Today Idol headlines after the jump ¦
Blake Lewis’ ideas are there, but scattered
THE blockbuster commercial success of Chris Daughtry’s debut album over the last year has undoubtedly helped get “American Idol” contestants’ music taken seriously by the record-buying (or -downloading) public.
In at least one sense, though, “Daughtry’s” multi-platinum sales have actually done a disservice to future “Idol” veterans. Now more than ever these young singers are expected to present a fully defined musical persona right out of the gate. Gone are the days of Kelly Clarkson, the first-season champ who only recently seems to have figured out what kind of records she wants to make.
You can hear evidence of that pressure — as well as of the struggle against it — all over Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis’ debut, “Audio Day Dream” (due Dec. 4). This might be the most breathlessly paced, detail-packed “Idol” outing yet; if Carrie Underwood hadn’t already called her new sophomore set “Carnival Ride, ” Lewis could’ve used the title here………..
Idol Runner-up Lewis realizes Dream
Blake Lewis wants to be known as an artist and not just an “Idol” — or, more accurately, an “American Idol” runner-up.
The 26-year-old Washington state native, who finished second to Jordin Sparks on the “Idol” sixth-season finale in May, takes great pride in being able to say, “I’m the first person, really, to have creative control coming off of ‘American Idol’ and making his own album.” That includes co-writing 12 of the 13 tracks for his debut, “Audio Day Dream, ” due December 4 on 19 Entertainment/Arista………
Elliott Yamin
If we learned anything by watching the American Music Awards, it’s that people who were on “American Idol” – whether they won the reality show competition or not – are now very popular. After all, it was country singer Carrie Underwood and rocker Chris Daughtry who walked away with most of the awards. Tonight, you can see another “Idol” alum who has made it big – Elliott Yamin. He and his new teeth will be at the Roxy. 6 p.m.
Local hero: Kelly Clarkson true to her talent, past as hometown crowd cheers at Nokia
Based on the past year, one wonders how smart Kelly Clarkson actually is.Most have little evidence to doubt her passion, and Friday’s 90-minute performance at Nokia Theatre provided no additional fodder. Her voice is just as strong, her comfort just as plain and her will just as focused onstage as at any time since this time of year in 2002, when she was a newly minted superstar thanks to the inaugural season of American Idol.
That was truly Ms. Clarkson’s December, and much of the following four years was hers as well in pop music. But her decisions regarding her self-written five-month-old CD, My December, have been forceful and not always properly considered. Public conjecture (plenty), radio airplay (not much) and hard sales (well below superstar levels) have borne out a truth: This December won’t be Ms. Clarkson’s to own……..
Jordin to sing at Glendale event tonight
Glendale’s Idol, Jordin Sparks, who was at Sanderson Ford today to pick up the Mustang she won on American Idol, revealed that she will sing tonight at the Glendale Glitters spectacular.
Sparks was already scheduled to flip the switch on more than 1.5 million Christmas lights at the downtown Glendale event, but she revealed this afternoon that, yes, she will sing in Glendale.
Don’t expect anything off her newly released CD. Think Christmas carols, instead….
Gospel Show Canceled
Gospel fans in the Peoria area won’t be singing “Hallelujah” over this news. Peoria Civic Center officials report the Friday, Nov. 23 performance of “Heaven, I Need a Hug” is canceled.
Civic Center officials said the entire national tour of the show was canceled due to disappointing ticket sales. Ruben Studdard, a winner of Fox’s “American Idol” and actress Robin Givens were set to headline the tour….
DO OR DIE FOR CD
INDUSTRY HOPES HOLIDAY SEASON WILL STOP SLIDE
The slumping CD is facing a make-or-break Christmas.
As the music industry enters the biggest sales period of the year with the kickoff of the holiday shopping blitz, its core physical-goods business is off more than 18 percent year-to-date.
Analysts are expressing growing concern that if the trend gets worse through the end of the year, retailers will slash the amount of floor space devoted to CDs…………
……….To keep pace with 2006’s full-year total of 588.2 million albums sold, the industry needs to sell over 150 million albums in less than six weeks.
That’s a tall order, even with upcoming albums from from Mary J. Blige, Nelly and American Idol runner-up Blake Lewis. Last year, just shy of 120 million albums were sold in the same period……..
Holiday harmonies: Add some new tunes to your yuletide mix
….Various artists, “This Christmas: Songs from the Motion Picture” (Jive Records)
The soundtrack to R&B star Chris Brown’s new film features new songs by Brown (the movie’s theme “This Christmas” and his take on “Try a Little Tenderness”) and “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks (who turns in a respectable “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”). It also includes archival seasonal material from Luther Vandross (“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”), Toni Braxton (“The Christmas Song”) and TLC (“Sleigh Ride”), among others. As such, it plays like a holiday mixtape that’s made to appease the whole family. Still, as a Christmas album it could have benefited from a stricter theme (what’s Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up, Part 1” doing here?) and less B2K. GRADE: C+ …..
Ghost writer: the unsung star of British music
She’s hardly known outside the music industry, yet Amanda Ghost is increasingly seen as Britain’s most influential songwriter. Sophie Morris talks to a young Londoner who has penned hits for everyone from James Blunt to Beyoncà ©
….The requests soon started flooding in. Could she write a single for the latest American Idol winner? No problem. How about a couple of songs for Whitney Houston’s comeback album, collaborating with Mariah Carey, and acting as a sort of taste consultant for Liam Howlett on The Prodigy’s upcoming release?….
*So American Idol champ Jordin Sparks (finally) has an official record deal (with Jive), and her debut single, “Tattoo, ” is set for an Aug. 27 release. What’s even more interesting to me, though, is Sparks’ choice of collaborator on “Tattoo”: Amanda Ghost….
