IDOL LIVE

HITS estimates: 'Play On' #1

2009-11-10T16:46:00.002-05:00

After weeks of dry spells, the heaviest hitter of all Idol alums saw her latest disc debut on HITS Daily Double's Top 50 building album sales chart ahead of a busy holiday release schedule.

Carrie Underwood's third studio album, Play On, easily bested all other new entries to land at #1 in its first week of release. The album pulled in an estimated 312.9k, which is within HDD's original prediction of 300-350k but slightly below its revised predictions of 320-340k. These numbers are also below my cautiously optimistic prediction of 365k.

Although these numbers may appear a little disappointing compared to Carrie's two previous releases (they are her lowest debut sales to date), the current CD sales climate is a major factor compared to a few years ago when her music first hit the scene. The fact that she was able to have her album debut at the pinnacle of the chart is good enough news.

Regardless of its debut figures, expect big things from Play On heading into the holiday season.

Finalized sales figures courtesy of Billboard should be out by the end of the week. Hopefully its numbers are a little bit on the higher side.

Carrie Underwood performs "Temporary Home" on 'GMA'

2009-11-10T08:44:00.002-05:00

For the second Tuesday in a row, Carrie Underwood appeared on ABC's Good Morning America, this time alongside fellow country singer Brad Paisley. The two will serve as co-hosts of the 2009 CMA Music Awards and are similarly featured on tonight's All Access Nashville special hosted by Robin Roberts at 10 p.m. ET.

Watch Carrie perform "Temporary Home" for the first time on a television below:

Carrie is nominated for "Female Vocalist of the Year" and her duet of "I Told You So" with Randy Travis is up for "Musical Event of the Year." Additionally, she will perform "Cowboy Casanova" during the broadcast, which will begin at 8 p.m. ET.

Out today: Ayla Brown's 'Ayla Brown Live!,' Katharine McPhee's "Lifetime"

2009-11-10T00:01:00.003-05:00

Two releases from alums of Idol's fifth season hit the digital marketplace today, as semifinalist Ayla Brown debuts her live album with The James Montgomery Blues Band and The Uptown Horns, while runner-up Katharine McPhee has her third digital single ahead of her sophomore album's drop date of Jan. 5, 2010.

Ayla Brown Live! features six tracks that were recorded by the Top 16 contestant over the summer with the aforementioned bands. It is her first main release since 2006's Forward.

Katharine's single "Lifetime" is her third digital release since August following lead single "Had It All" and "Say Goodbye."

Also appearing on iTunes for a limited time only is third season sixth-place finalist John Stevens' Christmas album Home For Christmas, which includes 12 holiday favorites.

And Brooke White's exclusive Live Session - EP featuring three songs is also up on iTunes, as are pre-orders for Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment and Allison Iraheta's Just Like You.

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Albums
Ayla Brown, Ayla Brown Live!

Amazon MP3 - ($5.94) - Buy
iTunes - ($6.93) - Buy

John Stevens, Home for Christmas

iTunes - ($9.99) - Buy

EPs
Brooke White, Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)

iTunes - ($2.97) - Buy

Singles
Katharine McPhee, "Lifetime"

iTunes - ($0.99) - Buy

Pre-orders
Adam Lambert, For Your Entertainment

iTunes - ($16.99) - Buy

Allison Iraheta, Just Like You

iTunes - ($11.99) - Buy

The iTunes version of Ayla Brown Live! includes a bonus track in the form of a studio version of Macy Gray's "Come Together."

Kellie Pickler helps out on 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition'

2009-11-09T14:08:00.003-05:00

Kellie Pickler has always been one to contribute to worthy causes, which has undoubtedly been influenced by her humble upbringings. Last night was no exception, as the episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that aired featured Kellie as the celebrity volunteer for the home building process. Watch a segment in which Kellie meets the Terpenning family from Ohio, which includes a wheelchair athlete who mentors Iraq war veterans, below:

Kellie's kindness was apparent in her ability to connect with the kids and really gives input on what kind of rooms they would like. The fact that she brought along her little brother Eric shows that she is also concerned with setting a good example for him.

At the final reveal of the house, Kellie performed "Gotta Keep Moving" off her debut album Small Town Girl. The full episode can now be streamed on Hulu.com.

Flashback: Jessica Sierra's "On the Side of Angels"

2009-11-09T10:45:00.001-05:00

Before she made headlines with a sex tape and extensive stint on Dr Drew's Celebrity Rehab, Jessica Sierra was a finalist on the fourth season of Idol. During Top 10 week, Jessica sang "On the Side of Angels" by LeAnn Rimes for "90s Week." Watch the performance below:

Despite a few strong performances up until this point, Jessica went home following this performance. Simon maintained that well she sang the song well, she was forgettable.

HITS predix: Carrie Underwood's 'Play On' 320-340k

2009-11-08T16:50:00.001-05:00

After originally predicting Carrie Underwood's new album Play On to pull in anywhere between 300-350k in its maiden voyage, HITS Daily Double is now calling for the critically-acclaimed album to take in 320-340k.

Although these numbers are in a more pinpointed window than the original prediction, it shows that many fans' hopes that the album would trend upward going into the weekend are most likely not going to come true.

Be sure to check back here on Tuesday for final estimates.

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Syesha Mercado performs on 'Wendy Williams'

2009-11-06T01:34:00.001-05:00

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Syesha Mercado performed with her co-stars of the national tour of the musical Dreamgirls on Wednesday on The Wendy Williams Show. Watch a clip of the appearance below:

The tour kicks off at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y., tomorrow night, where it will run until Sun., Dec. 6. It will close 13 cities later in Philadelphia, Pa., on June 27, 2010.

>Kris Allen's music video for his single "Live Like We're Dying" premiered this morning on AOL's PopEater blog. Watch the video below:

About the video, Kris told PopEater at first it was "frustrating" that people "weren't getting it" during the production process about the vision for the video, but they were finally able to come up with a product everyone was satisfied with.

>Carrie Underwood stopped by Live with Regis and Kelly yesterday to perform for and chat with the show's co-hosts about her "brute" (aka Regis-speak for Carrie's boyfriend Mike Fisher) among other things. Watch her perform "Cowboy Casanova" below:

One of the funniest parts of the interview came when Carrie was asked if she knew how to skate. When she responded "no," she was asked if she was going to attempt to learn how to skate, which she followed up with another frank "no."

>Jason Castro's album might have been delayed until early next year, but he was in a cheerful mood last weekend when he proposed to his girlfriend. According to an article on ACESHowbiz:

Jason and Mandy are said to have been dating since 2008, but have known each other since high school. The twosome dressed as Beauty and the Beast on Halloween. He got down on his knees when he proposed to her and presented her with a ring. Besides, the singer also carved "Marry Me?" into a pumpkin.

Jason's single "Let's Just Fall In Love Again" is now available to purchase on iTunes.

>Danny Gokey premiered his new single "It's Only" on Milwaukee's country radio station 106.1 FM. Listen to the single below:

According to MJs, the song was written by Dave and Charles from Lady Antebellum and will be available to download on Tues., Dec. 14.

Poll of the week: Arch has fave album art among runners-up

2009-11-04T23:33:00.006-05:00

In the battle between favorite post-Idol debut album cover art from a runner-up, one alum's artwork stood out above the rest.

Leading the way with 420 votes was David Archuleta's debut album, taking in 87% of the total votes cast over the course of the past week.

Far back in second place surprisingly was the cover art for Bo Bice's The Real Thing, which netted just 26 votes (5%). No other voting option was able to attain more than 5% of the total vote.

In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which Idol album release they are most looking forward to this holiday season. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

Justin Guarini (Justin Guarini) 1 (0%)
Measure of a Man (Clay Aiken) 6 (1%)
Blue Skies (Diana DeGarmo) 3 (0%)
The Real Thing (Bo Bice) 26 (5%)
Katharine McPhee (Katharine McPhee) 12 (2%)
Audio Day Dream (Blake Lewis) 2 (0%)
David Archuleta (David Archuleta) 420 (87%)
For Your Entertainment (Adam Lambert) 11 (2%)

Total votes: 481

Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment" now on iTunes

2009-11-04T20:32:00.004-05:00

After being released for sale on his official Web site last week, Adam Lambert's single "For Your Entertainment" is now available to download on iTunes for $1.29.

Similarly, Allison Iraheta's single "Friday I'll Be Over U" is back up on iTunes as of Monday after being prematurely added. Not sure what's up with all these crazy release strategies with Season 8 finalists' singles, but their labels must know what they're doing, right?

'Idol' Hot 100: Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" #21

2009-11-04T20:06:00.005-05:00

For the third straight week, Carrie Underwood saw one of her singles debut on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the chart week of Nov. 14.

Despite the debut, it was still Kelly Clarkson who led Idol alums on the chart with her single "Already Gone." The song slid four spots to #21 but retained its bullet thanks to an influx of tracks by Taylor Swift that made appearances for the week (eight in all).

Rounding out the franchise's representation was Carrie, whose "Cowboy Casanova" fell #21-28 and the debut of her single "Undo It," which came in at #86. That debut was six spots higher than Carrie's "Temporary Home" came in at on last week's chart.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
21 17 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
28 21 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
86 -- Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"

HITS predix: Carrie Underwood's 'Play On' 300-350k

2009-11-04T16:49:00.005-05:00

In a not so surprising turn, HITS Daily Double's sales predictions for the debut of Carrie Underwood's latest album Play On are pegging the disc to come in at No. 1 with somewhere in the vicinity of 300-350k copies.

This guesstimate is pretty much in line with my initial prediction of 365k, and even if Play On hits the lower end of HDD's projections, minimal declines are all but assured considering the promo schedule Carrie has lined up for herself over the next month.

For historical purposes, this release will most likely fall between Carrie's previous album bows, with Some Hearts coming in with 314.5k in November 2005 and Carnival Ride taking in 527.1k in October 2007.

Be sure to check back on Friday for revised predictions.

Digital sales roundup: "Already Gone" #31 (11/14/09)

2009-11-04T13:20:00.005-05:00

The selection of Idol-related tracks on the most recent edition of Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart thinned out a bit from the previous week but still showed some signs of life.

Leading the pack was Kelly Clarkson with her single "Already Gone," which was down 8% in sales to 42.9k. It now stands at 616.5k and was down a whole 11 spots to #31.

Carrie Underwood was the only other alum to have her tracks' full sales revealed, as "Cowboy Casanova" sold an additional 38.5k and "Undo It" debuted with 28.4k. The former was down 12% and nine spots to #33, while the latter came in at #46.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

31 20 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 42,926 -8% 46,824 616,505
33 24 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 38,488 -12% 43,727 368,677
46 -- Carrie Underwood, "Undo It" 28,412 999% 0 28,412

Total sales are in bold.

Carrie Underwood performs on 'Late Show' and 'GMA'

2009-11-03T09:14:00.003-05:00

Carrie Underwood officially embarked on her televised promo tour for her latest album Play On last night when she appeared on CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman to perform her current single "Cowboy Casanova." Watch the performance below:

Next, Carrie hit the newly-renovated Lincoln Center plaza to perform a live set for ABC's Good Morning America this morning. Some of the songs she performed include "Undo It," "Casanova" and the Grammy-winning "Last Name," which can be viewed below:

Carrie will next hit Live with Regis & Kelly on Thursday before really revving up the appearances engine next week with another concert on GMA and interview with Robin Roberts on Tuesday and her hosting and performing gig at the CMA Awards on Wednesday.

Out today: Carrie Underwood's 'Play On'

2009-11-03T00:01:00.003-05:00

After two years, Carrie Underwood finally unleashes her latest album Play On. The album features 13 tracks including the current country smash "Cowboy Casanova" and promotional singles "Mama's Song," "Temporary Home" and "Undo It."

Writing credits include Hillary Lindsey, Luke Laird, Max Martin, Kara DioGuardi, Raine Maida, Chantal Kreviazuk and Carrie herself among others.

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Albums
Carrie Underwood, Play On

Amazon.com - ($9.99) - Buy
Amazon MP3 - ($8.99) - Buy
Barnes & Noble - ($9.99) - Buy
Best Buy - ($9.99) - Buy
Buy.com - ($12.97) - Buy
CDUniverse - ($11.18) - Buy
CMT Shop - ($13.98) - Buy
iTunes - ($10.99) - Buy
Sears - ($10.79) - Buy
Walmart - ($13.88) - Buy

The only version of Play On that includes bonus material of any sort is the iTunes version, which includes the pre-order bonus track "O Holy Night," which was previously available on a Walmart edition of Carrie's second album Carnival Ride that was released last fall.

"Already Gone" and "Had It All" featured in 'Now 32' ad

2009-11-02T23:19:00.002-05:00

Four songs by Idol alums have made the track list for the upcoming Now 32 release, which is out tomorrow, but only two are featured in the TV spot promoting the compilation disc. Watch it below and guess which two have clips from their music videos included (if you didn't already guess from the title of this post):

That's right, Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone" and Katharine McPhee's "Had It All" got special recognition in the ad, while Jordin Sparks' "Battlefield" and Daughtry's "No Surprise" were not included.

This is especially good news for Kat, considering her single is just beginning to make progress on the charts. Also, it almost makes sense for any Idol fan to purchase this CD considering nearly 1/5 of its tracks are composed of songs by alums.

IDOL LIVE predix: Carrie Underwood's 'Play On'

2009-11-02T14:22:00.000-05:00

Hitting stores and digital retailers nationwide tomorrow is Play On, the latest release from Season4 champ Carrie Underwood. After making huge waves with her first two releases, Carrie looks to capitalize on good ol' fashioned promotion and a future no. 1 single in "Cowboy Casanova."

Play On will get a good amount of help from televised appearances by Carrie this week, including The Late Show with David Letterman tonight and Good Morning America tomorrow in addition to countless other radio station interviews and wall-to-wall coverage of the release on CMT.

Although Carrie's previous release, Carnival Ride, managed 527k copies in its debut week in October 2007, album sales as a whole have continued to depreciate since then. Therefore, even though Carrie remains popular and this is the first full new release from her in over two years, it would be conceivable that this album's first week sales will not eclipse those numbers.

As for competition, Carrie virtually has the whole week to herself, which will greatly increase her chances of getting a head start on the holiday shopping season. The fact that Play On will be beating the rush will increase its chances of being an impulse buy in the weeks to come when Idol fans are out purchasing the newest batch of releases from the franchise, but what will this mean for its launch week numbers?

Taking all these factors into consideration, it seems plausible that Play On will debut in the vicinity of 365k copies this week, and will most definitely pass the platinum benchmark by Christmas. On the Billboard 200 chart, the album will start out at #1, which will make it Carrie's third album to hit the top spot.

This of course is ahead of Some Hearts' 315k debut in November 2005 and behind Carnival Ride's maiden voyage, but is very healthy for this day and age.

Flashback: Bo Bice's "In a Dream"

2009-11-02T08:43:00.000-05:00

Bo Bice is often overlooked when it comes to Idol runners-up nowadays, but it's important to remember his many outstanding performances while on the show. One of his strongest offerings came in the form of his a capella rendition of "In a Dream," which he performed during Top 3 week. Relive the moment below:

This performance single-handedly rewarded Bo with a spot in the finale, and even though he was no match for Carrie Underwood that season, his valiant effort should not be ignored.

'Idol' BB 200: 'Leave This Town' #54 (11/7/09)

2009-11-01T15:46:00.005-05:00

All was quiet on the Idol front concerning the latest edition of the Billboard Top 200 album sales chart ahead of Carrie Underwood's Play On release this Tuesday.

That said, each entry save David Archuleta's Christmas album pretty much held steady. Daughtry's Leave This Town was down 10% in sales to 9.8k copies, but only fell four spots to #54 on the chart side. It has sold 707.5k to date.

Next up was Arch's Christmas From the Heart, which experienced a sizable yet standard second-week drop by 56% to 7.4k. It fell #30-71 and has sold 24.3k copies after two weeks of release.

Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted was next, selling one less copy than the previous week (5,729 vs. 5,730) but was up one spot on the chart (#93 vs. #94). It now boasts a total of 734.3k. And Kellie Pickler's self-titled effort continued its long, hard slog on the chart, depreciating 17% sales-wise to 2.8k and sliding 17 spots to #174. Its total is now 326.1k.

Full chart positions and partial sales numbers courtesy of jameson95 on Pulse as follows:

054 050 Daughtry - Leave This Town 9,770 -10% 10,856 707,453
071 030 David Archuleta - Christmas From the Heart 7,445 -56% 16,776 24,263
093 094 Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted 5,729 0% 5,730 734,272
174 157 Kellie Pickler - Kellie Pickler 2,757 -17% 3,303 326,139

Total sales are in bold.

Album review: Carrie Underwood's 'Play On'

2009-11-01T12:18:00.003-05:00

Fresh off another multi-platinum-selling record, proven country luminary Carrie Underwood delivers her most artistically viable package in ‘Play On.’ Although it is not as commercially friendly as her two previous albums, ‘Play On’ serves as a crucial maturing point in Underwood’s career.

‘Play On’ is a more tried and true country offering than Underwood’s previous albums, and everything from the instrumentation to the lyrical material reflects this. Producer Mark Bright is responsible for a large portion of the album’s diversity, but Underwood’s unique touch plays an equal role.

Kicking the disc off with the up-tempo “Cowboy Casanova,” Underwood signals that she means business. The scorned woman-themed country rock track includes staccato phrases in the verses that show off her ability to tell a stylized story through her vocals. This is not the only track where she dabbles in this subject, however, as the Kara DioGuardi co-penned “Undo It” strikes a similar chord.

The majority of ‘Play On’ is more relaxed and “back roads country,” though, especially seen in tracks like “Someday When I Stop Loving You” and “Look At Me.” These songs are Opry-certified and definitely appeal to the country music fan of yesterday.

At the same time, there are plenty of cuts that appeal to Underwood’s younger fans like “This Time” and “Unapologize.” The former is a radio-friendly track features poppy instrumentation and a universal theme of an ode to youthfulness in its lyrics (“Life is short / love is sweet / ain’t no time like this time baby”). The latter is a mid-tempo boasting writing credits by Raine Maida and wife Chantal Kreviazuk that allows Underwood to explore a deep, tender area without coming off as another Louisville slugger-wielding maniac.

Some light-hearted fare includes the self-conscious “Quitter,” which Max Martin had a hand in writing, and “Songs Like This,” which delivers a short but salty message to guys that have made things difficult for Underwood in some way.

One of the most heartfelt tracks on the album is “Change,” which presents listeners with moral dilemmas and confronts people with the notion that anyone can make a difference in this world. The rousing bridge is one of the liveliest moments of the album and Underwood’s vocals are remarkably controlled. “Mama’s Song” is another touching lyrical offering even though the overall product is slightly boring.

But the most beautiful song on ‘Play On’ (and quite possibly Underwood’s career to date) comes eighth on the track list. “Temporary Home” is effective not only because of its simple production and tender vocals, but for its emotional lyrics as well (“This is my temporary home / it’s not where I belong / windows and rooms / that I’m passing through / this is just a stop / on the way to where I‘m going / I’m not afraid because I know / this is my temporary home”). This is the song that will win Underwood her most deserved Grammy.

On “What Can I Say,” Underwood gets a little help from Sons of Sylvia, resulting in an affectionate duet with perfectly complementary vocals. The song does a great job allowing Underwood to reach into her falsetto and display her stunning range.

To close out the album, Underwood selects its title track to tie all the diverse ends together. The message etched in the track’s lyrics is applicable to any situation in life (“Play on / when you’re losing the game / play on / cause you’re gonna make mistakes / it’s always worth a sacrifice / even when you think you’re wrong / so play on”).

Sometimes when an artist has a good thing going, it doesn’t hurt to stick on a path. Carrie Underwood demonstrates this admirably, and despite some minor imperfections, ‘Play On’ is a fusion of old time country with new styles to result in an eclectic collection for all ages.

Play On will be released on Tues., Nov. 3, and can now be pre-ordered on Amazon.com.

'Idol' odds 'n ends: Adam Lambert debuts single "For Your Entertainment"

2009-10-30T17:38:00.009-04:00

The following are Idol-related odds and ends that happened this week:

>Adam Lambert stopped by Ryan Seacrest's radio show on KIIS-FM this morning to debut his first single, "For Your Entertainment off his forthcoming album of the same name. Listen to the song below:

"For Your Entertainment" was written by proven hit makers Dr. Luke and Claude Kelly. Although the single is not yet up at digital retailers like iTunes, it can be purchased on Adam's official Web site for $1.29.

>It was announced this week that Carly Smithson-fronted band We Are The Fallen has signed with Universal Republic Records. Below is a snippet from a press release sent out on Wed., Oct. 28:

“We Are The Fallen represents a bold new musical turning point and we’re thrilled to be able to deliver their music to audiences hungering for their brand of passion,” stated Lipman. “The combined elements of this band are a force to be reckoned with, and the entire company joins me in welcoming them to Universal Republic Records.”

The release states the band expects an early 2010 album release.

>Katharine McPhee is currently hosting a contest called "Kat's Karaoke Challenge" in a group on Facebook. The contest asks fans to make a recording of themselves, family member, or friends singing the first verse of Kat's single "Had It All."

The winner of the contest has the chance to win an iPod Touch and a phone call from Kat. More information about the contest can be found on her official Facebook fan page.

>Kris Allen spoke with Big D of Kiss 98.5 FM of Peoria, Ill., earlier today. Listen to the interview below:

In the interview, Kris said he still sees former finalists from his season and he answered a few fan questions, including that the video for "Live Like We're Dying" will debut on Fri., Nov. 6. He said it's "cool" but "weird" that he has so many fan sites and there are a couple songs by a lot of different people and he's excited about the song he wrote.

>Jordin Sparks had a night out on the town with fellow teen singer JoJo and Robin Williams' daughter Zelda out in Hollywood at the Bardot lounge on Tues., Oct. 27. The photo is courtesy of JustJaredJr.buzznet.com. Jordin tweeted about the lounge:

“Im out with @jojoistheway and @zeldawilliams. Tired but this place better start dancin soon!!” The place did!

The next day, Jordin was spotted shopping for Halloween costumes. No word yet on what she decided to dress as.

Poll of the week: Fans still enchanted with "Ever Ever After"

2009-10-28T23:33:00.004-04:00

The excitement that propelled Adam Lambert's single "Time For Miracles" from the soundtrack of the upcoming film 2012 to a #50 debut on the Hot 100 was not enough to sustain excitement on the latest edition of IDOL LIVE's poll of the week series.

Chosen as the favorite soundtrack song by an Idol alum was Carrie Underwood's "Ever Ever After" from the Disney film Enchanted. The song garnered 27 votes (38%), three votes ahead of Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" (34%), which appeared on the soundtrack for The Princess Diaries 2.

Way behind in third place was Adam's "Miracles," receiving eight votes (11%). No other track took in enough votes to merit a mention.

In this week's edition of the poll of the week, readers are asked which album cover art from an Idol runners' up first post-show album is their favorite. Voting will be open for exactly one week.

"Breakaway" (Kelly Clarkson - The Princess Diaries 2) 24 (34%)
"Reachin' For Heaven" (Diana DeGarmo - Ice Princess) 2 (2%)
"Working For the Weekend" (Josh Gracin - Herbie: Fully Loaded) 0 (0%)
"Time For Miracles" (Adam Lambert - 2012) 8 (11%)
"Let Your Heart Sing" (Katharine McPhee - Tinker Bell) 1 (1%)
"Connected" (Katharine McPhee - Barbie and the Diamond Castle) 2 (2%)
"I'll Be Home For Christmas" (Jordin Sparks - This Christmas) 3 (4%)
"Road to Paradise" (Jordin Sparks - Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure) 1 (1%)
"Shining Star" (Ruben Studdard - Scooby Doo 2) 2 (2%)
"Ever Ever After" (Carrie Underwood - Enchanted) 27 (38%)

Total votes: 70

'Idol' Hot 100: "Already Gone" #17 (11/7/09)

2009-10-28T21:28:00.003-04:00

For the second consecutive week, Carrie Underwood saw one of her tracks debut on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. For the Nov. 7 edition of the chart, Carrie's single "Temporary Home" was joined by a debut from Adam Lambert.

Leading the Idol crew once again was Kelly Clarkson's "Already Gone," which reached a new peak at #17. This single is now Kelly's 10th-highest charting single to grace the Hot 100.

Next up was Carrie's "Cowboy Casanova," which dipped two spots to #21. The country star's debut of "Temporary Home" at #92 was a little weaker than the debut of single "Mama's Song" on last week's chart (#77).

And Adam's "Time For Miracles" hit the halfway mark at #50 in its maiden voyage. Look for the song to drop off the chart next week.

Full chart positions courtesy of bks over on Pulse are posted below:

Hot 100
17 20 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone"
21 19 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova"
50 -- Adam Lambert, "Time For Miracles"
92 -- Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"

Digital sales roundup: "Already Gone" #20 (11/7/09)

2009-10-28T21:24:00.000-04:00

Two Idol-related singles debuted nicely on the Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart this week, which complemented an overall trend of positive sales for alums.

It was the veteran track "Already Gone" that retained the distinction of the highest-charting song from an alum, however, as the Kelly Clarkson single was up 2% in sales for a five-spot jump into the Top 20 at #20. The track sold 46.8k downloads for the week for a current total of 573.6k.

Next up was the first of two debuts in Adam Lambert's 2012 soundtrack offering "Time For Miracles," which just missed the Top 20 at #21. It sold 46.5k downloads for the week. Carrie Underwood saw two of her tracks follow, with "Cowboy Casanova" sliding 23% to 43.7k and falling #18-24 and newcomer "Temporary Home" debuting nicely at #54 with 24.5k downloads. "Casanova" has sold 330.2k to date.

Two older tracks came in next, with Jordin Sparks' platinum-selling "Battlefield" getting a bump from her Suite Life on Deck episode airing, jumping 13 spots to #57. It was up 8%, selling 23.5k for a current total of 1.094 million. And Kris Allen's single "Live Like We're Dying" was up two spots to #138 with 10.2k downloads sold. It was up 2% from the previous week and has sold 73k to date.

Full numbers and chart positions courtesy of bks on Pulse as follows:

020 025 Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" 46,824 2% 46,106 573,579
021 -- Adam Lambert, "Time For Miracles" 46,507 999% 0 46,507
024 018 Carrie Underwood, "Cowboy Casanova" 43,727 -23% 56,723 330,189
054 -- Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home" 24,545 999% 0 24,545
057 070 Jordin Sparks, "Battlefield" 23,471 8% 21,642 1,094,338
138 140 Kris Allen, "Live Like We're Dying" 10,190 2% 9,980 72,953

Total sales are in bold.

Adam Lambert's 'For Your Entertainment' album cover

2009-10-27T20:44:00.004-04:00

Well, it's the moment a lot of people have been waiting for. The album art for Adam Lambert's first post-Idol release has been revealed, and is anyone really surprised by it? Possibly the most cringe-worthy cover in Idol history (yes, even worse than Blake Lewis' Audio Day Dream and certainly worse than Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway cover).

But if this album screams anything other than "let's go play dress-up," it screams "Adam Lambert." At least no one can blame RCA for choosing the cover.

For Your Entertainment will be released on Mon., Nov. 23.

Out today: Carrie Underwood's "Undo It"

2009-10-27T00:09:00.002-04:00

"Temporary Home," the third of three consecutive singles from Carrie Underwood in the weeks leading up to her third studio album Play On (Nov. 3) was today released to iTunes.

Links to purchase the aforementioned can be found below:

Singles,
Carrie Underwood, "Undo It"

iTunes - ($1.29) - Buy

"Undo It" is a feisty uptempo track co-written by Carrie, Kara DioGuardi, Martin Frederiksen and Luke Laird. It is the fifth track to appear on Play On.