publicity wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t guarantee successà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“end product has to be good,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  with Adam I think the thing is that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a couple of different tricks (potential end products) up his sleeve.

Well, yeah. Notice I said the publicity won’t necessarily sell records. If Adam’s record doesn’t sell, he’s got lots of other avenues open to him–including Broadway and touring overseas–for sure.

Elliott Yamin can’t get played on the radio here in the US, but he’s got a hit in Japan right now. There’s a world of possibilities out there.

But like I said, if Adam makes a good record, and it’s promoted properly, he’ll be in a good position to sell records.

Elliott Yamin canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get played on the radio here in the US, but heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a hit in Japan right now.

And that sucks! lol

2 things: his over-the-top American Idol performances

Well, I also think he’s becoming known as the best contestant to ever perform on the Idol stage and the only true ‘star’ that Idol has ever produced. I’m not saying these things are true (I think they are), but I’ve seen many an article with this slant.

I don’t think there is a competition between the two of them because they are so different. I’m not really seeing that Adam is being shoved down anyone’s throat. I do understand that some passionate Kris fans believe the media attention on Adam diminishes Kris’s win, but I don’t believe that. I think Kris may be getting even more media attention because of Adam. Singing the NA really is just a photo and a cutline in the magazines. But asking Kris about Adam, well, it’s another reason to talk to him. Let’s face it, the “music news” well is dry until after the tour starts and the albums come out.

Last year, Cook was able to keep the buzz about himself going by staging the Kimberly Caldwell date on TV. It was a media savvy thing to do and kept Cook in the spotlight until after his album dropped and he went on tour. With Kris being married, there isn’t any red meat to throw to the tabs, so in a way, I believe this also keeps him in the news. I see this as a win win for both of Adam and Kris. Adam gets to glam it up and Kris comes off as a really cool guy.

This is the reason that I love Kris. I am not a fan of his music (it is just not my thing), but there is something to be said about being kind to each other – it is refreshing – especially given the circumstances and the amount of publicity. It can only be a good thing all round for both of them IMHO.

Just a thought, but IMO all the Adam buzz could actually help build Kris’ name recognition, too. Kris is actually getting significantly more press mention (offline and online) then David Cook got after last year’s win, and a large percentage of these Kris’ press mentions are in Adam-focused stories.

Regarding the comparisons to Taylor Hicks:
At least from a PR standpoint, there is no comparison between Taylor Hicks and Adam. Since 2006 (the year Taylor won), Adam has 150% of Taylor’s the Google search volume and leads him in every state except Taylor’s home state of Alabama. Plus, Taylor only has measurable international search volume in 4 countries – US, Canada, UK and Australia. Adam and Kris have measurable search volume in over 20 countries.

And Adam has also have more all time print press mentions than Taylor.
And almost all of Adam’s buzz has been since mid-March 2009.

And for 2009, Adam is also ahead of the all time AI press/buzz champion — Kelly Clarkson — with 140% of her 2009 search volume; 330% in the past 30 days.

Who knows if the high level of buzz translates into career success, but I don’t really think that it hurts. IMO even if Adam doesn’t have a successful music career (and I believe he will be a successful recording artist), he has other avenues for success — Movies, Theater and Vegas come to mind. Just as long as he doesn’t end up with a “campy” TV variety show! (This last one is a joke.)

Elliott Yamin canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get played on the radio here in the US, but heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a hit in Japan right now.

And that sucks! lol

Actually, only *half” of that sucks!

Babybelle32: Kris and Adam definitely seem to enjoy talking about each other, and they are both generous in their praise towards each other and towards their fellow contestants (especially Allison), but Kris gets a lot of interview questions about Adam, about the voting, why he won over Adam, etc. He gets those questions, Adam gets the sexuality questions. Annoying though they are right now, as those questions die down, I think both of them will get a greater focus on their music from the media.

I don’t think it’s accurate to say that all the coverage of Adam has been about his sexuality, though–just like not all of Kris’ coverage has been about Adam. I’ve seen a number of articles and interviews that focus on Kris and Adam as artists, that are interested in the music they will make, etc. Rolling Stone, for example, has been very focused on its excitement over Adam as an artist and singer (even going so far as to call him “the first real rock star the show has ever produced”) since the conclusion of the season.

I just have a question (and I hope it won’t be taken out of context) – Aren’t we suppose to be standing when singing the NA?

Actually, only *halfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  of that sucks!

Well yeah

And arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t most magazine covers about Angelina about her and Brad although she is an Oscar winner? I think you have to have both talent and an interesting personal story in order to keep getting covers and the big press.

If only it were that simple, otherwise we wouldn’t be subjected to Paris Hilton all the time. :rolleyes_tb:

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ADAM LOST AMERICAN IDOL BECAUSE HEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢S GAY! America is homophobic! Blah blah blah.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

I just don’t believe he lost just because he was gay. I think that his “gender bending style” is polarizing and this quote from the Las Vegas Weekly said it best:

Lambert lost not because he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have star quality but because he already has too much. This is an unusual figure, a performer of great ambition and artistry and shtick. Unusual figures are by definition polarizing. Others who would never have won popularity contests: Madonna, Amy Winehouse and David Bowie.

He also has a definite international appeal and an interest in performing abroad, as he mentioned in one of the interviews last night.

I’m just really curious bout this part, as I keep seeing it being mentioned for Adam. How did it came about – was Simon the first one who brought it up? I don’t really follow AI every season, so I’m not sure if this is the first time that Simon used it for an AI contestant.

But more importantly, how exactly to you define “international appeal”? As I know, both Davids didn’t get the this compliment, and they seemed to be doing quite well in Southeast Asia, with a great reception in Phillipines. Kris too, is doing relatively well in most SEA countries, and some of them better than Adam. While Jordin singles from Tattoo (did well in UK and many countries) and now “Battlefield” is getting massive airplay, beating out Kris and other idols.

As far as I know, the “international market” is extremely varied in itself. There are acts that enjoys success worldwide but not in US, and vice versa. What I’m just extremely curious about is this “international appeal” that a lot of people seemed to peg at Adam. How do you identify it?

I think the Kris-Adam friendship is a publicist’s dream, and benefits both of them. You know, say that you think Kris is a bit down home and traditional, his friendship with Adam gives him a little Hollywood glamour. And if you think Adam’s a bit too Hollywood, his friendship with Kris gives him something down home and grounded. I think it broadens the appeal of both of them.

Now I’d like to see the four of them double-date.

Speaking of media frenzy and publicity, I was at break this morning at work and mentioned these two guys, and not one person I work with had heard of either of them.

Arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t we suppose to be standing when singing the NA?

Yes, stand facing the flag or music, with you hand on your heart. Men are to remove their “headdress”. Individuals in uniform should give the military salute
at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note.

TKat – love your point about the mutual Kradam love actually helping both contestants. As someone who loved Adam and was crushed when he lost, I was able to get through it so much easier because of the mutual love these two had for each other – the hug during the press conference, the quotes about each other – I just loved the fact that, not only was Kris super supportive of Adam (talking about what a talent he was), but Adam was so good too in being happy for Kris. It really made me love BOTH even more (and I was more apathetic about Kris before that – just not a fan of the style of music).

And I agree that there aren’t as many things for the press to latch on about with Kris – Adam is just a naturally more enigmatic, exciting, controversial character, which is why the press goes to him.

That said, I do think press, in general, is a good thing, but that you have to be savvy and work it properly. Think of a pro like Madonna, who has stayed relevant, through ups and downs, for SO long (or U2, or other groups like that). They understand the current trend, match it, meld with it, and help themselves in the process.

Speaking of media frenzy and publicity, I was at break this morning at work and mentioned these two guys, and not one person I work with had heard of either of them.

Ross, really good point. But Kris’ record deal is the #4 Entertainment story on Yahoo News today (#1 online new source). And, by the way, the accompanying Reuters article doesn’t even include Adam’s name.

What is Adam known for? 2 things: his over-the-top American Idol performances (which some people believe reflects his sexuality) andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦. as the gay guy on American Idol. Adam isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t some Grammy-award winning artist that has his accolades eclipsed by his sexual orientation. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not known for much (like his fellow contestants)

You’re entirely dismissing the quality of his vocals here, which is unfair. If over-the-top performances were all it took, the new American Idol would be Normund Gentle. If his sexual orientation was all that mattered, Sanjaya, Danny Noriega, or David Hernandez would be a lot more popular than they are.

The fact is that in addition to those two things mentioned above, Adam also has charisma and incredible singing talent. Without that, he would never has gotten as far as he did. He’s America’s sweetheart right now, and deservedly so.

I disagree. As I said, name recognition is all important, at least when it comes to selling novels.

On this, I totally disagree. Thomas Harris has always been a virtual hermit, and it sure didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t hurt the sales of his Hannibal Lector books…..

I don’t see how your examples counter the importance of name recognition in selling books. It’s the names of writers that people recognise, not their faces or behaviour patterns. Unlike music, it’s not easy to preview a novel (if you do it’ll only be for a few paragraphs), you buy a book very often based just on the name of writer, what you expect the writer to write, be they John Grisham, Stephen King or Robert Ludlum. If I see an advert for books it’ll be Patrica Cornwall’s this or John Le Carre’s that. And “name” extends to the names of the fictional characters (as in your Hannibal Lector example), or whatever that might be popularly associated with the books in the public mind (your Twilight example). Some writers in specific genre might not be widely known outside of that genre’s readership (I have no idea who Nora Roberts is until I looked in Wiki, or someone not interested in the fantasy genre might not know who Terry Pratchett or Ursula Le Guin are), but that doesn’t mean their readers don’t buy their books simply based on their names. They definitely very often do.

But back to AI. Adam Lambert IS a name now, and he has a personality to match. He also appears to have the media savviness to maintain the interest in him (I’m sure he is playing out all this “is he or isn’t he gay” business for all that it’s worth). As far as I am concerned, he is almost guaranteed a certain level of success that would exceed what Kris Allen can hope for at this moment in time. That’s not to say that Kris can’t be more successful, but he really need some very strong songs if he wants to do that. Kris isn’t a personality as yet, Adam already is.

Kris and Adam are such genuinely good friends that they seem thrilled to be talking about each other in the media. Now, if their publicity was ONLY about the other guy, that might be a problem. But most of the publicity — at least the more recent publicity — has backed off a little bit from the whole “Adam vs. Kris” thing. There is at least some focus on what each of them is hoping to do going forward in their careers, and about them separately. Kris seems to get asked about Adam much more than Adam gets asked about Kris, but that’s not surprising. Kris being a humble, down-to-earth happily married guy isn’t great gossip fodder — although that hasn’t stopped a few of the rags from speculating about whether his marriage will survive. Adam, on the other hand, seems more “out there” to the public — maybe more so to Middle America (whenever I’m in West Hollywood, I see people who come off as much more bizarre and/or out there than Adam does!) so there appears to be more to speculate about with him. And it seems pretty clear that Adam loves the media limelight (aside from the scary stalking), while Kris doesn’t seem to care about it one way or the other, but knows it’s sometimes a necessary evil.

What I like is that the Kris-Adam friendship has seemed to make some Adam fans like Kris more — and vice versa. The more people who are willing to try and become more open-minded, the better! And maybe even a few more of Adam fans will now be interested in listening to Kris’ music, and a few more Kris fans will now be more intersted in listening to Adam’s stuff.

If this was true Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan would have been triple platinum pop grammy winners.

Too true! We’re in a world now where so-called “stars” of “reality” shows (including ones about people with too many kids) get as much PR as major political figures!

personally, I’m sick to death of: a) octa-Mom; 2)Brangelina; 3) Susan Boyle; and 4) whether Idol was rigged, Adam’s sexuality, and who deserved to be the Idol and who didn’t.

But there’s a 24/7 maw out there of media outlets, and it needs fresh meat every day, in fact every hour. I know, believe me, because I work for it. But I do actually believe it’s kind of dumbing us down as a society, and also causing a huge distraction from our own messy, unglamorous but important little lives.

When this Idol cycle has run its course, two questions will be left to ask: who will make a good record? and who will buy that record?

I have some idea of what Kris will do on disc, because he’s already put out an album of his own (though years back) and because he’s never wavered from his style. He’s a singer-songwriter, who I hope finds heartfelt material and continues with his imaginative but uncluttered arrangements and his sincerity and ability to convey a story in song.

I truly have no idea what Adam will put out. He says he loves Madonna, Cher, Queen, Lady Gaga, My Chemical Romance, and his own recording style could be an amalgam of those, or something else. He may make great records to dance to, which could rack up big sales. Or not. It’s so hard to know anything, because the pop world is in total flux and there are no guarantees.

My favorite Idol album so far is Melinda Doolittle’s disc. it got great reviews, and I don’t know the sales but they can’t be great. Does that make her a disappointment, or any less of an artist? Not in my book. I love her voice, style and integrity.

And good on Constantine! As Adam can tell you, musical theater is a very demanding genre, which requires massive hard work and dedication. You can’t fake it night after night with auto-tune or anything else. I never loved Constantine on the show, but he’s talented and works his tushie off.

But look at the choices Idol made of guests on the show this year. They were all top-of-the-pops people, or people they wanted to push — like Brooke White, who (gee! what a coincidence!) has a disc produced by Randy.

I wish we could get away from celebrity and sales as a measure of artistic worth. Given the way the world turns lately, I guess we can’t. :glurps_tb:

I think Adam is fine because he became famous for his music first. The first things people talked about were his incredible vocal range, and stage presence. People tuned in to see what he did with songs next. He won the award last night for his singing and artistry. So he’s different than Paris or Lindsey and all those other people who were famous for something else, and THEN decided to be a rock star.

I found it interesting that interviewers last night were very eager to hear his opinion on lots of things. Religion, spirituality, how he sees the world. Adam is interesting. He’s “out there” on almost all things. It’s not just about Gay. He’s going to controversial for many things because of who he is. That makes for a good pop or rock star. Like Madonna, Bowie, Lady Gaga, etc.

Part of “making it” is keeping in the public eye. Both Adam and Kris are still getting publicity, which is great. Doesn’t matter why. Cook got several mag mentions at this point for dating Kimberly. That was positive to him. But, in the end, it will be about the music. They have to deliver. At least, they are still “out there”, and hopefully people will give them a chance. At the very least they will end up like the Davids and have that first year success with their Idol fanbase which is strong for both. However, if it doesn’t carry over for a couple of years, and they can’t branch out, they both have other options. Kris can make it big, I think, in country. And Adam does have Broadway, TV talk, and the European market. Allison is the easiest one to market in the US market, but I’d say Adam and Kris are very excited.

lola Jun 8th, 2009 at 1:37 pm

I just have a question (and I hope it wonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t be taken out of context) – Arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t we suppose to be standing when singing the NA?

lol, I think I know where you’re going w/ this, sorry if I’m reading into it too much. But regardless, People somehow determined Kris got an ovation after the NA.

As someone who loved Adam and was crushed when he lost, I was able to get through it so much easier because of the mutual love these two had for each other – the hug during the press conference, the quotes about each other – I just loved the fact that, not only was Kris super supportive of Adam (talking about what a talent he was), but Adam was so good too in being happy for Kris. It really made me love BOTH even more (and I was more apathetic about Kris before that – just not a fan of the style of music).

Mary102 you are so right!

Kris and Adam’s mutual friendship and respect, kept me from being a crushed, potentially bitter, Adam fan. And converted me into a fan of both of them.

For Kris it is now all about the music — great songs = great success.

For Adam, I think it is more complicated. He needs to make sure he continues to challenge people and yet stay current. Only a handful of performers have ever been able to do this, but the best, like Madonna, have been huge.

toonah, I couldn’t agree more!!! well said
Coming back to Kris, what I admire in him the most is the fact that in his humble and quiet manner he is actually sending us all a message of what a good Christian is all about – loving others for who they are… as simple as that. (and in a Godly way *cough, cough*)
As for Adam, he has said that many times that for him it was all about singing, but well, if people want him to be a poster boy for their agenda, well he will oblige.

I think Kris Allen sounds like an adult when he talks about his friend Adam – and I mean that as a high compliment. Grown-ups really can ignore things like sexual orientation in their friends.

For me, Cookie was the best contestant ever & is a star. Some people may find it hard to believe, but some of us are actually not interested in Adam Lambert or his music (though we still enjoy reading this blog every day).

If his sexual orientation was all that mattered, Sanjaya, Danny Noriega, or David Hernandez would be a lot more popular than they are.

Guess you didn’t read the Howard Stern interview with Sanjaya. ha

lol, I think I know where youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re going w/ this, sorry if Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m reading into it too much. But regardless, People somehow determined Kris got an ovation after the NA.

LOLAM — I totally missed that! And don’t we always applaud loudly after the NA at a big game?

My favorite Idol album so far is Melinda Doolittleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s disc.

I LOVE me some Melinda!! I still can’t believe she didn’t make it to the finale. Her album is awesome! She needs better marketing though.

If his sexual orientation was all that mattered, Sanjaya, Danny Noriega, or David Hernandez would be a lot more popular than they are.

to be fair, D. hernandez and D. Noriega left pretty early in the competition.

Sanjaya was oddly popular during his yr (and post idol). however, he received more press for his hair and his bad singing than his “sexuality”. to my knowledge, has he ever “come out” or been photographed w. a boyfriend?

here is proof that online voting, searches, and overall popularity doesnt automatically translate to album sales. this is a quote i found about sanjaya, lol:

In TIME’s 2007 “TIME 100 POLL for The Most Influential People of the Year”, based on online public votes, he ranked third.[12]

what if adam had left during country week? I don’t think the outside world (i.e. non idol watchers, enthusiasts) would have paid as much attention to him.

I credit idol voters for recognizing talent. meaning, Adam advanced further than hernandez, noriega, and norman gentle. and that’s why those guys are not as popular….how far you go in this competition is relevant in how much press you receive.

now…post idol, how the media covers Adam…well, I do think they are focusing on his personal life (sexuality). and as a result, that’s what non idol viewers might associate Adam with.

however, saying that the media focuses on Adam bc of the “gossipy” nature of their reporting is not to say Adam is not talented or doesn’t deserve good press.

“Speaking of media frenzy and publicity, I was at break this morning at work and mentioned these two guys, and not one person I work with had heard of either of them.”

That doesn’t surprise me. I know a lot of people who don’t know them either and could really care less. Thats why in politics and entertainment there is no such thing as “overexposure”. There will always be people who have never heard/seen you before.

Though he made my gay-dar ring loud and clear, I think Sanjaya has always said he’s straight and has had girlfriends.

It’s interesting, because now that people admit to being gay in show biz (or get outed whether they like it or not), we all have to remember that there’s a lot of stereotyping going on and that not all men who have a sexually ambiguous or androgynous vibe are gay — just as all forceful gals (like Kelly) are not lesbians.

That said, a lot of the media attention Kris has gotten has revolved around speculation about Adam. Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not going to help Kris sell albums, either.

Great point!!

And yet both magazine covers that feature Adam make it a point to stress his sexuality.

And if I’m not mistaking they are both being written by people who are gay themselves…

If this was true Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan would have been triple platinum pop grammy winners.

Kind of a reiteration of what others have said, but I think in Adam’s case the big difference is that he actually HAS talent, a great amount of it too. I really hope the best for both him and Kris, because, above all else, they’re nice people who have loads of talent.

Call me an optimist, but I’d like to think that a bit of luck (doing well on idol) plus talent is enough to (hopefully) give them successful, long careers. That doesn’t mean they’re destined to be multi-platinum recording artists. As others have said, so much success goes beyond that. Look at all the success in movies, broadway, etc, that past contestants have had. I think, in that respect, that regardless of how his album may do, Adam does have many options to segue into theater, tv, movies, etc. because of his multiple talents. And who knows? Maybe that’s where he’s finally suited to be the happiest and most succesful. Regardless, I really hope the best for both of them. They really deserve it.

FWIW – In year’s past, I always tend to gravitate toward the contestants that, imo, had what it took to really be successful in the biz. They had the best stage presence/voice/musicality/showmanship combination of the bunch. I’d like to say I’ve been able to gauge it pretty well so far. In S5 I thought Taylor was a joke, amusing, but not gonna last, and absolutely loved Chris and his amazing talent and stage presence. Similarly, last year I loved Cook’s stage presence, voice and musicality, and thought even the best of the rest lacked his level of “overall” ability.

and unique28v:

I’m still pissed that Idol hasn’t lifted a finger to help Melinda apparently. Wasn’t she a big favorite of Simon’s? And excuse me, but isn’t she one of the best female vocalists in Idol history?

Ah, show biz is soooo fickle….

Kris too, is doing relatively well in most SEA countries, and some of them better than Adam.

What Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m just extremely curious about is this à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“international appealà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  that a lot of people seemed to peg at Adam. How do you identify it?

The same way you identified Kris’s popularity in “most SEA countries, and some of them better than Adam” (see your statement above).

As for Adam, he has said that many times that for him it was all about singing, but well, if people want him to be a poster boy for their agenda, well he will oblige.

Respectfully disagree. Not sure if you’re trying to paraphrase Adam or not, but if you are, this completely distorts the meaning of what he said. Adam has way too much self-confidence and personal integrity to be anyone’s obliging “poster boy.”

Wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t she a big favorite of Simonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s? And excuse me, but isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t she one of the best female vocalists in Idol history?

Yes she was. Simon said out of the three of them (Jordin, Blake, & Melinda), Melinda deserved to be in the finale the most. He invests more in his Britsh show non-winners than with AI after the shows. I do wish he would have helped her though.

Melinda is definitely one of the best female vocalists in Idol history. I still remember her version of My Funny Valentine as if she just sang it yesterday. It always ticked me off how Randy and Paula made it seem like she was too good and “perfect”. Like it was a bad thing that she actually sang on pitch. Isn’t that the whole point of singing? To sing on key?? lol They just wanted Jordin to win and unfortunately it was at Melinda’s expense. I sure hope she continues to make music though.

Adam wants to work with Missy Elliott! Article Link

Here is what he says:

“And while Lambert has made it clear in previous interviews that he’d love to work with Madonna (like, no duh!), he also wouldn’t mind some studio time with Missy Elliott.

Something a little bit urbanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’ something you can shake your booty to,” he said. “I haven’t really performed much hip-hop. But I think the two of us can team up with a cool kind of rock-hip-hop-dance-type jam. That would be pretty sick.”

That would be soooooo wicked!! lol

It seems to me that the basic conversation about Adam is a little strange — non-Adam fans saying he’s only famous and people/media are only interested in Adam because he’s gay. And the Adam fans saying, no it’s because he’s ….. .

We’ll I guess we really have made some progress because Adam was on AI in 2003 I don’t that that would be the conversation we would be having.

As for Adam, he has said that many times that for him it was all about singing, but well, if people want him to be a poster boy for their agenda, well he will oblige.

I do not believe that Adam ever said this. In several interviews he very clearly said that for him it was about singing and entertaining people and he was NOT interested in being part of any political agenda. But that he recognized he couldn’t stop what other people did.

During the whole AI season, Adam has been criticized by both left-wing and conservative gay bloggers and activitists. On the left for not “coming out” and from conservative gays for acting like a “British comedian” and being too flamboyant. I think he was very savy to not engage in the discussion for the past few months.

I’m also pleased that he seemed so happy about the upcoming RS article in last night’s interviews.

- – - – - – - – - – - -

My favorite Idol album so far is Melinda Doolittleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s disc.

I love her album and she used to be my #1 all time — until Adam. I really think that they could do a great duet.

On Adam and international appeal — Well, I think this got started partly because of Simon but partly because we know that a lot of glammy or theatrical pop and rock acts have tended to have more perennial popularity in Europe and Japan, for example, than they’ve had here and enjoy that now, as well. I don’t know that it was meant so much to say — Well, he’ll have *huge* international appeal — as to say — Well, he may have more appeal in some places abroad than he’s likely to in the United States.

There are lots of examples. But to name a couple that I think Adam has said he likes: Muse — pretty big not only in England but elsewhere in Europe but not much here; the Scissors Sisters — American but a much bigger success abroad than they are here. Etc. Japan is loaded with extremely theatrical pop and rock acts.

I loved Melinda Doolittle during her season! Tell me about her cd. Good? What type of music? Recommend?

Adam wants to work with Missy Elliott! Article Link

I just saw that too – I LOVE the idea of Adam doing a little urban beat/hip-hop infused album! He can practically do anything! I don’t expect him becoming an over night Lil Wayne or anything (let’s hope not!) but I like where this is headed!

Melinda’s album — great, pretty traditional soul/R&B. If you liked Melinda’s voice and delivery, I think you’d love the album. It’s just pure Melinda — high quality and amazing vocals, just very very strong.

CindyM — her album “Coming Back to You” is terrific!

It’s old-school soul, with great horn arrangements, and some new tunes and older ones (a great cover of the hot blues “Dust My Broom”), and soaring vocals.

Got better reviews than many an Idol album. But either her management team isn’t with it, or girlfriend just can’t catch a break. Why isn’t she doing the late-night TV talk show circuit? She had a little bit of a thing on Ross the Intern’s blog, teaching him how to be a back-up singer, but that was just for laughs.

She was on the Idol red carpet briefly, and was quoted with her usual generous, warm comments, in stories about the AI finale 2009. She’ll be performing soon in Japan, but no national tour yet.

But if anyone deserved a boost from Simon and company, it’s this gal. To quote from one review (from the Minneapolis paper):

What can’t Doolittle do? The 31-year-old handles songwriter Sammy Cahn’s rich, late-night, pop-jazz balladry with flair and revives the flavor of Hi Records/Motown-era uptempo soul…

We’ve all been posting about the whole business of pop fame and popularity, and the craziness and absurdity of all that is reflected very much in Mindydoo’s situation.

If you love “sung” R & B, I urge you to check out the album and her website.

Melinda is definitely one of the best female vocalists in Idol history. I still remember her version of My Funny Valentine as if she just sang it yesterday. It always ticked me off how Randy and Paula made it seem like she was too good and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“perfectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Like it was a bad thing that she actually sang on pitch. Isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t that the whole point of singing? To sing on key?? lol They just wanted Jordin to win and unfortunately it was at Melindaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expense. I sure hope she continues to make music though.

IMO she was the best female vocalist they ever had. And I also loved her version of My Funny Valentine (one of the best performances ever on the show!)

The only problem with her (and, for the record, she was my fav that year!) was that she lacked the huge “pop” appeal that AI is typically trying to market. She really fit a much more nitch R&B, soul singer, more old-school than what you’d hear on the Top 40 stations. But she is one of those artists who has great potential to win Grammys with an excellent voice and smart song writing.

Is Adam going to be on 20/20 this Friday?

http://www.movieline.com/2009/06/adam-lamb…20-producer.php

Got better reviews than an Idol album in a long while. But either her management team isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t with it, or girlfriend just canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t catch much of a break.

The biggest problem with Melinda’s album, IMO, is that they released her single to pop radio. Not Urban Adult Contemporary, not AC, not even HAC. Pop radio. That made no sense to me. And that right there is her problem.

Thanks for the info, I’m gonna buy it! Her voice was amazing! I think she suffered from voter complacency during her season, I remember thinking she had it in the bag, because she was soooo talented.

unique heres the link the one you posted doesnt work

http://www.movieline.com/2009/06/adam-lambert-encouraged-to-be-as-flamboyant-as-he-pleases-by-promo-hungry-2020-producer.php

Adam confirms that he is signed with RCA in this interview. He also confirms that he was asked by Rolling Stone to be on the cover. Article Link:

QUOTE

In the Rolling Stone article, right? Are you rocking the music mag’s cover?
“Yes, they picked me! It’s pretty crazy. I never thought I would get anywhere near that. It’s like, “What? Rolling Stone?” I don’t even know what to say anymore. The article is gonna answer all those questions everybody has been asking. Once and for all.”

So coming in second place, do you have a record contract? Collaborating with anyone yet? You said you’d love to work with Lady Gaga, Madonna…
“Yes, I do, with RCA. I can’t say yet. I wanna keep [collaborators] a surprise, but we have some really great stuff in store.”

On Melinda’s potentially having less than great management and promo team: The late-night shows — as well as the early-morning shows, and any other big network shows like Oprah — virtually never book indie artists except a once-in-a-blue-moon appearance from somebody like the Shins who’s been plugging away in the indie world for years and years and had a large record of success there.

Melinda’s merely meeting the same fate as Elliott. The big tv networks are big corporations, just like the big record companies. Thus, they’re not in the business of giving exposure to indie people who — if they succeeded — might hasten the decline of the big record companies. Big corporate powers stick together.

This pattern is really all too clear, if you look at the guests these shows book. Her management can probably try till doomsday and they won’t get much, if any, top-level network promo. Elliott’s team’s been slugging away at this for over two years now, and he’s garnered virtually nothing in this line.

If it were about singing ability, Melinda and Elliott might be the first two you’d book!

I don’t agree that Adam’s OTT performances drove most of his media publicity regarding his music. Two of his most quiet, understated performances got tremendous media attention — Tracks of my Tears and Mad World were definitely not OTT and yet both garnered the attention of the public, press and critics. Mad world is still his most successful seller and remains on the charts. So to equate all of his musical attention on OTT or in your words flamboyant performances is IMO wrong.

Katharine McPhee had alot of magazine covers after her Idol stint. Not the cover of RS for sure but lots of nice fashion/beauty magazines. She also was featured on many tabloid TV shows and tons of daytime TV. She certainly didn’t get the buzz Adam is getting but she did okay.

In the end the buzz helped to make her name as a celebrity. Which is nice for her because it has kept interest in her as an actress. It did absolutely nothing for her album sales though.

Thank you frogcooke!

In the end the buzz helped to make her name as a celebrity. Which is nice for her because it has kept interest in her as an actress. It did absolutely nothing for her album sales though.

Maybe if she’d had Adam’s level of talent, it would have.

Lots of people though Kat was talented her season. I thought she was too shrieky which is my main complaint with Adam as well. Although he’s a much more fun performer than she ever was.

Kat also had a problem connecting with the right genre of music. She went pure pop and that failed. I still don’t know what Adam’s album will be like. Seems like rock, electronica, dance and now add hip hop to the mix.

I don’t think tabloid buzz and album sales have much connection though. Carrie and Daughtry did fine and both had very little tabloid attention the year their first albums came out.

Elliott Yamin canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get played on the radio here in the US, but heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s got a hit in Japan right now.

Elliott did it once here in the US. He can do it again daggone it!!!!

It’s very rarely the “voice” alone that sells an album and the “voice” alone rarely elevates the singer to the top of the heap. There are so many variables and intangibles that have to come together in some cosmic collision to create a recording “star”. Becoming a celebrity is just one small component of the overall issue.

We tend to ridicule the “package” that Kara focuses on but, all things considered, it is the package that ultimately sells the record that ultimately creates the celebrity that becomes the star that is the package that sells the record. It is a cycle that keeps repeating itself…the trick is: where do you begin the cycle since it has no obvious beginning. Do we start with the voice, or the celebrity. AI starts with a voice that they form into a celebrity. If the public doesn’t buy the persona as the “next big thing” the voice has little chance of selling.

I’ll admit that I can be a very shallow person. I always thought Melinda’s and Elliott’s voices were beyond the best but I never bought into them as “potential stars” that I would pay money to see perform or would watch a TV program just to hear them talk…they just weren’t a package.

This year we are so lucky to have at least three Idols that have the potential to grab onto that gold ring. They are good looking, have good voices, interview well, people adore them, they hold up under pressure, they are happy in their own skins and are self aware enough to know who they are. They are the package Kara talks about and I have great hopes (I’ll actually go out on a limb and say) that Kris, Adam, and Allison will make it in the industry.

TKat Jun 8th, 2009 at 3:00 pm

lol, I think I know where youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re going w/ this, sorry if Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m reading into it too much. But regardless, People somehow determined Kris got an ovation after the NA.

LOLAM à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  I totally missed that! And donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t we always applaud loudly after the NA at a big game?

LOL, actually I meant that I truly believe there was a great response after he sang the NA. I listened again to one on the tube and not only was the cheer response louder after he sang “wave” than I initially thought, but the beginning note wasn’t a throw away.

Also, as my hubby pointed out, we watched the Lakers being introduced at the beginning and the tv didn’t even pick up the crowd response to that very well.

Both Melinda and Elliott have radio friendly music… good stuff… Elliott more pop and r&bish, Melinda more AC. What they don’t have is a label. Elliott was able to break through as an indie once by making visits to radio stations all over the country but not this go round – even with requests – it’s not happening. It’s sad.

The label is huge. Those that are signed had better make the most of it because lables can also be very fickle.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll admit that I can be a very shallow person. I always thought Melindaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s and Elliottà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s voices were beyond the best but I never bought into them as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“potential starsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  that I would pay money to see perform or would watch a TV program just to hear them talkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦they just werenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t a package.

Can’t vouch for Melinda on this score, but Elliott’s developed into an absolutely fabulous live performer. His shows are non-stop energy with vocals that you truly can’t believe are pouring out of one person for hours on end. His ability to sing live is astonishing, and he’s a charismatic stage performer now, too. And he travels with one of the finest backing bands of anybody out there. They’re like a well-oiled machine — great musicianship and passion. Major newspaper critics have agreed on that!

It’s true that E was green on the show, and the package wasn’t there yet. But it is today. If you get a chance to see a live evening with Elliott Yamin, grab it.

Re: How Idols get major media coverage, a history:

Kelly C — Are she and Justin an item?
Is she a lesbian?
That guy David whatshisname dumped her and she’s freaking out!
She’s fighting with Clive!

Clay — His father won’t speak to him!
Is he gay? Is he gay?
He’s had a test-tube baby!
He’s gay!

Frenchie Davis: Worked in Internet porn!

Fantasia — She’s illiterate!
She was raped in high school!

Bo — Drug arrests!
Does his girlfriend have a baby bump?
He’s getting married!

Carrie — Is she dating Tony Romo?
Has she broken up with Tony Romo?
Is she in a feud with Jessica Simpson over dating Tony Romo?
Hey, she won another award!

Taylor — How can an old grey-haired guy win American Idol?
Is he gay? Is he gay?
Is he dating a tv news anchor or pretending to date a tv news anchor or paying some floozy to pretend to be a tv news anchor he’s dating?

Katharine — Does she have a baby bump?
She’s dating a guy old enough to be her dad!
She’s marrying a guy old enough to be her dad!
She has sexy hair!

Elliott — Oh, my god, he has the ugliest teeth the world has ever seen!
Oh, my god, he’s getting $50,000 worth of free dental work to fix the ugliest teeth the world has ever seen!
Oh, my god, his new teeth are very shiny!
Who’s the hot babe he’s hanging around with?

Blake — He said *what* about him?
He said *what* about her?
He said *what* about that?
He said *what* about them?
Insert your favorite potty-mouth comment here.

Jordin — Is she a virgin? I guess she’s a virgin!
Her label signing is being held up because of her controlling parents!
Hey, she’s wearing a purity ring!
Hey, she’s making comments about people who don’t wear purity rings!

Whatshername Barbarella — Nude photos! Nude photos! Nude photos at various landmarks on the National Mall!

Archie — His father is a maniac!
His father is a maniac!

Cookie — His brother has cancer! His brother has cancer!
He’s dating Kim Caldwell!

Adam — Is he gay? Is he gay?
Apparently he’s gay!

Etc.

I could be mistaken, but it was my understanding that Elliot’s follow-up CD has not been as favorably reviewed as his previous. That could be a reason he is having a harder time this go-round. I don’t doubt that he has turned into a great live performer, though.

I think what will matter for Adam and Kris selling records, more than anything, is the quality of the albums they put out. If each of their first singles that are released are good, get a lot of airplay, and get people excited about the upcoming CDs, then I think they will do fine. If they are duds, then things will be harder.

The leg up that they will have over everyone else who is trying to break into the industry is that they will have the Idol name recognition that will help to get them on all the talk shows, etc., to both be interviewed, and to sing that first single. I’m convinced that, unless the albums they produce suck, they will get the full muscle of their labels pushing them to radio, retailers, media, etc. That, along with a quality record that is something the public has an apetite for, should spell success for both of them.

Of course, “success” in this day and age of music is simply not the same success as with previous Idol debuts. I think Ruben sold 2 million albums, and that was considered not that great. Nowadays, if either sells 2 million, I think the labels will be thrilled.

And, of course, for each of them, individually, “success” may be something completely different. Kris has said repeatedly that he just wants to earn respect in the industry. I don’t think he cares about whether he gets rich or famous. He wants to earn the respect of his fellow musicians, and to have a music career. If he manages to sell millions of records and be a superstar along with it, that would just be icing on the cake for him, I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-dVFe6rNFA

a little back up for Lucy…

The late-night shows à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  as well as the early-morning shows, and any other big network shows like Oprah à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  virtually never book indie artists except a once-in-a-blue-moon appearance from somebody like the Shins whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been plugging away in the indie world for years and years and had a large record of success there.

I actually don’t agree with this. Many is the time someone recommended a singer I’d never heard of before, and I went to youtube and found they’d done Conan, or Craig Ferguson or Jimmy Kimmel’s shows. They’ve got some very hip bookers for those folks.

As for the “package,” yeah we’ve become far more superficial on that score. Nothing against pretty people who sing great too, but where would Ella Fitzgerald, who had a weight problem most of her life, or a lot of the other greats be if they started out today? I think the English are less hung up on this. Can you imagine what Simon would say to the very curvaceous Adele about her “package”?

Part of Susan Boyle’s “sell” is that she’s so dowdy. Mindydoo looks fine, in a normal everday way. She is not unattractive even if she’ ain’t no Beyonce. But I think she needed savvier press reps who really pushed her many assets. As for the radio release thing, man that is such a problem for so many artists these days. The formats are SO rigid, the playlists So tight.

I went to a Ray Lamontagne concert where Ray, who is so shy he spoke barely a word during the set, at the end enthusiastically thanked an alternative radio station in town and said that without that kind of support he would have gotten nowhere.

Re: How Idols get major media coverage, a history:

LMAO. Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

I could be mistaken, but it was my understanding that Elliotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s follow-up CD has not been as favorably reviewed as his previous.

Actually quite the contrary. There will always be a lukewarm review here and there but overall, reviews are very favorable.

As a matter of fact.. here’s what MJ had to say:

Listen to the entire album HERE. So far ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s getting good reviews. It should, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s leaps and bounds beyond his debut album Elliott Yamin. Great songs, great production. Hope the publicity machine is cranked for Elliottà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’this one deserves to be heardà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦

Mindydoo looks fine, she is not unattractive even if sheà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ ainà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t no Beyonce. But I think she needed savvier press reps who really pushed her many assets. As for the radio release thing, man that is such a problem for so many artists these days.

Aw, I’m just going to say it. I don’t think Melinda’s looks are the issue. And to me, she has a fabulous voice. The reason I have no interest in further seeking out or purchasing her music is because I find her so fucking boring. Even when she was on AI – I could see her tremendous talent every week, but within 5 minutes of the show ending, I had forgotten all about her.

Some people just aren’t compelling enough to capture the public’s attention. And, plenty of ugly people who ooze that illusive “IT” factor seem to find mainstream success. I think there are just a lot of variables to all of this. I don’t think the hit or miss experience of trying to make it in the music business is much different for the AI alumni. Some of them catch lightning in a bottle – some don’t. The odds that any of them will achieve large scale success are slim – just like for everyone else in that business.

And, while many of them are fun to watch on the show, they just can’t seem to hold the public’s interest afterward. Some of them put out crappy songs and fade away. Some get their crappy songs played on the radio, but don’t sell many cd’s. Some of them make good songs that no one ever hears because they don’t have the machine behind them. And, still more of them never even get the chance to make the crappy songs.

It’s a crapshoot. And, it’s very difficult to pinpoint why it works for some and not others.

Well, I say to you Adam, Kris and Allison fans… be happy you have a good lablel. Trying to make it without one is a tough go.

“”"”"Re: How Idols get major media coverage, a history:”"”"”

I wrote earlier today that I was glad Kris wasn’t in the tabloids.

Just came from the grocery store where I saw the tabloid, the Globe, while I was in the checkout line. On the cover was a picture of Kris with the headline: “Idol Kris Fights To Save Marriage!”

Not that that’s “major media coverage,” but it seemed to fit in with the spirit of that post.

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Idol Kris Fights To Save Marriage!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

It was only a matter of time. Hopefully, Katy isn’t fond of those babydoll style tops – otherwise her alleged “baby bump” should be on the cover of In Touch Weekly inside of 30 days.

LOL Ross….and so it begins…..

just wait for the day adam and kris go out to grab a drink(without their mates)….”gay scandal rocks idol!” :rolleyes_tb:

Yep… was just thinking the same thing. Adam breaks up marriage… Drake is out. Kris is in.

[Wand3rful wrote:] just wait for the day adam and kris go out to grab a drink(without their mates)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ gay scandal rocks idol!à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

LOL. They have all those hugging photos for “proof,” too. And that video (“I like the top”). Surprised they haven’t gone there, yet!

SpenserJ, the article mentioned Katy’s “rumored pregnancy,” or something like that. Mostly it was just quotes we’ve all heard from Kris before, like about how Katy won’t be joining him on tour, which the Globe’s “expert” says is a big mistake. And how Kris, as a new celeb, will be “partying with A listers” while poor Katy…won’t be, I guess. Ha.

(I didn’t get to finish the article because one of my friends caught me reading it and was giving me a hard time. Hm, should have bought it…)

oh wow…….. HQ quality up close vid of ATM from Rio Tinto!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a_WMZsrW1M

Aw SpencerJ!

one person’[s boring, is another’s fun! I mean, I sorta find Adam’s vocals boring….Down people, down, down! No offense intended to anyone.

But how can you be bored by this (turns out they did book her on Ellen!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0KNFX83MJI&feature=related

ah well, to each their own baby….

Adam is a media darling, at the moment. He’s playing his role to their liking. Personally, I felt he became almost too big for Idol. I think he’s got a lot of pressure now on him to prove the worth all this media attention. His first disc better be killer. I’m totally confused about what direction he wants to go in; non-cohesive albums are crap. Please don’t put out a disc of hard rock/dance/angst/ballads/hiphop/electronica/ect/ect. …that never works. Pick a style and go for it.

Again, as I’ve said before, Kris knows how the game is played. He’s not stupid. He knows who the judges, producers, and media were rooting for. I really think he has the ability to put out some very nice radio-friendly hits. When I say he’s like a male Carrie Underwood, I’m not necessarily talking music — I’m meaning that he’s pretty much an open book that can be molded to turn out some good pop/soft rock, just as she was molded. He is defined in a particular style, but “upping it a notch”, in his words, can mean a lot of things. He is a surprise, but if 19E and Jive play their cards right, he can be an unexpected gift.

BTW, his album deal now is near the top of the Yahoo entertainment area.

oh and what they hey, here’s Melinda singing the heck out of SSB:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTeACsVAStE&feature=related

I must be psycho because I actually watched those trashy TV tabloid shows – Access Hwood, the Insider, etc. to see how big a deal the Young Hollywood awards were. I only saw one mention of it and it focused on Shawn (DWTS) winning one. No mention or sighting of Adam at all but one of the shows did have a little clip of Kris singing the NA. David Carradine’s shocking death got most of the attention.

I didn’t watch every minute of every show though. However I did get to see that awesome clip of Brett Micheals getting clocked again.

I’m late for work, yet again, but I have to agree with some of the posts, particularly those of MJ’s or in-line with MJ’s. I’ve noticed that all the talk about Adam is about his sexuality, and I don’t get to hear or read about his music, lest he himself lays it on the ground, just like what he did on the EW interview on another thread here (he says he just got signed with RCA).

On the other hand, it’s too early to say that Kris is being overshadowed or will be overshadowed by Adam. It’s almost presumptuous. Time will tell.

I love Adam, and as I’ve said before, it was a long process. If I didn’t watch the AI as regularly as I did this season (seasons past, I just watched whenever I felt like it), I would not have appreciated Adam, his talent, and his music. I think people here now understand Adam because they get to know him on the show, and will probably buy his album once it comes out, but the challenge is with the non-viewers. Will the talk about his sexuality translate into sales from non-AI viewers? For me, the earlier the sexuality speculations is laid to rest, the better, so people can focus on Adam’s music.

As for Kris, it was also a long process of loving the guy, but definitely shorter than Adam’s. IMO, he’s an easier sell. Even if perhaps I didn’t get to watch him, I’d probably buy his music (but I watched him a lot on the show and will definitely buy his album). I mean, I didn’t know a thing about Kelly Clarkson then but I have her songs (not the entire album, though) and I still love her very first single. Because, at the end of the day, it’s the music that counts.

On Adam and international appeal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Well, I think this got started partly because of Simon but partly because we know that a lot of glammy or theatrical pop and rock acts have tended to have more perennial popularity in Europe and Japan, for example, than theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve had here and enjoy that now, as well. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t know that it was meant so much to say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Well, heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll have *huge* international appeal à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  as to say à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Well, he may have more appeal in some places abroad than heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s likely to in the United States.

Thanks for clarifying, Lucy. I’ve been wondering about this for a while now, seeing some past Idols never getting this “international” peg, but still doing relatively well. I agree with you bout the glam or theatrical pop thing, so I guess it sorta makes sense. But I think that sometimes, despite the best of efforts, it might just come down to luck luck and some really savvy marketing.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s very rarely the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“voiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  alone that sells an album and the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“voiceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  alone rarely elevates the singer to the top of the heap. There are so many variables and intangibles that have to come together in some cosmic collision to create a recording à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“starà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ . Becoming a celebrity is just one small component of the overall issue.

We tend to ridicule the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“packageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  that Kara focuses on but, all things considered, it is the package that ultimately sells the record that ultimately creates the celebrity that becomes the star that is the package that sells the record. It is a cycle that keeps repeating itselfà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦the trick is: where do you begin the cycle since it has no obvious beginning. Do we start with the voice, or the celebrity. AI starts with a voice that they form into a celebrity. If the public doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t buy the persona as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“next big thingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  the voice has little chance of selling.

I agree, but I like to add that these days it’s not so much as the voice but the material/song you’re doing. Big “voice” divas like Celine, Whitney and Mariah are having a hard time in the current market, and Mariah has been managing to keep in it by slipping more into R&B and hip-hop into her singles. Now she keep those huge, moving pop ballads mostly in her album or for live performances. Madonna too, attempts that by some dance-pop thing. It seems that the market now is driven towards more package artistes and catchy songs like BEP/T-Pain etc.

It seems that the market now is driven towards more package artistes and catchy songs like BEP/T-Pain etc.

Yup. Which is why I don’t listen to the radio anymore. lol

Access Hwood, the Insider, etc. to see how big a deal the Young Hollywood awards were. I only saw one mention of it and it focused on Shawn (DWTS) winning one. No mention or sighting of Adam at all but one of the shows did have a little clip of Kris singing the NA.

I saw Adam mentioned on the shows. Grant it, they do have a lot more video and writings up on their website. The Tony’s obviously was a huge focus along with the death of David Carradine.

Its a nice awards show. Its not the grammy’s, tony’s, or oscar’s but its still a big deal because people are being recognized for their craft. Anytime one is recognized by others is a positive. There aren’t any negatives in that. lol

When I say heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s like a male Carrie Underwood, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not necessarily talking music à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’  Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m meaning that heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pretty much an open book that can be molded to turn out some good pop/soft rock, just as she was molded.

How was Carrie molded? She was a country artist before the show, during the show, and stayed that way after the show.

Carrie has come a long way since her early interviews when she was scared of her own shadow. They have made her into a crossover hitmaker, and her own “brand”.

I could be mistaken, but it was my understanding that Elliotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s follow-up CD has not been as favorably reviewed as his previous. That could be a reason he is having a harder time this go-round. I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t doubt that he has turned into a great live performer, though.

Actually, that’s not the case at all! It’s been *less* reviewed — he’s farther from his Idol fame, I guess — but virtually all the reviews have said that it’s considerably better than album number one. Much more unified, radio-friendly, much better lyrics, much better production, much more contemporary. much better songwriting, and still the same old brilliant Elliott voice. It’s been compared to Ne-Yo and Usher.

Beyond that, the single has gotten very good ratings from the various publications and people who rate stuff for its hit potential on radio. There, he’s gotten just about as good comments as he got for Wait for You, and way better comments than tons of stuff that’s getting all kinds of airplay.

So it’s probably not the song, and it’s definitely not the album. It’s the fact that he’s an indie. Pretty much that, period, it sees.

I actually donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t agree with this. Many is the time someone recommended a singer Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d never heard of before, and I went to youtube and found theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d done Conan, or Craig Ferguson or Jimmy Kimmelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s shows. Theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve got some very hip bookers for those folks.

Yes, but when you look at those people closely, you find that the vast vast majority of them are on major labels — sometimes it doesn’t quite look that way because the label has a name you haven’t heard. But when you look it up, almost all the time they’re under Universal or Sony, for example. I know, because I’ve checked out those people — I *keep* checking them out! By and large, while they sometimes are new, or quirky, or currently obscure — but overwhelmingly, they aren’t indies; they’re major-label signees.

storm45701 Jun 8th, 2009 at 8:57 pm

Carrie has come a long way since her early interviews when she was scared of her own shadow. They have made her into a crossover hitmaker, and her own à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“brandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ .

Since when is Carrie Underwood a crossover hitmaker? And if she is where in the hell have I been? Now Shania Twain is but Carrie? Let me just say, if KROQ , 98.7 (L.A.) or KRUZ (Santa Barbara) ever plays one Carrie Underwood song I will never listen to any of those stations again. I have watched several performances of hers at various times – mehhh.

Also, I don’t think that Kris Allen is a clay doll like Carrie Underwood. He has a backbone.

The HAC station in NY played “Before He Cheats” all the time.

“Some Hearts” and “Before He Cheats” were great crossover successes, especially the latter. They even made a pop version.

“Since when is Carrie Underwood a crossover hitmaker? And if she is where in the hell have I been”

You must have not beeing listening to Top 40 when they played the crap out of Before He Cheats. It was a massive pop hit.

jpfan Jun 8th, 2009 at 9:45 pm

à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Since when is Carrie Underwood a crossover hitmaker? And if she is where in the hell have I beenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

You must have not beeing listening to Top 40 when they played the crap out of Before He Cheats. It was a massive pop hit.

Maybe on Kiss.FM (which I don’t listen to) but not on any of the other stations I listen to in SoCal.

Before He Cheats” was ranked sixth on the 2007 Hot 100 Year-End Chart and fifth on the 2007 Hot 100 Airplay Year-End Chart by Billboard Magazine. It was also ranked tenth on the 2007 Adult Contemporary Year-End Chart.

It was a huge pop hit and a huge AC hit as well.

Maybe on Kiss.FM (which I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t listen to) but not on any of the other stations I listen to in SoCal.

Not only that, but I would think it would take more than 1 song to be considered a cross over hit maker. Country stars such as Shania Twain and Faith Hill have had numerous songs that have crossed over to pop.

unique28v Jun 8th, 2009 at 10:03 pm

Maybe on Kiss.FM (which I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t listen to) but not on any of the other stations I listen to in SoCal.

Not only that, but I would think it would take more than 1 song to be considered a cross over hit maker. Country stars such as Shania Twain and Faith Hill have had numerous songs that have crossed over to pop.

It will take a lot for Carrie to even catch up to Shaina Twain and Faith Hill as a cross-over artist. Faith Hill is the only one right now who is a verifiable artist along Shaina in cross over hits and sales.

98.7 FM here in L.A. played “Before He Cheats” in very heavy rotation when it came out. And that’s not a country station…it’s a alternative rock/Top 40 pop-rock station

“Before He Cheats” was everywhere on the dial when I traveled…. country, pop, HAC. I was personally sick of it. It gave her a broader fanbase and curb appeal.

It also helped her first album go to more than 7X platinum.

girlygirl Jun 8th, 2009 at 10:14 pm

98.7 FM here in L.A. played à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Before He Cheatsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  in very heavy rotation when it came out. And thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not a country stationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a alternative rock/Top 40 pop-rock station

Knew there was a good reason why I can’t pick up 98.7 where I live. I listened to it today while I was down the coast, it’s gotten God Awful.

Adam getting the award was mentioned on E News tonight. I didn’t watch the other shows so I don’t know. It makes sense they would mention it tonight, after the fact, when there is video to show.

Is radio getting any less important to pop music than it used to be? I’m actually seriously asking. I stopped listening to “top 40″ about 15 years ago (all the Chicago stations seemed to be playing tons of rap & hip-hop and I never could get into it – I like some melody in my music not just rhythm) Most of my acquaintances did the same over the next few years. Some moved to country (my husband for one – ick!) some moved to Christian and some like me just resorted to listening to all our own music collections and just ignoring radio. More recently, the Ipod hit the world and I assume that if one is plugged into that all day that you’re not listening to the radio. Also, although they aren’t doing well financially, a lot of folks seem to be listening to Satellite radio and there are an awful lot of genre specific stations that are NOT top-40.

So I guess I’m asking how the heck new music gets out there now – are more people finding it by searching around ITunes and Amazon music and such? Is part of the reason record sales are so low because a new model for promoting to this changed market hasn’t developed? I’m totally out of touch on this stuff.

Also, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think that Kris Allen is a clay doll like Carrie Underwood. He has a backbone.

Actually, I would say that, as of now, Carrie has more backbone than any other Idol winner. She could easily have been forced into the pop route, as most winners have been, or made music that wasn’t “her” by copying someone else (Kelly?). But, she stayed true to herself and made the music she wanted to make. I agree that Kris has a backbone as well (and balls of steel, I might add). That is one of the things I admire about him, in addition to the fact that for him, it really does seem to be about the music and not just “being famous”. I won’t name names. Kris will be fine.

I guess Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m remembering the media frenzy around Constantine Maroulis after he got kicked off the show. The media couldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t get enough of him for awhile.

I admit I didn’t watch until last year, but Constantine totally gives me the creeps, and I can’t imagine his talent holds a candle to Adams.

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m still pissed that Idol hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t lifted a finger to help Melinda apparently. Wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t she a big favorite of Simonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s? And excuse me, but isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t she one of the best female vocalists in Idol history?

Here’s another example that it takes more than a good voice to have a successful career. Melinda is an excellent vocalist but I lost interest in her on the show because of her old-fashioned song choices. I sampled her new songs on itunes and wasn’t impressed there either. “Idol” wouldn’t try to help her career, but surely her label and her team are doing their best. However they can’t force radio to play or people to buy her music, and it’s not easy to get people on shows like Ellen and the rest. Not just anyone can decided to be on those shows, or sell cds, or get radio play. She hasn’t caught on, it’s not Idol’s fault. She had a huge platform being on Idol and she got to make a cd, so I think she’s had some great opportunities, but nobody can make her cd be a hit.

She’s also rather into christian music and gospel, not everyone’s cup of tea.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/02/melinda-dooli-1.html

Other songs on “Coming Back to You” have a strong gospel feel, reflecting Doolittle’s other main source of inspiration (and income): Christian music. As a background singer, she’s worked in both major Christian pop arenas — the gospel-grounded strain led by family groups like the Winans and Anointed, and the more rock-based Christian contemporary music scene that has produced stars like Michael W. Smith.

Btw Davids digital bundle is now on itunes!!

New mix of Zero Gravity(always awesome) and unplugged ATM(seriously awesome, just him and the piano and sounds like he’s right there o.O;) along with tmh vid

oceana:

maybe you are right about why Melinda has not caught on in a big way, but Idol could have given her a big boost by letting her sing a song one night. I think a lot of people don’t know she put out a record, or how good it is. One short shot on Idol can really boost sales — so why feature Ms. Pickler, who can barely sing?

And though I agree she’s “old fashioned” in some ways, is she any more so than a Michael Buble channeling Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra? Or when Amy Winehouse and her clones channel older black R & B?

I know it doesn’t automatically translate into record sales or anything else, but Melinda came in number 3 on Idol, which meant masses of people voted for her and liked her style and her choices. The playing field these days is very lopsided for anyone who doesn’t sound exactly like someone else who has already sold well. Or whose niche is clear-cut. Or who isn’t a flaming novelty, like Lady Gaga.

I’m sure you like and buy artists that I’m not partial too. But there should be a place for anyone who is truly good. I think the English scene is much more open to differences, given my own travels there and what I see on English music blogs….

It will take a lot for Carrie to even catch up to Shaina Twain and Faith Hill as a cross-over artist. Faith Hill is the only one right now who is a verifiable artist along Shaina in cross over hits and sales.

Yeah, but pop radio has a very short memory and Faith and Shania feel like they’ve been out of the pop spotlight for a few years. In a way, they’re kind of (in pop radio terms) from an earlier era and Carrie, Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift are the more recent crossover country artists (though Taylor’s music is barely country to me).

Also, Carrie seems to be the current poster girl from country inasfar as seen by non-country fans are concerned — as she is one of the few women who gets to perform and win awards at non-country award shows and appear on covers of magazines. Jennifer Nettles and Alison Kraus are talented and all, but it’s Carrie that gets photographed and talked about in tabloids, even when articles aren’t about her (i.e., Jessica Simpson articles).

I’m saying this as a non-fan of country who didn’t watch Season 4. I just feel like in the popular consciousness, she’s one of the few country artists that younger peeps know whether or not they personally listen to country.

More recently, the Ipod hit the world and I assume that if one is plugged into that all day that youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re not listening to the radio. Also, although they arenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t doing well financially, a lot of folks seem to be listening to Satellite radio and there are an awful lot of genre specific stations that are NOT top-40.

So I guess Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m asking how the heck new music gets out there now – are more people finding it by searching around ITunes and Amazon music and such? Is part of the reason record sales are so low because a new model for promoting to this changed market hasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t developed? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m totally out of touch on this stuff.

According to reports and comments by various worried people in the music industry — Yes. To all of the above.

Hard for any new music to get out there. Way harder if you aren’t able to pay for first-page itunes ads or have a major-label contract so you can get the mini-concert on a late-night or early-morning network tv show or something. The hope is the Internet, I guess. But now people seem to be turning away from myspace, which seems set up to be an easier place for musicians to spotlight their music than Facebook looks to be….

isn’t MySpace dwindling in membership? Facebook is simply the cooler place to be. MySpace also trends lower socio-economics, if I read correctly.

The biggest threat is still illegal downloads. The industry is to blame, in my book, since they resisted the revolution for years and then continued to want to sell CDs for $16, and just recently insisted iTUnes raise its prices. The destruction of radio, thanks to consolidation and the end of free-form, is also a culprit. Audio book sales are way up, they say, because people are sick of what they hear on the radio (except NPR, which is at an all time high).

More recently, the Ipod hit the world and I assume that if one is plugged into that all day that youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re not listening to the radio.

Oh how I love my Ipod. I never leave home without it. lol And no, I don’t listen to the radio. Mostly though I don’t listen to it because they play the same crapy songs all day.

Oh how I love my Ipod. I never leave home without it. lol And no, I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t listen to the radio. Mostly though I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t listen to it because they play the same crapy songs all day.

I also love my ipod – I just put it on shuffle and I’m guaranteed to get just the music I want. I mostly listen to the radio for the morning show in my area (funny group of guys), otherwise, I will intermittently listen to radio to hear some new songs, as this is one of my primary outlets for hearing new stuff (albeit, it is frustrating to only hear the same limited songs ALL the time on the radio). I do wish they’d get a little more eclectic, take more of a chance when playing new artists. But I understand there’s a lot of politics involved with it as well, sadly.

Radio is sadly dying, though trying it’s best to evolve with the times, but I still think it’s an important means to get music out there. Getting a lot of radio play is more likely to guarantee a hit album, imo.