Idol Chit-Chat
This is your place to discuss all things "American Idol." The performances, the judges, the past contestants — it’s all right here.

Friday, August 31, 2007

Have a Great Labor Day!

I’ll be taking a day or two off from blogging, but I’ll be back Monday with the latest news, including more on Blake’s album…

Right now, I’m letting the new Britney Spears track grow on me. You can hear it for yourself at http://www.z100.com/pages/britney_premiere.html...

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Some Scoop On Blake's Album...

In a recent interview, Blake told “TV Guide” a few things about his upcoming CD…

Blake said that all of his tracks are “totally different from each other. I don’t want to be put into a box.” Blake said it’s going to be pop music inspired by the 80s, Prince, Michael Jackson, and Depeche Mode.

And, of course, he will be beatboxing.

Blake also said that he’s trying to line up some guests including Doug E. Fresh, RA Scion of Common Market, Black Thought and Charlie Tuna. “It’s going to be a very eclectic album. I want to open people’s minds about good pop music. There hasn’t been a lot of good pop out there for a long time.”

Um, has he talked to Clive about any of this?...

See Daughtry In Concert On Your Computer

Did you miss Daughtry’s concert in Columbus earlier this month? No worries. Now you can watch Daughtry in concert on your computer…

You can see Daughtry at Red Rock in Las Vegas at http://music.aol.com/videos/live-concerts/daughtry...

In other Daughtry news, starting this weekend, Daughtry’s “Crashed” will be the opening music for the Lincoln Financial Sports: SEC and ACC Saturday Games of the Week…

Are Clay and Kellie "Smarter Than a 5th Grader"?


FOX announced this week that “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” will do a celebrity edition and two of the contestants are former Idols.

Clay Aiken and Kellie Pickler will join Regis Philbin, Billy Bush, Tony Hawk and Miss America Lauren Nelson.

Jeff Foxworthy is going to have a blast with Kellie…

Seacrest Goes Global


Is there anything Ryan Seacrest isn’t doing these days?

Premiere Radio Networks announced this week that it will launch a new radio show in the U.K that will be hosted by Ryan. “The Entertainment Edge with Ryan Seacrest” will air on weekends and will feature interviews with celebrities and the latest music.

The show will debut Saturday, September 15th, the day before Ryan hosts the Emmys…

What does the future hold for Chris R. and Chris S.?

Could a TV career be in Chris Richardson’s future?

Chris told “TV Guide” he hasn’t had anything offered to him yet because of his “Idol” contract restriction, but that there’s “a lot of talk and speculation about a lot of things. It goes from labels to television.” He said the casting director for “House” had approached him.

In the meantime, Chris is doing a lot of writing for himself and his fellow Idols. He and Blake recorded a song together called “What You Got to Lose?” Chris told “TV Guide,” “If it makes his album, that would be great. If it doesn’t, well, we had fun doing it.”

Chris has also written for Jordin and has submitted some songs to her label. No word on whether any of them will make the cut…

Meanwhile, Chris Sligh tells “TV Guide” that nine different record labels are interested in signing him, but he can’t make any definite moves until next month when his “Idol” contract expires…

Why Jive?

As I told you a few weeks ago, Jordin Sparks signed with Jive Records. But why Jive, and not J, RCA or Arista like previous winners and runners-up?

Reports are that since Clive Davis will be busy this fall with albums from Jennifer Hudson and Carrie Underwood, the decision was made that Jive would be the best home for Jordin. Jive is home to Justin Timberlake, Usher, Ciara and Britney Spears and is looking at a lighter release schedule this fall since Usher’s next album won’t be out until 2008 (and who knows about Britney).

And here I was hoping that Simon Fuller had finally figured out that maybe Clive doesn’t have as golden of an ear as everyone thinks…

Carrie, Kellie AND Kelly Receive CMA Nods

The nominees for the CMA Awards were announced this morning and Carrie, Kellie, and even Kelly are all represented…

Carrie Underwood is up for Female Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year for “Before He Cheats,” Song of the Year for “Before He Cheats” (which goes to the songwriter) and Video of the Year for “Before He Cheats.” As you may recall, Carrie is the reigning Female Vocalist of the Year after last year's Faith Hill controversy..

Kellie Pickler was nominated for the Horizon Award...


Kelly Clarkson was nominated along with Reba McEntire for Musical Event of the Year for their duet, “Because of You.”

Also, Brad Paisley’s album, “5th Gear,” which contains a duet with Carrie (“Oh Love”) was nominated for Album of the Year.

Now, as you guys know, I’m not a country music fan, but even I can see some “Idol”-related omissions. How could that gorgeous “Because of You” video not get nominated for Video of the Year? And can someone explain to me how an artist who had as big of a year as Carrie had not get nominated for Entertainer of the Year?

“The 41st Annual CMA Awards” will be broadcast live from Nashville Wednesday, Nov 7th at 8 p.m. on ABC…

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

"Idol" Is the Teen Choice...

“American Idol” was the choice for TV Reality/Variety Show at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards, but there were several “Idol” losers during the night…

“Life Is Not a Fairy Tale: The Fantasia Barrino Story” lost Choice TV: Movie to “High School Musical 2,” which hadn’t even aired yet when the votes started coming in…

Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell lost Choice TV: Personality to Tyra Banks…

Jordin Sparks lost Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star to Lauren Conrad of “The Hills”…

Carrie Underwood lost Choice Music: Female Artist to an emotional Fergie…

Katharine McPhee lost Choice Music: Breakout Artist—Female to Vanessa Hudgens…

Daughtry lost Choice Music: Breakout Group to Gym Class Heroes…

Daughtry’s “It’s Not Over” lost Choice Music: Rock Track to Fall Out Boy’s “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs”…

Carrie’s “Before He Cheats” and Kelly Clarkson’s “Never Again” lost Choice Music: Payback Track to Justin Timberlake’s “What Goes Around”…

There were three “Idol”-related winners, though…

Jennifer Hudson took home Choice Movie Actress: Drama for “Dreamgirls” and Ryan Seacrest took home Choice Movie: Hissy Fit for “Knocked Up”…

AND, apparently all of Jim Ross’ voting paid off as Sanjaya won Choice TV: Male Reality/Variety Star…

You can watch Kelly’s performance of “Never Again” here...

Friday, August 24, 2007

Blake Signs on the Dotted Line

On the heels of Jordin's new single being released online by AOL comes the official announcement of Blake's record deal.

Blake has signed with Arista in conjunction with 19 Recordings. And yes, that is squarely under Clive's thumb.

Clive said in a statement, "Blake has a strong music sensibility and knows who he is and what his music should represent. His collaborators are all knocked out by him."

Does that mean Clive will leave him alone?

Among the producers working with Blake are Jonathan "JR" Rotem (Rihanna's "SOS") and S*A*M & Sluggo (Gym Class Heroes, Boys Like Girls).

The album is scheduled for release in late 2007.

Jordin's New Single Goes On-Line

You can now hear Jordin Spark's new single, "Tattoo" at http://music.aol.com/popeater/2007/08/24/song-premiere-jordin-sparks-tattoo/

Don't let the first few seconds throw you. It does get better.

It's clear that they're going in an R&B direction with Jordin. And since she signed with Jive, which is a little less under Clive's thumb, maybe she'll stand half a chance.

Be sure to let me know what you think...

Kelly Makes a "Choice"

Kelly Clarkson will perform at the 2007 Teen Choice Awards this Sunday.
Let's hope for her sake that the show isn't the monster train wreck it was last season (Remember Nelly Furtado encouraging teens to not be promiscuous while girls frollicked in the hot tubs in front of her?).

She will reportedly sing "Never Again," which she also sang on this week's "Canadian Idol" results show (She was this week's guest judge.). You know I like that song, but I think at some point, you've just got to let go...

Kelly told the "Canadian Idol" audience (of which my second favorite Canadian, RT, was a part) that she would return to Canada in the fall as part of her tour. So, I'm guessing that Narvel has got things back on track...

The 2007 Teen Choice Awards air Sunday, August 26th at 8 p.m. on FOX...

Thursday, August 23, 2007

The Boldface Challenge Concert Is Here!

Tomorrow (Friday) is the big day for the Boldface Challenge Concert on "The Bold and the Beautiful"...


Elliott Yamin will be singing "Wait For You" and Constantine is singing "Fading Into You" from his new CD. Both of these songs will fit in nicely with the current Rick-Phoebe and Constantine-Felicia storylines.

Jon McLaughlin will perform "Beautiful Disaster."

The winner of the Boldface Challenge will not be announced until Monday, but I can pretty much guarantee you it's going to be Rick and Phoebe. That way, Rick can use the song to win Phoebe back.

"The Bold and the Beautiful" airs at 1:30 p.m. on CBS...

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Randy Jackson Brings In "The Storm"

Today is the release date for the new Travis Tritt CD, “The Storm.”

Why am I mentioning this? Because it’s produced by Randy Jackson.

Now, as you guys know, I’m not a country music fan, so I couldn’t make it through the entire CD, but what I did hear has a pretty fresh sound. And Randy teamed Tritt up with some pretty good songwriters including Richard Marx, Rob Thomas and Diane Warren.

You can hear the CD for yourself at http://www.cmt.com/music/listening_parties/...

Monday, August 20, 2007

Add Another Hosting Gig to the Seacrest Resume

FOX announced today that Ryan Seacrest will host the Emmys.

There’s no word yet on how he will juggle the Emmy hosting duties with his E! red carpet hosting duties.

To me, this was the logical choice and I was hoping this meant that without a comedian hosting, we would have fewer needless sketches. But Emmy producer Ken Erlich told “Variety” that Seacrest will fit in well with some of the “innovative” things he’s planning for this year’s broadcast. Uh oh…

The Emmys will air Sunday, September 16th at 8 p.m. on FOX…

UPDATE: This from E! Online: "It's believed he'll still be part of the network's preshow coverage but will obviously need time to transition between the productions—not even Ryan Seacrest can be in two places at once. "

Jordin Album News


FINALLY, we have some news about Jordin’s album…

She has singed with Jive Records, in conjunction with 19 Recordings (Simon Fuller’s label). Jordin is the first Idol to sign with Jive, which is part of BMG, which Clive Davis runs.

Her first single, “Tattoo” will hit radio August 27th. Her album is scheduled to be released in November…

Clay Does Billy Ray...

I had to share this video with you guys. It’s Clay Aiken at one of his summer concerts doing his medley of songs that will make him hip.

But I must warn the Billy Ray Cyrus fans. His version of “Achy Breaky Heart” is not all that flattering.

Clay also does “SexyBack,” “Like a Virgin” and…well, you just have to watch…

Seacrest's Super Gig

Ryan Seacrest will host the pre-game and half-time events for the Super Bowl broadcast February 3rd on FOX. This will include interviewing celebrities as they walk the red carpet into the stadium.

You guys know I like Ryan, but can’t we just play the game?

Friday, August 17, 2007

Cruisin' Away the Weekend...

This Sunday morning, I will be hanging out at First Baptist Church of Proctorville’s third annual “Fellowship Cruise-In.” Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. with public viewing of the cars at Noon. Cruisers are more than welcome to attend church services in casual dress (10:30 a.m.). The church is located ½ mile north of the Lawrence County Fairgrounds.

I encourage anyone with a classic car to join us. My mom and dad are the main planners of this great event and it is my pleasure to help them each year.

Because I'll be spending the weekend with Mom and Dad, I'll be away from the blog until Monday when I'll update you on all of the latest Idol news, including Seacrest's Super gig.

Until then, have a great weekend!

Has Constantine Turned the Corner on "B&B"?

Yesterday, three great things happened in Constantine’s story on “The Bold and the Beautiful”…

First, he showed no interest in Phoebe by telling her to suck it up and rehearse with Rick.

Second, he surprised Felicia by telling her he was donating the proceeds from the big concert to the cancer research hospital that helped her beat cancer—which got him a big fat kiss.

And last, but definitely not least, he made it through the entire show without telling anyone to go to boldfacerecords.com and vote.

I certainly hope this is a sign of things to come for him so he can shake off the critical bashing he’s taken since he first appeared.

And, I can’t wait to hear what Felicia’s mother, Stephanie, thinks of Constantine…

You can see Constantine on yesterday’s episode here…

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Bo Bice Not Coming to Huntington After All

Remember a few weeks ago I told you that Bo Bice was coming to Huntington? Well, my sources tell me that Bo cancelled the show.

So where was Bo supposed to be? My sources said he was going to be a part of the Marshall-WVU Concert Friday, September 7th with Trick Pony.

Personally, I think it worked out for the best since the concert will now feature Trick Pony and Lonestar. It's not that I don't like Bo, it's just that Lonestar is a much bigger name.

My sources also told me that Bo cancelled his entire tour, but there's nothing on the website to confirm that, or even the fact there was a tour to begin with.

Bo is reportedly working on his second CD for release later this fall...

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

"Idol: The Musical" Shuts Down

In doing this blog, I sometimes have to report stories that it absolutely pains me to tell…

This is not one of them.

“Idol: The Musical” closed Monday after one off-Broadway performance. Producer Todd Ellis issued a statement that said the production was closed “due to a lack of advance ticket sales, a lack of positive feedback from audience members and critics and a lack of sustainable financial resources.”

In case you’ve forgotten, “Idol” was a “satirical musical comedy” centered around a group of Clay Aiken worshippers in Steubenville, Ohio.

So what happened here? Maybe the Claymates rebelled against the treatment of their Idol…

Or maybe people just didn’t want to cough up 60 BUCKS for something so stupid…

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Mandisa CD Review: You Go, Girl!

In his review of Mandisa’s CD, “True Beauty,” “Entertainment Weekly” writer Jonathan Bernstein wrote, “Plus-size powerhouse Mandisa may have exited season 5 amid accusations of her homophobia, but at least she realizes her considerable pipes and self-righteousness are best suited to Christian pop. ‘True Beauty’ sets its no-fun agenda in the catchy yet disapproving title track, which preaches, ‘Enough sex and the city, what about purity?’”

Self-righteousness? No-fun agenda?

This comes just a month after “EW” writer Simon Vozick-Levinson wrote about her single, “Only the World”: “I'm not sure, however, why anyone other than a diehard Fandisa would give this more than a couple spins. It's got a sweet, sunny melody, and Mandisa's voice rings out clear and on-key throughout. But those motivational lyrics (‘It's only the world I'm living in/It's only today I've been given/There ain't no way I'm giving in’) sound like they come from a rejected Hallmark card, and the half-hearted rhythm guitar licks and bobbing bassline provide approximately 95 percent less funk than, say, Maroon 5's last single. As Mandisa herself puts it in the first verse, ‘nothin' new here's/What I do here.’ I'd be surprised if this song has any legs on the pop charts; I guess I could see it replacing Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" as a go-to feel-good tune for romantic comedy trailers.”

Clearly, they just don’t get it…

“True Beauty” is a Christian CD. It’s completely unapologetic in its message of not getting wrapped up in the world and staying focused on God. It wasn’t recorded to produce top 40 hits, it was recorded to spread that message.

And no doubt it was recorded to combat the messages of people like “EW” who think that living a Christian life means not having any fun.

And for that, I would just like to say to Mandisa…

“YOU GO, GIRL!”

As for the CD itself, it’s at its best when Mandisa shows a little restraint with her voice. “God Speaking” is a stunningly gorgeous ballad that will no doubt make its way into churches all across the country. “Voice of a Savior” is a soft-pop gem, while “Only the World” has an infectious vibe that sucks you right in.

There are a few bumps along the way as “Love Somebody,” featuring TobyMac and Diverse City, goes a little over the top for my taste with its Chaka Khan vibe and Mandisa’s version of Mary Mary’s “Shackles (Praise You)” suffers a tad from an overblown horn arrangement. Plus, “Oh My Lord” featuring the Fisk Jubilee Singers is a little too old school gospel for me with its chain sound effects.

But when Mandisa rips out the second of her gorgeous ballads, “He Will Come,” to close out the CD, you’ll feel like you just listened to something pretty special.

If you’re not a fan of Christian music, you will not like “True Beauty.” But if you don’t mind hearing some fun songs with positive lyrics for a change, I highly recommend this one as it’s a “True Beauty”…

Are things looking up for Constantine on "B&B"?


In this week’s “Soap Opera Digest” “Love It/Hate It” column, the magazine asks “Do you love or hate B&B’s Constantine?”

Fortunately for Constantine, the vote was 96% Love him, 4% Hate him, but the debate over his hire amongst soap opera critics continues.

And this “Boldface Challenge” is not helping his cause any—especially with the way the show insists on banging it over our heads. Last week, when Ridge was arguing with Phoebe over the possibility of his daughter singing with Rick, she actually turned to him and said, “Have you gone to boldface.com and voted?” Give me a break…

Fortunately for us Constantine fans, it looks like things might be looking up for him. “SOD” also reports that this Thursday, Constantine surprises Felicia on their first date. Since Constantine and Felicia are actually believable as a couple (unlike Constantine and Phoebe), I’m pretty excited about this. I just hope that the surprise isn’t taking her to an Internet café where they can vote for the Boldface Challenge…

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Fantasia Sits Down With Oprah

In the September issue of “O, The Oprah Magazine,” Oprah interviews Fantasia, who is, of course, the star of Oprah’s Broadway play, “The Color Purple.”

In the article, Fantasia talks about her life as a single mom on welfare. “I’ll be honest: Those checks just weren’t enough, and I had to steal what I needed—diapers, milk, food.”

About her success, Fantasia tells Oprah, “It’s not about the fame; it’s about people being touched…You can’t tell me that dreams don’t come true. My life is proof that they do.”

The issue hits stands this Tuesday…

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Gina Gets a Special Tour Surprise

Gina Glocksen got a big surprise during the Idol tour stop in Rosemont, Illinois.

After her duet with Phil Stacey, “It’s Your Love,” Gina’s longtime boyfriend, Joe Ruzicka, appeared onstage and popped the question. Gina, who is from Naperville, Illinois, of course, said yes.

You can see the proposal in this YouTube clip, but you’ll only hear screaming…

Carrie's Not "So Small" Debut and More Chart News

Carrie Underwood’s new single, “So Small” debuted at #20 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. That makes her the highest-debuting female artist since the chart expanded from 30 to 50 positions in January 1964. I told you I smelled a hit…

In other chart news…

Fantasia’s “When I See U” remains at #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart for a seventh straight week…

Kelly Clarkson’s duet with Reba McEntire, “Because of You,” moves up to #5 on the Hot Country Songs chart, while Bucky holds down the #6 spot with “A Different World” and Kellie Pickler trails at #14 with “I Wonder”…

Daughtry’s “Home” spends another week at #1 on both the Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts. It sits at #20 on the Hot 100, #12 on Hot Christian Songs, and #14 on Hot Christian AC Songs…

Mandisa’s “True Beauty” debuted at #48 on the Billboard 200. Her single “Only the World” sits at #7 on both the Hot Christian Songs and Hot Christian AC Songs charts…

Elliott Yamin moves up one more notch to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Wait For You”…

And the song that just won’t quit, Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats,” sits at #21, marking 49 weeks on the Hot 100. The record for the longest running song of the 21st Century is 62 weeks held by Lifehouse’s “You and Me”…

Kat Does the Weather...Kind of

I know how Jim loves to see pictures of Katharine McPhee, so I thought I would post this of her as her character in the new Anna Faris movie. Remember that Kat is playing the pregnant sorority girl...


And while we’re talking about Kat, I had to post this video of Katharine attempting to do the weather at the St. Louis FOX station. It’s a tad on the embarrassing side.

Daughtry and Carrie Get Some Love From MTV

Daughtry and Carrie Underwood both received MTV Video Music Awards nominations this week…

Daughtry received a nod for Monster Single of the Year for “Home.” You can see the video at http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2007/category.jhtml?categoryId=single...


Carrie was nominated for Best New Artist. And yes, I don’t quite get that one either (Maybe it’s because “Before He Cheats” was her first pop hit?). This award is decided by fan votes and you can vote for Carrie at http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2007/category.jhtml?categoryId=best_new...

The TV Academy Honors "Idol Gives Back"

The show on the verge of becoming Emmy’s biggest loser has just received the Television Academy’s highest honor…

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Board of Governors voted to give its Governors Award to “Idol Gives Back.”

According to the Idol website, the award salutes an individual, company or organization whose works “stand out with the immediacy of current achievement.” It will be presented at the 2007 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

Dick Askin, the Academy Chairman said, “We salute these programs for harnessing the power of television to educate and inform viewers about two very significant issues that touch all of us. With ‘Idol Gives Back,’ American Idol was able to take their audience and raise their awareness of impoverished children and also delivered millions of dollars to help ease their plight.”

“Idol Gives Back” raised over $75 million for children’s programs in Africa and the United States. You can still donate by visiting www.americanidol.com/idolgivesback...

An "Idol" Audition First...

If you don’t want the drama of the “Idol” auditions spoiled for you, then stop reading now. Otherwise keep going…

The “Idol” auditions experienced a first yesterday as a contestant went into labor while auditioning.

Antoria Gillon, 20, of Dallas, wasn’t due to give birth until today (Thursday), so she thought she would be okay and got in line at 2:30 a.m. Monday morning outside Texas Stadium. But when she finally got her chance on Tuesday, after waiting 16 hours, she “felt something over [her] body when [she] was walking,” she told “USA Today.” “I knew right away what it was. I was singing, and the judge stopped and asked if I was OK, and I said, ‘I just want to finish my song.’”

Her song? 702’s “Get It Together,” which features the lyrics, “I don’t really wanna stay, I don’t really wanna go.”

Here’s the rest of the story courtesy of “USA Today”: “As an ambulance pulled up midfield and panicky onlookers urged her to head for the hospital, “I said, ‘Well, I haven't gotten my golden ticket yet,’ which would signal she made it to the next round. Enduring intense contractions, she finished singing, got the familiar sheet of paper and only then climbed in.”

Gillon told the paper she believes she made it to the second round because of her voice, but she did admit there may have been other reasons. “They go by character and motivation, and I think I showed more than enough motivation.”

And it will make a great human interest story for January’s shows—especially if she makes it to Hollywood (which I wouldn’t be surprised to see her do).

By the way, she named her child Jamil Labarron Idol McCowan.
Photo courtesy of FOX...

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

"Constantine" CD Review: What's So Bad About It?

A few months ago, when I heard Constantine’s “Girl Like You” on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” I got worried. For some reason, the song just didn’t sound as good as it did when I heard it a year ago.

I truly thought then that the song could be the best single ever released by an Idol. But this new version had a different kind of sound that stripped some of the pop quality out of it.

Then, Constantine’s CD started getting really bad reviews and I got more worried that after waiting two years, I was going to be sorely disappointed.

And after listening to the CD several times, I have just one thing to say…

What’s so bad about it?

I’m not saying that the CD is perfect, because it isn’t. Several times Constantine seems to fall in love with the sound of his own voice and he still hasn’t quite figured out whether he should be a rocker or a pop star. And at times he takes his “organic, live feel” a bit too far. But overall, I would say it’s a pretty good effort.

The rumored track written by Rob Thomas was just that, a rumor; but Constantine does have tracks written by Angie Aparo (Faith Hill’s “Cry”), Kevin Kadish (Jason Mraz’s “Geek In the Pink,” Stacie Orrico’s “Stuck” and “(There’s Gotta Be) More to Life”) and Marcel (Josh Gracin’s “Nothing to Lose”), who I will always remember from Jessica Andrews forcing him down our throats during her concert in Ashland a few years ago (They’re engaged now.)…

“Girl Like You” starts the CD off. It’s still a great song, but the sped up tempo, the new vocal and the new guitar solo throw it off just a tad…

“Several Thousand” sounds like a depressed Maroon 5 song, but it’s still somewhat catchy…

“Everybody Loves” is when Constantine really falls in love with his voice, but I probably would too if I had a voice that strong. And just try to sing along without belting it out yourself. This one really grows on you…

“Child, You’re the Revolution” is the CD’s first detour into rock and just like his rock performances on “Idol,” it doesn’t quite work…

“Right To My Head” is another rocker, but it works much better, thanks to its catchy lyrics and more poppy sound…

“Favorite T-Shirt” is as catchy of a song as you can get. Constantine even finds a catchy way to curse…

“Sister, Sister” is a melancholy ballad, but it gives him a great opportunity to show off his drama queen side. And I’m a drama queen too, so it works for me…

“Fading Into You” is another ballad and probably the strongest song on the CD. This shouldn’t be a surprise since the song was co-written by Jess Cates and Lindy Robbins who wrote the Backstreet Boys’ “Incomplete” (Cates also co-wrote Taylor Hicks’ “Just to Feel That Way.”). I could hear this one on “Grey’s Anatomy”…

“I Thought It Was Something” is another catchy song that reminds me of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”…

“So Long” is another of the voice shows that reminds me of half the songs on Kelly Clarkson’s “My December.” Maybe they should team up…

“Heaven Help the Lonely” has a good pop sound but it suffers from some cheesy lyrics…

“Midnight Radio” from “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” closes out the CD, giving Constantine a major drama queen opportunity that he takes full advantage of…

There’s no doubt that a major record label would’ve helped here, since they probably would’ve given the CD a much cleaner sound. And maybe a more established producer (NOT Clive Davis) could’ve steered him toward some more consistent song choices. But for an independent CD, Constantine hasn’t done too badly for himself with this one…

The bottom line is that if you’ve never been a fan of Constantine, this CD isn’t going to make you one. But if you’re a fan who’s been waiting two years to finally hear something from him, you will definitely want to pick this one up.

You can hear it for yourself at http://music.aol.com/songs/new_releases_full_cds...

Kelly Kicks Off the NFL...

Kelly Clarkson will be a part of NFL Opening Kickoff 2007 in Indianapolis on September 6th.

The concert special will air on NBC.

Kelly will perform along with Faith Hill at Monument Park, while John Mellencamp will perform at the RCA Dome...

Monday, August 6, 2007

Tour Troubles?

What do you do when you have a sold-out tour? You raise ticket prices for the next one, of course.

But what if the people on the next tour aren’t as good as the ones you had last year? People don’t buy the more expensive tickets, making the tour a dud.

Just ask the people behind this year’s Idols Live Concert Tour…

Derek passed me a story from TVgasm.com that called the tour “the lamest, least successful tour yet.”

According to the report, a pair of prime floor-seat tickets for the Minneapolis show with a face value of $70 each sold on eBay for a grand total of $5.70. YIKES!

Granted, the Minneapolis concert comes just days after the tragic bridge collapse; but that’s still pretty bad.

A Minneapolis ticket agency owner said, “This has been the weakest seller so far” of all the Idol tours. “It comes down to who the Idols are and this year nobody seems to care about them.”

Like I said, YIKES!

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Carrie's New Song

Carrie Underwood has released the first single from her second album. It’s called “So Small.”

The song was co-written by Luke Laird, Hillary Lindsey, and Carrie herself. Lindsey wrote “Wasted” and “Jesus, Take the Wheel.”

It’s one of those take-on-the-world songs with sappy lyrics like “Sometimes that mountain you’ve been climbing is just a grain of sand.” It’s not completely my taste, but then I hated “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” I definitely smell a hit…

You can hear it for yourself at http://music.aol.com/popeater/2007/07/31/carrie-underwood-debuts-new-music/.

Be sure to let me know what you think…

Randy Jackson Gets His Country On...

If you’ve seen the new Travis Tritt video, you’ve seen that it features Randy Jackson.

That’s because Randy is the co-producer of Tritt’s new album.

And if “You Never Take Me Dancing” is any indication, this could be the most un-country album of Tritt’s career. And that’s not a bad thing…

However, the pop sound of the song is probably not just a result of Randy’s production. It was written by Richard Marx.

Here’s a look at the video from YouTube…

"The Boldface Challenge"

In this week’s “Soap Opera Digest,” Constantine Maroulis confirms that he may be extending his stay on “The Bold and the Beautiful”…

“We’ll have to see. I have a record coming out soon and there’s a lot of work that surrounds that, like touring and appearances, but I love working here and had an incredible summer. I can’t imagine a better situation. They’re wonderful here. If they want me to stay, I would love to stay.”

I hope if he does stay they’ll find some actual story for him instead of the lame stuff they’ve come up with so far.

The newest lame idea? “The Boldface Challenge.”

As the storyline goes, Constantine and a promoter decide to take the “Battle of the Duets” worldwide on the Internet to stir up publicity for his record label (Yeah, I don’t get how that would help either.). The winners will perform at a special concert featuring acts from Constantine’s label.

The story is tied to an actual contest where viewers can win a trip to the set of “B&B” by voting for their favorite duet. You can vote at http://www.cbs.com/daytime/bb/behind/specials/constantine/challenge/.

There is some actual story behind the lame contest since Rick is using the contest as an opportunity to win Phoebe back (She broke up with him after learning the identity of the other woman.). But listening to Constantine have to constantly plug the website is TERRIBLY annoying. Plus, his trash-talking with Rick is a little insensitive considering Phoebe’s broken heart.

And we STILL don’t know what happened with him and Felicia.

The special concert will air on “B&B” Friday, August 24th. Elliott Yamin will be the special guest (which makes much more sense than the previously reported Ruben Studdard) along with Jon McLaughlin. The winner of the contest will be announced during that episode, but the “winner” of the duets contest will be announced on Monday, August 27th.

By the way, “Constantine” hits stores Tuesday, August 7th and it’s getting lousy reviews. I’ll have mine for you as soon as I hear it…

"American Idol": The Movie?

You guys know I loved “From Justin to Kelly,” but even I have to question this one…

Simon Cowell is working on a movie based on “X-Factor” and “Pop Idol.”

Cowell told the “Sun,” “It’s going to be the modern-day version of ‘Fame,’ although set [at] a talent show rather than talent college.”

“Entertainment Weekly” reports that the movie will center around 10 contestants in a singing competition. The leads will be unknowns cast through an audition process Simon will supervise.

Simon is looking for a Summer 2008 premiere, although a studio has yet to take on the project.

The Idol Arrest Report


Corey Clark, the season two contestant best known for claiming an affair with Paula Abdul, was arrested last week on charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

Clark is also in trouble for skipping a court date last year to address violating a court order and trespassing.

And yes, that is the actual mug shot...

The Last Word on the Kelly Controversy

FOX News reported a few weeks ago that Kelly Clarkson has agreed to release a pop album in 2008 with songs selected by Clive Davis and his team.

So with that news, please allow me to get in the last word on the Kelly controversy.

But it’s actually not my word. This comes from Chris Willman a writer at “Entertainment Weekly,” who sums it up better than I could…

Shortly before the album was released, she fired her manager, Hollywood powerhouse Jeff Kwatinetz; her new one, Nashville-based Narvel Blackstock, apparently advised her to stop giving interviews. Kwatinetz had gone on the record in a couple of articles himself, talking about how Clarkson was getting a raw deal from Davis, echoing her own comments about the need for artistic freedom — but maybe he defended her so vociferously in print, and took on Davis so brazenly, that it suddenly occurred to the singer that "divide and conquer" wasn't such a great album-launch strategy. Anyhow, Clarkson has been inside the cone of silence since My December hit the streets a month ago. Except you’d never know it because interviews she did prior to that are still coming out, making it sound like she’s still trying to stir up a good scrap.

No one’s been at their most honorable or smartest in this situation. Surely both parties have legitimate reasons to feel publicly disrespected by the other. But at least it’s helped disabuse the public of the least true truism of all time: that all publicity is good publicity. Clarkson and Davis are both Teflon-coated survivors, and the only real damage will probably be her candor. If you’ve ever sat in on an interview with Clarkson, you know that she'll talk to you as casually as she might a best buddy, which is disarmingly enjoyable and also, as we've seen, potentially bad for business. I suspect that, even as we speak, new manager Blackstock is giving her some instruction in how to watch her mouth and put her guard up. And though I'll miss the shoot-from-the-hip Kelly, she'll probably need those lessons, if she, too, wants to have a career until she’s 80. Or 100. Er, 74.