Allison Iraheta, the feisty red-haired Avril Lavigne-esque punk princess and fourth-place finisher on the eighth season of Idol, is the latest alum to release her debut album, as her Just Like You hits stores and digital retailers everywhere tomorrow. Although she does not carry with her nearly the amount of hype that came with Adam Lambert's release last week, she does have a few things going for her.
Recently there haven't been a ton of releases geared toward Allison's target demographic, as they are primarily depending on a few older titles that have been selling well like Taylor Swift's Fearless, so this is one good sign for her. Jive has also been very smart with how Allison has been marketed, as there was a special promotion going on where her music was featured before showings of the mega successful New Moon in select theatres, which opened up a huge amount of audiences to her album. There were also listening parties held at the plus size clothing retailer Torrid locations nationwide yesterday. Whether or not this will translate into sales, though, is another question.
In terms of televised performances, Allison will perform on Good Morning America tomorrow and will be on Ellen on Thursday, which is a much lighter schedule than what some previous Idol alums were granted, but it should be sufficient for the time being. A more worrying factor is the lack of substantial airplay for Allison's debut single "Friday I'll Be Over U," which was released over a month ago.
And then there's the competition factor. Allison really has no true competition to speak of, as the only true major release comes from R&B artist R. Kelly, and it would not be much of a stretch to assume most of Allison's demographic will not be purchasing the former's Untitled.
Without radio play and an overwhelming demand for tracks from the 17-year-old, things could look a little disappointing for Just Like You. I'm calling for opening week sales of 35k for the album, which should be in line with the relatively weak first week sales of label mate Kris Allen's album just two weeks ago.
Just Like You will be out tomorrow and is now available to pre-order on Amazon.com
Monday, November 30, 2009
IDOL LIVE predix: Allison Iraheta's 'Just Like You'
Flashback: Mandisa's "Any Man of Mine"
Mandisa was a front runner early on in the competition during Idol's fifth season but she unfortunately got caught up in controversy as a result of misinterpreted comments she made at the outset of her Top 10 performance. The next week, Mandisa was out following a less than stellar performance of Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine" during Top 9 week's country night. Watch the performance below:
Even though this was not her strongest performance while on the show, Mandisa showed she could tackle genres that were very removed from her comfort zone and she gave a valiant effort despite the unfair criticism she had attracted.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Kris's sales in comparison
Now that the final first week sales are in for Kris Allen's debut album, let's take a look at how his numbers stack up against the sales and chart positions on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart of the seven previous winners.
First Week Sales - Winners
1) Ruben Studdard - Soulful (416,569 - #1)
2) Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts (314,549 - #2)
3) Taylor Hicks - Taylor Hicks (298,199 - #2)
4) Kelly Clarkson - Thankful (297,000 - #1)
5) David Cook - David Cook (279,578 - #3)
6) Fantasia - Free Yourself (239,389 - #8)
7) Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks (119,119 - #10)
8) Kris Allen - Kris Allen (80,072 - #11)
Judging by the sales figures, Kris's debut is pretty lackluster, although when looking at the chart rankings, it shows that Kris's album fell pretty much in line with some of the previous winners and the overall decline in sales plaguing artists nowadays.
Total Sales - Winners
1) Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts (6.87 million)
2) Kelly Clarkson - Thankful (2.73 million)
3) David Cook - David Cook (1.25 million)
4) Ruben Studdard - Soulful (1.79 million)
5) Fantasia - Free Yourself (1.77 million)
6) Jordin Sparks - Jordin Sparks (1.03 million)
7) Taylor Hicks - Taylor Hicks (704k)
8) Kris Allen - Kris Allen (80k)
From the looks of things, Kris will have his work cut out for him in trying to pass even Taylor Hicks's debut album total sales. But at the same time, don't be surprised if things turn out well for Kris Allen, as the album seems like it could be a steady seller over the next few months.
'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #16 (12/5/09)
An unexpected hit reached a new peak while another Idol-related single surged ahead on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Dec. 5.
Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" rose four spots to #16 following a much talked about performance at the American Music Awards. Huge increases in airplay are also partly to thank for the new peak.
Carrie Underwood was up next with her hit single "Cowboy Casanova," which was down #21-23. And Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" rocketed ahead 29 spots to #41 due to his album's release.
Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:
Hot 100
16 20 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
23 21 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
41 70 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying"
'Idol' BB 200: 'Play On' #9 (12/5/09)
The assortment of albums from Idol alums grew on the Billboard Top 200 album sales chart for the chart week of Dec. 5, but not all data were amazingly good.
Carrie Underwood's numbers for her album Play On were stuffed once again, as another 86.2k copies were sold, down 33% from the previous week. It was down six spots to #9 and has sold 532.5k to date.
Next up was Kris Allen with the debut of his self-titled album, which came in right on target with estimates at #11 with 80.1k. Kris is the first winner to not have his first album debut in the Top 10, and his sales numbers are also the lowest for a winner to date.
Moving on, David Archuleta's Christmas From the Heart was up surprisingly big, gaining 83% and 31 spots to #44 with another 17.7k copies in the bank. Total to date is 67.2k Daughtry's Leave This Town was down 13% in sales to 11.4k, placing it at #68 on the chart, off 22 spots from the previous week. The disc has moved a total of 748.6k in all.
Debuting at #72 was Adam Lambert's unauthorized pre-Idol release Take One, which duped 11.1k-worth of fans into defying Adam's wishes to have people stay away from the attempt at a cheap buck by his former producer pals. Adam's real release will see huge returns on next week's chart.
And Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted finished off Idol representation at #171, down from #123 the previous week. It sold another 5k for the week and was off only 5% for a total of 755.1k.
Full chart positions and sales numbers courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:
009 003 Carrie Underwood - Play On 86,218 -33% 128,443 532,472
011 --- Kris Allen - Kris Allen 80,072 999% 37 80,109
044 075 David Archuleta - Christmas From the Heart 17,717 83% 9,657 67,185
068 046 Daughtry - Leave This Town 11,429 -13% 13,125 748,579
072 --- Adam Lambert - Take One 11,090 999% 289 11,379
171 123 Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted 4,956 -5% 5,208 755,093
Total sales are in bold.
Friday, November 27, 2009
'Idol' Thanksgiving wrap-up
Since you were most likely hanging out with family and friends yesterday and by now the tryptophan has most likely been drained from your system, take some time to catch up on some busy Idol appearances made on TV yesterday. If you already watched these performances sometime during turkey day, take some time to relive them right now.
Katharine McPhee kicked off Thanksgiving by performing in Macy's 83rd annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, which was broadcast live on NBC. Watch her perform "Had It All" on the Jimmy Dean float below:
Another famous alum turned up at the Dallas Cowboys / Oakland Raiders NFL football game, as Daughtry provided halftime entertainment during the Salvation Army Halftime Show. The band performed three songs including new single "Life After You." Watch the show below:
And then later in the night two alums made appearances on FOX's Kaleidescope ice show, which combines Christmas music with figure skating performances in an effort to raise awareness about cancer. The special featured David Archuleta and Katharine, and was taped last week. Watch David's performance of "Silent Night" below:
Katharine performed "I'll Be Home For Christmas," which is now available to purchase on iTunes. Watch her performance below:
The show, which was co-hosted by Idol friend and producer David Foster and Kristi Yamaguchi, also featured cancer survivor Olivia Newton John.
And of course, Carrie Underwood's much hyped performance of "Change" on CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute aired last night. Watch the moving performance below:
So now that you've got caught up with all the Idol you missed yesterday, be sure to head out to the stores (if you haven't done so yet) to kick off the holiday shopping season and pick up some albums from alums. You know you want to...
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Poll of the week: 'David Cook' still favorite debut album from a winner
When it comes to IDOL LIVE readers' favorite post-Idol debut album from a winner, one disc stood high above the rest according to the most recent edition of the poll of the week.
David Cook's self-titled album walked away with the contest, bringing in 96 votes, or 54% of the total votes cast. This figure was much higher than the 37 votes Kris Allen's Kris Allen took in, which came out to 20% of the votes cast.
Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts was next with 25 votes (14%), followed by the 16 votes (9%) that Kelly Clarkson's Thankful netted. Three albums failed to receive a single vote.
In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which post-Idol debut album from a runner-up is their favorite. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
'Thankful' (Kelly Clarkson) 16 (9%)
'Soulful' (Ruben Studdard) 0 (0%)
'Free Yourself' (Fantasia) 0 (0%)
'Some Hearts' (Carrie Underwood) 25 (14%)
'Taylor Hicks' (Taylor Hicks) 0 (0%)
'Jordin Sparks' (Jordin Sparks) 3 (1%)
'David Cook' (David Cook) 96 (54%)
'Kris Allen' (Kris Allen) 37 (20%)
Total votes: 177
HITS predix: Adam Lambert's 'For Your Entertainment' 210-230k
HITS Daily Double's one-day sales numbers have Adam Lambert's post-Idol debut album For Your Entertainment coming in above most industry expectations.
HDD is predicting Entertainment to pull in between 210-230k in its full seven-day launch period, bolstered most likely from Adam's controversial AMA performance on Sunday and the Black Friday buying bonanza that will happen the day after Thanksgiving. This would put him second to only Susan Boyle's debut LP among new releases, as HDD is expecting new albums from Lady Gaga and Rihanna to net in the 180-200k range.
This figure is fairly higher than my original prediction of 175k, but there's always a chance HDD could be overestimating based on first-day sales. Last year, David Archuleta's debut was overestimated by nearly 40k, while David Cook's album was overestimated by over 20k.
If these numbers hold for Adam, Entertainment will become either the second or third-highest debut week bow for an album from a runner-up, coming in behind debuts from Clay Aiken and possibly Bo Bice.
Be sure to check back on Friday for revised predictions.
Digital sales roundup: "Cowboy Casanova" #21 (12/5/09)
With the exception of one track there were sales dips had among singles by Idol alums on the latest edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.
Leading the pack was Carrie Underwood, whose "Cowboy Casanova" fell seven spots to #21 thanks to a 31% post-CMAs drop to 51.2k downloads. Its total is now at 557.6k and will probably see healthy sales throughout the remainder of the year.
Up next was the resilient Kelly Clarkson, as her "little engine that could" smash "Already Gone" held steady at #24 with only a 1% drop in sales. The single moved another 46k and now sits at 756.1k. It will see a nice bump in sales this week thanks to a brilliant performance at the AMAs and will most likely pass the million mark by the end of the year.
The only alum to see positive movement on the chart was Kris Allen thanks to a 67% surge in sales of his first single "Live Like We're Dying." The release of Kris's album played a big role in the 35.8k tracks sold last week, and it now totals 155.3k.
The last track from an alum came in the form of "For Your Entertainment" by Adam Lambert, which slipped #56-75 and was down 25% for the week. It moved 19.5k and now boasts a total of 63.9k, with a big increase expected on next week's chart as a result of his album release and controversial AMA performance.
Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:
21 14 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 51,213 -31% 74,077 557,602
24 24 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 45,958 -1% 46,511 756,127
34 80 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 35,787 67% 21,402 155,340
75 56 Adam Lambert, "For Your Entertainment" 19,465 -25% 26,065 63,927
Total sales are in bold.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment" music video premieres
Just two days after Adam Lambert's most controversial performance to date, the eighth season's runner-up premiered his first music video for For Your Entertainment. Watch the video below:
The video was so hotly anticipated that Adam's official Web site crashed briefly as a result of the surge in traffic, as Adam tweeted:
Site crashed following announcement of video debut. Should be back up shortly about 4 hours ago from EchofonAs for the video itself, it's less exciting than Adam's AMA performance, but that's probably a good thing. The two stars of the video are undoubtedly the cane and the snake. Hopefully they were compensated accordingly.
HITS estimates: 'Play On' #9 w/ 85.5k
A new Idol-related entry in the form of an album was not enough to dethrone another album from a veteran alum according to HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart.
Carrie Underwood retained her spot as the top charting alum thanks to her third studio album Play On falling just 32% in its third week to 85.5k copies. It was down six spots on the chart side to #9.
The only other alum to see an album make the chart was Kris Allen, whose self-titled debut album debuted at #10 with 84.9k copies. If this figure and position hold when the official numbers come in, it will be the lowest sales numbers for an Idol winner to date. As for my prediction of 90k for the album's debut week sales, it is pretty much on target.
Full sales numbers and chart positions courtesy of Billboard should be out by the end of this Thanksgiving week.
Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" on 'Ellen'
Kris Allen's appearance on Ellen that was taped last Friday aired this morning. On the show, Kris sat down with host and new Idol judge Ellen DeGeneres before performing his single "Live Like We're Dying." Watch the performance below:
In the interview, Kris spoke of his Christmas shows (Jingle Balls) promoting the album, and he said he and Adam Lambert are still pretty good friends. He also said his wife Katey will be on the road with him for a few shows in his tour, and Ellen joked that Kris doesn't look much older than eight years old after Kris said he and Katey had been together for eight years.
'GMA' cancels Adam Lambert's concert set for tomorrow
Well, looks like the first casualty of Adam Lambert's controversial performance at the 2009 American Music Awards is the second-biggest promotional venue during his album release week. Good Morning America has officially canceled Adam's concert at the Hudson Theatre, which was set to air tomorrow on the ABC morning program.
According to a GMA official:"Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning."
This was pretty much guaranteed to happen after ABC, which also broadcast the AMAs, received 1,500 calls from viewers complaining about Adam's performance, and web pages to Adam's concert on ABCNews.com began to disappear last night.
Instead, the third-string broadcast morning program, CBS' Early Show, will have Adam as its musical guest. Maybe this will serve as a a wake-up call for Adam before he sabotages his own career.
Monday, November 23, 2009
David Cook performs "Declaration" on 'Regis & Kelly'
Amid all these performances from the latest batch of Idol alums (and Carrie Underwood), there have been a few names that have gone unnoticed on the airwaves in the recent past. David Cook made it back onto the talk show circuit this morning with a performance of "Declaration" on Live with Regis and Kelly during the show's special stint in Las Vegas. Watch it below:
In the pre-performance chatter, David told Regis and Kelly about how he was successful at Blackjack thanks to being "stupid" and putting all his money in and he had been noticed twice during his time in Sin City.
Flashback: Antonella Barba's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing"
Antonella Barba was one of the most talked about semifinalists in Idol's history during the show's sixth season before famously being eliminated during Top 16 week, but it was not for her performances on the stage. After being lambasted in the media for racy photos that leaked on the internet, Antonella's singing abilities were overshadowed by calls for her expulsion from the show. Now almost three years since the controversy, watch her performance of Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" on the show making sure to focus just on her vocals below:
Antonella might not have been the strongest vocalist on her season, but she did put up a valiant effort in the face of a nationally publicized airing of dirty laundry. Still, these things happen when relatively unknowns are launched into the spotlight overnight.
'Idol' alums react to Adam Lambert's AMA performance
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Twitter is abuzz with Adam Lambert, as he is currently the #1 trending topic on the social media site following his performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. Naturally, many Idol alums have their own two cents on the extravaganza:
Kellie Pickler sayswhat's up with all the "smoke and mirrors"...whatever happened to just singing a song and selling it with the power of the lyrics?? 13 minutes ago from web
Blake Lewis says:Thought @adamlambert was great as the closer. Don't know how it sounds or looks through the tv, but it was epic live about 1 hour ago from Echofon
Ryan Seacrest says:Ama's...Lambert designed all the costumes for his performance..I love the jay z song. had to blaze home to get up early. Home in 6 mins about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter
Anoop Desai says:Watching the AMAs. Waiting for this @adamlambert performance less than 20 seconds ago from Echofon
Jason Castro says:that was disgusting. eww 32 minutes ago from web
Chris Sligh says:Wow..I'm just replaying it. That was absolutely horrible. I'm sure there are fans who will absolutely love it...but for me it was top 5... about 1 hour ago from web
...worst performances I've seen on a tv awards show. Let's make it clear that I'm not dissing him as a person...I hope he does great, but.. about 1 hour ago from web
..everything from the vocals & dancing to the set to the dancers...I mean everything was so just not good..o and btw it was Dr. Luke not Max about 1 hour ago from web
but...one thing is for sure...people will FOR SURE be talking about that tomorrow. And that is a darn good thing for Adam! about 1 hour ago from web
I coulda done without the sodomy, kissing the keys dude, and the S&M crap. Besides that it was great. Unfortunately that's all there was. about 1 hour ago from web
Sorry...I'm just kind of in shock at how horrible it was. My hopes were high. I really wanted Adam to be the greatest artist ever. about 1 hour ago from web
After all that he added: I will however buy his album tomorrow...I'll let you guys know what I think...I'm sure it's great. about 1 hour ago from web
It's good to know former finalists can be candid about commenting on their peers.
Out today: Adam Lambert's 'For Your Entertainment'
Adam Lambert is the second Idol alum from the most recent season of the show to release an album as his For Your Entertainment looks to top the charts during what is traditionally the third-busiest shopping week of the year.
The album features Adam's lead single and title track "For Your Entertainment" in addition to tracks written by some big artists in their own right like "Whataya Want From Me" (P!NK), "Fever" (Lady Gaga) and "Pick U Up" (Rivers Cuomo of Weezer).
Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:
Amazon.com - ($9.99) - Buy
Amazon MP3 - ($3.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($9.99) - Buys
Best Buy - ($9.99) - Buy
Buy.com - ($13.88) - Buy
CDUniverse - ($11.18) - Buy
iTunes - ($16.99 deluxe, $10.99 standard) - Buy: deluxe, standard
Sears - ($10.79) - Buy
Target - ($9.98) - Buy
Walmart - ($13.88) - Buy
The only version of Entertainment featuring bonus content is the deluxe edition on iTunes, which includes two bonus tracks ("Master Plan" and "Down the Rabbit Hole") and two "behind the scenes"video segments filmed during a photo shoot and in the recording studio.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
'Idol' alums aplenty at American Music Awards
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It was a big night for Idol alums at the 2009 American Music Awards, as familiar faces spanning multiple seasons of the show were on-hand to make appearances.
The night was filled with a few shockers (Who's Gloriana?) and a lot of mess ups, plus most of the performances were lackluster. Therefore, it was no surprise that most of the performances from Idol alums were considered to be among the bright spots of the night. Here's a rundown of the performances:
Daughtry was the first alum to perform at the ceremony, as the boys showcased their latest single "Life After You." Watch the performance below:
Although some might accuse it of being boring, Chris and the guys sounded as good as usual. The song will probably have a long and healthy chart life on multiple formats, and this performance will serve as a good launching pad.
Kelly Clarkson's hit single "Already Gone" received a warm reception thanks to a stringed accompaniment, which was a new approach for the performance. Watch it below:
Kelly is the original Idol, and she will always have a special place in fans' hearts. The fact that she got a standing ovation just goes to show she is one of the most respected artists in the industry, and her vocals were among the best of the night (if not the best).
Carrie Underwood delivered one of the hottest performances of her career when she took to the stage to sing "Cowboy Casanova." Watch the scorcher below:
Notice the reaction shot from Paula Abdul? Either they caught her at a bad spot or she was not impressed with the fourth season's champ. Carrie's performance is being widely considered to be one of the highlights of the show even though she didn't seem all too happy with herself judging from her reaction at the end.
And then there was Adam Lambert and his much hyped performance that everyone "would be talking about" the next day. Well, it looks like he accomplished his goal:
Sorry, everything about that was atrocious.
As for the actual awards, neither of the two Idol-related alums took home any hardware. Both Carrie and Daughtry were nominated, both of them lost to Taylor Swift. But at least now they have something in common with Michael Jackson, as the former King of Pop lost out to the up and coming country music star in the "Artist of the Year" category.
Other Idol personnel (or former personnel) were in the building, as Paula presented the category for "Favorite Band/Duo/Group" for Pop/Rock and Ryan Seacrest presented for "Artist of the Year." He was also sure to plug his "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve" special this New Year's Eve while on the stage. Kris Allen was also there to present, as he and Demi Lovato presented the "Best Female Soul/R&B Artist" award to Beyonce, who was not in the building.
There was a Blake Lewis sighting on the red carpet, and he tweeted a picture of himself with Perez Hilton. If that's what he considers to be a photo opp, then good for him.
All in all, the night was a big one for Idol performance-wise, but in the scope of things no one will really remember anything special taking place. Possibly the fact that Swift one a few too many awards, but that's nothing new.
The 2009 AMAs were held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif., and was broadcast on ABC.
IDOL LIVE predix: Adam Lambert's 'For Your Entertainment'
In what will most likely be the second-biggest opening sales week for an album by an Idol alum this quarter, Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment hits store shelves for one of the traditionally biggest sales weeks of the year.
One thing that will help Adam greatly in his quest to move the most units possible is the media' fascination with him as a person. He is the most talked about finalist to ever grace the Idol stage, which has allowed him to snag some of the most coveted promotional outlets available including a high profile performance at tonight's American Music Awards. Other big appearances coming up include Good Morning America and The Late Show with David Letterman on Wednesday and Ellen on Tues., Dec. 1.
There are some causes for concern, however, as Adam's lead single "For Your Entertainment" has been shown no love at radio to this point and the track's sales have been much lower than anticipated. Similarly, Adam's "Time For Miracles" from the 2012 soundtrack fell drastically after opening with 46.5k downloads. When sizing these sales data up with Adam's post-Idol sales, which were noticeably below winner Kris Allen's sales on average considering the attention he had even back then, the question is raised as to whether Adam's hype will translate to transactions.
But the most important factor will be whether Adam's disc will be able to stand out from a crowded roster of competition. Despite the fact that Entertainment will literally catch the eyes of shoppers thanks to its colorful cover, it may have a tougher time convincing shoppers to spend their hard-earned cash when albums from more established acts like Tom Petty, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce, and popular newcomers like Susan Boyle and Jay Sean. Add in expectantly strong second week sales from albums like John Mayer's Battle Studies and there are plenty of options for music fans.
When all these factors are considered, Adam will probably have a healthy opening week that will be way ahead of past runners-up like Blake Lewis and Diana DeGarmo, but it will also most likely be below debuts from runners-up like Clay Aiken and Bo Bice. Therefore, I'm calling for Entertainment to open with 175k copies, coming in on the charts at #8.
For Your Entertainment will be out tomorrow and is now available to pre-order on Amazon.com
Saturday, November 21, 2009
'Idol' BB 200: 'Play On' #3 (11/28/09)
The amount of Idol-related sales data available from the latest edition of the Billboard Top 200 album sales chart was even sparser this week than the last.
This time around, only the Top 20 albums had full sales data reported, which showed Carrie Underwood's Play On slide two spots to #3 with another 128.4k copies sold thanks to a sales dip of 60%. After two weeks, the album is just shy of attaining gold certification with 446.3k in the bank.
Partial chart positions and sales numbers courtesy of Rodze on Pulse as follows:
003 001 Carrie Underwood - Play On 128,443 -60% 317,695 446,254
Total sales are in bold.
IDOL LIVE predix: 'Idol' alums at the 2009 AMAs
Judging by the list of Idol alums making appearance at the 2009 American Music Awards, one would think many would be ready to take home hardware at the music event. In reality, only two are nominated (Carrie Underwood and Daughtry), and it's a good bet that neither will be victorious. My predictions are as follows:
Favorite Female Artist (Country)
Reba McEntire
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Carrie will unfortunately suffer one more bout with "Taylor Swift-itis" this season, as she will not be enough competition for the 19-year-old, who happens to be having the best year of her young career. Swift stole Carrie's thunder at the CMA Awards in the "Female Vocalist of the Year" category, so it only seems fitting she follows suit here, especially considering the AMAs are fan-voted.
Favorite Artist (Adult Contemporary)
Daughtry
Jason Mraz
Taylor Swift
See above.
Despite the huge probability that no Idol alums will take home awards this time around, there will be plenty of reasons for fans of the franchise to watch, mostly thanks to performances from Carrie, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson and Adam Lambert, plus presenters like Kris Allen. So don't forget to tune in to ABC tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET for an Idol extravaganza.
Friday, November 20, 2009
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Allison Iraheta debuts "Friday" music video
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Allison Iraheta's music video for her debut single "Friday I'll Be Over U" premiered yesterday on Yahoo! Music. Watch the video below:
Yahoo! Music also features a "making of" segment filmed during the video shoot that was released earlier this month to promote the single. Allison's debut album Just Like You will be released on Tues., Dec. 1, and can be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.
>Jordin Sparks underwent surgery to remove her appendix yesterday after she had to cancel appearances in Australia due to acute appendicitis. Now bedridden, Jordin has taken to her official Twitter account to tell fans all about the experience:
I can't keep my eyes open anymore. (rip appendix) Goodnight twittlets. <3 about 18 hours ago from TwitterrificJordin was cheered up to hear she received what she calls her first #1 on a U.S. Billboard chart, as "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" hit the top spot on the latest edition of Billboard's Dance chart.
>Rolling Stone unveiled its candidates for its "Decade End Reader Poll," in which readers are asked to vote for their top album, song and artist of the decade, and one Idol alum made the list. Kelly Clarkson is up for "Artist of the Decade" alongside such industry heavy hitters as Justin Timberlake and Bruce Springsteen. The ballot can be found here. Voting is open until Wed., Nov. 30.
>Danny Gokey premiered his new single "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me" on Los Angeles' FOX affiliate KTLA earlier this week. Listen to him perform the song live on yesterday's "The Waking Crew" morning show on 94.1 KMPS-FM below:
Danny's first single was originally slated to be the ballad "It's Only," but RCA Nashville thought better of it and swapped the "Jesus, Take the Wheel"-esque track for this uptempo offering. Looks like Danny's country career is off to a good start.
>It was announced yesterday that Jennifer Hudson's next main starring role will be as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in the biopic Winnie. Mandela is of course the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. The film will be directed by Darrell Roodt and filming is set to commence in South Africa in May 2010.
Carrie Underwood performs "Undo It" on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'
Carrie Underwood's latest stop on her Play On promo tour was ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live, on which she took part in a sit-down chat with host Jimmy Kimmel before performing as part of the show's Bud Light Golden Wheat concert series. Watch Carrie perform "Undo It" below:
Carrie also performed "Cowboy Casanova" as part of the concert, but it was only partially broadcast online (the full performance can be found on the show's Web site). In the interview, Carrie talked about what it's look to be a vegetarian and was offered a turkey made of guacamole for Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Poll of the week: Fans most looking forward to Adam Lambert's AMA performance
It appears most IDOL LIVE readers are excited for Adam Lambert's performance at the 2009 American Music Awards, which will be broadcast live on ABC on Sun., Nov. 22.
Adam, who will presumably perform his new single "For Your Entertainment," netted 80 votes (47%). Readers are next most looking forward to Carrie Underwood's performance of "Cowboy Casanova," as she took in 48 votes (28%). Kelly Clarkson followed with 27 votes (16%) and Daughtry rounded out the voting options with 12 votes (7%).
In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which post-Idol debut album from a winner is their favorite. Voting will be open for exactly one week.
Kelly Clarkson 27 (16%)
Daughtry 12 (7%)
Adam Lambert 80 (47%)
Carrie Underwood 48 (28%)
Total votes: 167
'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #20 (11/28/09)
There was one Idol-related debut on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Nov. 28, while two songs made their way onto its Bubbling Under chart.
But none of the debuts were enough to knock Kelly Clarkson out of pole position among alums, as her "Already Gone" slipped one spot to #20. Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova" was up next holding steady at #21 for the second week in a row, obviously not helped by last week's CMA Awards.
Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" actually shot ahead #92-70, which bodes well considering the single should do even better thanks to his album release yesterday. The lone Idol-related debut on the Hot 100 came at #84, where Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment" landed after placing on the Bubbling Under chart last week.
Speaking of the Bubbling Under chart, Daughtry's "Tennessee Line," which is not a single at the moment, came in at #1 thanks to a performance of the song with Vince Gill at the CMAs. Meanwhile, Jordin Sparks' single "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)" limped onto the chart's second-to-last spot at #24.
Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:
Hot 100
20 19 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
21 21 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
70 92 Kris Allen, "Live Like You're Dying"
84 -- Adam Lambert, "For Your Entertainment"
Bubbling Under
01 -- Daughtry, "Tennessee Line"
24 -- Jordin Sparks, "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)"
Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" on 'Regis & Kelly'
Live with Regis and Kelly was the latest stop for Kris Allen in his press tour promoting his debut album, as he appeared on the talk show this morning where he performed his single "Live Like We're Dying." Watch the performance below:
Kris will next tape a performance for an upcoming episode of Ellen tomorrow and then make an appearance on VH1's Top 20 Countdown on Saturday.
Pre-order Adam Lambert's album on iTunes! Oh and by the way...
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Well, it looks like the pimping continues long after Idol's eighth season ended. I received a mass e-mail this afternoon from iTunes because I have purchased Idol-related material from the digital store in the past, and what did I find but a nice, big, blinding ad letting me know that I can pre-order Adam Lambert's forthcoming album For Your Entertainment (as if I didn't already know this from previous e-mails via iTunes).
What I thought was interesting is the fact that Kris Allen's album, which was released yesterday, was also included in the e-mail, all the way below Adam's giant glittered banner. There were also plenty of other Idol-related albums and singles flanking the right side of the e-mail, but that's beside the point. Since the season ended, the 19 Entertainment machine has been bending over backwards trying to market the two finalists (and fourth-place Allison Iraheta, who coincidentally has her album pre-order notification located directly beneath Kris's) as a threesome to the fans. What's the true reason for this?
In the past, 19E has been more than happy to let its signed runners-up fall by the wayside while their winners basked in all their glory (and ate up their promo dollars), but this time around things seem to be reversed. Granted, the fact that they are on separate record labels (they being Adam and Kris) plays a part in this, but it's not like iTunes randomly decided to send this e-mail out, 19E is the wizard behind the curtain here. But why is there so much effort on their part (almost to the point of desperation) that they are shoving Adam in our faces prior to his album release?
I think they're afraid first week sales might be a bit below where projections have Entertainment at. This is of no fault of Adam's, of course, just the fact that he's the most talked about finalist in the show's history puts him on such a high pedestal that it will be almost impossible for him or his album's performance to match the hype. Yes it's true various sources say Adam's album has been doing extremely well in pre-sales, including a comment that pre-orders are "through the roof" made by a representative from Newbury Comics in a recent article in Rolling Stone, but that is a very small chain in comparison to some of the bigger chains out there.
At the moment, Kris's album is sitting at #9 and #12 on iTunes Top 200 Overall Albums chart, while Adam's album is behind at #25. Is there really any need to feature Adam prominently in an e-mail when Kris just saw his album debut yesterday to worse than expected sales? I didn't receive a comparable e-mail notifying me about Kris's album last week. Plus, single sales for Adam's and Kris's comparable lead singles are just that - comparable - as Kris had 39.3k for "Live Like We're Dying" after a week-and-a-half's worth of sales while Adam now has 44.5k for "For Your Entertainment" after the same time period. But judging by the amount of media attention the two alums are getting, one would think Adam would be crushing Kris in the single sales department. Does this mean maybe Adam's album sales are going to be underwhelming?
There are plenty of other instances of questionable promotional tactics that have been used since the finale in respect to Adam and Kris that have been well documented, including the "Ryan, Rock My Town!" concert contest that in past years might have been just reserved for the season's champ. But once again, this e-mail is just a representation of how things have been conducted since Adam lost the competition. At this point it's just rubbing salt in the wound.
HITS predix: Kris Allen's 'Kris Allen' 75-80k
According to HITS Daily Double's one-day sales, Kris Allen's album is going to fall below most industry expectations and will most likely be the lowest debut for a post-Idol album from a winner.
According to the numbers, Kris Allen will pull in between 75-80k in its first week, which is even below my pessimistic prediction of 90k. In terms of his competition, some of the usual big selling artists are also coming in a bit under usual standards. Norah Jones's album The Fall will take in 150-160k, while new discs from 50 Cent, Casting Crowns and Andrea Bocelli will all get 140-150k. Leona Lewis's Echo, on the other hand, will probably take in 60-65k.
Be sure to check back on Friday for revised predictions. Hopefully Kris's upcoming appearances will be enough to push the sales a little bit higher.
Digital sales roundup: "Cowboy Casanova" #14 (11/28/09)
The 43rd Annual CMA Awards proved to be a nice vehicle to boost Idol-related track sales on the latest edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.
Carrie Underwood was the main beneficiary thanks to her hosting duties and performance at the country music awards show, as her single "Cowboy Casanova" was up 16% in sales to 74.1k. It has now surpassed the gold standard, totaling 506.4k downloads. It was also up five spots on the chart to #14.
Kelly Clarkson was up next with "Already Gone" at #24, down one spot from the previous week. It moved 46.5k tracks, down only 2% in sales, to 710.2k in all. Look for the single to pass the million mark just after the new year.
Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment" saw positive movement in its first full week of release, rising #82-56 with another 26.1k downloads added to its total. It was up 42% sales-wise and has accumulated 44.5k after two weeks. Daughtry also owes the CMAs a thank-you after the band's duet with Vince Gill on "Tennessee Line" earned the song an exponential increase to 24.6k tracks, entering the chart at #66. Its total is now 33.9k.
Kris Allen's "Live Like We're Dying" continued to slowly move up the chart, taking in 21.4k downloads this week, up 45% overall. On the chart it shot up 23 spots to #80 and now boasts a total of 119.6k. And Kellie Pickler was the last alum to see her sales reported on the chart, with "Best Days of Your Life" re-entering the chart at #176, rising 29% to 8.9k. With 876.1k in the bank already, it is only a matter of time before Kellie gets her first platinum-selling single.
Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:
014 019 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 74,077 16% 63,664 506,389
024 025 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 46,511 -2% 47,293 710,169
056 082 Adam Lambert, "For....Entertainment" 26,065 42% 18,397 44,462
066 --- Daughtry, "Tennessee Line" 24,622 999% 223 33,848
080 103 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 21,402 45% 14,754 119,553
176 --- Kellie Pickler, "Best Days of Your Life" 8,928 29% 6,947 876,064
Total sales are in bold.
Carrie Underwood performs "Cowboy Casanova" on 'Ellen'
Two days after performing live on The Tonight Show, Carrie Underwood sat down with Ellen DeGeneres in an episode that aired today on her syndicated talk show Ellen to promote her current album Play On. Watch the interview below:
In the interview, Carrie talked about her boyfriend Mike Fisher and said they get to see each other more often than people think. She also deflected questions of marriage, children and Ellen's usual humor-filled questions. This included a series of questions directed at who the "cowboy" in "Cowboy Casanova" is supposed to be, which Carrie successfully got out of unscathed.
Carrie also performed "Casanova" on the show.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Album review: Katharine McPhee's 'Unbroken'
Although it isn't slated to come out until Jan. 5, 2010, I was able to preview Katharine McPhee's sophomore album Unbroken courtesy of her label, Verve Forecast. Here is an early review of the disc:
After a period of uncertainty as to the direction she would take her career in, Katharine McPhee wisely opts for an adult-contemporary direction on her sophomore release ‘Unbroken’ (Jan. 5). McPhee, who has made great strides in maturing as an artist over the past few years, gets a great deal of help from an excellent team of songwriters that play a major role in the quality of the material found on this album.
Unbroken can now be pre-ordered on Amazon.com for $13.98. Three singles, including "Had It All," can now be downloaded at iTunes.
Under the guidance of producer John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer), ‘Unbroken’ begins on a high note with light mid-tempo “It’s Not Right,” which includes all the right ingredients for a Hot AC hit. A catchy chorus is only partly responsible for the positive vibes, though, as McPhee does a solid job making somewhat dim lyrics sound upbeat.
The album’s first single, “Had It All,” is the perfect follow-up in the No. 2 slot because it combines minimal production with simple lyrics courtesy of veteran songwriters Kara DioGuardi, Mitch Allan and David Hodges.
“Terrified” is a great example of how well McPhee’s vocals blend on a duet, as she gets a little help from Jason Reeves on the Colbie Caillat-esque track. Both voices complement each other, and even though Reeves is more of a background presence, he still gives the song a feeling of completion. On “Surrender,” McPhee shows that she can lend her vocals to a blues-leaning ballad without coming off as insincere.
The album’s weakest song is “Faultline,” which is not terrible in its own right, but it gets lost in the shuffle in its latter half. Although McPhee is able to demonstrate her keen sense of inflections, the song never really goes anywhere and could have been helped greatly if it had added more intense instrumentation, possibly a soft-rock feel.
One of the most solid songs on ‘Unbroken’ comes in the form of “How,” a moving power ballad that allows McPhee to reach for the heavens with her beautiful use of melisma. The rousing chorus combines with a pop-leaning arrangement, making the song a perfect candidate for a future single.
The album’s strongest track is without a doubt “Say Goodbye.” This is where McPhee shines not just as a vocalist, but as a storyteller as well, and they manner in which she demonstrates vocal restraint is commendable. Also on the ballad front, title track “Unbroken” requires use of McPhee’s upper register, which she faithfully follows through on. The solemn, vulnerable arrangement magnifies the tenderness explored in the lyrics, partially the product of Paula Cole, and leaves the listener feeling the emotion conveyed in the song.
One of the strongest aspects of ‘Unbroken’ is the leverage McPhee was given in terms of songwriting, as she is credited on six of the album’s 13 tracks. On “Last Letter,” she teams up with Luke Laird (Carrie Underwood, ) and Barry Bean to produce a radio-friendly mid-tempo that features catchy lyrics (“It’s the very last letter / to an old lover / to say I’m glad”). “Keep Drivin” finds McPhee’s vocals paired with top-notch production, resulting in a convincing performance as told through the song’s gloomy lyrics.
Other songwriting efforts by McPhee include the breezy “Lifetime” and the sleepy “Anybody’s Heart.” The former is a sing-songy piece that will most likely be heard at wedding receptions for years to come, while the latter is gently sung but is rather forgettable in comparison with the rest of the tracks. Still, the lyrics found here are above average, which bodes well for McPhee’s future as a songwriter.
To close out the album McPhee offers “Brand New Key,” a flimsy, R&B-tinged song that is a great upbeat note to end on. The silly lyrics (“I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates and you’ve got a brand new key / I think that we should get together and try them on you see”), courtesy of Melanie Safka, are completely in sync with the rest of the song, and McPhee’s falsetto adds special flair to the recording.
Now that Katharine McPhee finally gets the chance to show audiences her true artistic ability, she takes the opportunity and runs with it. Unbroken is a rare diamond in the rough collection of adult contemporary/pop material, and the fact that McPhee has one of the most technically-impressive voices in the music industry at the moment will only further cement her footprint in the genre.
Correction: In my review I failed to mention "Brand New Key" is a cover of Melanie Safka's #1 song from 1971.
HITS estimates: 'Play On' #3 w/ 125.2k
After what looked like a good chance at retaining its peak position on the chart, Carrie Underwood's third studio album Play On fell two spots to #3 according to HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart.
The actual sales drop was 60% to 125.2k. For comparative purposes, in Carnival Ride's second week, it fell 68% to 170.1k. Putting things into perspective, these numbers are not all that bad, and will hopefully trend upward when Billboard posts finalized figures later this week.
In other Carrie-related news, AllAccess.com revealed that the second single off Play On will in fact be "Temporary Home," going for adds on Mon., Dec. 14, as I speculated earlier. This is a great decision because it will be the perfect song for country radio during the Christmas season and carrying over into the new year.
Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" on 'GMA'
Kris Allen's latest stop on his promotional tour for his debut album Kris Allen was ABC's Good Morning America, on which he performed his single "Live Like We're Dying" this morning. Watch the performance below:
Kris was his usual modest self when speaking with co-host Robin Roberts in a mini-interview prior to the performance, saying he still hasn't heard "Dying" on the radio and that he and his band had a late night at the Empire State Building.
Kris will next perform on Live with Regis and Kelly tomorrow morning.
Carrie Underwood performs "Temporary Home" on 'Tonight Show'
Carrie Underwood took a break from her "Cowboy Casanova" when she visited NBC's The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien this evening, instead opting to perform the critically-acclaimed ballad "Temporary Home." Watch the performance below:
So what are the chances "Temporary Home" will be single No. 2? It seems highly likely at this point, and it would make sense for "Cowboy Casanova" to be worked at Hot AC radio ASAP, so maybe that's Arista Nashville's plan. Or maybe not...
Following the performance, Carrie sat on O'Brien's couch to chat with the host about her hosting duties at the CMA Awards last week, where she joked "it's not like hosting's hard or anything," which got a laugh out of O'Brien. She also said if Kanye West contacts her about her and Brad Paisley's joke songs about him at the CMAs she'll "blame it on Brad."
Carrie also promoted her two-hour Christmas special on FOX, which premieres Mon., Dec. 7. She will next visit Ellen on Wednesday where she will perform "Cowboy Casanova."
Out today: Kris Allen's 'Kris Allen'
Kris Allen is the first from the latest batch of Idol alums to release an album. The album, courtesy of Jive Records, finds Kris working with such writers and producers as Toby Gad, Steve Kipner and Andrew Frampton.
Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:
Albums
Kris Allen, Kris Allen
Amazon.com - ($9.99) - Buy
Amazon MP3 - ($10.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($9.99) - Buy
Best Buy - ($9.99) - Buy
Buy.com - ($11.98) - Buy
CDUniverse - ($11.18) - Buy
iTunes - ($10.99) - Buy
Sears - ($10.79) - Buy
Walmart - ($13.88) - Buy
The Walmart edition of Kris Allen features the bonus track "Send Me All Your Angels," which he co-wrote with Chris Daughtry. To read my review of Kris' album, see here.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Flashback: Fantasia's "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life"
Fantasia gave some lively performances on Idol's third season, but she sounded best when she took on slow ballads. On Top 5 night, Fantasia sang "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life" by Barbara Streisand for the Big Band theme. Watch the performance below:
Although it was not nearly as magical as her "Summertime" performance, Fantasia was able to connect with the audience on a personal level, especially because she dedicated the song to her daughter.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Album review: Kris Allen's 'Kris Allen'
Fresh off one of the most talked about seasons of ‘America Idol,’ champ Kris Allen offers up a valiant effort on his self-titled debut. Even though he is given a wide cast to work with in putting the album together Allen struggles to state his true identity because of the wide variety of sub-styles found on the album’s tracks.
Kris Allen will be available in retailers everywhere on Tuesday and can now be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.
Kicking off the disc with lead single “Live Like We’re Dying,” Allen is smart to begin on a positive note with a song that features a comforting message. Even though there is nothing spectacular about the songwriting or production here, his vocals fit the style fairly well.
The single is a good indication of the mixed bag that follows. Part of the problem here is the diverse range of styles covered by Allen, so many that its seems like he is trying to sound like already established artists. “Can’t Stay Away” finds Allen shooting for a more Rob Thomas kind of sound, and it actually sounds alright, but the annoying “oh uh oh / oh uh oh”s tagged onto the end of the chorus sound immature. On “Written All Over My Face,” however, a more electronic rock sound makes it seem like Allen is trying to take on the Red Hot Chili Peppers would record. Still, it has its catchy parts.
Even though “Bring It Back” is written by Allen and Francis White, it sounds like it’s right off OneRepublic’s debut. Usually listeners can tell if Ryan Tedder has some involvement in a song’s writing or production, but in this case his fingers came nowhere near “Back” and it still sounds like his work.
Aside from Allen’s apparent identity crisis, one thing that is painfully clear on ‘Kris Allen’ is the overabundance of clichés water down many songs’ lyrics, which is a little unfortunate because Allen wrote or co-wrote nine of the album’s tracks.
“Let It Rain” is the most forgettable track on the album. It literally does nothing to show Allen as an artist and sounds so recycled that it has no business being include over more worthy tracks that didn’t make the cut like “Send Me All Your Angels,” which he co-wrote with Chris Daughtry.
Despite a few clunkers, there are some potential hits found on the album. “Before We Come Undone” exhibits the commercial sound of Allen’s voice and the upbeat tempo help its viability on radio. “Alright With Me” is a fun sing-songy track that shows Allen knows how to have fun. It fits his character well and the lyrics in the verses are crafty despite the repetitive chorus (“It’s alright / alright with me / yeah it’s alright / alright with me”). “Lifetime” is awkward in its arrangement in parts, but it still is not bad.
“Is It Over” has a more country feel, which helps it stand out from the rest of the album’s tracks. Allen’s ability to adapt his vocals to fit the different instrumentation is remarkable, and it would serve him well to explore this area more in the future.
The Toby Gad-produced “The Truth” is the album’s strongest track even though it is very reminiscent of something The Fray would record. Allen’s lower register is actually solid and the verses here showcase it well.
One impressive aspect of ‘Kris Allen’ is the inclusion of his solo “Red Guitar,” which he wrote prior to gaining stardom. What’s even more notable is “Guitar” is one of the album’s strongest offerings because it is authentic Allen and shows the direction he really wants to go in his recording career.
Allen gives it his all on “I Need to Know,” which he co-wrote with Gad and Lindy Robbins. This is the second-best song on the album because it takes away heavy instrumentation and production and allows Allen’s vocals to do the speaking.
And Kanye West’s “Heartless,” which literally secured a spot in the finale for Allen, appears in the 13th slot with a revamped arrangement. Even though the song is most likely Allen’s signature song, and it should definitely be included over the dreadful “No Boundaries,” it would serve well as a bonus track instead of closing out the album.
Even though Kris Allen has a lot to learn about recording, he is one of the most proven artists to come from ‘Idol,’ and this disc is just the first step on a journey to a successful career.
'Idol' BB 200: 'Play On' #1 (11/21/09)
Although full numbers for Idol-related discs are not available for the latest edition of the Billboard Top 200 album sales chart, there are sales data available for country artists from the franchise.
Leading the charge was of course Carrie Underwood, whose third studio album Play On came in at #1 in its first week of sales with 317.7k copies sold. This is the second-highest bow Carrie has seen for one of her albums, as it bests the 315k her first album Some Hearts moved in its opening week and falls below the 527k her previous effort Carnival Ride pulled in.
The only other Idol-related sales to be revealed were those for Kellie Pickler's self-titled sophomore album, which was up 20% in sales to 3.2k copies for a total of 332k. It moved ahead 13 spots to #169.
Partial chart positions and sales numbers courtesy of blackandblue on Pulse as follows:
001 --- Carrie Underwood - Play On 317,695 999% 116 317,811
169 182 Kellie Pickler - Kellie Picker 3,202 20% 2,666 332,007
Total sales are in bold.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
IDOL LIVE predix: Kris Allen's 'Kris Allen'
The next high profile Idol-related release comes in the form of Kris Allen's self-titled debut album, which drops this coming Tuesday.
Kris certainly has his work cut out for him, as he is having a tough time standing out from the crowd amid a heavy release slate of artists that are more well-known than him. On Tuesday, music fans get to pick from new discs from Norah Jones, 50 Cent, Leona Lewis, Paul McCartney, Fall Out Boy, OneRepublic, Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, John Mayer and more, so it will be very hard for Kris to rise above the fray. Couple this with a steady but slow-moving single in "Live Like We're Dying" and a somewhat bare first week promo schedule and it appears album sales will be slow out of the gate as well.
When taking this all into consideration, it looks like Kris Allen will sell about 90k in its first week of release, but there are a lot of factors that could prove to be wild cards that could cause this number to vary slightly in a more positive or negative way.
Kris Allen performs "Live Like We're Dying" on 'Tonight Show'
Kris Allen made his first late night performance of his lead single "Live Like We're Dying" Friday night on NBC's Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. The performance kicks off the televised portion of his album promo tour, as his self-titled debut drops Tuesday. Watch the performance below:
Kris will next perform in concert on Tuesday when he visits ABC's Good Morning America. For a full schedule of Kris' upcoming appearances, see here.
Friday, November 13, 2009
'Idol' odds 'n ends: Simon & Seacrest top Forbes' men in prime time list
The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:
>Forbes released its list of the top-earning men in prime time, and two Idol fixtures were unsurprisingly at the top of the list. Simon Cowell nabbed the No. 1 spot with a cool $75 million earned in the period from June 1, 2008 to June 1, 2009. In the same period, Ryan Seacrest took in $38 million from his hosting gig. Needless to say, this news was red meat to late night comedians everywhere.
>David Cook premiered a new song called "Make Believe" with his band The Anthemic at their show at The Pageant in St. Louis, Mo., on Tuesday. Watch the performance below:
Cook's tour will next take him and his band to the Windsor Casino in Windsor, Ontario, where they will perform tomorrow. David Cook and The Anthemic's new album is slated to be out next summer.
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>Katharine McPhee attended the 2009 Glamour Magazine Women of the Year celebration at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Monday, where she walked the red carpet sporting her much talked-about new look. Other celebs in attendance included Maya Angelou, Yoko Ono, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Amy Poehler, Serena Williams and Rihanna, who was named the magazine's "woman of the year." The awards honor women that have made great strides in their areas of expertise.>Anoop Desai uploaded a live performance of his newest song to his official YouTube page on Monday. Anoop performed "L.U.V.R." in concert on campus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Sunday. Watch the performance below:
Anoop co-wrote the R&B track with David Mikush. Anoop also performed a cover of Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" at the show.
>Reuters yesterday released an update on top-selling Idol alumni, and its findings were not out of the ordinary. While Kelly Clarkson is far ahead of all other alums in terms of digital sales (14.7 million), she leads Carrie Underwood by only 200k in album sales (10.4 million to 10.2 million). One surprise was that while Jordin Sparks lags in seventh with album sales, she's actually third in digital sales with 8.4 million tracks downloaded.
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