'Idol' odds 'n ends: Daughtry, Jordin win at BMI Awards

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

>Chris Daughtry and Jordin Sparks each took home honors at the 2009 BMI Awards in New York City on Tuesday. Chris was recognized for his band's single "Over You," which he co-wrote with Brian Howes, and Jordin's single "Tattoo" won for writers Amanda Ghost and Ian Dench. Although Chris did not write it, Daughtry's "Feels Like Tonight" also took home an award.

>Kimberly Caldwell, Season 2's seventh-place finalist, yesterday inked a record deal with Vanguard/Capitol Records. She confirmed the signing via her official Twitter account:

_kimcaldwell Signing my record deal right now with Vanguard/Capitol records! Crying like a baby while doing so!!!!

Vanguard is home to artists like Indigo Girls, Matt Nathanson and Greg Laswell.

>LaKisha Jones was out promoting her debut album So Glad I'm Me this week since it dropped nationwide on Tuesday. Watch her interview from New York City's FOX affiliate, FOX 5, and her performance of "So Glad I'm Me" below:



LaKisha said she is really proud of her album and that it's "really good."

>The eighth season's finale was down in total viewership from last season's exciting final two episodes. Tuesday's Top 2 performance episode raked in 23.1 million viewers, while Wednesday's two-hour finale averaged 28.8 million viewers, including 40 million for the 10:00-10:07 p.m. time period, which places it as the second-least watched finale in the show's history (behind Season 1). Season 7's one-hour performance show garnered 27.1 million viewers and its two-hour finale special took in an average of 30.6 million viewers.

>Taking a break from his new found love for tweeting, Chris Sligh put some new demos up on his official production MySpace page. The songs featured include "Cmon Cmon," "Making Up Time" and "Chasing Down a Name."

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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.

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'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.

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Out today: "So Glad I'm Me"

The only major Idol release for the Week of Oct. 21 happens to be LaKisha Jones' debut single "So Glad I'm Me," which was released via Elite Music. Links to purchase the single can be found below:

Singles
LaKisha Jones, "So Glad I'm Me"
Amazon - ($0.99) - Buy
iTunes - ($0.99) - Buy

The single is off LaKisha's upcoming debut, self-titled album, which will hits stores nationwide on Feb. 17, 2009. You can currently add your name to a special edition "Friends Book" that will be included in LaKisha's album at Walmart retail locations by visiting her official music MySpace page.

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