Adam Lambert Reveals He Initially Didn’t Think He Would Make It On ‘American Idol’ As A Queer Artist – “When I first auditioned I was like, ‘No way, this won’t work’ cause I had seen people who were obviously queer on the show before, and it seemed to be something they were rejected over,” he exclusively dishes to OK!. Still, that didn’t stop Lambert from pushing forward. “I said, ‘Why not? I’ll just try it,’ and every time I stayed in [the competition], I was like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe this is actually happening.’ Then, I realized this is my shot,” he dishes. “I might as well go for it, I might as well have fun with it, and so I took it as far as I possibly could.” – Read more at OK Magazine
Scotty McCreery Gives Fans an Update on Album Number Five – “I just finished up recording it yesterday, so it’s wrapping up right now,” he explains. “This album for me, it’s kind of like going back to my roots a little bit. It’s kinda who I am, talking about where I came from, my life, my beliefs, all that good stuff. So to me, it’s kind of a going back to my roots-type album.” McCreery couldn’t share too many details, but he did admit that he’s especially excited about two of the new songs. “All of them are kinda like your kids,” he says, “but we have a song called ‘How You Doin’ Up There’ I’m excited about, [and] a song called ‘Carolina Sweet Tea.’ … There’s a few that I’m pretty pumped about.” – Read more at Sounds Like Nashville
Carson Daly (‘The Voice’) on Season 20 milestone: ‘We never thought we’d last’ [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW] – When asked about his favorite contestants throughout the years, Daly pulls from the archives, citing memorable performances from Season 1. “On my phone I have a recording of Tim Mahoney,” he reveals. “[Mahoney and Casey Weston] did a duet of ‘Leather and Lace,’ the Don Henley/Stevie Nicks song. Them together was one of the best duets I’ve ever seen. And I also harken back to the initial [winner] Javier Colon when he covered Cyndi Lauper (‘Time After Time’). That promo, the very first promo that ever ran for this TV show, I still believe was a very big moment for the show.” – Read more at Goldderby.com
Carrie Underwood surprises Knoxville fans – Carrie Underwood gave a group of Knoxville fans the ultimate surprise. Underwood, the founder and lead designer of CALIA, surprised a group of Knoxville fitness instructors and fans at a private workout with her personal trainer, Eve Overland, at the DICK’S House of Sports store. The country singer and her trainer guided attendees through a workout inspired by Underwood’s fitness app, fit52, and highlighted the ways in which CALIA supports them in their lives and workouts. Following the workout, attendees were able to shop the CALIA fitness line in the new DICK’S House of Sport store. – Read more at WVIT.tv
Vincint on his love of pop, making people dance, and debut album There Will Be Tears – One thing Vincint adores is pop music. “I love the joy in it,” he tells EW, “I love the idea that you could listen to a song and dance your ass off so much you may pass out, but you’re still crying at the same time.” Vincint plans to bring that energy to his debut album There Will Be Tears (out June 11). Since dropping his first single “Marrow” in 2018, the Philadelphia-born singer has stayed busy, becoming a finalist on the singing competition show The Four, releasing his soulful 2020 EP The Feeling, and having his song “Be Me” featured in the Queer Eye season 5 trailer. – Read more at Entertainment Weekly
‘The Voice’ Season 8 Alum & ‘Idol’ Vocal Coach India Carney Pens A Prolific Response to Racial Injustice with “Human” – “You can get really comfortable when you get a job, and you make money. But the dangerous part is when it’s in your field,” singer, songwriter, vocal arranger, and actress, India Carney tells American Songwriter over the phone from her home in Los Angeles. Since then, she has signed to Randy Jackson’s management company, 1963 Entertainment. The New York City native has toured with award-winning pop artist Katy Perry, and has sung for Grammy-award-winning artists, including Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Meghan Trainor, H.E.R., Natasha Bedingfield, Mavis Staples, and more. But until the pandemic, much of her career focused on her work as a background vocalist and vocal coach—most recently on Season 19 of American Idol. – Read more at American Songwriter
The Voice Alum Sam James Talks ‘Re-Imagining’ Hip-Hop Hits into Acoustic Renditions – James says he would often “fool around” with blending his country ideals with the beats of hip-hop in the studio. “I was like, hell no,” James says with a laugh. “But what did I have to lose? So, I put the first video up on Instagram in January of 2020 and I didn’t really think anything of it. And then, I woke up the next day and I had 12,000 new followers on Instagram. It was cool.” Virtually overnight, his social media following exploded as he covered hits from Megan Thee Stallion to Brockhampton to Drake. – Read more at People
Liam Payne & Maya Henry Split – Nearly a year after getting engaged, singer Liam Payne, 27, and model Maya Henry, 20, have called it quits. Payne broke the news on Monday’s appearance on the podcast “The Diary of a CEO,” saying, “I am indeed [single]. I feel like more than anything at this point, I’m more disappointed in myself that I keep on hurting people. That annoys me. I’ve just not been very good at relationships.” – Read more at Extra
Why Katie Thurston Said Yes to ‘The Bachelorette’ Amid ‘The Bachelor’ Chaos – Amid all of that uncertainty, Thurston was being approached behind the scenes about leading the current season. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Thurston tells THR of the offer to step into the Bachelorette’s shoes after becoming an early fan-favorite on James’ season. But as her casting negotiations were ongoing, the headlines that Harrison had sparked were evolving into a racism controversy that not only overshadowed any onscreen drama but also raised questions and concerns over systemic issues involving race within the franchise. – Read more at Hollywood Reporter
