Remember the cryptic tweets from American Idol season 10 alum, Stefano Langone a few weeks ago? Stefano tells the Hollywood reporter that he has ditched 19Management and Redlight and will be MANAGING HIMSELF.
“Truth be told, I had left 19 back in January of this year,” he says. “It really just came down to one thing: my vision — what I wanted to do and the amount of time that we were actually engaging with each other. I rarely ever talked to 19 Entertainment about anything relating to my career and where I wanted to go.”
As for Red Light, Stefano says that, at the beginning, they were working together “100 percent,” but that the management company wasn’t “getting it as well.”
However, he does remain with Hollywood Records and is working on new material, including a mix tape. He’s building a home studio where he will be collaborating with his old team from Seattle, Lazar music, including songwriting partner, Rush Davis, songwriters Priscilla Renee and The Futuristics and Idol bandleader Ray Chew.
Stefano is pretty excited for the future!
“This is just the beginning. I’ve been independent for two weeks now. I’ve already got shows lined up. Getting out there and being in control of my own destiny… I like it this way and it gives me a great opportunity to work with the label on a more one-on-one basis. I can get in there, strategize and feel great about it.”
Stefano says he and his old management weren’t on the same page
“I am not one of those artists that gets handed songs and records them. I write a lot of music, and knowing what direction to take … Hollywood gets it in a way. They signed me when I got on the piano and showed them what I do — how I play and how I sing. They are not willing to let that go.”
Oh. So it sounds like 19/Red Light didn’t have confidence in his songwriting abilities.
Stefano says he got a supportive phone call from Disney Group president, Kent Blunt.
“He called me personally and said, ‘Regardless of the decisions you’ve made, I respect you for that and we will stick behind you 100 percent.’ I am very fortunate to have a label like Hollywood behind me.”
Stefano liked his first two singles, “I’m On A Roll” and “Yes to Love” but feels the first wasn’t pushed to radio hard enough, and the ideas behind the execution of both records not very creative.
“They were great records for what they were/ ‘I’m On a Roll’ was a summer fun record. It got great reviews, sold a heck of a lot but there was no real push behind that record. And then ‘Yes to Love,’ which is a really heartfelt record, there wasn’t enough innovation. The ideas behind these records weren’t there. They weren’t executed the right way. They could have been. That being said — I’m still here. The label believes in what I do. So now it’s about taking that next move.”
Wouldn’t it be up to Hollywood to work out production and radio release issues? Hm.
So yeah. Good luck with that “self-management” thing, Stefano. Hopefully, you haven’t bitten off more than you can chew.
ETA: Stefano later tweeted “At this point I’m in control of what I’m doing. Now I have an opportunity to make up my own team, hire new management, and do me! #LetsWin”
