Out today: LaKisha Jones' 'So Glad I'm Me'

LaKisha Jones, Season 6's fourth-place finalist, is the latest Idol alum to release an album. Her debut offering, So Glad I'm Me, hits shelves nationwide today. The album, which is released via Elite Music, features the single "Let's Go Celebrate."

Also, Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard's latest disc, Love Is, dropped today. The album is his first one with Hickory Records. It features the single "Together."

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Albums
LaKisha Jones, So Glad I'm Me
Amazon - ($10.99) - Buy
Amazon MP3 - ($9.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($10.29) - Buy
Best Buy - ($11.99) - Buy
Buy.com - ($8.99) - Buy
iTunes - ($9.99) - Buy
Target - ($10.99) - Buy
Walmart - ($9.00) - Buy

Ruben Studdard, Love Is
Amazon - ($9.99) - Buy
Amazon MP3 - ($9.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($13.09) - Buy
Target - ($9.99) - Buy
Walmart - ($11.88) - Buy

The Walmart edition of So Glad I'm Me will include two bonus tracks: "Bye Bye" and "So Glad I'm Me (Black Pearl Club Mix)," while the retailer's edition of Love Is also includes two bonus tracks.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...

Out today: George Huff's 'George Huff'

Season 3's fifth-place finalist George Huff sees his sophomore album released today. The self-titled gospel album, courtesy of Koch Records, marks George's return to the recorded music scene after releasing his debut album Miracles back in October 2005.

The rest of the listings in this week's post were released sometime in the past week. Chris Botti's CD/DVD live album Chris Botti in Boston, which features Katharine McPhee performing "I've Got You Under My Skin," debuted last Tuesday.

Also out one week ago was LaKisha Jones' new single "Let's Go Celebrate," which is off her forthcoming debut album So Glad I'm Me (May 19). And then there are two music videos: David Cook's "Come Back to Me" video and Kellie Pickler's "Best Days of Your Life" video, both of which were out last week.

Albums
George Huff, George Huff

Amazon - ($13.98) - Buy
Amazon MP3 - ($8.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($13.99) - Buy
Best Buy - ($12.99) - Buy
Buy.com - ($10.99) - Buy
iTunes - ($9.99) - Buy
Target - ($13.98) - Buy

Chris Botti, Chris Botti in Boston

Amazon - ($11.99 standard, $14.99 CD/DVD) - Buy: standard, CD/DVD
Amazon MP3 - ($9.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($13.29 standard, $18.74 CD/DVD) - Buy: standard, CD/DVD
Best Buy - ($13.99 standard, $19.99 CD/DVD) - Buy: standard, CD/DVD
Buy.com - ($12.98 standard, $15.98 CD/DVD) - Buy: standard, CD/DVD
iTunes - ($9.99) - Buy
Target - ($12.49 standard, $17.99 CD/DVD) - Buy: standard, CD/DVD

Singles
LaKisha Jones, "Let's Go Celebrate"

Amazon MP3 - ($0.99) - Buy
iTunes - ($0.99) - Buy

Music Videos
David Cook, "Come Back to Me"

iTunes - ($1.99) - Buy

Kellie Pickler, "Best Days of Your Life"

iTunes - ($1.99) - Buy

Cook's video is doing fairly well, as it is currently sitting at #7 on iTunes' Overall Top 100 Music Videos chart, while Kellie's video is close behind at #17.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...

'Idol' odds 'n ends: J-Hud is the new EW cover girl

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

>Jennifer Hudson is the latest Idol alum to grace the cover of Entertainment Weekly, as she will be featured in the magazine's issue next week. A snippet of the story from the issue can be read below:

Jennifer Hudson sits inside an L.A. recording studio, her eyes hidden behind large sunglasses, her braided pigtails peeking from under a pageboy cap. Eight days from now she will kick off a national concert tour, and today is her first rehearsal with a new band. But while the musicians warm up, she doesn’t say much, keeps her head down, fidgets. She’s so unassuming that her backup vocalists, two glitzy gals with easy laughs, seem like the only divas in the room. And then Jennifer Hudson begins to sing, and all doubt is erased. It’s not just her voice. The music seems to transform her, elevate her. ”In church we call that the Anointing, that’s what you’re feeling,” she says. ”Music is my home. When I’m trying to find my inner peace, when it seems like everything is overwhelming, I put music in my ears.”

>David Cook was part of an April Fool's Day prank on DJs Jojo, Reagan and Sarah of Baltimore's Mix 106.5. The three unsuspecting DJs had a little fun with lip-synching "Light On" when unbeknownst to them, Cook himself appeared behind them. Watch the video below and judge for yourself whether or not they were genuinely shocked:



Photos of Cook with the gang are up on Mix1065.com.

>LaKisha Jones is having a good week. First, it was revealed that the fourth-place finalist from the sixth season was pregnant with her second child, the first one with husband Larry Davis. Then, LaKisha's latest single, "Let's Go Celebrate," was released on iTunes and Amazon MP3. It will appear on her forthcoming debut album, So Glad I'm Me, which will drop Tues., May 19, and can be listened to on her official music MySpace page.

>Syesha Mercado has been in the studio working on her debut album with producers Joshua Bass, Tyler Sherrit and others. They all recorded a (very dark) vlog two weeks back in which a short instrumental clip of a song Syesha is recorded is played near the end. Watch the vlog below:



No word yet on when the album will be out, but Syesha has been keeping fans updated via her Twitter account.

>Season 7 Top 50 contestant Colton Swon apparently has a country album out with his brother. The duo, billed as The Swon Brothers (new JoBros?) released Another Day on CDBaby. It includes songs titled "Home," "Leavin' Love" and title track "Another Day." It has not been put on iTunes as of now.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

[+/-]Hide Full Post...