Today’s Idol headlines after the jump…
Clarkson downsized but not out
Kelly Clarkson may have had to downsize her tour ambitions but there was nothing small about her performance at the Orpheum Theatre last night, except maybe the running time.
But when you give as much vocally as the inaugural “American Idol” does - no lip synching, thank you very much - it’s easy to understand why she keeps things to a tidy 75-minute running time………
Genuine: Kelly Clarkson played the Orpheum last night
Powerhouse pipes fuel Idol’s worship
The scrooge in me is still annoyed that Kelly Clarkson apologized to stuffy old Clive Davis - especially after I went to bat for her new CD.
But the fact remains that all the speculation over whether she made a mistake in releasing her self-penned “My December” only perpetuates the problem at the argument’s core: rock and roll isn’t meant to be so calculated. Last I checked, it’s still considered a raw form of self-expression.
Also tiring is all the talk about how Clarkson’s not a convincing-enough bad girl; does that mean she can’t occasionally take the liberty to play one through her music? Does she need to live it in order to sing it?
It might help, but really the answer is no. And at the Orpheum last night, Clarkson proved that indeed, she can sing it - and with feeling………….
‘American Idol’s’ star on the wane
What is the lifespan of an idol?
In the case of Kelly Clarkson, the winner of the first season of the “American Idol” television series in 2002, the answer seemed to somewhere in the neighborhood of five years.
After winning the making-of-a-pop-star showcase, Clarkson went double-platinum with her debut “Thankful,” won a couple of Grammys for the rocking “Breakaway” and looked to be well on her way to a stellar career.
It was under slightly different circumstances that Clarkson arrived at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday night, touring in support of her latest release “My December.”
While TV continues to turn out new “American Idols,” the bloom started to come of the rose for its original export. In fact, this was Clarkson’s second attempt at getting on the road this year. In the summer, her original tour plans were scrapped due to poor ticket sales.
Although the arena was not sold out for her casino appearance (there were hundreds of seats open in the upper bowl), the fans that still support Clarkson do so with fervor……….
The Year’s Top Artists Perform on ‘The 41st Annual CMA Awards’
The list of Country luminaries performing on “The 41st Annual CMA Awards” reads like a who’s who of the format’s finest and freshest faces with the announcement today that multiple nominee Alison Krauss and Horizon Award nominees Jason Aldean and Kellie Pickler have each been added to the list of performers for this year’s gala………
Abdul Slams Idol
Paula Abdul finally has an original thought but you can bet that Idol producers wish she’d do back to being a Randy Jackson parrot. Here is the Contact Music report: American Idol judge Paula Abdul has slammed the talent show for “destroying the souls” of aspiring singers.
The 45-year-old singing star - who appears on the reality TV series alongside music mogul Simon Cowell - admits she would never have appeared on a talent show to launch her career.
She says, “I don’t know that I’d have it in me to put myself out there like that. It’s excruciating, soul destroying.”
Nielsens: Red Sox victory gives Fox a boost
….
•Not so great. The two-hour premiere of Fox’s Next Great American Band, the latest spinoff from the American Idol team, jammed to a weak 3.6 million viewers Friday and was last week’s worst showing on the Big 4 networks.
….
Carrie Underwood gets rootsy on solid sophomore CD
Most contemporary female country singers start out on the traditional side, then grow increasingly pop as they become more successful. Carrie Underwood reverses that trend on her second album, “Carnival Ride.”…..
Dancing with the Stars 5: Top 8 Results Recap
…The entertainment portion of the evening is passé at best. Jennifer Lopez performs an energetic set, but it is her older material that is most enjoyable. Lopez continues to be a model of professionalism, though. This isn’t a Britney Spears moment. Still, for Lopez to attempt to reenergize last year through American Idol, and this year through Dancing with the Stars is a bit tragic…
Fox Looks Good in Sox
For Fox, baseball’s Red Sox Nation is the all-new Simon Cowell.
The network, which usually spends the fall killing time until the annual January return of Cowell and company on American Idol, rode the Boston Red Sox’s playoff run to the top of the latest Nielsen Media Research rankings……..
………Ratings-wise, Fox’s The Next Great American Band (91st place, 3.6 million) is more like the next Celebrity Duets, rather than the next American Idol…….
Carrie Underwood Tries To Overcome Coheed And Cambria, Serj Tankian, Cobra Starship And More, In New Releases
…Fallen “Idols”?: We can hear enough about “American Idol” contenders when they’re on TV, but when it comes time for them to release material, some of them are actually making their albums hard to find. Elliott Yamin put out his NBC Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection in Target stores only last week, and now Bo Bice is delivering his new album, See the Light, exclusively to Wal-Mart. Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman and ex-Allman Brothers Band keyboardist Chuck Leavell helped make sure Bice’s second effort had a Southern touch…..
Get Peachy With Katharine McPhee
‘American Idol’ beauty Katharine McPhee took some time out of her busy schedule to talk to Atlanta Peach magazine. In the issue McPhee talks about beauty, her great bod, and her sense of style. Here are some highlights from the interview…
Carrie Underwood takes us on ‘Carnival Ride’
“American Idol” fans like their stars to sing big and busy. That encourages some of them to throw their voices around with such wacky abandon it’s as if they were being paid by the note.
Somehow that never happened to Carrie Underwood, the most country-savvy of the kids shot to stardom by the “Idol” juggernaut. She’s a first-class power hitter to be sure - more so than ever on her just-released second CD, “Carnival Ride.” But Underwood prefers to focus her belts, offering few embellishments or melismas along the way…..
Where Your Money Went
Remember last spring when “American Idol” had an entire episode devoted to raising money for charity? Ever wonder what happened to that money? It’s buying mosquito nets in sub-Saharan Africa and sending fresh fruits and vegetables to 200 U.S. food banks.
The “Idol Gives Back” episode featured celebrities like Bono and Madonna and raised more than 75 million dollars…..
Music Review: Bo Bice - See the Light
The Real Thing is the real equation apparent in this sophomore album released by Bo Bice following his time in the American Idol spotlight.
This is the real thing - in the world of Bice. He rolls and rocks and revels in the rock-a-billy stylings that this man is obviously most comfortable expressing himself in. This is the real thing when it comes to Bo Bice’s heart, his soul. Turning on the album, the listener is treated to a hearty mix of southern, soulful rock and roll with a twang of country-at-heart thrown into the mix……..
Clay Aiken sets out on holiday trek
Clay Aiken is gearing up to spread the holiday cheer on his “Christmas in the Heartland” tour, which launches next month.
But first, the “American Idol” alumnus has a couple of special shows on deck. On Friday (10/26), he’ll take part in the star-studded “Neil Sedaka 50 Years of Hits” tribute concert in New York City, which benefits the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Then, on Nov. 6, Aiken will head to Las Vegas to serve as the exclusive musical guest for the “Capital One Holiday Celebration on Ice” show with 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen and a host of other champion skaters. That program will be taped for a Christmas Day broadcast on NBC-TV.
Aiken’s holiday outing is officially set to kick off Nov. 26 in Wichita, KS. The tour will visit theaters across the Midwest and East through late December. The itinerary is listed below…….
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MJ–when you can–I am dying for your comments on Kelly’s concert.
I looked at the picture and something struck me — I couldn’t recognize her from American Idol at all ! She’s beginning to look like the generic beauties we see doing those background dances for a frontman.
Seems Kat is talking about everything but her music. Doesn’t surprise me. She’s a pretty girl & it’s evident her interests are elsewhere. She’ll be the first of any of the top 2s to get married, won’t she?
Whatever is said about Kelly C by reviewers, nonfans, Clive, etc.
I believe one thing to be true. She is not going away. Her career
has longevity. Her career will be diverse and exciting as she
matures. I am looking forward to the direction she takes now
that Narville is managing her. Should be interesting.
As a contestant on AI, she impressed me with her voice. Even
then it was obvious that whatever she lacks (ie Carrie’s looks)
her voice would be enough !!!! But her photos have been
most impressive also !! Can you tell I love Kelly !!!
MJ I also look forward to your comments. I have tix to see
her at the Ryman !!!!
Re “fallen idols” Bo and Elliott having “hard to find” albums according to MTV. Can anyone here tell me where I might be finding one of those Walmart or Target stores. It’s sad they’re forced to sell in such obscure retail outlets.
jp I agree but when an artist uses an indie label I would
think it gives him a huge boost to get a WalMart or Target
exclusive. With no label promotion, this at least gives
them a selling outlet. If not they would be reduced to
concert cd sales or “selling out of their trunk” so to speak !!
Curious…. just where do you live that it’s so difficult
to find these stores !! I thought they were in every
neighborhood in America !!!!!
LOL, jpfan and beachn! ;p
It’s called….Sarcasm! LOL. A very useful literary device.
Underwood to perform at Movies Rock
Carrie Underwood, Beyonce and Elton John will be among the performers at the first-ever Movies Rock concert celebrating the relationship between music and film.
The event will be held Dec. 2 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, and will air Dec. 7 in a two-hour special on CBS. ……
Underwood will perform the title song from “The Sound of Music,” Beyonce will sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz” and John will pay tribute to the music from animated films.
Mary J. Blige and John Legend will sing “As Time Goes By” from “Casablanca,” Fergie and Jennifer Hudson will perform “Live and Let Die” and “Goldfinger” from the James Bond movies, and John Williams will lead an orchestra in a medley of his original film scores…….
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071024/ap_en_ot/people_carrie_underwood_1;_ylt=ApgVg4OwE7_ZhernekPu9lIE1vAI
BEACHN–everything you said about Kelly plus some! There is so much–to me–that separates her from the mainstream talent out there. I too feel like she is just now scratching the surface of her amazing talent!
This girl knows her voice and what she wants!
Hi All,
Here’s some recent performances of Katharine performing:
“The National Anthem” at The 2007 California Governor and First Lady’s Conference on Women
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QmEjZXm8_4&NR=1
“The Prayer” with Cody Karey at the Young Musicians Foundation Gala
http://youtube.com/watch?v=988NPKQh9oI
They’re really quite lovely. I hope everyone’s doing well. :)
hi
This perfectly illustrates “the myth of the sold out concerts.”
It’s a well-orchestrated process:
(1) concert date is announced
(2) tickets go on sale
(3) brokers buy the majority of tickets
(4) the show is falsely trumpeted as being “sold out”
(5) brokers attempt to resell the tickets at a substantial markup
(6) concert date approaches and brokers “release” their unsold tickets back into the market
(7) last minute ticket buyers score some of the best seats in the house, sometimes at less than face value
(8) venue may or may not have actually been sold out
(9) venue reports ticket sales to PollStar and Boxscore, but considering the relatively common practice of “ticket buys” for giveaways and/or promotions (which are ultimately paid for by the artist), who really knows?
Although hundreds of empty seats are a clue…
And finally an estimate for Carrie’s first week sales:
http://www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi
Arista’s American Idol and Grammy Best New Artist winner Carrie Underwood kicks the fourth quarter into moderate gear with a first-week total that is looking between 400-450k, more than enough to thrust her into the top spot on the next HITS Album chart.
I was wondering is Elliotts Gold status for selling physicall cds the same as Taylors platnum cds sales or is it a reference to the amount shipped.
For Boulder and other Paul Potts fans!! PPWD :)
http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/50988624
Pretty girl, but it always seems to me that unless she’s reading from a script, she’s incapable of talking about anything besides her physical appearance. When she’s asked about her music, she sounds as if it’s a chore to talk about it.
For physical CDs, all certifications are based on units shipped.
According to SoundScan, Elliott’s sales through 10-14-07 were 421,556; his album was certified Gold by the RIAA on 10-12-07. But it’s common for albums to certify in advance of reaching the requisite sales status.
For example:
Kelly’s “Thankful” was certified Gold & Platinum on 05-19-03. Her sales at that time were about 696k, easily meeting the Gold standard but 300k short of platinum.
Ruben’s “Soulful” came the closest in that when it was certified Gold & Platinum on 01-09-04, it had sold 955k, pure Gold and a mere 45k short of Platinum.
Clay’s “Measure of a Man” was certified Gold, Platinum, and 2x Platinum on 11-17-03, when his sales were at 1,185,735, which qualified it for Gold & Platinum, but were 814,265 short of 2x platinum.
Fantasia’s “Free Yourself” was certified Gold & Platinum on 01-06-05. Her sales were 685,913 at that point, once again good enough for Gold, but 314,087 short of Platinum.
Carrie’s “Some Hearts” was certified Gold & Platinum on 12-09-05. Her sales were 656,174 as of 12-04-05, qualified for Gold, but 343,826 short of Platinum.
It’s just how it’s done. The label submits the necessary paperwork to the RIAA for certification after they have SHIPPED the required number of albums…and yes, there are many, many albums out there which were “over certified.”
Thanks Neveda
Oh by the way Bruce is number one at billboard…
OH Lord - If this could be true for Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers show I would be Mom of the Century…
And for the record:
Kelly’s “Thankful” sold Platinum as of 06-14-03, in its 9th week.
Ruben’s “Soulful” sold Platinum as of 01-10-04, in its 5th week.
Clay’s “Measure of a Man” sold 2x Platinum as of 12-27-03, in its 11th week.
Fantasia’s “Free Yourself” sold Platinum as of 02-20-05, in its 13th week.
Carrie’s “Some Hearts” sold Platinum as of 12-18-05, in its 5th week.
I had no idea Ruben, Clay and Fantasia had done that well in sales… wow.
I saw that, with estimated sales of 77k (rounded), which brings him to roughly 548k in 3 weeks.
Not bad at all, although the real race horse on the SoundScan charts for 2007 looks like High School Musical 2, with sales at roughly 1,872,800 (rounded) after ten short weeks.
By comparison, at the 10-week mark, what the Idols had sold:
Kelly’s “Thankful”: 1,111,646
Kelly’s “Breakaway”: 1,264,509
Kelly’s “My December”: 631,267
Ruben’s “Soulful”: 1,377,626
Ruben’s “I Need an Angel”: 327,649
Ruben’s “The Return”: 181,000
Clay’s “Measure of a Man”: 1,928,220
Clay’s “Merry Christmas With Love”: 1,058,000
Clay’s “A Thousand Different Ways”: 416,035
Fantasia’s “Free Yourself”: 851,583
Fantasia’s “Fantasia”: 293,574
Carrie’s “Some Hearts”: 1,867,713
Bo’s “The Real Thing”: 536,387
Taylor’s “Taylor Hicks”: 633,885
Katharine’s “Katharine McPhee”: 291,055
Elliott’s “Elliott Yamin”: 237,030
Chris’s “daughtry”: 1,372,877
Paris’s “Paris”: 17,000
Kellie’s “Small Town Girl”: 363,382
Bucky’s “Bucky Covington”: 186,620
Mandisa’s “True Beauty”: 52,000
Garth Brooks did super selling his cds exclusively through WalMart. Actually not a bad way to go with the music industry in a slump. Some artists on selling now on the tv shopping channels as well. Avoiding the suffocation of the big labels and the costs the artists incur seems to be one of the attractions.
And further CD sales just for the record:
Billboard Year (November 2006 to November 2007)
#1 Daughtry: 3,207,475
#2 Akon: 2,709,182
2007 Calendar Year
#1 Daughtry: 2,086,442
#2 High School Musical: 1,872,712
Clay’s Christmas CD was only on sale for 6 weeks and then was pulled from the shelves along with all other Christmas CDs when the season was over, so it wasn’t even available after the 6th week.
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice
BSWD!!!!!!
Interesting. Kelly is the only Idol whose second CD has done better than the first.
Ah yes, it’s an interrupted chart, but SoundScan shows seven weeks of sales, and there were also street violations (1,410):
4 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE (Clay Aiken) 1 wk, 268,600
11 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE (Clay Aiken) 2 wks, 183,500
13 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE (Clay Aiken) 3 wks, 134,300
10 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE (Clay Aiken) 4 wks, 181,300
23 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE (Clay Aiken) 5 wks, 147,700
38 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE (Clay Aiken) 6 wks, 102,200
104 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE (Clay Aiken) 7 wks, 11,895
So roughly 1,030,905 in 7 weeks
The Billboard Year is pretty much irrelevant, except in the cloistered world of Billboard itself and its “year-end” issue. The very term “Billboard Year” is a conceit.
And although Billboard has done its very best to bolster the concept with the generally dreadful Billboard Music Awards, the ratings for the show have plummeted right along with CD sales, and Fox cancelled the show after the 2006 outing.
Carrie’s “Some Hearts” won the BMA Album of the Year award in 2006, with sales reported as 3,721,762, but if you go looking for the best selling album of 2006, what comes up is the first High School Musical album, which sold 3,719,071 CDs in the calendar year, 2006.
Sometimes you don’t even have to say it once…the bots are everywhere!
I flove “Merry Christmas With Love.”
::goes back into hiding::
I totally missed out on the Clay Aiken Christmas cd - wasn’t an AI fan back then. I do love Christmas and I’ll bet his xmas cd is great… guess I’m way too late to the party for that one.
I listened to Katherine and Cody on the Prayer and he’s the next Josh Groban who is a big favorite of mine. Katherine is much better on this kind of song than those on her CD. I know why it didn’t sell.Yuck! I have Merry Christmas With Love and it’s my favorite Christmas CD. (do I have to go into hiding with Kat?) On a different subject I hate to see Akon’s CD selling so well as after the stunt he pulled down in the islands where he practically sexually assaulted a girl on stage, to his credit he didn’t realize she was only 15 but no woman should be humped all over the stage by a performer, no mater who he is. If this had happened in the US, he’d probably be arrested. He’s on my sh.t list.
http://www.usmagazine.com/constantine_and_debbie
Are Deborah Gibson and American Idol alum Constantine Maroulis making sweet music together?
Usmagazine.com spotted the pair walking hand in hand in NYC October 23.
LOL That gives a whole new meaning to Foolish Beat of her heart. Maybe she gets Lost in his eyes or it could be only in her dreams ;)