Showing posts with label michael jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label michael jackson. Show all posts

Sunday, November 22, 2009

'Idol' alums aplenty at American Music Awards

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.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

HITS predix: Carrie Underwood's 'Play On' 140-150k

According to HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart, Carrie Underwood's Play On might possibly be able to eke out a second straight week atop the album sales chart.

Despite a crowded field, Play On is expected to be engaged in a four-way fight for the top, each within the vicinity of 140-150k. Carrie's competitors include albums from Bon Jovi, Andrea Bocelli and Michael Jackson.

Be sure to check back on Friday for revised predictions.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

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.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

HITS predix: Daughtry 240-260k

HITS Daily Double released its one-day sales estimates for the coming week, and Daughtry's highly anticipated album Leave This Town is expected to knock Michael Jackson out of the top spot. According to HDD:

After three straight weeks of Jackomania, yet another American Idol, this one named Daughtry, should be #1 on next week's HITS Top 50 with Leave This Town, his sophomore 19/RCA/RMG album, which will bow in the 240-260k range.

That's based on one-day sales reports from those retailers who still have Michael Jackson catalog on their shelves.
Continuing with my pattern of seriously overestimating first-week sales of new releases by Idol alums, I was way too optimistic with my prediction of 390k copies. Apparently the fact that it is not Thanksgiving week is playing a greater role than I expected, and the amount of promo and built-in fan base will not be enough to place Leave This Town's opening ahead of Daughtry's 304k take back in 2006.

Still, a debut at #1 is nothing to sneeze at, and it is nice that Chris and the guys will be the ones to unseat Jackson from the spot for the first time in a few weeks.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Friday, July 10, 2009

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Paula Abdul "optimistic" about returning

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

>Paula Abdul spent her day filming a guest appearance on Lifetime's upcoming dramedy Drop Dead Diva, which premieres Sun., July 12. She will play a judge that hears a case about a store refusing to carry clothing for plus-sized women and her episode will air sometime in September.

While on the set, Paula said she is "optimistic" about returning to Idol as a judge, although a new contract has yet to be drafted. In her own words:

“I’ve been invited to stay the duration of the show, however long it lasts.”
Her most recent contract expired at the end of the show's eighth season. Aside from the contract drama, Paula has been keeping herself in the public eye, aided by her pivotal role in the Sacha Baron Cohen film Bruno, out today.

>One week ahead of its release, Daughtry's sophomore album Leave This Town was added to VH1.com's "The Leak" section, which allows fans to stream albums in their entirety prior to being released. The stream came at the best possible time, as it coincided with the album's pre-release illegal leak.

>The other big Idol album due out this July, Jordin Sparks' Battlefield, has a release date only a week-and-a-half away, and Jordin is currently touring with The Jonas Brothers. At Wednesday's show in Minneapolis, Minn., Jordin sang "Smile" by Natalie Cole in remembrance of Michael Jackson, as it was his favorite song. Watch fan video of the performance below:


Although Jordin's album has not leaked in full, as many as four tracks have found their way onto the web, including "Walking On Snow," "Emergency (911)," bonus track "It Takes More" and her next single "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)." Naturally, she is not happy with the leaks, as she tweeted the following:
is SO angry right now. We give you promo copies for you to listen to. NOT to post all over the Internet. Jerks. >:O 9:05 PM Jul 6th from TwitterFon
and followed it up with:
Sorry! Its just so frustrating! If it was up 2 me I wouldnt give copies. Its not my call. I get a few days b4 the album but 2 weeks!? Cmon! 9:19 PM Jul 6th from TwitterFon
Apparently Jordin is just as human as the rest of us.

>Adam Lambert and Kris Allen will host American Top 40 (AT40) this Sunday, taking over for Ryan Seacrest, the radio show's actual host. Per a tweet from Ryan alerting fans of this week's guest hosts, Adam said he regrets saying Kris is cute. Slow news day I guess?

>Katharine McPhee announced Wednesday another promotion via her official Twitter account to help raise awareness of her forthcoming release on Verve Forecast Records. The contest allows fans to enter to win a 16GB iPod Touch and a T-shirt autographed by Kat herself (a total prize package is valued at $300) by signing up at TheCelebrityCafe.com. Fans may enter once per day until Fri., July 31.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Digital sales roundup: "Battlefield" #42 (7/3/09)

Another week on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart, another assortment of Michael Jackson tracks occupying the majority of the chart's rankings.

Because this phenomenon does not seem to be going anywhere, it may be a while before more tracks by Idol alums will make their way back onto the sales chart. In the meantime, sales were made public for two alums' current singles.

Jordin Sparks kicked things off with "Battlefield" at #42, down two spots from the previous week, selling 47.1k, off 7%. It has now sold 338.6k. Daughtry's "No Surprise" followed at #61, down seven spots and off 9% to 34.7k for the week. Its total now stands at 409.5k.

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

42 40 Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield" 47,147 -7% 50,876 338,613
61 54 Daughtry, "No Surprise" 34,706 -9% 38,082 409,526

Total sales are in bold.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Jennifer Hudson performs at Michael Jackson's memorial service

Jennifer Hudson was one of a handful of guest performers at the highly publicized public memorial service for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. At the service, she performed Jackson's "Will You Be There," which can be watched below:



Jennifer, who is visibly very pregnant, was the only Idol alum to perform at the service. Other performers included Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey and Lionel Richie.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Digital sales roundup: "Battlefield" #40 (6/26/09)

Due to the inevitable onslaught of Michael Jackson tracks, the Idol representation on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart was further diminished, as sales for only three singles were made public.

Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" was down a whopping 19 spots on the chart side thanks to the "MJ effect," but it only decreased sales-wise by 7% to 50.9k. It has sold 291.5k to date.

Next up was Daughtry and its latest single "No Surprise," which was the only Idol-related track (and one of the few overall) to see positive sales gains on the chart, as it was up 3% and sold another 38.1k downloads. Despite falling #38-54, the song has now sold 374.8k.

And Kelly Clarkson's "I Do Not Hook Up" was the final Idol-related track to show up this week, as it slid 13% in sales to 31.7k for a total of 476.2k. On the chart rankings, it fell 25 spots to #66.

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

40 21 Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield" 50,876 -7% 54,566 291,466
54 38 Daughtry, "No Surprise" 38,082 3% 36,817 374,820
66 39 Kelly Clarkson, "I Do Not Hook Up" 31,697 -13% 36,631 476,166

Total sales are in bold.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Friday, June 26, 2009

'Idol' odds 'n ends: FOX to rebroadcast Top 13 Michael Jackson episode Monday

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

>Cat Deely announced during last night's episode of So You Think You Can Dance that FOX will be rebroadcasting the Top 13 episode of Season 8, during which the theme was the songs of Michael Jackson. The two-hour episode will air in its entirety at 8 p.m. ET on Mon., June 29.

>Syesha Mercado is following in Jennifer Hudson's footsteps (sort of), as she has landed the role of Deena Jones for the upcoming national tour of the musical Dreamgirls (Jennifer played the role of Effie White in the film adaptation of the musical). The tour will kick off at the Apollo Theatre before embarking on its tour. Per Playbill:

Performances will begin at the Apollo Nov. 7 with an opening scheduled for Nov. 22. The limited run will play the Harlem venue through Dec. 6
The tour will visit the following cities: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Columbus, Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Costa Mesa, Cincinnati, Philadelphia.

>Speaking of Jennifer Hudson, the Oscar and Grammy winner was featured in a six-page spread in the July 2009 issue of Elle magazine. Excerpts of her interview with the magazine can be found below:
On being the youngest of three:
“I was the biggest baby. Even now, I find people younger than me babying me.”

On her faith:
“It only gets stronger. Otherwise, I would lose my mind. I always look at things two ways: through my human eye and then through a spiritual perspective. Everything happens for a reason, and God is in control of everything. My favorite hymn is ‘How Great Is Thy Faith in Him?’ And ‘Precious Lord’—who doesn’t love ‘Precious Lord’?”

On her mother’s encouragement:
“Anything she said I could do, I ended up doing. She’d say, ‘You know, I think you could be an actress, Jenny—you can act!’ And I was like, ‘Mama, whatever.’ And then I turn around and win an Oscar!”
The issue is currently available to purchase on newsstands everywhere.

>Daughtry will perform today at Donauinselfest in Vienna, Austria. The annual free music concert will also feature the bands Core, Zweitfrau and My Excellence among others.

The photo to the right is of Chris and the boys doing a sound check prior to the concert and is courtesy of Katrinsgoodiebag.se.

>The current OK! magazine features a 17-page spread dedicated to the hottest country singers out there at the moment, and naturally both Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler are included. Two facts about the artists are:
1. Carrie Underwood has been playing softball for nine years.

5. Kellie Pickler attributes her good calves to wearing stilettos, especially ones from Christian Louboutin.

6. Pickler also hates sleeping on other people’s mattresses.
The issue is now available on newsstands nationwide.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Remembering Michael Jackson

Following the untimely death of the "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, it is important that we honor the single biggest solo male artist of all history. It was just this past season in which an entire theme dedicated to his music catalog was included, as the Top 13 performed some of his biggest hits.

Watch the group performance of the Jackson 5 medley including "I Want You Back" and "ABC" below:



Although there were persistent rumors that Michael would in fact appear as a guest performer, mentor or judge over the course of Idol's lifetime, it never happened.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Kris Allen performs "Yesterday" with Gov. Huckabee

Continuing with his post-Idol press tour, Kris Allen appeared on FOX News Channel's Huckabee program, which aired last night. He spoke with the show's host, fellow Arkansas native and former governor of the state Mike Huckabee, and even performed an acoustic set of The Beatles' "Yesterday" with a little support from the governor. Watch the performance below:



Kris talked about his marriage to wife Katy and his mission trips to Thailand and elsewhere, where he said people always had a smile on their face and meant a lot to him and his fellow aid workers. He also said his family and friends keep him grounded, and that his musical influences growing up were Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and The Beatles.

Kris also joked by suggesting maybe he could be the governor of Arkansas someday and Huckabee said "it's a good gig."

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Monday, May 25, 2009

Flashback: Kris Allen's "Man In the Mirror"

After a week full of excitement over Kris Allen's big win on the eighth season of Idol, it is only fitting that we travel back to where it all began for him: his Group 2 Top 36 performance of Michael Jackson's "Man In the Mirror." Remind yourself of Kris' first time in the spotlight below:



Kris proved that contrary to popular belief, a lack of screen time in the auditions does not always equal an early exit from the competition. When it came to the judges' input, they were mildly surprised that Kris was able to belt out an MJ song, and they would continue to be surprised by him each week.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Friday, March 6, 2009

Top 13 week theme: Michael Jackson

Ryan had Megan, Anoop, Jasmine and Matt on his radio show on KIIS-FM today to discuss last night's wild card extravaganza. Megan confirmed that the theme for Tuesday is in fact the music from Michael Jackson's catalog.

In the mini interview with Ryan, Anoops said he was "Punk'd" really bad last night when he thought he was cut, while Jasmine said she was "so thankful" to have accomplished so much at such a young age. megan said she hasn't chosen a song yet, but she'll get on it and hopefully have one by tonight.

Although most of the Top 13 will predictably go for some of his sappier ballads ("I'll Be There"), 10 bucks Adam goes ahead and pulls a "Thriller." That would be worth having the theme right there just for the spectacle.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Jordin spends her December in southern hemisphere

Jordin Sparks is currently touring with Alicia Keys in Austrlia and New Zealand for the month. In addition to being found running on the beach in New Zealand on an off day, below is video of her showing off Cable Bay:



Jordin has been getting alright reviews, as she is not the main draw on this tour for obvious reasons. Below is what reviewer Heather McCracken of Stuff.co.nz had to say of her:

Keys was supported by Jordin Sparks, who performed a sweet and very brief set.

The American Idol success-story punctuated each song with a gushing: "Thank you guys so much," and then, "I'm so excited about this next song".

But her enthusiasm was endearing and her big hits - Tattoo and No Air - were well received by the youthful crowd.
On the tour Jordin has been performing Michael Jackson's "PYT," which has been getting good feedback.

Jordin also talked with Kate Rodger of New Zealand's 3 News about the tour in which she expressed her excitement of receiving a Grammy nomination for "No Air."

The tour wraps up in Perth, Australia on Sat., Dec. 20.

[+/-] Show Full Post...

Search & Win