Archive for October, 2007
Carrie Underwood’s “Carnival Ride” Debuts at #1
Congratulations to Carrie Underwood. Her sophomore album, “Carnival Ride” debuts at #1 this week on the Billboard 200, with sales of 527K. It’s her first #1 on the Billboard 200.
More from Billboard Chart Alert:
Her [Carrie's] first set, 2005’s “Some Hearts,” debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on Top Country Albums with 315,000. This week, the album sits at Nos. 60 and 13 on those charts, respectively. “Some Hearts” remains 2007’s top selling country album, with 1.3 million sold this year.- Underwood’s 527,000 opener for “Ride” is the best sales week for a female solo country artist since Shania Twain’s “Greatest Hits” started with 530,000 in November 2004. In terms of all women, Underwood’s bow is the best since Beyonce’s “B’Day” blew in with 541,000 in September 2006.
- Underwood’s current single, “So Small,” rises into the top three on Hot Country Songs, giving the artist her fifth top three single … Meanwhile, the singles from “Some Hearts” just won’t die. On the Adult Contemporary chart, “Before He Cheats” is bulleted at No. 8, where it has been lodged in the top 10 for the past 19 weeks.
Check out Kirsten’s Idol Sales News for more chart news!
Posted in Uncategorized | 
Idol Sales News – Week Ending 10/28/07
Idol Related Sales Numbers after the jump (Billboard issue date 11/10/07)
Posted in Uncategorized | 
Jordin Sparks Album Cover
It looks like Jordin Sparks’ debut album now has a cover…
Look at her! All dressed in leather!
Does black leather go with a platinum purity ring? Staying a virgin is hard y’all….
Just kidding. Actually, Jordin looks lovely in this pic. She’s beautiful, as always.
Jordin Sparks album drops November 20th, just in time for Black Friday.
Her single, “Tattoo” has been inching it’s way up the charts. We’ll see if the new 19R strategy of releasing a single ahead of the Idol’s album release results in increased sales…
thanks to sarah for the photo and lisaB for the link…
Katharine McPhee — Working with David Foster?
Katharine McPhee is not only making movies, modeling for magazines, and planning a wedding, she’s apparently planning her next album.
She attended the Neil Sedaka, 50 Years of Hits benefit for the Elton John Aids foundation in New York City Friday Night. David Foster, producer of Michael Buble, Josh Groban and Celine Dion, who took a liking to Kat when he mentored the AI Season 5 kids for a week, told the Lincoln Center audience that he would be producing her next record.
Katharine sent out a bulletin to her My Space friends that said in part:
This next year is going to be amazing musically and I look forward to sharing with you all very soon.
I guess that whole “rhythmic pop” thang Kat claimed was her style is no more. No more “Open Toes”? Guess not!
Blake Lewis is SO Excited…
Blake Lewis is so excited about his debut single, “Break Anotha” being released today, that he sent out two bulletins and posted a blog on his My Space last night…
Break Anotha!!! Its here…. so freakin stoked!!”
Thank you to everyone, who posted a comment on the new Single. I’m so freakin amped to hear it on the radio. I can’t tell ya.
…hearing this song for the first time is going to be a really surreal experience. Can’t Wait!!
Heh. Check out “Break Anotha” at saynow.com.
ETA: Rickey has put up “Know My Name.” RSF: thanx for the cut and paste!
Blake Lewis Debut Single announced, Set to be Released to Radio Tomorrow
ETA! You can hear Blake Lewis’s single, “Break Anotha” HERE!
Quick verdict: Ditto what Ken Barnes said below. It’s catchy, danceable. Could be a big club hit…
The press release has been issued! Not to me, of course. But, Ken Barnes over at USA Today’s Idol Chatter blog has heard Blake Lewis’s new single. It’s called Break Anotha. Here is what Ken has to say about it:
The thoughtful folks at 19 also included a link for lucky recipients of the press release to hear the single, which I did. It sounds like a clever maximizing of Blake’s musical inclinations in a contemporary pop context. Or, in plainer English, it’s a heavily produced pop-soul tune featuring a chanted chorus with a striking strings figure and a bit of beatboxing and other vocal gymnastics. Seems to be aimed straight at the Justin Timberlake market, and — with a properly warm radio reception — it could hit the jackpot.
Back in August, Blake told me the first single would be released on October 30th, and would be a re-working of one of his songs–with some help from Chris Richardson. Obviously, those plans changed. Break Anotha is written by Sam Watters (former Color Me Badd member and husband of Tamyra Gray. Yep. He co-wrote the treacly Season 3 coronation song, I Believe, with Tamyra) and producer Ryan Tedder.
The rest of us will get to hear it tomorrow when the song is officially released to radio.Â
Monday Morning Mediabase Update – 10/29/07
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.
Elliott Yamin at the HOB in Orlando FL 10/28/07
Sarah from http://teamplaid.com attended the Elliott Yamin concert Sunday night at the House of Blues in Orlando Florida. Here is her recap:
The concert was GREAT. Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m really glad we got there early. Well, on time, really, but you know what I mean. My roommate and I both loved both opening acts. Josh Hoge has SO much soul in his voice, but on the whole, his songs seem pretty versatile. He was fantastic – his whole set was acoustic. His à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“breakupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ song, 360? Yeah, totally identified with that, and I told him as much when I got the chance to talk to him later. Oh a little Josh Hoge scoop – heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s been signed to a new label out of New York and is going into the studio in January to begin recording a full length album that will be released sometime next spring or early summer, they hope. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also been signed to an endorsement deal with Geico and has some big things with them in the works. And yeah – heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s not bad on the eyes at all. Okayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦
The Last Goodnight – also fantastic!! My roommate loved the 80à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s influences in their sound. *cough* At first, I thought the lead singer looked a little like Adam Levine, but as their set continued my roommate pointed out that he looks more like a non-tatted up Joel Madden, and I TOTALLY see that! Anyway, we both agree that The Last Goodnight should definitely make it big. The band is tight and they have a great sound. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s obvious that theyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve been playing together for a while – their transitions are seamless. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s also obvious that their target demographic is young females – not unlike Maroon 5 – and the ladies there tonight certainly responded well to them. And my roommate and I both recognized their single as a song weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d heard before, so thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s a good thing. Anyway, we really really liked both opening acts. So, if youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢re going to an Elliott concert – make sure you get there on time!!!
Okayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ ¦ Elliott!!!
Kelly Clarkson at the Orpheum, Boston MA 10/23/07 Photos and MORE
I was about 15 rows back, dead center at the Kelly Clarkson concert last Tuesday. Not bad for last-minute tickets. I took a bunch of photos. You can check them out on my MySpace right here. I hope you like!
Kelly’s concert was lots of fun. Pop singer/songwriter Jon McLaughlin was the opening act. You might know his song “Beautiful Disaster” from the radio. Live, he and his band rock more than his soft-rock recordings would indicate. That was cool.
After a short intermission, Kelly took the stage. The stage set was designed to mimic the Gothic staircase on the “My December” album cover. Her first few numbers were new songs. The audience even sung along on a few of these. Standouts were “Sober” (I love that song–disappointed it didn’t do better on the charts) and “Never Again”.
Near the middle of the show, she mixed in some of her more familiar hits, like “Thankful” and “Because of You”. Mid-show, the stage curtain came down, and Kelly did a few numbers with keyboards only, including, a soulful cover of the Patty Griffin song, “Up to the Mountain”.
When the stage curtain came back up, there was a new set, and Kelly performed some spunky versions of her well-known hits including, “Walk Away”. One of her last songs of the night was “Chivas”–one of my favorite performances of the evening.
Her encore, “Since U Been Gone”, incorporated the Kelly Clarkson Pogo Dance (heh) and full audience participation. The two teenage girls in front of me were pogoing right along and singing at the top of their lungs, much to the amusement of their parents. Cute.
The concert was a nice mixture of new and old stuff, and unlike a few reviewers, I didn’t think there was a jarring difference between the first half (somber and dull) and second half (the perky Kelly we all know and love). The set was nicely mixed up and well paced. Definitely a good show. If Kelly is scheduled to perform at a theater near you, I say GO…
Idol Appearances for the week 10/28/07 – 11/03/07
Don’t Miss…
Carrie Underwood promotes her new album “Carnival Ride” on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Monday, October 29. She appears on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Thursday, November 1. Carrie will be on Ellen Nov 5…
If the Red Sox lose tonight…Taylor Hicks will sing the National Anthem at Game 5 of the World Series @ Denver, CO. FOX at 8 pm ET, Monday October 29.
Clay Aiken guest stars in the two-hour premier of Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? at 8 pm on FOX. Thursday, November 1.
Idols on Tour
Haley Scarnato appears in “A Night With Garth and Friends” at the Leon Springs Dance Hall in San Antonio TX, 8:30 pm on Sunday, 10/28
Josh Gracin and Carmen Rasmusen appear at Plymouth Hall in Plymouth, MA. Part of the proceeds go to the Women Build charity. Friday, 11/02
Taylor Hicks, appears at the Pearl River Resort, in Philadelphia, MS, Friday, 11/02
Phil Stacey and Melinda Doolittle will perform at An Evening with Scott Hamilton and Friends fundraiser in Cleveland, OH, to benefit the Scott Hamilton CARES Initiative at Cleveland Clinic Taussig Institute. Saturday, 11/03
More Concert Dates after the Jump
Billboard Update for Issue 11/03/07
This week’s Idol Billboard Update. Read it!
The Highlights:
- Idol albums on the Billboard 200 all saw sales increases this week, with the exception of Kelly Clarkson, who fell from 149-157, and dropped 10%. Her total sales are 682,975. Daughtry at #34, is up 3% (20,443;3,207,475). Carrie Underwood, “Some Hearts”, at 81, is up 5% (9,772;5,970,184). Elliott Yamin, at #164, is up 4% (4,423;425,979).
- Daughtry’s single “Over You” hits the Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 at #20.
- Jordin Spark’s single “Tattoo” continues its climb up the Hot 100. She spiked from 55-39 this week. And, “Tattoo” debuted on the Hot 100 Airplay chart at #74. It also climbs on the Pop 100 and Pop 100 Airplay charts–31-24 and 30-26 respectively.
- Josh Gracin’s new single, “We Weren’t Crazy” debuts on the Hot Country Songs chart at #51.
- Elliott Yamin’s “Wait For You” climbs from 7-5 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart, making the Top 5.
- Kimberley Locke’s “Band of Gold” premiers on the Hot Dance Club Play chart at #43.
