Is Season 7’s Chikezie about to sign a record contract with Universal Music Group?
That’s what he’s been telling crowds at the last few remaining shows of the American Stars in Concert for the Holidays concert tour that just finished up this week.
This blogger mentions Chikezie’s remarks in a review of the Waukegan, IL, concert, plus I’ve been hearing about it from random peeps out in the field…
So, I expect some official announcement will be forthcoming.
After Season 6 wrapped up, two semi-finalists from that year, Sabrina Sloan and Sundance Head were signed by Universal and were set to record an album of duets. That project never materialized, and neither recorded for Universal, either together or separately.
Here’s hoping Chikezie has better luck with the label than they did.
Some people have said this before, but I don´t find Chikezie to be commercial he seems to me that the kind of guy that could do a good small show but I don´t see him doing an album… well but what do I know about the music bussines… if is true congrats to him…
All the best to Chikezie, but Kristy Lee Cook really showed me that getting a record deal is far from being the golden ticket. I hope Universal does better by Chikezie than they did by those Season 6 semi-finalists.
I don’t see him as incredibly commercial, but I really don’t think superstardom is what he’s aiming for anyway. He’ll probably be very content to be able to make a living as a musician, and I think that’s all anyone coming out of Idol can really hope for.
I think Chikezie could be VERY commercial - with the right label and promotion. He has that kind of old school, retro vibe going, AND he proved on tour he can tackle some very challenging commercial covers - John Legend’s So High a case in point…… I wouldn’t count him out, and I do hope he and some other deserving folk from this past season are given the opportunity to test their skills and appeal in the mainstream.
I agree with central80 about Chikezie’s commerciality, but personally, I dislike the retro r&b he leans to. It’s old fashioned. It’s not what younger people are buying, and older people will just buy the old CDs–Luther Vandross, Al Greene, etc. I’d love to hear Chikezie moving into the bluegrass area–which he did so great with She’s a Woman on the show. That kind of singing is the type that not many people can do. And his range on that song? Incredible.
He’s a very talented vocalist with a very distinctive voice. But if he makes a CD with dreary R&B love songs, that’ll be the last he makes. (It’s why he was out on the show.)
I wonder how their mini-tour did?
He announced this at my show in FL (said he had just been notified). I was impressed with him at both the idol tour and the Christmas show. A CD of R&B love songs probably isn’t the way to go, as mentioned, but, old school soul updated to NuSoul is popular now. Raphael Saadiq & Duffy being two examples, both garnering Grammy noms. I’m happy he at least has a chance.
I’d love to find an mp3 of his & David’s “Little Drummer Boy” - it was hawt. I know there’s one vid out there, but, it’s nowhere near the version I heard.
Good luck to Chikezie. I was only lukewarm on him on the show, but he was really wonderful on the AI tour.
I will second the bluegrass thing. Maybe some bluegrass-R&B fusion?
Best wishes to Chikezie, and I hope he has a great career. Chikezie has talent and a great voice, now he’s got to find a style that will sell records.
DancingQueen , you know your music! Forgot about Raphael Saadiq and the Nu Soul movement… he could be a good fit in that genre… and that bluegrass-R&B fusion Janerazor mentioned would bring something new to the game… I just want him to find his niche, and nail it!
Good for Chikezie, he really does have a great voice and I agree, he just needs to find a style that will sell records. I heard him saying that he wanted to do a Gnarls Barkley type of sound, I think that’s fits his voice perfectly and that’s the type of music that sells.
I hope that Chikezie has great success. I loved his performance on tour and was so disappointed that I couldn’t meet him that day. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.
Hopefully he pulls out the surprise deal! I don’t think anyone expected him to be signed before Brooke, Carly or Jason.
As for the Sabrina and Sundance thing, I believe the deal is dead…there must have been some complications involved. The only past Idol contestant to release anything from Universal is Brianna Taylor (top 44, season 5).
That is exactly the way I feel. Also we have the notion that in order to fulfill ones dreams of being a recording artist that one has to be commercial. Whatever does that mean? TAlot of times that just means selling out. Watering down your product making it more palatable for the masses. There are so many artists and bands that are a success and you never know their names. Being an idol watcher we expect for someone to top billboard, or sell platinum, but the reality is, that even before the industry tanked there have always been artists below the radar, doing their thing, earning a living, and being successful.
I wish for good things for Chikeze because he’s proven to be a creative young man, with a passion for following his dream. I think he has a few surprises for all those who thinks he should be or is just another Luther Vandross clone. He’s so much more than that.
Well, Chikezie sure seems like a safer bet than Sundance and Sabrina, although nothing’s guaranteed.
I wish him the best of luck….
Always liked him, even more than Ruben….but getting signed w/Universal-Motown is not a sure bet. He needs the best writers and producers and those folk usually are with BMG….Universal-Motown doesn’t put a lot of promo money into their artists, like Erika B., they have to self-promote themselves.
And as someone just mentioned above, KLC is a good example of getting a contract don’t mean a thing.
I admit that I questioned Chikezie’s marketability even though I really loved him during AI and during the tour. I really hope this works out for him. If he can tap into the market that John Legend is currently mining then he may just see some success.
Season 3’s Camile Velasco recorded a cover of the Supremes’ “Hangin’ On” for Universal in 2005. She was eventually dropped by the label.
Universal doesn’t have a good track record with the Idols.
Dancingqueen, I too, would love to get an MP3 of Chikeze and David’s Little Drummer Boy. Their performance of this on the Christmas tour was absolutely beautiful. I did convert the one video I found on the net to an MP4 for my video iPod, but, I agree, it was not as good as the performance I saw.
Just from seeing him in the Christmas show, I’ve become a big fan of Chikeze’s. I’m really looking forward to him putting out a CD.
I’d buy Chikezie’s CD!
My family loved She’s a Woman on the show last year. If Chikeze can reproduce that sound and energy, I’d buy it. And, he surprised me on the AI tour as a very strong opening number. He sings and moves great on stage and got the crowd a-goin’. I liked him even better live.
Congratulations to Chikeze! I loved him on the idol tour last summer. I hope they do well for him.
I hope Universal does right by Chikezie because he seems like a cool guy with some sweet pipes.