The Chaparral’s Exclusive Pass to American Idol - Part One!
Have you ever dreamt of sitting down and interviewing one of your favorite American Idol contestants? Well, for this college newspaper in the Coachella Valley, that happened! The Chaparral gained exclusive coverage on July 2 to interview contestants Michael Johns, Kristy Lee Cook, David Archuleta, Carly Smithson, and Chikezie before they hit the stage in San Diego. Over the next few days, we will be posting several interviews and accompanying pictures to whet your Idol appetite. So watch this space!
To start, here’s Carly Smithson. Smithson, 24, was born in Dublin, Ireland, but moved to the United States to pursue a music career. She auditioned for the fifth season of American Idol but was disqualified because of her work visa. However, she got a second chance this time around and made it to the sixth place in the competition. Here’s what the San Diego native had to say.
The Chaparral’s Exclusive Pass to American Idol - Part Two!
Have you ever dreamt of sitting down and interviewing one of your favorite American Idol contestants? Well, for one small college newspaper in the Coachella Valley, that happened! The Chaparral gained exclusive coverage on July 2 to interview contestants Michael Johns, Kristy Lee Cook, David Archuleta, Carly Smithson, and Chikezie before they hit the stage in San Diego. Over the next few days, we will be posting several interviews and accompanying pictures to whet your Idol appetite. So watch this space!
Next up, here’s Chikezie. A native of Inglewood, California, Chikezie, 22, auditioned four times for American Idol, making it to Hollywood Week in the sixth season and the top 10 in the seventh. Like Carly Smithson, he auditioned in San Diego.
SIGHTINGS
“American Idol” finalists Brooke White and Michael Johns, out on the town Friday in different groups. White was at Revolution Lounge (The Mirage) before attending “Love,” while Johns camped out at the Palms’ ghost bar. …
American Idols Live: Archuleta wins the night
In the spirit of the night, with all the on-the-scene, up-to-the-minute blog posts about the UFC and boxing matches dominating the Las Vegas Sun, it seems fitting to weigh in briefly on the night’s other major event in Vegas: the “American Idols Live” concert at the Thomas and Mack Center.
The three-hour event was not a competition, and (blessedly) there was no troika of judges to proclaim “pitchiness,” etc. But it appeared to this witness that the walkaway winner of the evening was 17-year-old David Archuleta. Sure, he was the runner-up on the actual show that spawned this concert and its 53-show tour (Vegas was stop #4). But Archuleta brought his A-game (or some other sports cliche) and proved he’s on course to be a musical star in the long term.
Former ‘Idol’ finalists still going strong
The former “Idol” finalists are serving as the entertainment at San Francisco’s Rrazz Room for a nine-week stint, showing off their above-average singing voices, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.
The three singers, who reached the early portions of the final rounds on the popular TV series, performed Wednesday, singing tunes such as “Last Dance” and “If I Would Ever Leave You.”
The trio also took time to discuss the televised competition, telling audience members about performing for notoriously critical “Idol” judge Simon Cowell.
3-Minute Interview: Jon Peter Lewis
What was the best thing about “American Idol”? The 60 million viewers.
What was the worst thing? The song-and-dance numbers.
Your music now doesn’t sound like “American Idol,” does it? Not at all. We weren’t going to do something that would be expected on “American Idol.”
How would you describe your sound? Moody pop music — but it’s not going to make you jump off a bridge.
It takes two
Ever since their breakup, she’s suffocating and he feels lost at sea. Both wonder how they’re supposed to breathe without each other.
That’s the musical question posed by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown in their current smash duet, “No Air.” Hearing the intertwined voices - the anguish! the drama! - of these two teen soul-pop sensations is a reminder of previous hit duets throughout the years, when singers would come together to create a fusion either playful or romantic.
US Idol Down-Underwood
AMERICAN Idol’s most successful graduate, Carrie Underwood, is being enticed to Australia by her locally based record label, Sony BMG, which has been desperate to bring the stunning blonde country singer to our shores since she won the fourth US Idol series in 2005.
Underwood has sold more than 10 million copies of her two albums and won three Grammy Awards.
Given the singer’s massive success, Underwood has simply been too busy to focus on any markets other than that of the US.
She has yet to take off seriously in Australia, although she certainly has a strong fan base.
“We’re committed to breaking her in Australia,” said Sony BMG Australia chief Denis Handlin.
Carrie Underwood: ‘Some Hearts’ / ‘Carnival Ride’
Unless you’re an American Idol aficionado, Carrie Underwood is probably the biggest star you’ve never heard of. In May 2005 this blonde, pretty 22-year-old from the small town of Checotah, Oklahoma won the fourth season of the world’s biggest talent show, beating a hairy Southern rocker called Bo Bice in the final. She hasn’t looked back since, selling eleven million albums, nabbing a trio of Grammys and placing a succession of well-constructed, honestly-sung country-pop songs on various US charts.
Now, nearly two-and-a-half years after her debut came out in the States, Carrie Underwood’s two studio albums are being released in the UK. Fanfare is conspicuous in its absence, but you can’t blame Underwood’s label, Sony BMG, and manager, Simon Fuller, for keeping things low-key. Country superstars whose names aren’t Dolly or Shania don’t tend to do very well on these shores; neither is the American Idol tag any guarantee of UK chart success - just ask Chris Daughtry.
Why are the Brits so mean? And why do we love it?
When people need to hear the brutal truth, reality TV brings in the Brits.
Simon Cowell unleashes his acid tongue on “American Idol.” Piers Morgan drops snide quips on “America’s Got Talent.” Gordon Ramsay has regular screaming fits on “Hell’s Kitchen.” Unlike their American counterparts, these judges revel in being painfully blunt.
“If you’re asking why Brits succeed on American TV at the moment, I think it’s because we tend to be more honest and we tend to express ourselves in a more frank way,” said Morgan, an ex-tabloid editor in Britain.
Related Posts
that is a great article about duets and No Air.
speaking of duets..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbX66Ddxtow
A nice interview with Elliott Yamin by the Tokyo Families magazine…
Say it like Yamin it!
Since the show, you’ve become more fashionable. How would you describe your style?
What are you trying to say, man? I had no style or anything?! No, you’re right! I didn’t, I had no sense of style. I really… [Laughs] See, my manager over there’s laughing. Yeah, that’s one of the other things I really learned. I learned a lot about fashion, and how to dress. I wasn’t used to wearing tight-fitting clothes. You know, I’m a little guy, and everything I had was oversized, ‘cause I always felt like I needed to compensate for my small frame. So it’s funny, man, when I went home during the top 3 week on Idol, I went to my closet, and I had to look at all my clothes. I was like, “I can’t believe I used to wear these big, big ol’ clothes that never fit me.” I have developed a certain sense of style and fashion, and become more aware of it. It’s an intrical part of being in the music business, and being in the spotlight. You have to be conscious about how you look and how you dress. It’s part of the whole gig.
All the finalists on Idol’s fifth season seemed remarkably close. Who do you still hang out with on a regular basis?
I still hang out with Ace [Young] a lot. Ace and I live really close to each other, and we were good friends during the show. He’s a great guy. The person I hang out with the most because I see them the most is Jose “Sway” Penala. He was in the top 24, and he was actually one of the first guys to go. He actually joined my band. We were really close from the jump. Bucky [Covington] is a good friend of mine. Same thing with Mandisa and Kellie Pickler. Taylor [Hicks] and I are good friends, we speak all the time. Most of the people in the top 10, I still keep in touch with, just because we spent all that time on the road after the show was over, on the whole Idols tour and everything. We got a chance to get closer…
I miss Elliott.
Jordin is currently in Europe and was in Germany yesterday at a show called Energy In The Park . the crowd seemed to love her.
an article
http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/07/06/jordin-sparks-energy-in-the-park/
some clips .
One Step At A Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcv2keZKVL4
No Air
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHvvWPHrfuo
Now You Tell Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G–cnfuofY
Tattoo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SP3I8il-l8
Permanent Monday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SP3I8il-l8
That was an interesting article on why duets have not been so prominent in the past 20 years. I’d tend to think that a lot of it boils down to two things the article mentioned: a) actually getting labels to cooperate with each other, if the two acts are on different labels and b) the whole “featuring” phenom.
I have to say, a duet I’ve heard recently that should most definitely be releaesd as a single is the one on Jason Mraz’s new album with Colbie Caillat, “Lucky.” Cute song, really catchy, and they sound great together. It’s one of my fave songs on the album, honestly.
Graduate News
I got an email from Andrew Hey (BS ‘06). He’s working as an engineer at Underdog Entertainment in LA, probably best known for producing many of the American Idol CDs. Andrew’s says ” I’ve been working like crazy on all sorts of stuff”. He sent me a list that reads like a who’s who of contemporary music: Jordin Sparks, Chris Brown, Toni Braxton, David Archuletta, Elliot Yamin, Jojo , Brandy, and Jennifer Hudson…
Sigh… me too. I cant wait to hear his new stuff.
Very, very interesting stuff about duets.
When I first heard this song, I wasn’t too thrilled with it, but it has certainly grown on me since then. I do think it will be released as a single…it surely sounds very radio-friendly. (OT: I also love the other “duet” in that album, Details in the Fabric - Jason Mraz and James Morrison are my two biggest fave artists, so there, heh - but that one will probably never see the light of day on the airwaves. Heh.)
I wasn’t crazy about No Air at first, either, but I love it now (especially after that Katee-Joshua SYTYCD number.) ;)
I really wish they had included a duet or two in the current tour. I still can’t forget how awesome Savin’ Me was for Chris and Elliott. I am one of the Brooke and Jason fans who were hoping the two would actually get to do Lucky. Oh, well…
I actually really liked “No Air” from the first time I heard it, and knew it would be a big hit. It’s one song on the radio right now that I haven’t gotten tired of yet. :) (”Bleeding Love”, now that’s another story LOL)
Speaking of “Bleeding Love” - I am probably way behind on this, but apparently, Jesse McCartney recorded a version of it too, I guess before the song was given to Leona?? Anyway, here’s the youtube if anyone hasn’t heard it and wants to.
And Purps, I love “Details in the Fabric” too. But yeah, prolly won’t see the light of day on radio.
That underdog entertainment is interesting. I posted this a few days ago but I don’t know if it was noticed. Apparantly both Davids are working with Kara Dioguardi. http://www.karadioguardi.com/kd/index.htm
I skeers me that she wrote Open Toes for Katherine. @_@
LOL IGC. She also wrote some stuff on Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway”. So, in that vein, she’s due for some good, hit songs again. :)
I agree with purps about the duets. I wanted to hear Brooke and Jason do Mockingbird. I thought it would be cool. I think duets add a lot to the tour. I LOVED Chris/Elliott and Chris/Blake.
They are my favorites also. I had hoped for a duet but the way the show is set up this year (like in Season 5), the Idols from 10-5 perform in the first half of the show and the Top 4 perform in the second half of the show. With Chris and Elliott, it worked out well because their voices blended so well. Jason would have had to sing with Syesha. Interesting idea but I’m glad that that did not happen. Their musical styles are so very different that I don’t see how that could have worked well on any level. JMO.
Elliott discussing fashion was kind of amusing. I miss him too. At least we don’t have to worry about Jason wearing baggy clothes. LOL.
Sarah, unfortunately, I started liking Bleeding Love late, so I’m still not over it yet. It has a (Jordin’s) Tattoo-like effect on me. Heh.
I have a copy of that Jesse McCartney version of Bleeding Love, as well as a Rissi Palmer version of No Air.
I actually love the whole album (well, maybe except for Coyotes, heh), Sarah, but I think all the EP versions of the songs in there are better. (I also prefer the live iTunes Festival version of Details in the Fabric.)
Oh, a little crack for you… ;)
(I’m not sure who, exactly, to thank for that pic, except the poster at my local forum, but I do thank him/her. ;) )
I was amused by that Elliott bit, too, gabam, which is why I chose to highlight that portion. Heh. (Oh, thanks to Nancy of the etrain for the link to that article.)
As to Jason, we certainly don’t have to worry, as he sure likes them (pantz) tight. ;)
I remember you telling me about the EP versions of the songs, but I haven’t been able to find the 3 EP set so far. Where did you say it’s available?
My current always-in-rotation album is Gavin DeGraw’s new one, though. I LOVE it.
(thanks for the crack! you’re the best. dealer. EVAH! :))
Sarah, iTunes. ;) I’m just not sure if they are still available there, as you know I don’t get the iTunes store here…
Thanks purps! I dunno how I missed that. Anyway, I see “We Sing” and “We Dance” available, but not “We Steal Things”. Hmmm. I’ll have to search some more. :)
Anyway, this is all way off topic. LOL.
Sarah, I think you only get the We Steal EP with a purchase of the studio album on iTunes.
Yep, sorry for the off-topic-ness of this, folks, but, hey, Jason Castro did recommend and said he was listening to the Mraz album in a myspace bulletin (just pretend that he sent it out today instead of a couple of months ago, lol)…
Taylors ‘Early Works’ Album is now available to Pre-Order on Amazon.com!
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mj,
I still login to this site via the google search box. You can imagine my surprise when I typed mjs big blog into the search box today and the following google search popped up at the top of the list of the mjsbigblog google searche page.
American Idol
The upside: I meet Big Blog reader Colleen who is tres cool. We had dinner before the concert. … Send your stuff to me at mjsbigblog@gmail.com…
mjsbigblog.com
I had to just scream outloud. Thank You for the shout-out and compliment.
Now, I can show it to all my friends. They will, of course consider this offical proof that I have crossed the obsessive AI fan mark.
It is still exciting to read about the tour stops and see the new videos and reports. I loved watching MJ and David Cook do the robot dance in Las Vegas.
Now, I want to see the tour concert again! Who can blame me? It was incredible!
Keep up the good work.
You’re awesome!
Michael Johns interview from The Sacramento Bee published today,
http://www.sacbee.com/music/story/1059757.html
Not sure if this was posted already. Good interview from MJ.
That was a nice interview with Elliott. I miss him too. I didn’t know he got a new puppy. Jason’s been cutting into my Elliott online time lately.
E’s mentioned a few times that he’d love to do Broadway. I think he’s gotten offers but they didn’t fit into his schedule so it’s only a matter of time. I’ve always wanted to go to NY.
Thanks for the Elliott interview. He’s dropped out of sight working on the second album. It would be great if he followed the S7 guys example and did some video blogging (or any blogging) but that won’t happen. He tends to vanish when he’s not performing/promoting. Jason and the rest are smart to keep the contact with the fans.
Elliott’s album is done here but is doing really well in Japan. He’s getting close to gold.
Elliott and his baggy clothes, that article made me smile.
I am sure he threw on any old thing from his closet before AI. and now he is all super conscious about his outfits and has people telling him what to wear. I love that he has kept his friends from AI, I will always adore the top five guys from season five..
Am really hoping for some edgy r/b music on his second cd,
can’t wait for some clips…
LOL Me too! I remember when he sang If You Really Love Me… it looked like his clothes were about 6 sizes too big!
Insomnia here. I loved the Elliott article. Thanks, purps. :-)
Oh, and I flove how E always mentions Ace first. LOL.