Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Pre-order Adam Lambert's new CD now!

Pre-sale orders surge for 'American Idol' runner-up Adam Lambert's debut CD

Sometimes coming in second isn't so bad after all.

Season 8 "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert won't release his debut album until November 24th, but pre-sales of the CD have already jumped to No. 2 on the Amazon.com sales list.

What's even more impressive is that Lambert's record label, RCA, never announced that the disc could be pre-ordered, which means that the boom in sales is due to word of mouth.

Not too shabby for a guy who lost to his former roommate Kris Allen in the finals of "American Idol." Not that Lambert holds a grudge.

In a Rolling Stone interview, Lambert referred to Allen as "the one guy that I found attractive in the whole group on the show ... totally my type – except that he has a wife."

On the album, which is behind only Barbra Steisand's heavily-hyped new jazz CD, Lambert collaborates with Lady Gaga's producer RedOne, Grammy nominated producer and songwriter Max Martin, and One Republic's Ryan Tedder.

Lambert's impressive sales figures follow a trend of "Idol" also-rans topping the charts with their albums. Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken and Chris Daughtry all failed to grab "Idol's" top prize, but saw their debut CDs soar to the top of Amazon's sales list.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Adam Lambert Swears he's no American Idol Puppet

Adam Lambert is like a modern-day Braveheart.

American Idol and 19 Entertainment may be putting out his debut album, but they're not taking his creative freedom—or so he claims.

"I think there's a little bit of a misconception out in the public that people that come out of American Idol are puppetted and kind of controlled," he tells E! News exclusively. "That hasn't been my experience one bit. They've been completely supportive and collaborative with me and all the powers that be are really trying to facilitate my artistic vision."

In addition to working with A-list producers RedOne (Sean Kingston's "Fire Burning"), Linda Perry (Christina Aguilera's "Keeps Getting' Better") and Ryan Tedder (the man behind the controversial Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson tracks), Lambert is writing some of his own stuff.

"For a handful of these songs, I've gotten to write on them," he says. "So I really feel I've gotten to inject a lot of this music on the album with my own personal vocal stylings and my own lyrical content. A lot of it talks about stuff I really care about and that I find interesting, so that feels really good."

In addition to his excitement about his album's debut on Nov. 24, Lambert can't wait to see Ellen DeGeneres take a on a certain verbose judge come January…

"I can't wait to see her banter with Simon Cowell," the season-eight runner-up admits. "I think she'll give him a hard time. I hope she does."

While the funnylady doesn't have the music industry chops of Paula Abdul or the rest of the panel, the former contestant believes she'll bring the "everyman's perspective" to the judging table.

"She's obviously a fan of the show, and she's been in the entertainment industry for a long time, so, strictly from an entertainment aspect, I think she'll provide a lot of great insight and really speak for the people that watch the show that aren't all that well versed in the music industry and in music," he explains. "I think it's good in that regard."

Speaking of good, Lambert may dream big—his song, "Time for Miracles," for the 2012 soundtrack may be Academy Award eligible, which "would be wild"
- From E! Online

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Matt Giraud and Kris Allen perform on the street

Matt Giraud sings while Kris Allen plays guitar as they perform on the street for fans before a show on The American Idols Live Tour.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Adam Lambert Album Update: More Producers, More Tweets

There's never been a contestant quite like Adam Lambert on "American Idol." Actually, forget "Idol" — there's never been a major-label artist quite like Adam Lambert. So it's understandable that "Idol" — and music — fans are clamoring for any and all tidbits they hear about his still-untitled 19 Recordings/RCA debut, which hits stores on November 24. On "Idol," Lambert proved that he could rock just as loud as Axl Rose and deliver vocals as tender as Jeff Buckley, while on the "American Idols Live!" tour, the "rock gawd" turned David Bowie's "Fame" into a playful, sexual romp.

With all that creativity busting out of the seams (of his stylish trenchcoats), the album could go in a million different directions. No wonder we're all dying to know what it will actually sound like. The suspense is killing me!

Thankfully, Lambert has been dropping a few hints on Twitter this past week, so let's investigate.

This past Saturday, Adam mentioned he was going into the studio with Rob Cavallo, who produced "A Time For Miracles," the Lambert tune to be featured in the upcoming flick "2012." Since nobody has heard it yet (except for Queen's Brian May, who said he was "completely blown away" by the song) we can only assume that any future tracks by Cavallo for Lambert will be equally life-changing. Score!

Then on Sunday, Adam tweeted, "In Denver recording w/ Ryan Tedder! Get ready for your sonic lobotomy!" "Sonic lobotomy" sounds uber-promising! Ryan Tedder, however, does not. I don't know about you guys, but as much as I dig "Halo" and "Already Gone" and "Battlefield" and "Bleeding Love," Tedder's songs are all starting to sound the same to me. (Even Kelly Clarkson thought so.) Here's hoping Tedder digs deep to give Adam an extra-special track (or ten).

Then last night, Lambert wrote, "Denver Tedder sessions were major! Looking forward to working with the fantastic Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly tomorrow!" He quickly followed that up with two more tweets: "I know it sounds corny, but this album is a dream come true. I am lucky to be working with the best producers & writers in the world!" and "Get ready to shake yo asses! There be some beats a-comin'!"

Beats a-comin'! A dream come true! Shaking posteriors! Yay! I'm very happy that Adam's happy. I'm also relieved that despite having "'Idol' runner-up" status, he's had no trouble enlisting the hottest collaborators working right now. Claude Kelly's knob-twiddling helped Lady Gaga emerge as a radio-staple, while Dr. Luke is practically synonymous with the term "hit record," having helmed huge singles by Britney, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus and Pink. (It's also important to note that several members of Adam's team are also working on songs for "Idol" cohorts Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta.)

I'll save my rant about how I wish Adam was also enlisting some lesser-known-but-equally-impressive songwriters and producers (like the Knife and Basement Jaxx) for another blog entry. It doesn't feel right to kvetch about who he is working with when I haven't heard a single note of an Adam Lambert song yet. (Despite reports that a rumored first single called "Strut" is making the rounds to industry insiders, MTV News hasn't received it. WTF?) All I will say is that Adam has the potential to be bigger than a Top 40 act, and I just hope the A-listers on Adam's album also bring their A-game.

While I go figure out a way to eliminate the month of October to bring us that much closer to Adam's (and Kris') release dates, leave a comment below and let us know what aspect of Lambert's impressive "Idol" oeuvre you hope is represented on his major-label debut.

- From MTV Newsroom

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

American Idol Adam Lambert fans fight to the finish to win donorschoose.org competition

DonorsChoose.org teamed up with American Idol Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert and thousands of his fans donated directly to classroom project requests posted by teachers at DonorsChoose.org.

Adam Lambert’s contest closed on Sunday raising $207,329 for the charity reaching over 80,000 students.

DonorsChoose.org created a unique Adam Lambert page for each fan group, which displayed classroom projects in need of funding. Fans donated any amount to any project of their choosing; each contribution helped that particular fan group push forward in the competition. A "Lambert leader board" at www.donorschoose.org/AdamLambert tracked real-time results.

Now that the challenge concluded, Adam has stated he will deliver supplies to a randomly selected classroom and reward the fan group with the most donations with signed photos and exclusive online interviews.

"My fans have been so amazing in their support that I would love for them to contribute to something I believe in," stated Adam Lambert. "Every kid deserves a great education and access to the materials and experiences that make it possible. I'm so thrilled to team up with DonorsChoose.org and encourage my fans to support arts and music projects in classrooms. Plus, I can't wait to see the results of the competition!"

The winning fan group is ‘ONTD_AI’ which raised $80,987 with 918 fans donating.

Even though the Adam Lambert fan contest had concluded you can still donate to donorschoose.org to help children who are in need of classroom supplies.

- From Examiner.com

Monday, September 21, 2009

Adam Lambert sings an acoustic version of "Starlight" LIVE!

Adam Lambert, American Idol Season 8 runner-up, performs a stripped down acoustic version of Muse's "Starlight" on September 19, 2009.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Adam Lambert performs "Tracks of My Tears" and "Mad World"

American Idol Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert performs Smokey Robinson's "Tracks of My Tears" and Tears for Fears' "Mad World" LIVE on September 18th, 2009.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta sing "Slow Ride"

American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta perform Foghat's "Slow Ride" on September 14th, 2009 on the Idols Live Tour.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Nigel Lythgoe on Ellen DeGeneres: 'Idol stole her from us'

So You Think You Can Dance judge and executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told EW that American Idol “stole” Ellen DeGeneres from his show so he’ll “steal” Paula Abdul as a guest judge in the future. Talking from the red carpet of Saturday’s Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles, Lythgoe said though he “loved” having DeGeneres on the Fox dance show (”We hope she will still be able to come and help us out from time to time”) Lythgoe said it would be a “great idea” to have Abdul join the SYTYCD team in the near future. ”I’d prefer Paula,” he said. “I think it is a great idea to put her on.”

But Lythgoe was quick to add that DeGeneres will be a valued addition to Idol. “What it does is give the public, who are the people who decide in the end who is crowned the victor, a voice on the judges panel and they have never had that before,” the former Idol producer told EW. “They already have industry experts, musicians and producers and songwriters represented and Ellen will be that judge who comes at it from a fan perspective. She loves music and she will be able to speak about what people will like and what would sound good on the radio. And she’s funny. And I also think she is strong enough to keep Simon Cowell in his place, which I am always worried about.

- From EntertainmentWeekly

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Adam Lambert New Song "Time For Miracles"

The title of the new Adam Lambert song from the 2012 soundtrack has been uncovered on a new version of the 2012 movie poster. The track will be called "Time For Miracles" and should mark the official post-American Idol recording debut of Adam Lambert.

The Rolland Emmerich disaster flick is scheduled to be released on November 13. Traditionally, the movie industry releases the main song prior to the release of the film to help add excitement and momentum to a movie's release. 2012 should be no different, so fans should be able to expect Time For Miracles to be released sometime in mid-to-late October, although no official information is available at this point.

When discussing Time For Miracles at a recent Twitter party, Lambert said the song is a classic rock ballad styled track that will be very catchy. We're betting that the song will sound like a cross between I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith (from Armageddon) and Who Wants To Live Forever by Queen (from Highlander). Lambert did not say if the 2012 song will be included on his debut CD, which is also scheduled for release in November (Nov. 24 to be exact).

From a music business perspective, if Time For Miracles does get released in advance to promote the movie, it should also be on the Adam Lambert debut, because they won't want to have two Adam Lambert songs on the radio at the same time. It would only confuse average CD buyers who want to buy the CD because they heard the song on the air.

Typically, when a new CD is released, a track will be sent to radio up to a month in advance to build up hype for the album's release. The movie business does the same thing, so with a movie song and a new album coming out in November, fans can be pretty much guaranteed that either Time For Miracles will be the first single, or a totally different track will be released. Whatever the case may be, expect something to be released in October.

- From rockstarweekly.com

Friday, September 11, 2009

Red Carpet Confidential: Adam Lambert Remembers High School

Long before American Idol came into Adam Lambert’s life, he was passionate about the choir, drama and photography classes he attended at Mount Carmel in San Diego.

“Not only was it a great chance for me to explore my great artistic, creative passions, but it also provided a wonderful social outlet for me,” he tells me. “I think those programs are really important for kids like me. Not everybody’s going to play football.”

These days, the American Idol runner-up, 28, is channeling his fame for good by asking fans to support public classroom projects focused on arts, music and drama through www.donorschoose.org/adamlambert.

“I have fans who are kind enough to spend money for me for gifts, and I started receiving gifts, and I was very flattered by that, but then I started thinking ‘you know what? I don’t need this stuff. I’m at a lucky place in my life where I’m fortunate enough to make a good living,’” Adam Lambert says. “I feel like this financial energy could be redirected for a better cause. I felt guilty for people spending money on me, and would rather these kids benefit from it.”

He continues, “I don’t understand why arts are the first thing to go when they put so much money into things like sports. [laughs] It’s unfair. It’s an unbalanced situation. Luckily the budget was decent in the district that I was in. I had a great experience. I hear stories about kids and teachers who aren’t able to give the kids that type of experience. I do think it’s important.”

The openly gay glam rocker tells me he wasn’t “out” then.

“I had a good time,” he tells me. “I didn’t really have a strong identity. I didn’t date or anything. It wasn’t a time of romance or sexuality at all for me. That was not even existent in my experience. But I had a lot of friends, and I had a lot of fun.”

What advice does he have for kids as they return after summer?

“Find a balance between what you have to do academically and what makes you happy,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons why I find it important to contribute money to these arts programs because it also keeps kids wanting to go in many cases. After your math and science class, history class, you might feel a little burnt out, and then you get to look forward to drama. Or choir. And it really keeps you charged and wanting to be there – wanting to be on campus and wanting to succeed. My message to kids is to find a balance between what you have to do, and what feeds your creative self.”

- From OK! Magazine CeleBuzz

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The American Idols Top 10 perform "Don't Stop Believing" live

The American Idols Season 8 Top 10 perform "Don't Stop Believing" live on August 23, 2009 on the American Idols Live Tour. Matt Giraud and Scott MacIntyre lead on piano and the rest of the Top 10 including winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert take turns.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Matt Giraud's dreams come true as he and fellow American Idols rock Grand Rapids

Though Adam Lambert undoubtedly set the crowd at Van Andel Arena ablaze Sunday night, and Kris Allen was superb, a near full house had already experienced the highlight of the "American Idol" live tour: Watching West Michigan's own Matt Giraud's dreams come true.

Giraud, who had noted in an interview earlier in the day that the night's performance was to be "one of the biggest nights of my life," must have been gratified by the crowd's uncorked response to his presence. As Mattie G tore into the Black Crow's "Hard to Handle" with zeal unseen on the show, it was clear he definitely lit the audience's "candles" in a big way.

"I used to play across the street, at the B.O.B," he said, grinning at thousands of fans in a packed arena.

His vocal high-bar routine on "Georgia" was impressive; he's a gifted impresario. The 24-year-old got a little emotional during the song, perhaps catching the eye of a loved one, or just feeling the embrace of the "hometown" crowd.

Giraud doffed his jaunty signature porkpie hat to play and sing The Fray's "You Found Me." Take that, Simon Cowell (the Idol judge scorned Giraud's pick of that song on the show). He sounded fabulous, and throughout his all-too-short three-song set displayed that indefinable snap, crackle and pop that all stars have.

Along with a much-improved Scott MacIntyre, Giraud also did dueling piano duty couple of times throughout the show.

Read the full mLive article

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Adam Lambert leads American Idol fans in Indy concert

The androgynous wonder placed second in this year's televised talent search, American Idol, and even the shortest flash of Adam Lambert on video screens -- sometimes revealing nothing more than his eyes -- sparked shrieks of excitement before the concert and during intermission.

He finally arrived in the flesh, belting Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" as a Broadway show-stopper that zoomed high notes over the moon and assorted planets. He brought none of Robert Plant's bluesy yearning, but "American Idol" is predicated on thrills, not pain.

So credit Lambert -- who mentioned Indianapolis as his home from birth until a move to California as a toddler -- for exploring angsty emotions on "Mad World," originally recorded by Tears for Fears and starkly remade for the 2001 film "Donnie Darko."

While Lambert resembled Elvis Presley as seen on the "'68 Comeback Special," his leather gear included the goth accents of tails, shoulder spikes and fingerless gloves.
For fun, he sang Foghat's "Slow Ride" as a duet with fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta. Lambert's deft delivery of various moods stalled, however, with an aimless closing medley of David Bowie's "Life on Mars," "Fame" and "Let's Dance."

Read the full Indystar article

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Adam Lambert songwriter says Debut mixes Fall Out Boy, Kylie Minogue

Kevin Griffin made a name for himself in the '90s with Better Than Ezra, but these days, when he's not busy working with the band and releasing new music, he's writing with some of the biggest names from "American Idol."

He's worked with everyone from Jason Castro to David Cook and David Archuleta, and this time around, he's written some songs for Kris Allen and Adam Lambert for their top-secret, highly anticipated debuts, both out this fall. He's hoping the songs he submitted for Lambert make the final cut.

"As a songwriter, you want to get on the projects that are high-profile but you hope are going to be successful," he said about collaborating with "Idol" alumni. "And certainly, the 'Idol' things are successful."

So what should fans expect from Lambert's upcoming debut? "Adam has that potential for that worldwide, crazy success, 'cause his taste is kind of an international kind of thing," Griffin said.

As fans of the show know already, Lambert has a flair for the theatrical and a penchant for glittery rock. Griffin said that there will probably also be some disco thrown in.

"I know that they're going for more of an international, pop-rock, goth sound," he said. "I know what they're wanting, and I think it's going to be something that you could hear in between a Fall Out Boy song and a Kylie Minogue song. You'd mash that together and put some mascara on it."

- From MTV.com

Friday, September 4, 2009

Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne to guest judge American Idol

Music stars Katy Perry and Avril Lavigne will be guest judges on American Idol during the final two days of auditions held this week in Los Angeles. With each star judging on a different day of L.A. auditions, Katy and Avril will join Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi at the judges' table.

Katy and Avril aren't the first stars to guest judge at Season 9 auditions. Recently, Victoria Beckham served as a guest judge in Denver and Boston, Mary J. Blige shared her expertise in Atlanta, Joe Jonas and Neil Patrick Harris joined the panel in Dallas, Kristin Chenoweth met up with the show in Orlando, and Shania Twain was the guest judge in Chicago.

The Grammy-nominated Katy Perry has captured the hearts of critics and audiences alike. Awarded Best New Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards and voted Best New Artist by readers of Rolling Stone, Katy is currently wrapping up her sold-out "Hello Katy" worldwide tour in September. Katy even performed during a Season 8 results show. See photos of Katy's American Idol performance.

Avril Lavigne has been in the industry since she was 17 years old. Her first album, Let Go, sold more than 16 million copies worldwide and earned her eight Grammy Award nominations and four Juno Awards. With her three albums accounting for over 30 million records sold worldwide, Avril is currently in the studio working on her fourth album. In addition, she designs her own line of clothing, Abby Dawn, and she just launched her first fragrance, Black Star.

American Idol will kick off its ninth season with the audition episodes this January on FOX.

Adam Lambert - Donors Choose (video)

American Idol Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert asks fans to donate to DonorsChoose.org in lieu of giving gifts at http://www.donorschoose.org

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Kara DioGuardi sings "No Boundaries"

American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi sings "No Boundaries", the song winner Kris Allen and runner-up Adam Lambert sang on the show.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Paula Abdul Breaks her Silence since leaving American Idol

Paula Abdul hasn't spoken a word since she shocked the world in early August by announcing her decision to quit American Idol after failing to reach a contract agreement with the show's producers. But on Sunday, Abdul turned up at the Hollywood Hills home of musical producer Craig Zadan to celebrate his successful Lifetime comedy series, Drop Dead Diva, in which Abdul guest stars as, of all things, a judge. Abdul finally broke her silence to TV Guide Magazine about her decision to leave Idol, her fun new role and what's next. A talk show perhaps?

TVG: You're looking amazing, Paula. And you seem so happy today. No regrets about leaving American Idol?
Paula Abdul: You know, to say 'no regrets' isn't easy. I feel like I have been such a big, huge part of the success of the show from day one. I loved being able to be the artist's artist; being there from my point of view of knowing what it feels like to be vulnerable and to be out there wanting to achieve the most magical moment in a minute and thirty seconds. To be able to do that was an amazing experience and the show was wonderful for me in that regard.

TVG: Obviously, Simon Cowell must be devastated.
Paula Abdul: You know, we stay in touch. And I've stayed close to the contestants and I support them.

TVG: Simon told us in a cover story we did with him last April that he would never want to do the show without you. That he'd fight for you.
Paula Abdul: (Looks down, softly) I know... I know... I had to stand on my principle. This is the first time I'm speaking to the press. You're the first person I'm speaking to. I'm going to miss them. And I'm going to miss the experience of watching young talent evolve into a place where they get to take off and soar.

TVG: Will you still tune in?
Paula Abdul: Of course I will. I'll watch it as much as I can. I had some really unforgettable moments that hit plateaus for me and I'm very blessed to have been a part of what made television history.

TVG: The contestants will no doubt miss having a Paula Abdul on the judges' panel rooting for them.
Paula Abdul: Well, it warms my heart that the kids are saying, 'I just feel bad that we don't get to experience Paula being there.'

Read the complete TV Guide interview

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta Close to Finishing Debut Albums

There's no rest for the signed on the American Idols Live! tour -- just ask runner-up Adam Lambert and fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta, who are using any down time on the road to continue working on their debut albums, which are both due in November.

Lambert tells Billboard.com that his set is "about midway" to being finished. "We recorded a bunch of stuff before the tour started, and I wrote a handful of stuff," he reports. "We have three or four weeks after the tour ends that I have to record like crazy, but we have a lot of material to do that with."

Lambert says the album "has elements of rock, of course, but it has a lot of pop sensibilities to it. It's really current, really fresh and yet still melodically and vocally it's nodding to the '70s and '80s classics. I know I got most of my credibility on 'Idol' doing those songs from those eras, and it wouldn't make sense for me to do an album that runs away from it."

Among Lambert's collaborators so far have been RedOne, Linda Perry, Max Martin and Greg Wells. The album is so far unnamed -- "I want to see what ends up on the album before I come up with a title," he says -- and will likely be comprised of all-original songs, though he says that "there might be a cover on there. It's a maybe." Similarly, he has not yet recorded any duets but says "the jury's still out. It really could happen."

Iraheta, meanwhile, has been writing songs with Kevin Rudolf and David Hodges for her album, which she says will "definitely have that rock sound to it. It'll be fun, and there's gonna be some deep stuff, too -- like, lyrics about what can possibly be happening to other people in the world right now that I've gone through myself, but also melodically, just some good, slow rock ballads."

Iraheta says she's feeling "less pressure" than either Lambert or American Idol Season 8 "Idol" champion Kris Allen. "They're not in my face as much as they are in theirs," she notes. Lambert, meanwhile, acknowledges the weight of expectations.

"I do feel a little bit of pressure," he says. "There's a lot of hype. I've been fortunate enough to have a lot of attention, which is a great thing for somebody in my position, with an album coming out. I think people are going to like what they hear. I hope they do, at least."

From Billboard.com