Headlines: Clay AIken Campaigns with Pals, David Archuleta Returns to American Idol?

American Idol’s HunterGirl on Why She’s Proud To Be a Woman in Country Music – The Top 10 contestant’s goal is to sing as much original music on the show as possible: “We have certain themes that go throughout, but I want to play as much original music as possible. I think that’s the way that I get to show who I am as an artist and as a person. I want to write songs for the people that need them, and that’s my main thing that I live by. I think a lot of people need some songs right now.” – Read more at Parade.com

David Archuleta and Jordin Sparks reunite

There are several social media posts that suggest David Archuleta will make an appearance on Monday’s “Great American Idol Reunion” which is a very nice thing, considering his mixed feelings about the show, calling his experience competing on the show as a teenager “miserable and traumatic.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by David Archuleta (@davidarchie)

Fantasia on ‘The Color Purple,’ Marriage and What She Would Have Done Differently During ‘Idol’ – Fantasia was only 19 years old when she won American Idol back in 2004. She wishes she had a team surrounding her and protecting her at the time. But on the other hand, she has no regrets. “I was so young back then, but I wish that I would have had a team of people who really cared for me,” she said. “Being so young and being so green, not knowing anything about the industry, you really need a team of people who will show you the way and not just think about what they can get out of it. That’s probably what I would have done differently. Other than that, everything that I went through with all this stuff, made the woman that I am today.” The singer also chatted about her upcoming role in the film adaption of the Broadway musical, A Color Purple. Her husband Kendall was on hand to talk about their new faith-based book on marriage, No Crowns in the Castle. Read more at Entertainment Tonight.

Wendy Moten on Breaking Her Wrist on The Voice, Going on Tour with Vince Gill + MORE – Wendy Moten chats with former American Idol mentor, Bobby Bones on his Bobbycast podcast. She talked about breaking Her wrist on The Voice and what Blake Shelton told her that he’s never said to a contestant before, and going on tour with Vince Gill. She was just on The Voice where she turned all four judges’ chairs on her blind audition and ended up as runner-up, unprecedented for an artist in her 50s. She talks about how she has fallen into every new chapter of her music career. Wendy talks about the nice things Blake Shelton said to her on the Voice. Her friendship with Vince Gill that involves touring with him and him producing her album. Wendy also talks about making her Opry debut and her first big break when she was starting out.

The Secret of Jax’s TikTok Success? Fusing the Funny With the Familiar – American Idol season 14 alum Jax recently won IHeartRadio’s Tik Tok star of the year, and her success as a songwriter and performer continues to rise. “I’m a lyricist, primarily. People in Los Angeles compare me to a Nashville songwriter. Country music is a lot of storytelling. A session in Nashville is quite different from a session in L.A. It’s like heavy 808s in L.A — big beats, and they start with the track, mess around with some melodies and eventually get to a lyric. In Nashville, it’s, ‘I have a story and I want to tell it” — and that’s the way I work. TikTok was awesome for me as that kind of writer, because I was able to put the lyrics right on screen and close-caption everything. It’s in their face now. People can actually read what I’m writing and that’s probably my favorite feature on the app. So if you’re a lyricist and a songwriter, that’s a really good place to start.” – Read more at Variety