'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.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...

Keeping up with AJ Gil

AJ Gil was one of the first Idol finalists to lose their dreams of becoming the country's next big singing sensation when he placed eighth on the show's first season back in 2002. Although this placing did not automatically set him up with a record deal, AJ was able to pursue another sector in the music industry - producing.

Per his official music MySpace page, AJ, who was born in San Diego, Calif., and hails from Mexico, is working with Hollywood, Calif.-based production team The Order, which has worked with talents like Ruben Studdard, Toni Braxton and JoJo.

Even though the majority of AJ's involvement in music is on the producer's side of the recording studio glass, he has three R&B/Hip Hop-tinged tracks up on his MySpace: the club banger"Lollypop," the Usher-like "Overtime" and the even more Usher-like "What Do You Like." A few of the tracks are available to purchase via the digital music retailer SnoCap.

AJ will next appear at King King in Los Angeles, Calif., on Thurs., Sept. 11.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...

Track review: Arch's "Crush"

Debuting over a week ago on New York's flagship Top 40 radio station, Z100, David Archuleta's first post-Idol single, "Crush," has been making headway on radio. After only one day of airplay, "Crush" was able to debut on Billboard's Pop 100 (#93) and Pop Airplay (#57) charts. After taking one listen to the track, it is not hard to imagine why it has bad such preemptive success.

David Archuleta strikes first for the seventh season of American Idol with "Crush," a stylized mid-tempo about a subject 17-year-olds deal with on a regular basis.

"Crush," produced by Emanuel Kiriakou (Celine Dion, Taylor Hicks), starts out pretty generic, as Arch's "ooohs" swim in and out of the piano sequence and overused hand claps. But as he moves into the pre-chorus the song builds in excitement, as if the listener does not know what to expect, but knows it will be something big. Then guitar riffs introduce a melodic sugar fest accompanied by Arch's innocent vocals, leaving the target demographic feeling like they are floating through Candyland. The chorus resembles something JoJo would have put out in 2006, but the pop-rock and r&b elements mixed together keep "Crush" relevant.



Despite the many positive elements of the song, it is not without a few low spots. For example, there are a few songs that sound like they were ripped off for the sake of producing "Crush" together. The Stargate-esque drum beats in the pre-chorus could have been in any song they produced, whether it was Jordin Sparks's "Tattoo" or Beyonce's "Irreplaceable." And the chorus echoes many similarities to JoJo's "Too Little, Too Late."

David Archuleta did not win Idol. But the fact that he is under Jive Records' control should put his fans at ease, as "Crush" demonstrates that his career is on the right path.

"Crush" will be available at all major digital retailers on Tues., Aug. 12. Arch's album is scheduled for a Nov. 4 release.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...