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We at Soaps-Now, Kris Allen Daily Source, and TheEntertainmentEmpire would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and we hope God blesses you on this special holiday! :) Happy Birthday Jesus & Don't Forget to remember the reason for the season!
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Look at our favorite guy, Justin Bieber as he released his latest song, Love Me, a day early on iTunes! He trended on Twitter today with Lady Gaga's new song "Bad Romance", also released. One Less Lonely Girl also trended the day of it's release. Unlike the R&B/Pop balladness of "One Less Lonely Girl" and the Hip sound of "One Time" Justin delivers and unexpected and incredible tune in his latest. "Love Me" a up-tempo Synthpop song even sounds a bit like his release date mate, Lady GaGa, and even remind me of a little RiRi. "One Less Lonely Girl" is not dropping so far down on iTunes, so maybe it won't drop anymore in the Hot 100, as it dropped out the top 50 last week, because of its exclusive iTunes release. But one might wonder why OLLG wasn't released to radio or Amazon.com. Hopefully his songs will still prevail, let's support Justin & get his songs high up the charts!
Justin Bieber's personal channel: 18 mil.
JustinBieberFan02: 12 mil.
universalmusicgroup: 18mil.
Keep it Going Justin!
Hi, I'd like to thank all of our readers for bearing with us during this time period. This weekend I hope to get everything completely back on track, and we will continue to update you on everything Kris. Expect a new look too.
Thanks,
Trey.
Click to hear the interview.
In St. Louis, Kris gave an interview via phone with KCRadio, an online radio station of Andrew Cook, David Cook's younger brother.
Credit goes to Melanie who posted the item on KAnation.
Kris has confirmed himself via twitter that his debut album will drop on Nov. 17, i've got the iTunes pass, so the rest of you guys should pre-order that bad boy!
Read more...
Click to viewww!
Here's the preview from EW!
Kris Allen is a man of contradictions. The American Idol season 8 champ is scared of Twitter, and yet at the same time, loves the concise social-networking site. He’s reluctant to give scoop about his hotly anticipated debut disc, and yet he gives Idolatry exclusive info about his two newest songwriting collaborators. He reads tour reviews — even the too-cool-for-the-room negative ones — and yet ultimately, he doesn’t give a hoot about what he refers to as the “blahdee blah blah-blah.” (And this is why we love him.) Press play below to see what Kris reveals about himself (and where he chooses to remain coy) from his tour stop in Albany, N.Y. There’s Bonus Wolfgang, and even a Bonus Anoop reference (from Kris’ own lips, so pay attensh)!Read more...
Read the full article
Excerpts:
Q. You’re working with a wide variety of people on your debut from hip-hop producer-writer Salaam Remi to singer-songwriter Mat Kearney to Joe King of the pop-rock band the Fray. Should we intuit that the record will offer a lot of different styles?Read more...
A. I think we were experimenting with some things. The Salaam thing was definitely an experiment to see what would happen. And then [we hooked up] with people like Joe who are definitely along the same track. We’re doing some things that obviously make sense in people’s heads and we’re trying to do some things that didn’t make so much sense. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve had a great time with everyone.
Q. Do you have any dream collaborators?
A. I’m a big a John Legend fan, I think he’s incredible so that would be really nice. Since I was a kid I’ve always liked Matchbox Twenty and I think Rob Thomas is a great writer.
Q. How do you think “Idol’’ will fare without Paula Abdul?
A. I think the show will definitely miss her, but it is “American Idol’’ and it’s huge and it will go on, I am sure of that. I am glad that I was part of a year Paula was there though, to be honest, I thought she was incredible.
Q. You were the first person to win an actual trophy. Where do you keep it?
A. The real truth is I have not seen that trophy since I held it on the show.
Q. You’re not likely to get a real break for about a year. Have you come to some sort of peace with that?
A. I’m a pretty calm guy, so I came to that very quickly. Someone told me that, I think it was David Cook. He was like, “You’re not going to have a day off for a long time.’’ And I was like, OK. For me, I would like to go home and hang out with my family and friends, but I do also get to do exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life, so that’s kind of cool.
Read full interview
Excerpt:
TC: How has the tour been so far?
KA: I feel like it’s been great. We’re kind of getting used to everything, and the shows are going really well. The crowds are amazing, and we are getting used to all the press stuff that we have to do and the meet and greets and all that. I’m excited because I haven’t been to a whole lot of places in the States, and so we’ve been getting to go everywhere, which has been nice.
TC: Do you get to see much of the cities you are in, or is it just on and off the bus?
KA: There are days off sometimes. Today we got here at 4 a.m., and we’re leaving right after the show. We were in Portland for a long time. Portland is a great town. It was really nice. We were in San Francisco a few days, and I had never been there before. So you get to see a little bit — not a full tour or anything.
TC: You sing last on tour, so what do you do while everyone else is on stage?
KA: I’m just maybe making some phone calls — calling [my wife] Katy or calling friends. I might be listening to music or playing my guitar. I have a lot of downtime because I am on for only like 25 minutes, and the show is three hours long. Sometimes I take naps…very needed naps.
TC: How did you pick your songs for the tour?
KA: Obviously people want to hear the songs we did on the show, so I’m doing a couple of those. The other ones — two of them are actually ones I wanted to do on the show but wasn’t able to, and so I was actually able to do them on the tour. The other one is just one that I had sung before when I was doing music. It’s a crowd pleaser. People can sing along with it, so it’s nice.
TC: Was it your decision to take out the “American Idol” coronation song, “No Boundaries?”
KA: A lot of people kind of came in and said that it wasn’t a detriment to the set or anything like that, but it was kind of bringing it down just a little bit. So we decided to replace it with the Killers song “All These Things I Have Done” just because the energy in that song is very crowd-happy.
TC: So has that kept the crowd energy up better?
KA: Yeah, it really has so far. It’s been good.
TC: Are you excited to be back in your home state tonight?
KA: We pulled up this morning, and I was like half-dead, but it just felt like home. You see familiar things and weather and all that. It’s familiar. I’m used to it, which is good.
TC: Are you expecting complete madness when you take the stage? Are you ready for it?
KA: I’m a little scared actually. Obviously we have big crowds every night, but Arkansas is going to bring it to a whole new level. I am very excited about it. It’s going to be home. I know that people in Arkansas really get behind the people that come from here.
TC: So you’re going to be singing the same songs over and over for the next three months. Are you getting tired of them yet?
KA: I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. We’re kind of early. Maybe it will happen, but I don’t think so. Every crowd is different so it makes every show different.
TC: I hear all the guys are on one tour bus. Does it get a little cozy?
KA: Yeah, all seven guys. It’s a little cramped. It’s hard to walk around. It’s going good, though. We’re having a good time on the bus.
TC: You are working on your album while you are on tour, right? Is it hard to switch from performance mode to writing and recording mode?
KA: It is! One day I’ll perform, and the next day I’ll fly to L.A. and do some writing or something like that. It’s hard to switch your mind, but it’s something I’m getting used to.
TC: Are you writing most of the songs on the album?
KA: I’ve been co-writing some stuff and writing some stuff on my own as well. People are sending songs in, too. We’ll kind of put together a whole jumble of songs and then pick the best ones. I would love to be [a writer] on all of those, but we’ll see what happens.
TC: Do you feel like you’ve had a voice in the whole album-making process?
KA: I do. I feel like they really trust me and respect me, which is good.
TC: You’ve been saying the album will be pop-rock, but what do you mean by that?
KA: I think that would be the genre to put it in, but that genre is so huge.
TC: Will you be playing guitar and piano?
KA: I think so. It will definitely have that organic feel, but it will bring something else as well.
TC: Do you have a name for the album yet?
KA: No, I don’t think so. We’ll probably come up with that after we get a better feel for the album.
VOTE FOR KRIS IN THIS MSNBC POLL!
Excerpt. Read full review.
And finally: Kris Allen. Coming after a presentation as spectacular (in "spectacle" sense) as Lambert's, it would be easy for the actual winner to fall pancake-flat, but he doesn't. Instead, the grandiosity of the Lambert set makes the relative intimacy of the Allen set work better. They're so different that they don't suffer from comparisons. No, Kris Allen can't sing "Fashion" while stroking his own face with polished nails, but Adam Lambert couldn't sit at a piano and pull off Allen's affecting "Ain't No Sunshine."Read more...
By Kris asking via twitter for people's ideas of best acronyms of NASDAQ, it became a trending topic!
Read full article from EW's Idol guy Michael Slezak
Excerpt
I’d been warned by fellow Idoloonies that scores of Glamberts were likely to flee the auditorium for Kris Allen’s closing set, but I only saw a few such defectors in my section, and I’m assuming those folks need a hearing check, since they were making their escapes during Kris’ gorgeous rendition of “Heartless.” Anyone who thought Kris’ Idol success with that song owed more to the novelty of hearing Kanye West stripped to his acoustic bones than to the eventual Idol champ’s actual vocal should take note that the number remains as fresh and delicious as a home-grown tomato. And perhaps just as impressive: Kris was more than up to the task of tackling The Killers’ “All These Things That I’ve Done,” which hopefully means the good folks at Jive won’t try to shackle him in the bland A.C. dungeon (which, sadly, he did to himself during a forgettable cover of Matchbox 20’s “Bright Lights”). Kris’ other two songs — a reprise of “Ain’t No Sunshine” and a new cover of “Hey Jude” — proved he’s got a knack for reinvigorating old-school jams in a way that speaks to everyone from screaming tweens to middle-aged dads (many of whom were on their feet and singing along during the latter track). Interestingly, Kris kept himself separated from the band by a screen throughout “Heartless,” “All the Things,” and the first half of “Ain’t No Sunshine,” giving his performance the intimacy of a soft summer breeze in comparison to the Category 5 bombast of Hurricanes Adam and Allison.Read more...
Clips of Kris while on MTV's "It's On With Alexa Chung" courtesy of makehimnotice
Twist Mag got the chance to interview Kris backstage before a concert, check it out!
Video of Newark Meet & Great and Intro from the concert from MrsJohnnyDepp2008
Vid credit to claireb47
Pictures courtsey of Kristen Adler
Number1Cheer365 uploaded this video of Kris calling her when she was in the ER. Her friend went to the show and asked Kris would he do it.
Here are pictures from the Meet & Great Courtesy of Shereeny!
Excerpts:Since Kris Allen's victory on "American Idol," the laid-back 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Conway, Ark., has been working nonstop, moving back and forth from the "American Idols Live" tour to working on his debut album.
"It's tough," says Allen, calling from a tour stop in Washington, D.C. "It's almost like you have to switch your brain over to the other side. It's a whole different animal. Touring is a whole different mind-set from recording."
Is touring what you thought it would be?
It's probably a little more work than I thought it would be, but other than that, the traveling is great. We're having a blast.
Can you talk about who you're working with on the album and what it will sound like?
I think I'm going to keep that under wraps for now. We are working hard with some artists, some pretty big writers in L.A. and we're getting in some songs as well. We've got some pretty good stuff so far. . . . I would say it's in the pop-rock genre - that genre is huge, but somewhere in there, with something a little bit different that I think people will like.
There was some controversy about you not singing "No Boundaries" in the set anymore. What happened?
We had it in there and the tour director came up to me with some other people and were like, "What if we put something a little bit more energetic in place of it?" I was like, "OK, let's see what we've got," and I came up with the idea of doing the Killers' song "All These Things That I've Done" and we just kind of ran with it. It was kind of a boost in my set.
So how do you feel about the song [co-written by "Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi]?
Um, no comment. I think it's a really good song.
Have you had any surprises on the tour?
I think the fans are a little bit crazier than I thought they were going to be. They like to touch you and sometimes in ways that maybe they shouldn't . . . but those people buy records, too.
Read full article
Excerpts:
Read more...The latest "Idol" winner taught himself to play guitar at 13 and had encouragement from his father, who was a musician. It only took writing one song for the nascent talent to know he was hooked on music, he said. "It wasn't that good but I felt like it was the one thing that I could do forever."
Now, making music full-time is a thrill. But he's not stopping there, as he uses the "American Idol" tour to propel himself further as a musician. Allen recently dropped from the tour his signature track, "No Boundaries," which won him the "Idol" title in favor of a cover of a song by the Killers, "All These Things That I've Done."
"The tour director came up to me and asked if would be willing to change it, so we put in a song that has a little more energy and I really feel like the crowd has responded well," Allen explained. He is slated to release his first album this fall.
Read full article.
Excerpt
Read more...Q: What was your strategy to win the crown, or did you just take it week-by-week?
A: There were some things I wanted to do to set myself apart. I think the "Heartless" thing set me apart - that was a real eye-opener.
Q: Did you feel any extra pressure to stand out, given all the attention Adam Lambert received from the media and judges?
A: For me, the only person that put pressure on me was myself. No one was going to put any pressure on me - I put a lot of pressure on myself. People saying that Adam was amazing - I was like, "You know what, he is amazing" - there was no pressure caused by that.
Q: Much has been made of your friendship with Lambert, given your identifying as a Christian and his coming out as gay. Do you see it as an unlikely bond?
A: I don't see why it would be unlikely. I think we're all people. Just because he doesn't believe in what I believe in doesn't make us not alike. We've become really good friends - people are people. We're going to be friends, no matter what.
Q: Which part of your "Idol" experience really stands out?
A: One of the best experiences I had was singing with Adam when Brian May (from Queen) was playing guitar. That was one of my favorite moments. Singing ("We Are the Champions") up there with your friend and a legend - that was pretty cool.
Q: What do you have planned for your album?
A: I'm pretty sure we can get out enough stuff so that 100 percent is not from the show. I've done a lot of writing sessions - it's going really well. We're getting into the swing of things and pumping out some songs. I think the sound will be pop-rock and definitely will have an organic vibe, as well.
Q: Is there a release date?
A: We're all going to try to get our records out before Thankgiving - me, Adam and Allison (Iraheta).
Q: How do you envision your career shaking out?
A: I don't know - someone like John Mayer, who's been through three different phases of his career - he did the acoustic pop thing and everyone loved that. Then he came out with the trio thing and everyone loved that. And then he came out with the bluesy album - someone like him, who I feel his music has gotten better throughout his time in the music industry - that would be great.
Don't forget Kris, Adam & David Cook will be in concert on Good Morning America's concert series. If you can't tune in we'll post the performances for you. But, if you are able to see it you should, and if you are in New York, remember the concert is free! For people who are planning on viewing the performances, check in on ABC's GMA at about 8:30 AM EST.
AI [former?] judge Paula Abdul confirmed via twitter and Entertainment Weekly said that FOX had confirmed that the nicest of the four judges wouldn't be returning next year. Aww, what a shame. Still tune in though people! I'd turn in if Simon were gone! But that doesn't mean I want him to go or wanted Paula to! Wonder how the judge dynamic will be next year....?
Kris tweeted
"Glad I was able to be a part of your last season on the show. You showed us so much love."Read more...
Express Night Out had the chance to interview Kris, and asked him about his early music preferences, upcoming album, American Idol & Tour!
Excerpts:
Read more...» EXPRESS: You've said before that your love of music and experience with it began at a young age. Was there ever a specific moment when you knew that music was what you wanted to do with your life?
» ALLEN: [When I was] around 6 or 7, I bought the "Dangerous" album by Michael Jackson on cassette and listened, danced, sang to it non-stop. The moment that I knew that music [was] what I wanted to do with my life was the summer after freshman year of college, when I wrote my first song.» EXPRESS: While on "American Idol," you performed with huge artists like Keith Urban and Brian May of Queen. What were those experiences like, and are there any artists out there right now who you would dream of performing with?
» ALLEN: Performing with Keith was a cool experience because he is so down-to-earth -- [an] amazing musician and a nice guy who was easy and fun to work with. Singing with Brian May was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had because I'm a huge fan of Queen, and he is incredible. My dream would be to work with Paul McCartney.» EXPRESS: Since "American Idol" wrapped, you've been on tons of shows, such as "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Access Hollywood," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Live with Regis and Kelly," and "The Today Show," and sang the National Anthem at the 2009 NBA Finals. What appearance was your favorite, and why?
» ALLEN: "The Jimmy Fallon Show" was my favorite because it was the most laid-back and fun. He made fun of me, which was nice, and he kept singing "All She Wants to Do is Dance" and made up his own lyrics to it. I also felt the interview went really well.» EXPRESS: It was confirmed that you signed to Jive Records and that your major-label debut is scheduled for a release in the fall. Are you currently working on it, and if so, how have you found the time? What should people expect in terms of sound, style and content?
» ALLEN: Yes, we expect the album out in the fall. We are currently working on it during the tour -- when I have "days off" of the tour -- and will hopefully wrap things up during the months following the tour. The album will probably be pop/rock, with hopefully a little bit of something that will surprise the fans -- in a good way.» EXPRESS: What are your hopes for the rest of the tour, the rest of the year and your career in both the short-term and long-term future?
» ALLEN: Hopes for the rest of the tour: I hope that every show goes as well as it has up to this point. By the end of the tour, I would like to become a better performer. Rest of the year: I hope that my album goes well and fans are as excited about it as I am. Long-term: That I'm able to do this for as long as I want to. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I am truly grateful that "American Idol" has given me this opportunity.
Access Atlanta got to have one last interview with some of the finalists,
Kris Allen: I had already spoken to him on the phone for 10 minutes two weeks earlier. So now I had a few more minutes with him face to face. Since I knew they had a day off, I asked whether he spent yesterday working on his new album.Read more...
He said something album-related fell through so he actually had a few hours off. So his decision? Go see “The Hangover” at Phipps Plaza at 8 p.m. — by himself. Yes, the winner of “Idol” sat by himself in a dark theater alone, save for a few other souls who caught the film on a Thursday night. He said he went unrecognized as well.
“No one wanted to go with me,” he said. He said he had never seen a movie by himself. “If I want to go to movies, I want to go with friends,” he said.
So far, the album is going well. At least that’s what the honchos are telling him. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never done this before. I keep asking, ‘Is everything going okay?’ They say, ‘Everything is going great.’ Okay, good!”
After weeks of rumors of Kris flying to LA to work with Chris Daughtry during breaks of the AI tour, it has finally been confirmed. A picture of Kris and Chris was posted on MySpace page of the Nightbird Recording Studios at The Sunset Marquis Hotel and Villas in Los Angeles. Around the Top 4 stage of the competition, Daughtry said that Kris was his favorite to win the competition.
View full review
Excerpt:
Read more...Kris Allen: The winner is incredibly unassuming but engaging on stage. He brings back his key song “Heartless,” then skips “No Boundaries” in favor of a great Killers tune that keeps the crowd going. An emotive “Ain’t No Sunshine” leads into the sing-a-long Beatles fav “Hey Jude.”
The show ended with “Don’t Stop Believin’” and a brief “Na na na na, hey, hey, hey, goodbye.” Everyone seemed happy and honestly, this concert proved how deep the top 10 really was — even without Alexis Grace. I realliy thought it was the most consistent, if not the most entertaining of the eight “Idols Live” concerts I’ve been to. Solid production values, song choices and talent across the board.
Photo Courtesy of stoptalking Read more...Dubbed the dark horse of the competition, the unassuming Allen charmed audiences with nice-guy humility, an acoustic singer-songwriter sensibility and determined musicianship, playing piano and guitar. He's now co-writing an album slated to come out this fall. He spoke with the Observer from a recent tour stop in Tulsa, Okla.:
Q: On the show,
you struck me as a real fan of music. What spurred your interest in listening to music?
My dad was a music fan, so growing up and listening to good music kind of got me into it. But I would say the first artist I really, really got into – I was 7 or so, and I bought the “Dangerous” album by Michael Jackson. From there on out, I was like, “You know what, I love music.”
Q: At the concert, you go on after Adam, who's like a spectacle unto himself. How has that worked out?
I think it's kind of nice. Adam does his huge thing and it's so amazing. He's one of the best performers I've ever seen. And then I come on, and… it's a little bit smaller, but I think the arena really appreciates what I do.
Q: What's the strangest thing you've seen from fans?
The whole shaking thing that people do – like, they can't stop shaking when they're meeting you. So, you try to calm them down, like, “OK, stop it, it's OK.” That's a little weird, but for the most part, everyone's pretty cool.
Q: What does it say about how “Idol” has changed that you could be on the show and win it? Does it say anything about how pop music has changed, too?
I feel like pop music is definitely not going my way. ( Laughs.)
Q: You mean, with artists like Lady Gaga?
Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I'm not gonna get up there and do, like, an electro-beat kind of song. But hopefully, people can appreciate what I do as well. I just think that it was nice that (the show this year) wasn't all about how good you can sing. It was about what kind of recording artist you're going to be, and how well you're going to do in that respect.
Q: Do you feel any pressure with the title of “American Idol”? I mean, it started off as the search for a pop superstar, and I wonder if it's even possible to be that kind of superstar now.
I don't see it like that. I see it as a chance to get out there. Now, because we were on the show, we're getting the chance to do what we want to do. Whether you're as big as someone like Lady Gaga, or whether your CD doesn't do amazingly, but you're still playing gigs and making music – at least we were given the opportunity.
Q: I understand from your Twitter feed that you're a fan of Chick-fil-A. Are you enjoying being back near some Southern food?
I am. We rolled up in, I think it was somewhere in California, and we found a Chick-fil-A right by the (arena). I hadn't seen one in California yet, so I kind of freaked out a little bit. This one just popped up out of nowhere. I think (fellow Idol) Matt (Giraud) said, “I've never been to Chick-fil-A.” I was like, “What's wrong with you?” Ah, it was so good.
Read full article.
Excerpts
Read more...
Jacksonville shows Kris Allen pride
Plans unveiled for ‘boyhood home’ sign
By Amy Widner
he city of Jacksonville would like to shout its love for Kris Allen from the rooftops, but has settled for the highway.
“I can’t brag on Kris enough, and we’re all proud of him,” Mayor Gary Fletcher said at an unveiling ceremony Friday.
When installed, a sign by the Main Street exit from U.S. 67/167 in Jacksonville will welcome everyone to “Jacksonville: the boyhood home of Kris Allen.” The unveiling ceremony was timed to coincide with Allen’s homecoming visit to Arkansas on Saturday as part of the 50-city American Idols Live! concert tour.
NewsOK's TV blog is also reporting that Kris will be performing again on Ellen on August 5th!
Both vids from mscabbi who gave Kris a shirt in Ontario, and then he talked about it and his Coke shirt backstage in San Diego
Click4FullArticle!
IMGCREDIT: Flanigan/FilmMagic
Most “American Idol” winners so far have fallen in the “humbly likable” category. Think Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Jordin Sparks.
Exceptions: powerhouse R&B diva Fantasia from season three and authoritatively confident rocker David Cook from last season. (They were both likable in different ways, just not evidently humble by my definition of humble.)
This year’s winner Kris Allen joins the majority as Mr. Understated, not Mr. Swagger. And he proved no different during a phone interview earlier this month to promote Friday’s sold-out Gwinnett Arena “Idols Live” concert.
Q: So far, reviews have been good for the tour so far. Have you had time to read any of them?
A: I just read some stuff last night. I figured it there’s a place to read reviews, it’d be the L.A. show. It was all good. Everybody got good reviews.
Q: You’ve done eight shows so far. How’s it been going so far?
A: It’s been going good, man. We’re getting used to it. We’re able to relax a little bit and have fun with it.
Q: Is it intimidating to follow [runner-up] Adam [Lambert] and his big rock show?
A: It’s not intimidating. Like on the show, we’re completely different artists.
Q: I know you and Adam are good friends but there has been some tension among your fans.
A: Maybe there has been some. There have been some run ins. But for the most part, they get along.
Q: You sang the coronation song “No Boundaries” the first few dates but have switched to a Killers song. ["All These Things I've Done"] What happened?
A: It was a collective thing with the producers. After the first show, the director came up and said he felt like the energy took kind of a downfall [when he sang “No Boundaries”] We needed to pick things up so we switched out that tune. So far, it’s been going amazingly well.
Q: A lot of people hate that song. I’m sure even if you did, you wouldn’t be in a position to say anything.
A: [Chuckle.] I would never say that. [He has told other media he still likes the song.]
Q: An MTV reviewer was impressed how well you were able to sing that really deep bass part of the Killers song, something we never heard on the show. Why were you holdling out on us, Kris?
A: I don’t know! I mean, “American Idol,” you have to be singing as high as you. That’s how the show goes.
Q: Why are you closing with “Hey Jude”?
A: That’s an easy one. Once they told me I could do it, I decided to close with it. It’s such an anthem. I don’t care how old you are. You know that song. [That song was sung during the season six tour, too.]
Q: When “Idol” reached the top 13, nobody really expected you to win. It was all about Danny [Gokey] and Adam. Do you think being the dark horse helpd you?
A: Yah. America is so ADD. They push one thing, then they get tired of it. I’m not saying that happened. [It's clear he added that disclaimer so we wouldn't immediately think, "Danny!" even if we did...] For me, that’s kind of the way I roll anyways. I’m pretty low key. If you like me, you do, if you don’t, that’s fine. I hope people like me. I’m not trying to please everyone. It wasn’t about me trying to be showy. Really. I didn’t pick my self to win. I didn’t even pick myself to be in the top 12!
Q: What can we expect from your album?
A: It will be a pop-rock mix. I don’t know if it’s a particular genre. It’s going to be something hopefully people will be a little surprised, a good surprise.
Q: I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother passing.
A: It’s okay. It’s always hard to lose someone. It was hard to lose my grandma. It was really hard on my mom. I’m glad I was there for her to be there with her. My grandma was in the hospital for the past month. She had diabetes. She had surgery and they thought she’d be fine. But she had heart problems.
Q: She did get to see you win “American Idol.”
A: That was very cool. We went to her house and while we were going through stuff, we found this huge notebook of all the “American Idol” stuff she had clipped out of the newspaper. It was sweet.
Q: Have you been to Atlanta before?
A: I’ve done a lot of travelling, just not in the States. So no.
Q: Unfortunately, the way the tour is set up, your stop in Duluth won’t really count, will it?
A: It’s more like a drive by. That’s kind of the bad part about it. Hopefully, I’ll have more time later on.
Here's an article from the local little rock station KATV 7 about the Kris Allen task force selling t-shirts in order to raise money for a UCA scholarship in honor of Kris!
Excerpts:
Read more...
Kris Allen fans can purchase T-shirts celebrating his victory as the 2009 “American Idol” champion and supporting a scholarship in his honor.
The victory shirt is light blue with image of Allen singing and bears his signature and “Thanks for your support.” Also for sale are the original “Conway Backs Kris Allen” T-shirts that were popular during the competition. They are available in pink, green and gray. Youth and adult sizes are available in the victory shirts, but only adult sizes are available in the original shirts. The cost is $15 per shirt.
A scholarship for performing arts is being established at the University of Central Arkansas for performing arts. The task force is working with the UCA Foundation to set up the scholarship. From each $15 purchase, a portion goes to the scholarship fund.
“If it really kicks off, it will be more,” he said. “I thought about hats … There may be other items we can order to help with the scholarship.”
He noted donors do not have to purchase a shirt to donate to the scholarship fund.
“We’re still kicking around ideas on the actual name (of the scholarship), but we’re accepting donations right away,” he said [Glenn Crockett, member of the Kris Allen task force].
The Idols stopped by Elvis's shrine and old household. Twitpic from Danny.
Intro & Heartless ; All These Things I've Done (from tugger 12345), Razorback Hog Call (from BAMxJessica),
Due to his rockin' peformance in his home state last night, #krisallenrockstar reached #1 on Twitter's trending topics last night!
Read the full article
Excerpts:
Thousands of screaming fans crowded into Verizon Arena Saturday night for their hometown hero-Kris Allen. It’s the American Idols Live Tour 2009 in North Little Rock.Read more...
"This is Kris Allen day man, this is it. This is his time and he deserves it," said Idol finalist Michael Sarver.
"Kris is like one of my best friends on the tour and I am really proud of him. I mean, this show sold out in like two hours, so it just goes to show how much he's loved here," said finalist Anoop Desai.
"Arkansas is amazing. It’s a part of the reason I am here so I am just ecstatic to be home, it's nice," Allen said.
But we also talked about what's ahead for the Idol-like an album he says will likely drop right before Thanksgiving.
"You know I would say a pop rock with a little bit of soul, and something else, its going to be different but I think people will like it though," Allen said.
The King of Arkansas Returns!! LOL
Read the full article.
Excerpts:
Two and a half months ago, Kris Allen returned to Arkansas a star. We welcomed him with red carpets, widespread truancy, high-pitched screams, homemade signs, a town-sized parade and round-the-clock news coverage. And that was before he became the latest “American Idol.” So go ahead and count on pandemonium on Saturday, as the newly christened Verizon Arena welcomes Kris back to Arkansas for the first time since he became the state's biggest pop star since, well, ever?
But as you can see from the tour set list on the right, it's going to be a long wait before Kris takes the stage. Once he's there, lucky for us, his set will be exponentially less tedious than it was when the tour started. “No Boundaries,” the so-called “coronation song” that he sang at the show's end (written in part by “Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi, with lyrics of “climbing mountains” and “weathering hurricanes” and other treacle-y nonsense), has been removed from his set. This after tepid audience response and reviews that branded it things like “a set killer.” It's been replaced by “All These Things I've Done” by the Killers, a great anthem of inner conflict, with at least one fitting lyric: “I need direction to perfection / No, no, no!”Speaking of direction, Allen's young career appears to be taking shape. Amidst prepping for the tour, singing the national anthem at the NBA Finals, dealing with questions about his “bromance” with Adam Lambert and Tweeting about eating 14 plums, the Conway native's been working, steadily, on his fall debut on 19 Recordings/Jive Records. So far, he's collaborated with Joe King of the Fray (at Timbaland's Virgina Beach studio) and, according to Billboard, received material from David Hodges (Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry), Salaam Remi (Nas, Amy Winehouse, Al Green) and Claude Kelly (Akon, Leona Lewis). Kris told the magazine he expects the end product to compare to the sounds of Jason Mraz and John Mayer, with a possible trace of an urban sound.
Read more...
Bright Lights (from EmiJH83)
Tulsa World Recap
Excerpt:
Read more...A year ago, Kris Allen was studying business at college in Conway, Ark. — loving music but thinking it would always be a side gig.
On Saturday, he heads home to headline an arena performance in North Little Rock. He and his fellow idols are a little sleep-deprived and homesick, but they’re all thrilled to be living their dream: getting paid to sing.
“I never really expected this to happen. That’s why I was going to college,” Allen said in a preshow interview.
He has several dozen cities and tour stops to go, but wherever the next few months take him, he’ll be thrilled to be there.
“I have no reason to complain,” he said.
An interview with ABS CBN, a Filipino News Network! Very good interview!
Heartless & All These Things I've Done ; Bright Lights & Hey Jude
Video credits to aredorchid8201
No tabloid-ready rivalry, no behind-the-scenes sniping and recrimination, no senseless drama — in short, Season 8 of "American Idol” was nicer than nice. And this year’s champion, Kris Allen, couldn’t be happier.
"I think a lot of people have seen that, and that’s where I think this year was kind of cool: No one was just trying to go out there and beat the other person,” said Allen, who performs with his fellow finalists in "American Idols Live” at 7 tonight at Tulsa’s BOK Center. "They were just trying to do their best. If you won, you won, and if you didn’t, hopefully cool things would happen for you.”
For this year’s Top 10 finalists — Allen, Adam Lambert, Allison Iraheta, Anoop Desai, Danny Gokey, Lil Rounds, Matt Giraud, Megan Joy, Michael Sarver and Scott MacIntyre — "American Idols Live” is the first of those cool things. The concert is a victory lap, a chance for the singers to connect directly with their fans and play favorite songs from the show.
Allen, a 24-year-old Little Rock, Ark., singer-songwriter, went all the way with his organic-acoustic interpretations of songs such as Kanye West’s "Heartless” and Bill Withers’ "Ain’t No Sunshine.” In the final round, the soft-spoken and understated Allen went up against Adam Lambert, a fiery performer who was at his best doing Led Zeppelin and Queen songs.
The softer approach won out, with Allen beating Lambert by fewer than a million votes, but Allen said he’s not quite ready to be put in a box. He said "American Idol” offered him the opportunity to show his stylistic range.
"Yeah, I think a lot of people put me in that ‘singer-songwriter’ genre, but I don’t see myself strictly in that,” Allen said. "I guess I’m kind of versatile, and being on the show opened me up to that. I don’t know if I ever surprised myself, but some of the stuff that comes out is surprising.”
Allen always fared best when putting his own spin on unexpected covers, such as his earthy acoustic version of Donna Summer’s "She Works Hard for the Money.” That range earned Allen some unusual post-"Idol” performing opportunities: He sang "Get Ready” with Motown legend Smokey Robinson at the annual Walmart shareholders meeting on June 5, and two days later he delivered the national anthem during the NBA finals.
Now, Allen is preparing his first post-"Idol” disc — his first album, "Brand New Shoes,” was recorded and released in 2007. He is reportedly working with former Evanescence keyboardist David Hodges and Joe King of The Fray on material for the album, due this fall. But for now, his primary focus is on "American Idols Live.”
Following the Tulsa performance tonight, Allen will play Saturday at Alltel Arena in North Little Rock — his home turf. Allen said he isn’t planning any special songs for his homecoming, but he knows that his Arkansas date will be a standout on the tour.
"I think more than anything, it will just have an energy about it that will feel special,” he said.
Click for full interview
Excerpts:
Sync: That leads me to my next question. The Verizon Arena show will be your homecoming show. What’s your thought process now as you approach that show?
Kris: It’s crazy. The day the tickets went on sale my brother called me and said, “You know what? The show sold out in like a couple of hours.” And I was like, “Are you serious?” I know it’s not just me, but we sold out Verizon Arena. That’s crazy to think about. I’m so excited cause I’m just so excited to go home. It’s going to be nice to be back in central Arkansas. Seeing family and friends. When you go back home you just feel that love. That’ll be good.
Sync: You mentioned writing on the road; are you able to record on the road?
Kris: We’ll be recording some stuff that we will do on the road. We’ll be in different studios. I’ll fly out to [Los Angeles] and do some different recording. There will definitely be some of that.
Sync: Any final word for the people of Arkansas?
Kris: Arkansas is the reason I’m in this position right now so I’m just always hoping that I’m a good role model for people from Arkansas, and that I’m a good representative of the state as well because I know Arkansans, we kind of cling to anything that comes from there. I hope I’m a good representative of the state. And just thank you to the fans. I appreciate you guys so much, and I know that you guys care so much. It’s really nice.
Sync: How many people are sharing a bus with you?
Kris: The buses are split up guys and girls, so it’s seven guys and three girls. Our bus also has a security guard, like the hair guy and another guy so we have like 11 people on our bus. It’s pretty packed. But it’s good.
Kris's parents did several great interviews, this past day.
Fox 16 Interview
Click for Arkansas Matters Video
Click for THV (Local CBS affiliate) interview
They are also slated for another interview tomorrow morning.
In this interview Kris talks about Adam, the tour, and the Paula contract crisis.
The "American Idol" summer tour hits Little Rock Saturday (7/25) -- which means a homecoming for Kris Allen, the Conway, Ark.-born winner of Season 8. He tells us he's really looking forward to the concert where friends and family are bound to turn out. The winner covers all bases, talking about his wife Katy, spilling details on his friendship with runner-up Adam Lambert and even touches on the the Paula Abdul contract.
Allen says he talks every day to his wife of 10 months, Katy, who's stayed home "working and doing her thing" while he's out dealing with the rigors and rewards of the immensely popular 50-city concert trek. "She actually came out for a couple of shows," he says. "I mean, of course you're going to miss the person you're with. It's tough, but it's also -- I'm having a great time out here."
Having endured sleepless nights, especially when the tour was just starting, he's glad to be getting into a rhythm that allows him to get some rest. He's getting used to the tidal wave of fan attention, he says. And the media.
You may recall the competition between Allen and first runner up Adam Lambert was described by The New York Times in Pat Boone vs. Elvis terms. Kris continues to be viewed as the boy-next-door singer/songwriter who's traipsed around the world doing missionary work, while Adam's the guyliner and leather-sporting rocker who came out as gay in Rolling Stone. Earlier this month, a small, fundamentalist church-affiliated group did an anti-gay demonstration outside one of the "A.I." concerts. The idols -- all 10 finalists of the past season are on the tour -- said later they weren't going to let it bother them. Does Kris feel any pressure to be a role model of one sort or another, as the Christian guy who's pals with the gay guy? "No," he answers flatly. "What would I have to be pressured about? I'm just trying to be me. If people don't want me to be friends with Adam, that's their problem, not mine. Adam's an amazing person, and I'm so happy to call him one of my really good friends."
Meanwhile, Kris is squeezing in time to write songs for his major label debut album, which is slated for a fall release by Jive Records. "I haven't done so much co-writing in my life. That's a little bit different for me. It's going real well," he says. "The multitalented musician adds, "It will have a sound that will be a surprise to people, but I think a really good surprise."
ALSO: As far as whether the contractless Paula Abdul will or won't return to the show, Kris says, "I don't know too much about that. I know some of the other idols know a little bit more than I do, talking to her, but I . I'm trying to . I'm just glad it's not anything bad about me," he admits. He laughs. "That's always a plus."
