American Idle

David Archuleta joined Brooke White and Michael Johns during their concert in Salt Lake City last night at the Murray Theater.

Obviously there weren’t many fans there but they were indeed boisterous.

White’s singing came off as shouty, and I don’t know if that was the acoustics in the place or just the poor video quality.

By all accounts, White and Johns have played to nice, intimate settings and crowds during their tour, which is par for the course for most American Idols.

It would be nicer if the Idols played to bigger audiences, but for most Idols this is as good as it gets, I’m afraid. Unless your name is David Archuleta, in which case you are a teen heartthrob and the place goes bananas, like it did below.

American Idol 8 winner Kris Allen took little time releasing a new single, but he should have waited longer, in my view.

His newest single, “Live Like We’re Dying” is nothing new; in fact, it’s reconstituted from another band, if you really wanna know.

Kris Allen - “Live Like We’re Dying”

After listening to the song, which sounds like a Blake Lewis joint, by the way, I get the impression this song is gonna fade away.

The chorus is catchy, but the lyrics are too fast, as though Allen were trying to rap his way out of a paper bag.

Also, I think people will find the song a tad too poppy. Some pop is good, but this song take the bubble gum quotient and stretches it out forever. At least that’s what it sounded like to me.

So Allen’s first joint? Not too impressive if you ask me. There have been other Idols who still did alright after their first single tanked, however.

Jordin Sparks has been busy these days, which is more than I can say for most American Idol winners.

Taylor Hicks? Broadway singer. Ruben Studdard? Same. But Sparks, despite looking like an NFL linebacker at times, has managed to parlay her Idol success into cash money.

And this song is no exception. “Road To Paradise” won’t win a Grammy, but the kiddies will love it (since it’s for a Disney film) and it will sell.

So good on ya, Jodrin, for you are one American Idol whose singing career hasn’t gone down the crapper.

Here’s her Disney song below.

Jordin Sparks - “Road To Paradise”

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen just happened to be in Detroit, so they popped in for the annual Ford Day meeting, featuring the who’s who of automaking.

Actually, the gig was planned in advance, but Lambert and Allen were there to show off their singing skills, as you can see from the video above.

And Lambert did his usual thing too, now that the Idols Live! Tour is over. Lambert received rousing applause, but it’s obvious that both he and Allen are exhausted and need a break.

Probably the next thing we’ll hear about from these guys is when their albums will arrive.

McSkat Medley @ Yahoo! Video

The VH1 ladies took to the stage this evening, Paula Abdul particularly, and they rocked it out!

Abdul, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks and Leona Lewis took to the stage in a musical extravaganza this evening, and it was all on VH1.

Hudson really tore the place up and Clarkson didn’t do too badly herself, but the star of the night was Adele, whose video you can see below.

hometown diva @ Yahoo! Video

Then to cap the historic night off in true diva style, Adele took the stage with India.Arie, singing “Because I Am A Queen.” Couldn’t have said it any better myself. A magical night for all, indeed.

As everyone knows by now, Kanye West dissed Taylor Swift majorly for winning a VMA last night at the Video Music Awards.

Well, Swift has some friends too, and they happen to be of the American Idol variety. Actually, Swift is really tight with Pickler, in particular.

And so Kanye being his usual self did not go down all that smooth with these two. Here is just some of their rant from MTV, Clarkson really went off on the guy:

“Dear Kanye, what happened to you as a child??” Clarkson wrote. “Did you not get hugged enough?? Something must have happened to make you this way and I think we’re all just curious as to what would make a grown man go on national television and make a talented artist, let alone teenager, feel like sh–. I mean, I’ve seen you do some pretty sh—y things, but you just keep amazing me with your tactless, a–hole ways. It’s absolutely fascinating how much I don’t like you. I like everyone. I even like my a–hole ex that cheated on me over you … which is pretty odd since I don’t even personally know you. The best part of this evening is that you weren’t even up for THIS award and yet you still have a problem with the outcome. Is winning a Moonman that much of a life goal?? You can have mine if it will shut you up. Is it that important, really??

Moonman. Heh. Anyway, Clarkson has a point; Kanye should really just STFU and mid his own business. Oh, wait, we’re talking about Kanye West here, aren’t we? Never mind then.

MTV Shows

Jordin Sparks released a new album. Kind of. What happened is this: It was a song for her first album, but she says it wasn’t good enough. She Twittered:  

@TheRealJordin, “Holy moses. I recorded this 4 my FIRST album. I love it! Memories! I never intend to realease them ha. It irks me when someone else does but it’s all for the good anyway.”

If Jordin means “for the good” in terms of making money, probably not, because her song has been leaked on YouTube by a person from the mommy blog popmagic.blogspot.com. Heh. Listen below:

Whoa, that was craptastic. Heh. Anyway, Jordin’s not happy about this song being out and now I see why.

From the news that Ellen DeGeneres is now the fourth judge on American Idol also comes the interesting tidbit that it only took Idol two weeks to land her.

Here are the deets from Variety:

The comedian and daytime talkshow host was first approached less than a month ago about joining the show. But despite DeGeneres’ stature, the lengthy five-year pact, the simultaneous “Ellen DeGeneres Show” contract renewal at Warner Bros. and the logistics of DeGeneres juggling both jobs, the deal came fast and furious.

“Both sides were motivated,” said Fox alternative chief Mike Darnell. “It was a deal both sides wanted to make.”

FOX says Ellen is a “huge” fan of the show, already, so why not bring in somebody who is somewhat like Paula in terms of personality, and infuse some humor into the process?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I think Ellen is exactly what the show needs, because some of the judges (not saying who) take themselves too seriously.

Bringing in Ellen ushers in the new, and ferrets out the old.

In an unprecedented move, American Idol has moved Hollywood Week from November to January.

That was done probably because Idol was sick and tired of people like JoesPlace spoiling the results for everyone.

Not that JoesPlace doesn’t know her stuff (and I know for a fact JP is a she) but the spoilers really didn’t do much except pique everyone’s interest.

Otherwise, I think it’s a non-issue. Read on. The New York Times said:

An array of guest judges will fill the spot vacated by Ms. Abdul for the audition episodes that take up the first few weeks of the season, which begins in January. But it is possible that Ms. DeGeneres will be on hand for “Hollywood Week,” where the top 200 or so performers come to Los Angeles to compete for a spot among the final 36.

I would say the chances of Ellen being in Hollywood Week are about 100 percent. Else they wouldn’t have signed her as quickly.

Kris Allen is set to release new music soon, and apparently he’s been awful busy during breaks in his current Idols Live! tour, recording some new material.

The Morning Call dishes all:

Allen, speaking in an interview Tuesday before his performance with the American Idols Live tour at Reading’s Sovereign Center, said he’s been recording tracks during stops on the tour, which started July 5 – a month after he signed his contract with 19 recordings and Jive Records.

 He said, for example, he was recording Tuesday in Philadelphia with Alex Band from The Calling.

“But I don’t know exactly how far we are,” he says, laughing.

He knows, however, that a single is being prepared for release right after the “Idols Live” tour concludes Tuesday, and definitely before the end of September. But he steadfastly refuses to release any details on it.

 “I know what it is, but I can’t say anything,” he said.

His album, now scheduled out Nov. 17, will be “soft rock, with a little singer-songwriter thing in it, but not too much,” he says. “It’s difficult to explain, but it’s cool. You’ll just have to listen.”

I think it’s gonna sound alot like Blake Lewis, or maybe even a little of Clay Aiken. What do you think? Do you think Allen has what it takes to stay in this industry? Or, will he end up like Taylor Hicks and be forgotten?