'Idol' odds 'n ends: Adam Lambert debuts single "For Your Entertainment"

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Adam Lambert stopped by Ryan Seacrest's radio show on KIIS-FM this morning to debut his first single, "For Your Entertainment off his forthcoming album of the same name. Listen to the song below:

"For Your Entertainment" was written by proven hit makers Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly. Although the single is not yet up at digital retailers like iTunes, it can be purchased on Adam's official Web site for $1.29.

>It was announced this week that Carly Smithson-fronted band We Are The Fallen has signed with Universal Republic Records. Below is a snippet from a press release sent out on Wed., Oct. 28:

“We Are The Fallen represents a bold new musical turning point and we’re thrilled to be able to deliver their music to audiences hungering for their brand of passion,” stated Lipman. “The combined elements of this band are a force to be reckoned with, and the entire company joins me in welcoming them to Universal Republic Records.”

The release states the band expects an early 2010 album release.

>Katharine McPhee is currently hosting a contest called "Kat's Karaoke Challenge" in a group on Facebook. The contest asks fans to make a recording of themselves, family member, or friends singing the first verse of Kat's single "Had It All."

The winner of the contest has the chance to win an iPod Touch and a phone call from Kat. More information about the contest can be found on her official Facebook fan page.

>Kris Allen spoke with Big D of Kiss 98.5 FM of Peoria, Ill., earlier today. Listen to the interview below:

In the interview, Kris said he still sees former finalists from his season and he answered a few fan questions, including that the video for "Live Like We're Dying" will debut on Fri., Nov. 6. He said it's "cool" but "weird" that he has so many fan sites and there are a couple songs by a lot of different people and he's excited about the song he wrote.

>Jordin Sparks had a night out on the town with fellow teen singer JoJo and Robin Williams' daughter Zelda out in Hollywood at the Bardot lounge on Tues., Oct. 27. The photo is courtesy of JustJaredJr.buzznet.com. Jordin tweeted about the lounge:

“Im out with @jojoistheway and @zeldawilliams. Tired but this place better start dancin soon!!” The place did!

The next day, Jordin was spotted shopping for Halloween costumes. No word yet on what she decided to dress as.

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Poll of the week: Fans still enchanted with "Ever Ever After"

The excitement that propelled Adam Lambert's single "Time For Miracles" from the soundtrack of the upcoming film 2012 to a #50 debut on the Hot 100 was not enough to sustain excitement on the latest edition of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week series.

Chosen as the favorite soundtrack song by an Idol alum was Carrie Underwood's "Ever Ever After" from the Disney film Enchanted. The song garnered 27 votes (38%), three votes ahead of Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" (34%), which appeared on the soundtrack for The Princess Diaries 2.

Way behind in third place was Adam's "Miracles," receiving eight votes (11%). No other track took in enough votes to merit a mention.

In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which album cover art from an Idol runners' up first post-show album is their favorite. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

"Breakaway" (Kelly Clarkson - The Princess Diaries 2) 24 (34%)
"Reachin' For Heaven" (Diana DeGarmo - Ice Princess) 2 (2%)
"Working For the Weekend" (Josh Gracin - Herbie: Fully Loaded) 0 (0%)
"Time For Miracles" (Adam Lambert - 2012) 8 (11%)
"Let Your Heart Sing" (Katharine McPhee - Tinker Bell) 1 (1%)
"Connected" (Katharine McPhee - Barbie and the Diamond Castle) 2 (2%)
"I'll Be Home For Christmas" (Jordin Sparks - This Christmas) 3 (4%)
"Road to Paradise" (Jordin Sparks - Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure) 1 (1%)
"Shining Star" (Ruben Studdard - Scooby Doo 2) 2 (2%)
"Ever Ever After" (Carrie Underwood - Enchanted) 27 (38%)

Total votes: 70

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #17 (11/7/09)

For the second consecutive week, Carrie Underwood saw one of her tracks debut on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. For the Nov. 7 edition of the chart, Carrie's single "Temporary Home" was joined by a debut from Adam Lambert.

Leading the Idol crew once again was Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone," which reached a new peak at #17. This single is now Kelly's 10th-highest charting single to grace the Hot 100.

Next up was Carrie's "Cowboy Casanova," which dipped two spots to #21. The country star's debut of "Temporary Home" at #92 was a little weaker than the debut of single "Mama's Song" on last week's chart (#77).

And Adam's "Time For Miracles" hit the halfway mark at #50 in its maiden voyage. Look for the song to drop off the chart next week.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
17 20 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
21 19 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
50 -- Adam Lambert, "Time For Miracles"
92 -- Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"

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Digital sales roundup: "Already Gone" #20 (11/7/09)

Two Idol-related singles debuted nicely on the Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart this week, which complemented an overall trend of positive sales for alums.

It was the veteran track "Already Gone" that retained the distinction of the highest-charting song from an alum, however, as the Kelly Clarkson single was up 2% in sales for a five-spot jump into the Top 20 at #20. The track sold 46.8k downloads for the week for a current total of 573.6k.

Next up was the first of two debuts in Adam Lambert's 2012 soundtrack offering "Time For Miracles," which just missed the Top 20 at #21. It sold 46.5k downloads for the week. Carrie Underwood saw two of her tracks follow, with "Cowboy Casanova" sliding 23% to 43.7k and falling #18-24 and newcomer "Temporary Home" debuting nicely at #54 with 24.5k downloads. "Casanova" has sold 330.2k to date.

Two older tracks came in next, with Jordin Sparks' platinum-selling "Battlefield" getting a bump from her Suite Life on Deck episode airing, jumping 13 spots to #57. It was up 8%, selling 23.5k for a current total of 1.094 million. And Kris Allen's single "Live Like We're Dying" was up two spots to #138 with 10.2k downloads sold. It was up 2% from the previous week and has sold 73k to date.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

020 025 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 46,824 2% 46,106 573,579
021 -- Adam Lambert, "Time For Miracles" 46,507 999% 0 46,507
024 018 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 43,727 -23% 56,723 330,189
054 -- Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home" 24,545 999% 0 24,545
057 070 Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield" 23,471 8% 21,642 1,094,338
138 140 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 10,190 2% 9,980 72,953

Total sales are in bold.

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Adam Lambert's 'For Your Entertainment' album cover

Well, it's the moment a lot of people have been waiting for. The album art for Adam Lambert's first post-Idol release has been revealed, and is anyone really surprised by it? Possibly the most cringe-worthy cover in Idol history (yes, even worse than Blake Lewis' Audio Day Dream and certainly worse than Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway cover).

But if this album screams anything other than "let's go play dress-up," it screams "Adam Lambert." At least no one can blame RCA for choosing the cover.

For Your Entertainment will be released on Mon., Nov. 23.

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Out today: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It"

"Temporary Home," the third of three consecutive singles from Carrie Underwood in the weeks leading up to her third studio album Play On (Nov. 3) was today released to iTunes.

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Singles,
Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"

iTunes - ($1.29) - Buy

"Undo It" is a feisty uptempo track co-written by Carrie, Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. It is the fifth track to appear on Play On.

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Track review: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It"

Venturing back into nitty gritty angry woman territory, country chanteuse Carrie Underwood puts on her game face on “Undo It,” the final pre-release single ahead of the release of her third studio album ‘Play On’ (Nov. 3).

Although it is nothing new for Underwood to undertake this style of music (see “Before He Cheats,” “Last Name,” “Cowboy Casanova”), she is able to conceive a catchy lyric in the form of “I wanna uh uh uh uh uh undo it” with the help of Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. This could very well become Underwood’s very own “Umbrella” (ella, ella, eh, eh, eh).

Despite the fact that “Undo It” is rather short, Underwood is able to get her point across loud and clear to the subject of the song and his “stupid games.” Her vocals are not top-notch here, but what she loses in this department she makes up for it in terms of the song’s catchiness.

The bottom line on “Undo It” is that Carrie Underwood knows how to write and record a fun, feel good tune, and the diversity shown in her ability to shift from tender ballads to out of your seat toe-tappers in the difference of a track or two is a testament to her knack for creating extraordinary music.

"Undo It" is now available to purchase on iTunes ($1.29).

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Flashback: Ruben Studdard's "A Whole New World"

Ruben Studdard, Idol's very own "velvet teddy bear" from its second season, was known for his slow and soulful ballads more so than he was his uptempo numbers, and his performance of "A Whole New World" from Disney's Aladdin during Top 11 week's "Movie Night" theme. Watch the performance below:

Despite being early on in the season and lacking the punch that Ruben delivered in later performances like "Superstar" and "A House Is Not a Home," this performance did a lot to position him as an early favorite in the competition.

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Free tix to 'David Foster & Friends' show featuring Ruben, Michael and Ayla

Idol Season 5 Top 16 semifinalist Ayla Brown announced she has a limited number of free tickets available to give away to fans to tonight's David Foster and Friends show at the Agganis Arena in Boston, Mass., at 8 p.m.

The show features fellow alums Ruben Studdard and Michael Johns as well as veteran artists Peter Cetera, Philip Bailey and Deborah Cox and newcomer Charice. The tour's principle ringmaster, producer David Foster, accompanies the singers during the show. Below is a synopsis of the show:

Famed musical showman, producer and songwriter David Foster, whose PBS Great Performances Special "David Foster and Friends" was one of the highest pledged PBS shows in history, will be embarking on a l0-city tour. Foster will perform with some of his talented friends the hits that have paved the way for the many artists he has worked with over the years including Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, Chris Botti, Celine Dion, Michael Buble, Andrea Bocelli, Chaka Khan, Madonna and Chicago.

To score the free tickets, contact Wayne Laako, president of Ayla's record label Double Deal Brand Records, at wayne@double-deal.com. The deadline to place your name on the list is late this afternoon. Unless you hear back that tickets have been sold out, you will be guaranteed a free ticket if you e-mail by the deadline.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Adam Lambert's "Time For Miracles" music video premieres

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Adam Lambert's music video for "Time For Miracles," his song for the 2012 soundtrack, premiered on MySpace Music on Tuesday. Watch the video below:

The video will be getting the full treatment, as it will be shown in theaters nationwide in front of Michael Jackson's concert movie, This Is It, beginning Wednesday, which should only boost the song's performance on the charts.

>The final track listing of Kris Allen's debut album, Kris Allen (out Tues., Nov. 17), has finally been revealed. The tracks and their respective writers can be found below:

01 "Live Like We’re Dying" (Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton, Danny O’Donoghue, Mark Sheehan)
02 "Before We Come Undone" (Kris Allen, Lindy Robbins, Greg Kurstin)
03 "Can’t Stay Away" (Allen, Robbins, Mike Elizondo)
04 "The Truth" (Pat Monahan, Toby Gad)
05 "Written All Over My Face" (Kipner, Frampton, O’Donoghue, Sheehan)
06 "Bring It Back" (Allen, Francis White)
07 "Red Guitar" (Allen)
08 "Is It Over" (Allen, Cale Mills, Elizondo)
09 "Let It Rain" (Allen, Tobias Karlsson)
10 "Alright With Me" (Allen, Joe King)
11 "Lifetime" (Allen, Jon Foreman, Elizondo)
12 "I Need To Know" (Allen, Robbins, Gad)
BONUS TRACK
13 "Heartless" (Malik Yusef El Shabbaz Jones, Scott Mescudi, Kanye West, Ernest Wilson, Jeffrey Bhasker, Benjamin McIldowie)

What are the odds of "Let It Rain" being a cover of Jordin Sparks' song that appeared on her album Battlefield? All kidding aside, it definitely bodes well for Kris' reputation as an artist considering he co-penned or penned nine of the album's 13 tracks. This is the second-most input a winner has had on his or her post-Idol release to date (only second to David Cook).

>Speaking of Jordin Sparks, Idol's sixth season champ debuted on The Disney Channel's hit series The Suite Life On Deck this week, as the episode featuring Jordin in a guest role (titled "Crossing Jordin") premiered tonight. Watch a clip of her performing "Battlefield" below:



Aside from singing, Jordin was able to branch out by demonstrating her acting skills.

>It was announced today that Adam Lambert will not be the only Idol alum performing at the 37th Annual American Music Awards. Per People.com:

Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Daughtry have been added to the schedule of performers for the 37th annual awards, airing live Nov. 22 on ABC. They join fellow Idol alum Adam Lambert, who was announced earlier as a performer.

"American Idol continually produces great talent, and we are looking forward to hosting Kelly, Carrie, Daughtry and Adam. It's a great fit for the AMAs," said producer Larry Klein.

This is great news for Idol as a franchise because it is a testament to the kind of staying power these artists have in the industry and their ability to still be taken as credible performers after all these years.

>Fantasia engaged in a noble cause this past week when she took part in Macy's partnership with Feeding America for its "Come Together" campaign. The campaign calls for people to host dinner parties where they contribute funds for the organizations with the goal of raising enough money to provide for $10 million meals. Watch Fantasia speak about what the campaign means to her personally at her home in Charlotte, N.C., below:



Fantasia's dedication to this cause is a little more special considering the recent talk that she could face foreclosure of her home.

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Poll of the week: Kris Allen's cover art seen as best among winners

Of the eight Idol winners' debut album cover artwork, two were chosen as far and away the most popular in the latest edition of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week series.

Leading the charge with 160 votes was Kris Allen's cover art for his forthcoming debut album Kris Allen. With 48% of the total votes cast for the week, the artwork, which is pictured to the right, is definitely thought highly of by IDOL LIVE readers. Not far behind was David Cook's album David Cook, which saw its cover art receive 110 votes (33%).

Also seeing a strong showing was Carrie Underwood's debut album Some Hearts, which features Carrie standing in a golden wheat field wearing a black dress. The artwork reeled in 47 votes (14%).

None of the remaining entries by winners earned enough votes to be mentioned alongside the above albums.

In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which song by an Idol alum to appear on a movie soundtrack is their favorite. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Thankful (Kelly Clarkson) 11 (3%)
Soulful (Ruben Studdard) 0 (0%)
Free Yourself (Fantasia) 1 (0%)
Some Hearts (Carrie Underwood) 47 (14%)
Taylor Hicks (Taylor Hicks) 1 (0%)
Jordin Sparks (Jordin Sparks) 3 (0%)
David Cook (David Cook) 110 (33%)
Kris Allen (Kris Allen) 160 (48%)

Total votes: 333

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Cowboy Casanova" #19 (10/31/09)

Another Carrie Underwood single debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Oct. 31.

Although it didn't debut on the chart this week, Carrie's "Cowboy Casanova" fought its way back into the Top 20, improving one spot to #19. This displaced the previous week's Idol leading track, Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone," which slipped one spot to #20 despite retaining its bullet.

Carrie also saw her single "Mama's Song" debut on the chart at #77. And Daughtry's "No Surprise" was down three spot to #49, hanging onto a spot in the Top 50 for one more week.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
19 20 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
20 19 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
49 46 Daughtry, "No Surprise"
77 -- Carrie Underwood, "Mama's Song"

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Digital sales roundup: "Cowboy Casanova" #18 (10/31/09)

It was another healthy week for tracks by Idol alums on the most recent edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.

Kicking things off was Carrie Underwood's current single "Cowboy Casanova," which was up 6% in sales to 56.7k downloads. Positive movement was reflected in its chart ranking, as it improved four spots to #18. It has now sold 286.5k to date.

Another song by Carrie, "Mama's Song," came in behind at #43 thanks to a first week take of 31.3k. This was the first of three digital releases that will precede the release of Carrie's latest album Play On (Nov. 3).

Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" continued to hold steady, as it sold another 46.1k, down only 2%, for a total of 526.8k. The single has now passed the gold certification threshold and advanced #26-25 on the chart.

And a surprise bonus sample of Idol sales data came from Jordin Sparks' two-year-old duet with Chris Brown "No Air" at #195. Boosted in part thanks to the release of the latter's new single, "No Air" officially passed the triple platinum mark. Upon selling 7.4k for a total of 3.009 million, it appears this is the highest-selling Idol-related digital single to date.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

018 022 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 56,723 6% 53,687 286,462
025 026 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 46,106 -2% 47,040 526,755
043 --- Carrie Underwood, "Mama's Song" 31,323 999% 0 31,323
195 --- Jordin Sparks, "No Air" (ft. Chris Brown) 7,396 114% 3,461 3,009,168

Total sales are in bold.

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Sneak peek of 'Idol' session at Walmart Soundcheck

Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta each sat down for interviews ahead of their sessions for Walmart Soundcheck. Each Season 8 Idol finalist will have their sessions go live on the music site on Sun., Nov. 1 Below is a sneak peek of what footage will be included:

It's interesting to note Allison's single "Friday I'll Be Over U" was featured throughout the majority of the preview, while Kris' single "Live Like We're Dying" got much less face time.

Other alums that have been featured on Walmart Soundcheck recently include Carrie Underwood, Blake Lewis and David Cook.

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HITS estimates: 'Christmas From the Heart' #32

Only one album from the Idol franchise made an appearance on the most recent edition of HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart. After a week empty of entries by alums, it was up to David Archuleta's Christmas disc to buck the trend.

Arch's Christmas From the Heart came in at #32 with 16.3k copies. The entry was a little bit below original predictions, which had the album pegged to take in between 18-20k, but these numbers were right in line with the 15-21k predicted based on revised projections released on Friday. Still, this is a healthy total for a mid-October Christmas release. Look for it to make steady progress over the next two months.

Finalized sales figures courtesy of Billboard should be out by the end of the week.

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Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta both reveal album titles

After Kris Allen confirmed his debut album last week to be self-titled, both Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta opted for more creative titles (that's not a knock at Kris' talent in title-picking, so don't take it that way).

Adam confirmed his post-Idol album due out Mon., Oct. 23, will be titled For Your Entertainment, while Allison's album will be called Just Like You. Both albums can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com, with Adam's currently sitting at #7 and Allison's coming in at #149. Neither albums have seen their cover art revealed yet, but those should be the next pieces of the puzzle to fall into place.

So what do you think of the titles? I think Adam's fits him to a T, while Allison's is a little on the dull side. Still, album titles mean nothing about the quality of an album's material (Carnival Ride, anyone?)

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Track review: Adam Lambert's "Time For Miracles"

Adam Lambert attained superstardom while on the eighth season of ‘American Idol’ thanks to his unforgettable displays and endless range. His first post-show effort, “Time For Miracles,” does not allow him to demonstrate his individuality and is consequently a major letdown.

In what can be seen as a weak attempt to recreate the magic felt in Aerosmith’s classic “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” which appeared on the soundtrack for 1998’s ’Armageddon,’ “Miracles” includes some of the most clichéd, forgettable lyrics in recent memory (although not as bad as those found on fellow Season 8 finalist and winner Kris Allen’s winning song, “No Boundaries”). The song, which was co-written by Alain Johannes and Natasha Shneider (the latter having died tragically of cancer in 2008), attempts to impose a sense of empowerment to listeners, but seems to fall short.

As for Lambert’s vocals, he sounds pretty solid in the verses but seems to come apart at the seams in the bridge and final chorus. Granted, he is known for his remarkable range, but it all seems a little forced here. Adding to factors working against Lambert here is the lack of a catchy melody.

Fortunately for Adam Lambert, this is more of a contractual obligation for RCA than it is a representation of the material his forthcoming album will consist of. But it still is unfortunate his name had to be attached to “Time For Miracles” in the first place.

"Time For Miracles" can now be purchased at iTunes and Amazon MP3 ($1.29).

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Track review: Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home"

Carrie Underwood gives what will perhaps be remembered as her most emotionally invested, beautifully sung vocal performance of her career to date on “Temporary Home.” The song, which is the eighth track on the country starlet’s latest album ‘Play On’ (Nov. 3), explores new areas of artistic expression.

From the opening piano chord to the final note, Underwood masterfully narrates three powerful accounts by people who are in need of help but instead look to a day where they can be together again with their loved ones in heaven. The stories of a six-year-old boy in foster care, a single mother at a halfway house and elderly man on his deathbed, pull at the heartstrings of listeners. Not since “Jesus, Take the Wheel” has there been such a moving country musical composition.

The songwriting here is top-notch, with Underwood receiving help from Luke Laird and Zac Maloy. The fact that Laird drew on his childhood experience in penning the track is even more remarkable because it is given a sense of sincerity. Despite the extra moving storylines featured in the verses of “Home,” it is in the chorus where the lyrics are most effective (“This is my temporary home / it’s not where I belong / windows and rooms / that I’m passing through / this is just a stop / on the way to where I‘m going / I’m not afraid because I know / this is my temporary home”).

As for her vocals, Underwood charts new territory in showcasing control in her falsetto. There are no true glory notes, nor are there any rousing crescendos, simply because they are not needed. Instead, Underwood opts for an overall soft-spoken tone, which allows listeners to pay close attention to the lyrics rather than production and vocal acrobatics that are found in most songs nowadays.

If “Before He Cheats” and “Last Name” can each win at the Grammys, it would by a travesty if Carrie Underwood does not take home an award for “Temporary Home” sometime in the near future. If ever there was a song that deserved such recognition, this is it.

"Temporary Home" is now available to download on iTunes for $1.29.

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Out today: Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home"

"Temporary Home," the second of three consecutive singles from Carrie Underwood in the weeks leading up to her third studio album Play On (Nov. 3) was today released to iTunes.

Also making an appearance on digital retailers Adam Lambert's single "Time For Miracles" for the 2012 soundtrack.

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Singles,
Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"

iTunes - ($1.29) - Buy

Adam Lambert, "Time For Miracles"

Amazon MP3 - ($1.29) - Buy
iTunes - ($1.29) - Buy

"Temporary Home," which was co-written by Carrie, Luke Laird and Zac Maloy, has been getting massive amounts of praise from all corners, with both Carrie and boyfriend Mike Fisher calling it their favorite song on the album.

"Time For Miracles" is getting a big push ahead of the release of 2012, as its music video featuring Adam will premiere in movie theaters across the country on Wed., Oct. 28, when it will air before Michael Jackson's concert film This Is It.

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Flashback: RJ Helton's "Superstition"

RJ Helton made it far in Idol's maiden voyage despite drawing fire from Simon Cowell on a regular basis. Although he wavered on a few performances, he also had a few good ones here and there. During Top 7 week, when the crew took on songs from the 1970s, RJ selected Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." Watch the performance below:

Although it wasn't his best offering, RJ gained notice for his dance moves. Maybe those were responsible for getting him through another three weeks on the show? Actually, probably not.

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Track review: Carrie Underwood's "Mama's Song"

The story of a daughter calming her mother’s nerves about her new love takes center stage on “Mama’s Song,” Carrie Underwood’s latest track to be released ahead of the country superstar’s third album, ‘Play On’ (Nov. 3).

Co-written by Underwood and Kara DioGuardi among others, “Mama’s Song” is a nice little country tune that allows for simple, pure vocals and limited production to result in the most pleasurable listening experience possible. The song itself, however, comes off sounding a little too similar to Underwood’s 2006 Top 2 single “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,” which is a superior song.

Despite lazy feeling, lyrics are strong on the whole, as Underwood is able to offer sincerity on the topic (And I know you watched me grow up and only want what’s best for me / And I think I found the answer to your prayers). Putting aside the artistic sentimentality found here, the song is boring compared to her recent efforts and is not as strong as her previous ballads.

Still, it’s hard for Carrie Underwood to sound bad, and “Mama’s Song” carries a positive feeling with it that makes up for other areas that aren’t as noteworthy.

"Mama's Song" is now available to purchase on iTunes for $1.29.

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Daughtry's music video for "Life After You" premieres on PopEater

Amid a week of music video releases by Idol alums, it appears one of the more high profile ones was overlooked by yours truly. Daughtry's latest single, "Life After You," premiered on AOL's PopEater blog on Thursday. Watch the video below:

In describing the video, Chris Daughtry in part told PopEater:

We deal with having to connect at home and manage that while we're doing our job on the road -- at the same time. The video shows what we do on any given day... moving from place to place and having to get in touch with my wife."

The video itself is a classic Daughtry video: a little lifeless. That said, this song is not nearly the strongest offering on the band's sophomore album Leave This Town, but it will most likely surpass its previous single, "No Surprise," on the success meter.

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Adam Lambert's "Time For Miracles" leaks

The long wait for Adam Lambert's first official post-Idol studio recording is over, thanks to a leak of "Time For Miracles" earlier today. "Miracles," of course, is the theme song of November's big budget disaster blockbuster 2012. Listen below:

Well, that was really worth all the hype...

Regardless, the song has a good message, so that's got to be worth something.

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Track review: Allison Iraheta's "Friday I'll Be Over U"

Allison Iraheta tries to make a name for herself as a teenage rocker chick on her debut single “Friday I’ll Be Over U.” The single is the first one off Iraheta’s forthcoming album (Dec. 1) courtesy of Jive Records.

On “Over U,” Iraheta is tasked with making a fairly generic sounding track her own, and she somewhat succeeds. Since she is still very young both in life and her music career, producers have a tough job in making her standout from the saturated pop/rock scene. Writer/producer Max Martin (Kelly Clarkson, P!NK) is smart to gear Iraheta’s bow toward a teen audience, but the “who cares?” lyrics and the “Avril Lavigne circa 2007” production do nothing to personalize “Over U.”

From the schoolyard sounding verses to the techno-tinged choruses, the song’s overall juvenile feel is a little bit beneath Iraheta when compared with the big songs she tackled while on ‘Idol.’ Thankfully, Iraheta’s signature vocals help differentiate the single from the fray. Her husky tone is for the most part unaffected by pro-tools and are undeniably distinguishable.

Hopefully “Friday I’ll Be Over U” is one of the weaker offerings on Allison Iraheta’s debut album. If not, some fans unfortunately might be over her before Friday.

Friday I'll Be Over U will be released digitally on Tues., Oct. 20. It can now be streamed in its entirety on Allison's official Web site.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Jason Castro unveils video for "Let's Just Fall In Love Again"

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Jason Castro's music video for his new single, "Let's Just Fall In Love Again," debuted on Yahoo!'s Y! Music page. Watch the video below:

Jason's self-titled debut album, courtesy of Atlantic Records, is slated for a Tues., Nov. 17 drop date.

>Katharine McPhee had a busy week. In addition to seeing her music video for "Had It All" premiere, AOL's PopEater blog featured a Q&A session with her in which she showed off her new look. Per the article:

PE: Have you noticed people acting differently towards you now that you're a blonde?

Kat: I wish that was the case. I always thought blondes got more attention walking down the street. I'm like 'That guy totally checked her out and didn't notice me and I'm wearing higher heels!' But, I haven't really noticed a difference at all and the reason is I'm not a true blonde. Only true blondes get the real attention.

Kat also made news thanks to the revelation that "Had It All" will be included on the latest edition of the popular compilation album NOW 32 alongside three other tracks by Idol alums.

>Jordin Sparks took to the Idol stage tonight - the Swedish Idol stage, that is - to perform her current single "S.O.S." and "No Air." Watch a backstage interview with Jordin below:



Jordin sang "No Air" with Kevin Borg, last year's Swedish Idol champ. Does anyone get a "David Archuleta in five years" vibe from him?

>In another big week for Carrie Underwood, it was announced that she will have her very own Christmas special on FOX this December when she headlines the two-hour program Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special, on Mon., Dec. 7, at 8 p.m. ET.

Among the guest performers like country superstars Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton is none other than David Cook. Maybe the pair will reprise "You Can Go Your Own Way"?

>Kris Allen was interviewed on Portland, Maine's Top 40 station 97.9 WJBQ tonight in which he answered a few questions that his fans have been dying to get answers to. Listen to the interview below:



Kris said he will be filming his music video for "Live Like We're Dying" tomorrow night in the desert (somewhere) and the chances of "Red Guitar" and "I Need to Know" making it on the final track listing are good.

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Poll of the week: Daughtry's "It's Not Over" fave debut single from a no. 4

One fourth-place finalist's debut single was clearly preferred among IDOL LIVE readers for the latest edition of the poll of the week series.

The champion of this poll was no surprise. Daughtry's multi-platinum "It's Not Over" received 46 votes, or 55% of the poll's total take. Next up was Jason Castro's "Let's Just Fall In Love Again" with 26 votes (31%), and Allison Iraheta's brand new single "Friday I'll Be Over U" came in at no. 3 with 5 votes (6%).

In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which album cover art from an Idol winner's first post-show album is their favorite. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Raindrops Will Fall (Tamyra Gray) 1 (1%)
I Want to Live (Josh Gracin) 4 (4%)
Appreciate (LaToya London) 1 (1%)
It's Not Over (Daughtry) 46 (55%)
Let's Go Celebrate (LaKisha Jones) 0 (0%)
Let's Just Fall In Love Again (Jason Castro) 26 (31%)
Friday I'll Be Over U (Allison Iraheta) 5 (6%)

Total votes: 83

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #19 (10/24/09)

A steadily-moving single from a winner overtook last week's top track among Idol alums on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Oct. 24.

Finally entering the Top 20, Kelly Clarkson's slow burner "Already Gone" advanced #23-19, marking its highest position to date. Increases in sales and airplay show no signs of giving up in the short term.

Right behind at #20 was Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova," which slipped six spots from its debut position one week ago. Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield," on the other hand, fell heftier by nine spots to #44. And Daughtry's "No Surprise" was down #41-46.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
19 23 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
20 14 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
44 35 Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield"
46 41 Daughtry, "No Surprise"

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HITS predix: David Archuleta's 'Christmas From the Heart' 18-20k

David Archuleta is the latest Idol alum to have predictions for his album included in HITS Daily Double's first-day sales predictions thanks to strong returns from yesterday.

Arch's Christmas album Christmas From the Heart is expected to pull in between 18-20k copies in its opening week, which would put him below current #1 Michael Buble and other openers like the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack and new albums from Mario and The Flaming Lips. This should hopefully put Arch within the Top 20, but maybe a few ticks out will be the most likely scenario.

Be sure to check in again on Friday, when HDD will release updated sales figures.

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Digital sales roundup: "Cowboy Casanova" #22 (10/24/09)

On the latest edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, a few tracks by Idol alums disappeared from the sales data made public public.

In the end, only two tracks from alums (both winners) appeared on the chart, with Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" maintaining the lead despite an 18% sales dip. The single moved 53.7k downloads for the week, bringing its three-week total to 229.7k, but it was down nine spots on the chart side to #22.

Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" was the other Idol-related track with sales readily available. The single was up 8% in sales after a downturn last week, selling another 47k for a total of 480.6k. On the chart rankings it slipped #25-26.

Noticeably missing was Kris Allen's single "Live Like We're Dying," which has been out two-and-a-half weeks and is most likely off the Hot Digital Songs chart.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

22 13 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 53,687 -18% 65,816 229,739
26 25 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 47,040 8% 43,737 480,649

Total sales are in bold.

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Adam Lambert and Paula Abdul announce AMA noms

A runner-up and former judge were on hand to announce the nominees for the 2009 American Music Awards this morning in Los Angeles. Adam Lambert and Paula Abdul were two artists chosen to announce the nominees, most likely because they are two of the most talked about musicians that have been out there this year.

Adam then went on to spill to Ryan Seacrest on his morning radio program that he will indeed be performing his new single during the show's live broadcast. He said of the performance:

"I want some dancing up there. I want some costumes. I want some fire....I really want it to be something to look at, something really, really exciting and over the top."

As for Idol alums up for various categories, Carrie Underwood is nominated for "Favorite Country Music Female Artist" and Daughtry is nominated for "Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist." Both are expected to lose to country superstar Taylor Swift in their respective categories.

The fan-voted 2009 American Music Awards will be broadcast live on ABC on Sun., Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. ET.

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Out today: David Archuleta's 'Christmas From the Heart'

David Archuleta is the second Idol runner-up to release an album within two weeks. He is, however, the first alum to release a Christmas album for the 2009 season in Christmas From the Heart. Although Christmas seems like an eternity away, it is not uncommon to see music for the holiday season appear on store shelves in mid-October. Christmas is being released on behalf of Jive Records, Arch's label.

Also out today is Carrie Underwood's single "Mama's Song," available at iTunes as part of the countdown to Carrie's third studio album, Play On, which is due out Tues., Nov. 3.

And Brooke White's Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) EP featuring live versions of songs like "Radio Radio," "Hold Up My Heart" and "Rhiannon" was added to the juggernaut digital music retailer.

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Albums
David Archuleta, Christmas From the Heart

Amazon.com - ($9.99) - Buy
Amazon MP3 - ($9.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($11.98) - Buy
Best Buy - ($9.99) - Buy
Buy.com - ($10.98) - Buy
CDUniverse.com - ($11.18) - Buy
iTunes - ($9.99) - Buy
Sears - ($10.79) - Buy
Target - ($13.99) - Buy
Walmart - ($12.88) - Buy

Singles
Carrie Underwood, "Mama's Song"

iTunes - ($1.29) - Buy

EPs
Brooke White, Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)

iTunes - ($4.95) - Buy

For those who are on the fence as to whether or not they should purchase it, Arch's album can now be streamed in full on AOL Music.

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Katharine McPhee's "Had It All" music video

Katharine McPhee's new music video for her latest single "Had It All" premiered a bit early on Y! Music as it was added to Yahoo!'s music site tonight rather than tomorrow, it's intended release date. Watch the video below:

The video shows off Katharine's beautiful body and (still taking time to get used to) blonde hairstyle. Although the video is nothing groundbreaking, it makes good use of contrasts like Kat in a black dress against a white background and the use of black and white and color shots. This is the latest product of Kat and her label, Verve Forecast, since the announcement that her sophomore effort Unbroken would be released on Jan. 5, 2010, delayed from its original drop date of Oct. 6.

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Flashback: Jennifer Hudson's "I Have Nothing"

Jennifer Hudson's stay on Idol's third season is considered by many to be on the short side, but others believe her vocals were not up to par at the time compared to their strength nowadays. An example of a performance that many could agree was one of Jennifer's bright spots was her performance of "I Have Nothing" during Top 8 week for the "Songs of the Cinema" theme night, which received overwhelming praise from the judges (and Quentin Tarantino). Watch the performance below:

Jennifer's choice of a bored and tired song (that has only increased in both counts as the seasons have gone by) actually worked to her advantage here, as her vocals fit the song to a T. Even though she only lasted one more week on the show, her performance of "I Have Nothing" will always be a reminder of the early talent of a promising young star who has made something of her career.

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Amazon bragging about Adam Lambert's sales?

This morning, many customers of Amazon.com (including yours truly) received an e-mail advocating the three Season 8 finalists whose post-Idol albums are slated for release this November in addition to Britain's Got Talent finalist Susan Boyle's debut album. Now, this is nothing new for Amazon, as it constantly sends out e-mails recommending products to certain users based on their prior purchases from the online retailer, but what was especially interesting was the accompanying bar graph that showed which finalists has been selling more.

As seen above, the obvious occupant of the first slot with 86% of sales between the three was none other than Adam Lambert, whose album recently peaked at #1 (it is currently sitting at #6). Kris Allen's album was waaaaaaay behind at 11% (his album is now at #143) and Allison Iraheta's album was unsurprisingly back at 3% (her album is at #128).

So, what was the point of including the actual percentage points breakdown of who's selling what amount in pre-orders? There's no doubt it was unnecessary, as the e-mail could have simply had a brief write-up of the three albums with links to pre-order them (which it does include). Instead, though, someone felt it was very important to point out the huge divide in sales to this point. This is tacky and in poor taste.

There's no way of knowing who in fact insisted on including this data in the alert e-mail, and it most likely was not 19E or one of the finalists' respective record labels. But then why was a link to Susan Boyle's album also included, yet her sales were not included in the breakdown chart? Who knows, but this is very interesting stuff and it will be telling if more of this type of e-mail is sent out in the future leading up to these releases.

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'Idol' BB 200: 'Leave This Town' #42 (10/17/09)

A slew of non-Idol debuts on the Billboard Top 200 album sales chart sent the four remaining Idol-related entries swirling down the chart in its latest edition.

A prime example of this trend was Daughtry's sophomore album Leave This Town, which fell #28-42 despite only slipping 9% in sales. Its weekly take of 14.4k copies was enough to bring its total to date to 675.4k.

Up next was Kelly Clarkson's album All I Ever Wanted, which sat at the midpoint of the chart thanks to a 21-spot slip to #100. It sold another 5.4k, down 4%, for a current total of 716.7k copies. Jordin Sparks' Battlefield also witnessed dramatic downward movement on the chart as it tumbled 32 spots to #157 on the heels of an 11% dip in sales. It ended up moving an additional 3.3k units to bring its total to 120.3k.

And Kellie Pickler's Kellie Pickler brought up the rear at #180, down three spots from the previous week despite seeing its sales jump 7%. Its weekly take of 3k copies brings its total to 317.2k.

Full chart positions and partial sales numbers courtesy of aztecman on Pulse as follows:

042 028 Daughtry - Leave This Town 14,439 -9% 15,789 675,431
100 079 Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted 5,414 -4% 5,656 716,673
157 125 Jordin Sparks - Battlefield 3,328 -11% 3,732 120,292
180 177 Kellie Pickler - Kellie Pickler 2,960 7% 2,764 317,172

Total sales are in bold.

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Clip of Adam Lambert's "Time For Miracles" music video unveiled

A clip of a music video of Adam Lambert's much buzzed about song for the upcoming disaster flick 2012 was added to AOL's Moviefone today. The video features an introduction of the song by Adam and a short snippet of him singing in the studio while eye candy (i.e. global destruction) from the movie is shown, as seen below:

Watch more Moviefone videos on AOL Video

Is it just me, or does the clip of the song not fit the death and destruction portrayed in the scenes included here? I mean, I understand the point of the song is that the world could use a miracle or two here, but the stringed accompaniment and rousing chorus just do not mesh well with Los Angeles crumbling to the ground and St. Peter's Basilica careening over thousands of people like a bowling ball.

As for the song, based on the clip its expectantly cheesy and schlocky lyrics give it the feeling of a coronation single. Thankfully, this is not the material Adam will release on his upcoming album. Still, look for it to be a big hit when it's released to digital retailers on Fri., Oct. 16 according to Amazon MP3.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Jennifer Hudson gets Christmas special on ABC

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>It was announced this week that Jennifer Hudson will have her very own Christmas music special in December on ABC. Per Reuters:

"Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas" will air in December and feature the singer-actress reliving her childhood holidays with musical performances filmed in locations specific to her youth: the Oscar winner's church, music academy and other Chicago locations.

No word yet on when the special will air.

>Former Idol judge Paula Abdul has been keeping up appearances, this week sitting in the audience at Dancing with the Stars for the performance episode on Monday. Watch Marie Osmond interview Paula backstage for Entertainment Tonight below:



During the live broadcast, co-host Tom Bergeron chatted with Paula for a few seconds, and she managed to suggest she and judge Carrie Ann Inaba make out in that short time frame. Needless to say, it didn't happen.

>Chris Daughtry revealed that he is helping out another Idol alum on his debut effort. Chris tweeted about his songwriting with Kris Allen for his upcoming release, saying:

So as you know...the rumor about me writing with Kris Allen for his record is true! Fingers crossed it makes the record:) It's a good one!!

As for what Kris had to say about working with the big D, he told EW.com's Michael Slezak in an interview published Wednesday:

Chris is great. He reached out to me early on, during the show, I think during top-4 week. He gave me his number and was telling me if I needed anything to just give him a call. He was a really, really nice guy, and he kind of knew what I was going through, and was just kind of rooting for me. And now we have the same manager, so that makes it easy.

Kris wouldn't go into detail about what the song sounds like, but it isn't hard to imagine the kind of material Chris could come up with for the most recent Idol winner.

>Kelly Clarkson took time out during her busy tour schedule to chat and perform at The View yesterday. Kelly had lots to say regarding some of her more outspoken comments as of late, including her "letter" to Kanye West immediately following his outburst at MTV's VMA Awards last month. Watch the segment below:



Kelly also performed her current single "Already Gone," once again opting for the stripped version rather than the "Halo"-esque one that stirred up controversy this summer.

>David Archuleta sat down with former 80s teen idol Rick Springfield for People.com's "Up Close" segment in which they discussed what it's like to be a teen heartthrob. Watch the segment below:



Rick's advice to David? As long as he stays true and has a good family life, he should be all set. Words to live by, those are.

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Poll of the week: "Light On" blinds fellow winners' singles

Among the debut singles from Idol winners, one outshone the others in IDOL LIVE's most recent edition of the poll of the week series.

David Cook's underrated single "Light On" easily trounced the seven other singles from fellow winners, including Kris Allen's brand new single "Live Like We're Dying." Cook's single took in 150 votes, or 67% of the 223 total votes cast. Kris' single garnered 26 votes (11%), good for second.

Kelly Clarkson's "Miss Independent" (19 votes, 8%) narrowly defeated Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel" (17 votes, 7%), and two singles failed to receive a single vote. Ruben Studdard's "Sorry 2004" and Fantasia's "Truth Is" were scoreless in this round.

In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which debut single from an Idol fourth-place finalist is their favorite. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Miss Independent (Kelly Clarkson) 19 (8%)
Sorry 2004 (Ruben Studdard) 0 (0%)
Truth Is (Fantasia) 0 (0%)
Jesus, Take the Wheel (Carrie Underwood) 17 (7%)
Just to Feel That Way (Taylor Hicks) 1 (0%)
Tattoo (Jordin Sparks) 10 (4%)
Light On (David Cook) 150 (67%)
Live Like We're Dying (Kris Allen) 26 (11%)

Total votes: 223

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'Idol' Hot 100: "Cowboy Casanova" #14 (10/17/09)

Another Idol-related track found its way onto Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Oct. 17 after debuting on the Bubbling Under chart last week.

First off, Carrie Underwood's new single "Cowboy Casanova" slid only three spots to #14 despite a heavy sales fall. The country track was followed by Kelly Clarkson's ballad "Already Gone," which was actually up four spots thanks to solid airplay gains.

A third winner's single came in next, as Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" fell #25-35, and Daughtry's "No Surprise" was down seven spots to #41.

And Kris Allen's new single "Live Like We're Dying" was last on the chart thanks to a debut at #89. Had it been released the Tuesday before last instead of two Fridays ago, chances are it would have debuted a couple ticks higher.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
14 11 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
23 27 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
35 25 Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield"
41 34 Daughtry, "No Surprise"
89 -- Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"

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Digital sales roundup: "Cowboy Casanova" #13 (10/17/09)

In their second weeks of release, one Idol winner's single fell and another winner's single rose on the most recent edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.

Leading off was Carrie Underwood's single "Cowboy Casanova," which was down dramatically as expected. It sold 65.8k downloads, down 40%, and slid five spots to #13. It has sold 176.1k in two weeks, off to a good start.

Kelly Clarkson's single "Already Gone" saw its first decrease in sales this week in a long time, as it was down 7% in sales to 43.7k. It receded #21-25 on the chart side and has sold 433.6k to date. Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" was also down, 12% in fact, but it was able to finally pass the million mark with another 27.4k downloads. It also remained in the Top 50, falling six spots to #50, and has sold 1.026 million.

And Kris Allen's new single, "Live Like We're Dying," rose 30 spots to #63 thanks to another 23.6k downloads sold. Up 49% in sales, the single has sold 39.3k after one-and-a-half weeks of release.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

013 008 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 65,816 -40% 110,236 176,052
025 021 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 43,737 -7% 47,144 433,609
050 044 Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield" 27,355 -12% 30,994 1,025,772
063 093 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 23,552 49% 15,755 39,307

Total sales are in bold.

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HITS estimates: 'Leave This Town' #45

Daughtry's sophomore album Leave This Town continued its downward spiral on HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart, once again fulfilling its duty as the only Idol-related album to have sales estimates high enough to report.

Leave This Town moved an additional 14.4k copies, down 11% in sales. It slipped 12 spots on the chart to #45. Whether or not this album will hang on for one more week remains to be seen. As for the likelihood of Blake Lewis' Heartbreak On Vinyl making an appearance in the sales estimates, don't count on it. But stay tuned just in case.

After a week of full sales data for the previous week's charts, finalized album sales figures courtesy of Billboard should hopefully be out by the end of the week.

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Out today: Blake Lewis' 'Heartbreak On Vinyl'

After his first album Audio Day Dream failed to excite listeners beyond his Idol fan base, Blake Lewis returns to the music scene with his sophomore effort Heartbreak On Vinyl. The album, which is courtesy of Tommy Boy Entertainment, features 13 songs including the lead single "Sad Song."

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Albums
Blake Lewis, Heartbreak On Vinyl

Amazon.com - ($7.99) - Buy
Amazon MP3 - ($7.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($13.59) - Buy
Best Buy - ($7.99) - Buy
Buy.com - ($11.99) - Buy
CDUniverse - ($13.00) - Buy
iTunes - ($11.99) - Buy
Sears - ($10.79) - Buy
Walmart - ($9.00) - Buy

Blake has been tweeting about the release constantly over the past week and is understandably excited about the album. For example, Blake wrote:

Just got done chatting with some great fans and friends. Now I'm gonna release and take it in that my album is out tomorrow. Exciting!!! about 2 hours agofrom web

On the eve of the album's release, Blake chatted with fans on his official Web site.

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Flashback: David Archuleta's "Longer"

David Archuleta had some pristine vocal performances during his time on Idol during Season 7. One of the more overlooked ones was his rendition of Dan Fogelberg's "Longer," which was selected by producers during Top 3 week. Refresh your memory on the performance below:

Although Arch's vocal abilities were showcased extremely well on "Longer," Simon was right to criticize the song selection for it's "gooey" lyrics and for the fact that it was too old of a song for a 17-year-old. Still, it should be recognized that "Longer" was in part responsible for catapulting Arch into the finale the following week.

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