It’s also good to hear good news about Anthony, Diana, and Brooke. I have said it many times, but I wish Brooke and Jason would tour together!

I am so glad Brooke and Jason are NOT touring together. A few of my choices would be Serena Ryder, Carolina Liar, or Shinedown.

And Allison, I agree with John, will be a huge star, and is still under-estimated by many Idol viewers but wait and see

If you had said that in the middle of the competition, I would have been skeptical. However, I watched some of her tour performance videos and I was blown away. Not only was she a bundle of energy on stage, but everything she did, down to the quirky/hyper dance moves, seemed very natural and uniquely Allison. Vocals aside, I thought she outshone Adam in the duet, in terms of stage presence. She may not achieve instant success, but my money is on Allison when it comes to longevity.

He’s an alt rocker, a pop rocker, a beautiful rock ballad singer, and he’s also a hard rocker at times. Hard enough for me and his fans. Rock ‘purists’  and snobs I find amusing in their narrow definition of what is rock.

Yup. Cook’s performances are high energy, very rockin’ and his band is tight (from what I’ve seen on Utube!). The crowd is lucky if they can get more than 2 ballads out of him. Cook has a hard time getting the legit rocker stamp for superficial reasons: Idol winner, pretty boy, women go crazy over him and he has no qualms displaying his sensitive side. He seems to care very little about having the rocker image…. that quality might hinder him now, but I think it will pay off big time in the long run. The gradual change in his concert demographics since he started the tour, is a testimonay to that. Below is some priceless Cook banter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKWgxQ9nVbA

JASON CASTRO – ‘If you fell in love with Jason on the show, this is exactly the record you’d want him to make,’  says Pete Ganberg, Atlantic executive vice president/head of A&R. ‘It’s introspective, playful and very much a combination of his influences, which range from Jeff Buckley to Jack Johnson.’ 

This is very exciting. I can’t wait to hear Jason’s cd. I liked all his song choices on the show, he’s set and primed to make a killer cd, and if it’s well produced, I think he’s going to do really well. It’s been a long wait but finally we’ll get to hear it.

David Cook is absolutely a rocker. I don’t necessarily agree with the first two singles chosen by the label, but give it time, he will become known for better and better songs that have already been recorded, not to mention those waiting in the wings. He’s an alt rocker, a pop rocker, a beautiful rock ballad singer, and he’s also a hard rocker at times. Hard enough for me and his fans. Rock “purists” and snobs I find amusing in their narrow definition of what is rock. afaic, Daughtry is rock (not everyone agrees there either) and so is the Fray and bands like that and David Cook and his band fit there with them.

And Allison, I agree with John, will be a huge star, and is still under-estimated by many Idol viewers but wait and see. Look back in 5 years and tell me where that girl is.

Thanks for the information and insights, brie200.

As always, thank you for the update on Jason! It is so cool seeing his name up there with Kris and Adam’s. His styling is different than theirs and he does have a lot to offer. I love the CD I have of his songs on AI and afterwards. I can’t wait for his release!

It’s also good to hear good news about Anthony, Diana, and Brooke. I have said it many times, but I wish Brooke and Jason would tour together!

Wishing them all the best.

On a positive note, had a few phone convos today about a photoshoot next week! Thursday will be funnnnnn 6:22 PM Jul 10th from TwitterFon

Yes, so this photoshoot is for album art and press stuff! Hopefully you will be seeing a lot of these pics. Ha! 6:30 PM Jul 10th from TwitterFon

Now, I would agree that Idol doesn’t sell automatically like it used to. [Not that too much sells automatically these days.] It used to be that an Idol winner was all but guaranteed to sell platinum in very short order, at least for the debut album, and then the question was, how much more than 1 million? Now, that’s not a given, even if some folks in the media, etc., still assume that it is. My guess is that each of the major label Idol artists stands a good chance of getting enough splash from his or her upcoming release that, if the release is good, s/he can get strong enough sales to make the label happy.

There is a Canadian singer Serena Ryder, not sure if she’s broken into the US market but they love her here and she’s got a killer voice, it’s like Joplin, Nicks and Etheridge had a hybrid child and just a unique sensibility to all her songs, also Amanda Marshall, another rocker chick – maybe Canadians like rocker voices more, or at least rocker chicks.

JohnM said:

Not legally ‘” not in my state, anyway. I know that a lot of people think of it as a ‘diploma for dummies’ , which I imagine is the difference you were talking about; but as a long-time homeschooling parent running a statewide homeschoolers’ support group, I can tell you that a lot of homeschoolers use the GED to get the same legal and college-admissions standing as public school graduates. So this wouldn’t necessarily have been any worse a path for Allison to take.

You are right John. Funny thing is that most of the top tier universities do not require the GED from a homeschooler without a diploma (ACT/SAT is sufficient, even for scholarship), but some of the lower tier colleges or universities do.

Except for maybe Daughtry, there are no legit rockers from AI.

With all due respect … balderdash! I saw Cook and his band in concert in May and there was nothing soft about them. There was barely a ballad. Maybe “Lie” and “Come Back to Me,” which was not done in a syrupy manner. At all. I actually was somewhat surprised, but I don’t know why I should’ve been. Cook never was anything but rock. And Neal Tiemann … I don’t think he would step on the stage with “Barry Manilow.” So, enough said there.

Also Bo Bice is a rocker. He’s a country rocker, but he’s a rocker.

So called rock radio can suck it.

From what Jason said in his last video he made, there are four possible singles that are already recorded and ready to go and I assume at this point it’s up to the label as to which is the official single. I highly doubt it will be something anyone has ever heard before, so no worries there. That and I know he recorded a duet with fellow Atlantic recording artist Serena Ryder.

He also will be touring, but it’s unknown when or with who.

ETA: Or maybe even a bundling of all the Jive Idol artists combined… Archie, Jordin, Kris, and Allison? Wouldn’t that be wild!?

Is Sweet Medicine going to be on the album? I did not care for that Jason-penned song and I wonder about his song-writing development since that time.

What are the promo plans? Will he be touring?

Any additional info? Anyone?

Lots of predictions on this thread about Idols. Any predictions about Jason’s debut?

LOL @ Adam

http://twitter.com/mgiraudofficial

sorry, dont know how to direct link it.

Kris: pop-rock/soft rock with alternative “touches” (his word not mine)
Alison: pop-rock/rock
Adam: pop-rock/glam rock/electronica/dance funk

I think in the jumble of Fall releases, Alison and Adam are well positioned because they really are pretty distinctive. I can’t think of anyone current who sounds like either of them. (Alison reminds me of a cross between Janis Joplin and Heart — but she only 17!)

I think Kris is in the most crowded market place competing with both these ex-idols and a lot of other artists. He’s also in a commercially viable space if he gets a couple really good songs.

Not only are there a bunch of AI albums out there, but it’s a crowded marketplace. There were about 867 to 891 major label and 37,000 total titles released in 2008; up from about 560 major label 27,000 total titles in 2007. Look at this partial list of upcoming releases:

http://www.metacritic.com/music/upcomingreleases.shtml

So the market is doublely bad — more product choice and lower total sales volume.

Allison, God love her. The story of her rise from obscurity to Rock Star is almost complete, with many chapters in her tale yet to be written. No intro necessary, she brings the crowd to their feet, leaving them breathless and primed for the upcoming fireworks.

Of all of the Idols, she is the “made” star. Irrepressible and undeniable at this point, she has clearly claimed the status; and, altho’ she may not realize the certainty of her success yet, it is evident. She has arrived fresh, unassuming and wide-eyed, burdened by no unfortunate excess-baggage or personal issues, or demands to be the immediate World Superstar, with commensurate revenue, to impede her journey to rock and roll fame.

From the most reliable information available, I believe the album will drop this fall. I tend to believe that Alli’s will be the first of the AI8’s. I’m too many years removed from the workings of the industry to opine regarding promotions and such. I definitely see a ready made, solid opener destined to headline in a couple of years.

Allison is the franchise player for Jive. Top draft pick. Do they start her now or bring her along a little? For some while she can more than earn her keep as an opener, I would think. Problem is: with almost every breath she takes she becomes an even more accomplished performer. At some point soon, who will dare follow her?

I guess that her numbers on her 1st release aren’t nearly as critical as those of the boys. I don’t have anything to base this comment on other than she is a much different property than Kris and Adam, and from anyone that I can think of in recent history.

Ultimately, the labels need to think about what release date will get the best sales for each of their artists, and I tend to think that the fall will be the best time for Adam, Kris, and Allison, in terms of momentum, but also in terms of when you get the biggest album sales. Yes, this fall is a bit jampacked with Idols—in the upcoming weeks, you’ll have the new Daughtry and Jordin CDs, and then starting in November, you’ll be getting the new Carrie CD, along with the major label debuts of Kris, Adam, and Jason, and I would think, Allison. Still, the fall/pre-holiday time is generally the best time to release and ideally, you’d see Allison have some momentum coming off of the tour.

jpfan: Except for maybe Daughtry, there are no legit rockers from AI. Cook gets played on HAC not rock radio. Allison will be a Pink type rocker and her music will go for adds on Top 40 radio just like Pink and Kelly Clarkson.

Cook is a rocker. It’s just that most people seem to define “rock” ridiculously narrowly these days — it seems like it only means “heavy metal and noisy post-grunge”. :biggrin_wp:

There is a BIG difference between a GED and a high school diploma.

Not legally — not in my state, anyway. I know that a lot of people think of it as a “diploma for dummies”, which I imagine is the difference you were talking about; but as a long-time homeschooling parent running a statewide homeschoolers’ support group, I can tell you that a lot of homeschoolers use the GED to get the same legal and college-admissions standing as public school graduates. So this wouldn’t necessarily have been any worse a path for Allison to take.

Susan M.: Number one, they may want to market her as a prodigy; part of her amazing voice is that it’s coming from someone so young, so that might be part of their PR strategy.

I agree — I’ve said that I suspect she did somewhat better on the show than she would have if she’d been 25, because of the extra “wow” factor. But it wouldn’t make any sense to make a big deal specifically about her being 17, because they’d have to drop that within a few months. It would make a whole lot more sense just to advertise her as “young” or “a teenager” rather than specifically as a 17-year-old.

If she’s a day under 18 anything even remotely sensual can be considered in very bad taste (and legally, child pornography). Teenage actors cannot do certain scenes until they are 18; it’s the law. These are often shot around in film production until the actor becomes of age.

Child pornography?? :lol_ee: That reminds me of something I meant to say in my previous reply — in her Idolatry interview, when Slezak asked her to comment on all the silly nonsense about her singing songs that were “too old” for her, she said that she wouldn’t be doing songs like that on her record. (Her whole answer to that issue was excellent and level-headed — really impressive.)

As far as taking the GED; I took it years ago and it was a very easy test (mostly common sense) unless someone is very academically challenged. It’s probably changed some, but from what I hear, not by much. It takes like a Saturday morning.

It’s a five-section test that totals between 7 and 8 hours. It’s normed so that 40% of graduating seniors (not just all seniors) would fail it. Here’s a page about it.

Current Jive artists: T Pain, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Ciara

Top 40 is their bread and butter

I’ll be any amount of money that Allison is the first album released. From seeing how Jive handled Jordin and Airchie I predict 1)release of a single sometime in August to Top 40 radio 2) it will be VERY Top 40 friendly and Z100 will play it 3)the album will drop in late October/early November.

They will not try to build on her Idol audience but intro her as a new artist. That worked very well with Jordin. Allison will do an extensive radio tour to promote her album w/lots of Jingle Balls etc. Then open for an established artist. If it works according to plan, most of the people buying her music will be new fans.

I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if this is the way it maps out for her. It would be a compliment to Allison for Jive to treat her as a new artist rather than just a contestant that came off of AI and signed with Jive.

I think it’s very possible that if Allison has the right material, then she could be top 40 friendly.