Allison Iraheta’s album “Just Like You” is out tomorrow. The fourth place finisher is not getting much airplay with her single “Friday I’ll Be Over You.” I’m kind of surprised top 40 radio is ignoring it because it’s a pretty decent song.

You can sample the album here at idolbloglive.com.

EW gave it an A-minus.

[T]he muscular, instantly recognizable growl that carried her to a fourth-place finish on American Idol’s eighth season is all she needs to seamlessly wed a collection of first-rate ditties, from the relentlessly propulsive ”Holiday” to the ’80s-influenced ”D Is for Dangerous” to the soaring ”Don’t Waste the Pretty.”

The album is solid across the board. She even salvages a song with a stupid title (”Robot Love”). Her rock attitude has not been diluted. Just listen to songs such as “Beat Me Up.” Sure, it’s a bit more pop than her personal taste per se, but she even sings the ballads or mid-tempo pop songs with conviction and passion. As we’ve noted on this blog many …

Continue reading Allison Iraheta’s new album out tomorrow, Ace Young goes national with ‘Grease’ »

Early returns for Adam Lambert’s “For Your Entertainment” from billboard.com show the album will sell about 225,000 this week. I predicted about 200,000. Other acts such as Susan Boyle (left) will outsell Adam.

Kris Allen last week sold 80,000, the lowest ever for an “Idol” winner but that’s a bit unfair given that CD sales keep dropping 15-20 percent every year. He debuted at No. 11.

His single, at least, showed a big jump in download sales thanks to all the publicity but in terms of airplay, “Live Like We’re Dying” is struggling at No. 36 on the top 40 charts, according to mediabase 24/7. (Jordin Sparks’ “S.O.S.” was officially her worst-charting single, already peaking at No. 31 on the same chart. Daughtry’s “Life After You” debuted at No. 40 while Kelly Clarkson notched yet another top 5 single with “Already Gone.”)

Speaking of Adam, some folks are criticizing CBS for blurring Adam’s kiss with his male keyboardist during his “Early Show” segment but not the kiss between …

Continue reading Adam Lambert’s album to outsell Kris Allen’s by a wide margin »

Associated Press photo of Adam Lambert's AMA performance

Dick Clark Productions, who produced the American Music Awards, had no idea Adam Lambert would simulate fellatio, grope a female dancer and kiss his keyboardist since he didn’t do so during the rehearsals.

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“Good Morning America,” citing concern about a repeat of his performance, nixed his appearance tomorrow on that show while CBS’s “Early Show” will now air him live (they had him pre-taped originally.) He will not perform “For Your Entertainment” on the “Early Show.”

Adam was not apologetic to Ryan Seacrest:

Following his “GMA” cancellation Tuesday morning, Adam called into Ryan Seacrest’s radio show to discuss this latest hiccup. “It’s choreography, we were dancing,” he said to Ryan about the AMA performance. “The sexuality of it kind of got a little more extreme when I got up on …

Continue reading More about Adam Lambert’s cancelled GMA show, Paula Abdul’s talk-show aspirations »

David Cook was relaxed between songs, intensely emoting during them. ALL PHOTOS: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Long before Adam Lambert had become the spectacle, “American Idol” had crowned its first true modern-day rocker the crown all the way back in May of 2008: David Cook.

He had his first solo paid concert last night in Atlanta at the Tabernacle and showed what an unpretentious person he is. He gabbed about football, complimented a poster someone made in which he made David look tan and teased folks in the audience. He’s self assured, to be sure, but he doesn’t have a trace of arrogance. He also dispensed with the heavy eyeliner he often wore on the show and at the “Idols Live” tour last year. 

 Cook, despite reasonable prices ($26.50 to $32.50), did not sell out. I think it was about 75% to 80% full (1,800 to 2,000 people). I guess you have to take into consideration that it’s Thanksgiving week on a Monday. My friend Lara (photo below) didn’t think the marketing was all …

Continue reading David Cook at the Tabernacle »

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The Twitter bugs are all buggin’ over Adam Lambert’s risque performance Sunday night to close out the American Music Awards.

He sang his single “For Your Entertainment.” The stage was packed with dancers in what appeared to be a pseudo S&M club. Adam at one point had a guy on a leash. Moments later, another dude grinded his face into Adam’s crotch. (The camera turned away too late for that one. No wonder this aired at 10:55 p.m. EST! It was apparently edited out on the West Coast feed.). He later kissed the keyboardist, who looked like a girl to me but apparently was a guy.

He used his vintage Adam screech frequently and was oddly offkey at times. Was I entertained? Not enough. Overall, it was a bit of a mess and way over the top. He seemed to be trying way too hard to amp it to 11. I anticipate the Adam acolytes will lap up this …

Continue reading Adam Lambert goes all S&M during the American Music Awards »

Jordin Sparks had to cancel a trip to Australia to have an appendectomy.

She is recuperating now.

Her last tweets last night:

I can’t keep my eyes open anymore. (rip appendix) Goodnight twittlets.

For those who missed my tweets earlier…I got appendicitis on tues & took the appendix out last night. So I’m recovering!

-The label RCA Nashville has decided to go for a more upbeat song than “It’s Only” called “My Best Days Are Ahead of Me.”

What you think? Smarter move? Ballads are usually tougher sells on the country charts.

- Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson will be performing at the American Music Awards this Sunday. I’ll post the results.

Continue reading Jordin Sparks recovering from appendectomy, Danny Gokey’s single »

I grew up gorging on MTV videos of the 1980s. So I’m delighted to see Allison Iraheta’s director channel a bit of that spirit in the singer’s new video for “Friday I’ll Be Over U.” Judge for yourself. And just to make you feel old, Iraheta wasn’t even around in the 1980s. She was born in 1992.

The video definitely evokes imagery from the era of leg warmers, “Flashdance” tops and skinny ties. For example, Scandal’s “Goodbye To You”:

Or the Waitresses’ “I Know What Boys Like”

And of course, A-Ha’s “Take On Me,” with the cartoon drawings:

The paint splotches and lyrics being thrown onto the screen are very early 80s but I’m having trouble remembering which videos or used those effects. Can someone help me? The only thing I can think of when it comes to the pallette is the cover of the Police’s Synchronicity album.

-Jennifer Hudson nabs another great film role, playing Winnie Mandela in an upcoming biopic.

“Winnie Mandela is a complex and extraordinary woman and I’m …

Continue reading Allison Iraheta’s ‘Friday I’ll Be Over U’ video out; Jennifer Hudson thrilled by Winnie Mandela role »

Too much going on for me to hold stuff. So here’s a bonus blog entry for the day.

Breaking at 5:50 p.m., thanks to Kelly&CarrieFan! Q100 is hosting its annual free concert for its listeners at the Loft (capacity 650 people) with headliners Kelly Clarkson and Jay Sean (No. 1 song “Down”). Two things to note: only way to get in (besides connections) is to be a friend of Q100 online or to win tickets on the station. And Kelly will be doing a “power acoustic” set for just 25 minutes, according to Q100 OM Rob Roberts. This will not be a full concert so don’t expect one. But it should be cool in such a tiny setting. Wasn’t I just complaining about her not coming to Atlanta? This isn’t exactly an ideal situation in terms of getting all her Atlanta fans a shot to see her, but it will be a treat to the lucky few who do get in.

Not surprisingly, Adam Lambert has used Twitter to bite back at the nasty bite-the-hand-that-just-fed-you Out magazine editor:

“Chill! Guess ya gotta get …

Continue reading Kelly Clarkson’s Q100 concert; Adam Lambert bites back at Out magazine, makes People’s sexiest; Kris Allen’s first-week sales weak »

I’m late on these bits of news since I spent Tuesday focused on writing up my David Cook interview.

hmm… let’s see. gets a civil restraining order against his stalker on top of Ryan Seacrest last month’s criminal restraining order.

The order issued Tuesday requires Chidi Benjamin Uzomah Jr. to stay 100 yards away from the radio and television personality. A criminal court judge granted a similar order against Uzomah earlier this month.

And Adam Lambert’s handlers apparently tried to downplay his gayness in conversations with Out magazine. The editor in this letter (scroll down to read it) seems bitter about the situation despite the fact Adam comes off refreshingly candid in the actual interview.

Here’s a link to part one of the interview. It’s extremely long. Here’s a very brief excerpt:

Are you usually attracted to straight boys?
No, actually.

Kris seems like a real straight guy.
He is a real straight guy. He’s very straight. He’s just…cute.

He’s …

Continue reading Ryan Seacrest gets restraining order; Adam Lambert’s handlers vs. Out magazine »

CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

David Cook, winner of Season 7, has been touring almost nonstop since the end of his “American Idol” run.

He knows he has to strike while the “Idol” iron is hot before forging his own true post-”Idol” career. Touring is the ticket in this day and age. And Cook, who has honed his stage skills for years before he came on the show, is having no trouble selling tickets for venues such as the 2,500-capacity Tabernacle November 23.

Cook wasn’t originally planning to come to Atlanta for this current Declaration tour, which was set to end over the summer. But with sales going so well, he extended the tour into December.

Burnout alert? Cook denies being cooked.

“I’m good, man,” said Cook, who was on the phone between gigs in Ontario, Canada. “My life is pretty much my job. I sleep as much as my job allows me. I expend most of my energy on stage. It’s great cardio!”

His first post “Idol” album has actually done well, selling 1.2 million copies. (Only a …

Continue reading David Cook interview for Tabernacle show November 23 »