'Idol' odds 'n ends: Syesha Mercado performs on 'Wendy Williams'

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

>Syesha Mercado performed with her co-stars of the national tour of the musical Dreamgirls on Wednesday on The Wendy Williams Show. Watch a clip of the appearance below:

The tour kicks off at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y., tomorrow night, where it will run until Sun., Dec. 6. It will close 13 cities later in Philadelphia, Pa., on June 27, 2010.

>Kris Allen's music video for his single "Live Like We're Dying" premiered this morning on AOL's PopEater blog. Watch the video below:



About the video, Kris told PopEater at first it was "frustrating" that people "weren't getting it" during the production process about the vision for the video, but they were finally able to come up with a product everyone was satisfied with.

>Carrie Underwood stopped by Live with Regis and Kelly yesterday to perform for and chat with the show's co-hosts about her "brute" (aka Regis-speak for Carrie's boyfriend Mike Fisher) among other things. Watch her perform "Cowboy Casanova" below:



One of the funniest parts of the interview came when Carrie was asked if she knew how to skate. When she responded "no," she was asked if she was going to attempt to learn how to skate, which she followed up with another frank "no."

>Jason Castro's album might have been delayed until early next year, but he was in a cheerful mood last weekend when he proposed to his girlfriend. According to an article on ACESHowbiz:

Jason and Mandy are said to have been dating since 2008, but have known each other since high school. The twosome dressed as Beauty and the Beast on Halloween. He got down on his knees when he proposed to her and presented her with a ring. Besides, the singer also carved "Marry Me?" into a pumpkin.

Jason's single "Let's Just Fall In Love Again" is now available to purchase on iTunes.

>Danny Gokey premiered his new single "It's Only" on Milwaukee's country radio station 106.1 FM. Listen to the single below:



According to MJs, the song was written by Dave and Charles from Lady Antebellum and will be available to download on Tues., Dec. 14.

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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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'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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Allison Iraheta debuts new single "Friday I'll Be Over U"

Allison Iraheta's new single "Friday I'll Be Over U" debuted this morning on AOL's PopEater blog. The song, which is the lead single off Allison's forthcoming debut album courtesy of Jive Records, was both written and produced by Max Martin. Listen to the single below:

The song harkens back to the style of music sung by Avril Lavigne circa 2007 ("Girlfriend," anyone?) and sounds like something Ashlee Simpson would have turned down. That said, Allison's unique voice adds something to the juvenile lyrics and tired synths, so it should do reasonably well for her. Full review to follow.

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Track review: Kris Allen's "No Boundaries"

In what was the most predictably unexpected underdog win on ‘American Idol,’ Kris Allen, the soft-spoken Arkansas native, claimed the title in the series’ eighth season. What was a little more predictable, however, was just how awful his coronation song would turn out to be.

Written by ‘Idol’ judge Kara DioGuardi and Cathy Dennis, “No Boundaries” includes the cheesiest, most unoriginal lyrics since “Inside Your Heaven” (“with every step you climb another mountain / every breath is harder to believe”). What makes things worse for Allen is the fact that high expectations were set when it was revealed that DioGuardi, who is a veteran songwriter in her own right, would be co-penning the song.

But when brushing the song aside and examining Allen’s job vocals-wise, things begin to look brighter. His mellow style is a solid fit for this upbeat positive song, and he handles the amateur lyrics like they were the first ones he ever sang, which almost makes “Boundaries” sound passable.

Still, the song is just too poorly written to result in a masterpiece for Allen, and he will have to weather this hurricane before he can put out some serious music. Still, Kris Allen earns an A for effort on “No Boundaries” and shows promise of a healthy career ahead of him.

"No Boundaries" can now be purchased on iTunes. If you're not quite up to shelling out the $1.29 required for the single (or the $16.00 for Kris' iTunes pass), you can stream the single over on AOL's PopEater blog.

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Elliott Yamin's music video for "Fight For Love"

Just four days away from the release of his sophomore album, Fight For Love, Elliott Yamin's current single and title track "Fight For Love" finally got a video this afternoon when it premiered on AOL's PopEater blog. Watch the video below:

The production here is leagues better than what was found on Elliott's two previous videos, and the storyline is relatively easy to follow. It's also great to see it end on a shot of his smile, which is worth showing off. P.S. is it just me or have we seen that girl somewhere before?

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"My Life Would Suck Without You" lyrics released

The lyrics to Kelly Clarkson's highly anticipated single "My Life Would Suck Without You" were today revealed in an entry on AOL's PopEater blog. Read the lyrics below:

Guess this means you’re sorry
You’re standing at my door
Guess this means you take back
What you said before
Like how much you wanted
Anyone but me
Said you’d never come back
But here you are again

Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you

Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye
Maybe I was wrong for tryin’ to pick a fight
I know that I’ve got issues
But you’re pretty messed up too
Anyway, I found out I’m nothing without you

Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you

Being with you is so dysfunctional
I really shouldn’t miss you, but I can’t let go
Oh yeah

Cuz we belong together now
Forever united here somehow
You got a piece of me
And honestly
My life would suck without you

The song, which was written by the hit-making duo of Dr. Luke and Max Martin with the help of Claude Kelly, should leak any day now, and with the lyrics being posted on PopEater, that (along with AOL Music) would be a good place to check frequently over the next few days.

"My Life Would Suck Without You" officially hits radio airwaves on Mon., Jan. 19.

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'Idol' odds 'n ends: Simon done with 'Idol' next year?

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

>In a conference call with reporters on Wed., Dec. 17, Simon Cowell said he will "make a decision about (whether to stay with the show) next year," prompting many to speculate that Simon is tired of judging the show or perhaps there might be too much on his plate at the moment.

>There were a few Idol-related certifications issued this week by the RIAA. David Cook's David Cook was certified gold, while Jordin Sparks' Jordin Sparks finally received a platinum certification.

>Carly Smithson was featured on the front page of AOL.com today for a story by the company's Pop Eater blog on a story Carly did with the Los Angeles Times earlier this week. The Pop Eater story paints a bleak future for her and many other Idol alums. Carly was in the studio earlier this week working on a demo.

>David Archuleta performed at the last "jingle" ball/jam/etc. concert on his schedule on Wed., Dec. 17, this one sponsored by Atlanta's Star 94 FM. At the concert, his band gave him a birthday surprise - a big ol' birthday cake equipped with trick candles.

>Antonella Barba posted a blog entry on her official music MySpace page today to thank her fans and let them know that she will be in the studio working with Interscope/Aftermath producer and aFam Records CEO Bernard Edwards in two weeks.

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Cook's "Light On" premieres on PopEater

Just days after being announced, David Cook's single "Light On" debuted on AOL's PopEater entertainment blog as reported earlier on Cook's Web site. The single, which was written by Soundgarden/Audioslave lead singer Chris Cornell and Brian Howes, was produced by Rob Cavallo. Listen to it below:



Lyrics for the single are posted below:

Never really said too much
Afraid it wouldn’t be enough
Just try to keep my spirits up
When there’s no point in grieving
Doesn’t matter anyway
Words could never make me stay
Words will never take my place
When you know I’m leaving

[CHORUS]
Try to leave a light on when I’m gone
Something I rely on to get home
One I can feel at night
A naked light, a fire to keep me warm
Try to leave a light on when I’m gone
Even in the daylight, shine on
And when it’s late at night you can look inside
You won’t feel so alone

You know we’ve been down that road
What seems a thousand times before
My back to a closing door and my eyes to the seasons
That roll out underneath my heels
And you don’t know how bad it feels
To leave the only one that I have ever believed in

[CHORUS]

Sometimes it feels like we’ve run out of luck
When the signal keeps on breaking up
When the wires cross in my brain
You’ll start my heart again
When I come along

[CHORUS]

"Light On" will be available to purchase on iTunes on Tues., Sept. 30.

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