Archive for June, 2007
Hey Paula Video Clips
Excerpts from Hey Paula episode 1. Watch Paula Abdul nearly miss her flight and chew out her assistants for packing the wrong clothes. Then, at QVC where she is selling jewelry she freaks out on the staff because she doesn’t like the way the jewelry looks.
Hey Paula episode 2. I think this eppie was supposed to explain why she was so incoherent on the Idol press junket last winter. But she does not come off well. She’s comes off like a petulant teenager and somebody who creates her own problems.  Still, Paula has her funny moments here.Â
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Jennifer Hudson BET Awards
Jennifer Hudson took home 2 awards at the BET awards Tuesday night, Best Actress and Best New Artist.
The show opened with Jennifer on stage singing her show stopping tune, “And I Am Telling You” from Dreamgirls. During the second verse, Jennifer Holiday, the singer who originated the role on Broadway more than 20 years ago, joined her on stage.
The room could barely contain these two big-voiced singers. Spectacular. And it’s nice to see Jennifer Holiday get some props.Â
Bonus footage from the BET awards: Jennifer wins Best Actress and Best New Artist. Jordin Sparks presents Best Actor award.
Kelly Clarkson On FUSE
Kelly Clarkson appeared in a 30 minute concert on the FUSE music channel Tuesday night. She taped these raw, energetic performances the night before. Enjoy.
Sober
How I Feel
More performances from FUSE: Never Again, Walk Away and Since U Been Gone
Billboard Update 07/07/07
This week’s Idol Billboard Update right here. Play along.
The Highlights:
- The highest charting Idol on the Billboard 200 this week is Daughtry at #17. All the Idols on the Billboard 200 took a hit this week. Daughtry’s sales numbers decreased 33% from last week.
- Fantasia is the first Idol to reach #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. “When I See U” is the 128th #1 for the American Idol franchise.
- Elliott Yamin’s “Wait For You” from his self-titled debut is a bonafide hit, and it continues to climb the charts this week: From #28 to #25 on the Billboard Hot 100, #45 to #33 on the Hot 100 Airplay, from #16 to #14 on the Pop 100, it stays steady at #12 on the Pop 100 Airplay, from #40 to #39 on the Hot Adult Top 40, from #24 to #21 on the Hot Digital Tracks and from #29 to #24 on the Hot Digital Songs. WHEW.
- Mandisa’s single, “Only The World, keeps it’s #1 position on the Singles Sales chart for the 3rd week in a row.
- Daughtry’s “Home” keeps its #1 position for the 4th week on the Hot Adult Top 40 chart.
- Kimberley Locke’s “Change” climbs to the #6 spot on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. Unfortunately, the album “Based on a True Story” has sold only 12,000 units.
Posted in American Idol, Charts, Chris Daughtry, Elliott Yamin, Fantasia, Kimberley Locke, Mandisa | 
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Blake Lewis Talks About His Upcoming Album
Thanks to Team Plaid for this article from TV Guide. Blake Lewis discusses his upcoming album. He’s already started recording and he tells TV Guide what his fans can expect, and when. He’s written seven songs and has producer BT on board, and Doug E. Fresh is in talks to beatbox on a track.
Read an excerpt after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Idol Tour News and More
UPDATE:Â Another tour video from Ryan Seacrest and E! News. (thanks kirsten).Â
Here are a couple of video interviews with the Top 10 as they rehearse for their upcoming tour, beginning July 6 in Sunrise, FL.
This Access Hollywood interview features the Idols interviewed in pairs, and all of the Idols rehearsing with instruments at the end of the clip. Hmmm. Gina Glocksen spills that she’s been asked to join the cast of Rent, but she’s not sure if she’s going to take it, or start recording an album. Sanjaya Malakar is writing music with his sister, Shyamali.
Blake Lewis tells Fox LA that he’s already in the studio recording his album! Hey, how ’bout that signing? Still waiting to hear about the Idol signings… Jordin Sparks says she’s “got a couple of songs for my album, that will hopefully be out before Thanksgiving.”
Finally, more about Melinda Doolittle’s trip to Africa with Laura Bush. Read the rest of this entry »
Idol Sales News – Week Ending 06/24/07
Idol Related Sales Numbers after the jump (BillBoard issue date 07/07/07) .
Happy Kelly Clarkson Day!
ETA: Hear Kelly Clarkson and her band on AOL Sessions
Kelly Clarkson’s third album “My December” finally drops today. After all the controversy about this album, I listened….and…
I like it.Â
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a step in the right direction. She’s singing pop with a harder edge here, and she pulls it off. Her vocals are terrific.  She’s not a great songwriter–her lyrics verge on the sophomoric at times–but as a budding songwriter and considering her youth, I think she’s got room to grow. More importantly, she is growing, and changing.
Unfortunately for Kelly, she came out of American Idol, whose graduates are expected to create commercial product that sells. A lot. Kelly’s “Breakaway” was one of the few bright spots sales-wise in an economic landscape where it became increasingly difficult for record labels to make money. I’m sure Clive Davis was counting on Kelly to create pop magic once again–selling millions of records to bolster the sagging bottom line of BMG/Sony.
While My December should sell well, it’s an ambitious record with no sure-fire hits on it. Unfortunately for Clive, it probably won’t sell 6 million units. But fortunately for her fans, Kelly has her eye on the big picture. She may sell fewer records now, but have a career that continues as she matures.Â
Some Favs:  ”Sober,” ”Hole,” “Don’t Waste Your Time,” and ”Irvine.”
Rock on Kelly.Â
Don’t miss Nevada’s Kelly Timeline. It’s the most detailed timeline of the “My December” saga you’ll find on the internet.
Season 7 American Idol Audition Schedule Set
And here it is:
July 30, San Diego (Qualcomm Stadium)
Aug. 6, Dallas (Texas Stadium)
Aug. 10, Omaha (Qwest Center)
Aug. 14, Atlanta (Georgia Dome)
Aug. 18, Charleston, S.C. (North Charleston Coliseum)
Aug. 22, Miami (AmericanAirlines Arena)
Aug. 27, Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
More from USA Today:
As with past audition tours, Idol producers will narrow each city’s field to 300 to 400 of the best and worst singers. Lythgoe and co-executive producer Ken Warwick will then cull to about 120 per city to sing to judges Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
Producers want to find a way to make sure more good singers make it through the initial auditions and the Hollywood round and into the final 24.
“Too many slipped through the net,” Lythgoe says, adding that no big changes are planned.
According to USA Today, the auditions are starting one week earlier to accomodate tryouts for the new Fox series, The Search for the Next Great American Band, going on at the same time.
Monday Morning Mediabase Update – 06/25/07
A snapshot of Idolsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ singles radio play culled from Mediabase charts as of this morning. Find out where your favorite Idol stands on the radio after the jump.
