A new horizon has opened up for Kris Allen. The singer/songwriter recently released his third studio album, Horizons as an independent venture, and as a result, it is his most personal and remarkable project to date.
Tag: american idol
Remembering Michael Johns
It is with sadness and anguish that I am writing a tribute in the wake of the sudden and tragic death of a man who meant so much to me, Michael Johns.
Caleb Johnson Wins American Idol Season 13
Congratulations to Caleb Johnson, the winner of American Idol Season 13!
The big-voiced, retro rocker from Asheville, North Carolina, who successfully channeled his classic rock/southern bluesy-rock sound into stand-out performances each week, was named the champion of the 2014 edition of the long-running singing competition. As first proven by Season 12’s Candice Glover, another returnee contestant turned winner, Caleb proves that the third time really is the charm! Jena Irene, the spirited and talented teen from Farmington Hills, Michigan, is this year’s runner-up. From wild card to blossoming pop-rock musician, she fought a fierce fight and came a long way with her gutsy artistry and steady growth.
Caleb and Jena kicked off the grand finale celebrations with a BANG – their sensational duet medley of “We Will Rock You”, “I’m Just a Girl”, and “It’s Only Love” raised the bar sky high for the night’s performances. The Top 2 also got the chance to sing with their own favourite bands, with Caleb and KISS on “Love Gun” and “Shout It Out Loud” and Jena and Paramore on “Decode” and “Ain’t It Fun”.
The Top 10 finalists were also treated to special duets, trios, and group performances with some of the industry’s top stars, including: Alex Preston with singer/songwriter Jason Mraz on the new single, “Love Someone“, Jessica Meuse with country singer Jennifer Nettles on “Wrecking Ball“, Sam Woolf with fellow Idol Phillip Phillips on “Home” and “Raging Fire”, Alabama boys CJ Harris and Dexter Roberts with Darius Rucker on “Alright“, and Malaya Watson with soul singer John Legend on his beautiful ballad, “All of Me“. As well, the Idol Guys teamed up with Aloe Blacc to sing “The Man” while the Idol Girls girl-powered it up with Demi Lovato for “Neon Lights“.
The judges (Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr.) and Randy Jackson joined forces for a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration to pay tribute to two classics – “True Colors” and “Go Your Own Way”. Even host Ryan Seacrest got in on the performance action with his primetime television singing debut – a duet of “Right Here Waiting” with Richard Marx.
Caleb’s winning moment was met with genuine shock and gratitude from the singer, who ended his victory night with an encore of his debut single, “As Long As You Love Me” while bombarded with hugs and congratulations from his finalist friends, his family members, and the judges.
And with that, it was another end to another great American Idol season. Until next January, when we will do this all over again!
Album Review: Phillip Phillips’ Shines From “Behind The Light”
Phillip Phillips has just released his sophomore effort, Behind the Light. The album’s title is derived from a lyric in “Alive Again” (“I see myself again / Behind the light I flicker”), which speaks to the notion of re-discovering yourself from the shadows, or in Phillip’s case, allowing fans to uncover a side of his musical identity that hasn’t been revealed before.
As a result, Behind the Light boasts a more rock-oriented sound with intricate instrumentation and powerful production – an evolution from the rootsy-folk driven sound which dominated his platinum selling debut, The World From The Side Of The Moon. Though ambitious, the new album still retains that authentic feel which drew listeners into his music in the first place.
Phillip leaves his artistic mark all over the album, which he produced in collaboration with Derek A.E. Fuhrmann and Gregg Wattenberg. The songwriter was involved in the writing of all of the songs, sharing co-credits with the likes of Fuhrmann, Wattenberg, Todd Clark, Jon Green, and David Ryan Harris and being the sole writer of “Trigger”, “Open Your Eyes”, “Thicket”, “Face”, “Don’t Trust Me”, and “Armless Crawler”.
His songcraft has grown in depth, with lyrics containing ideas that are more mature, more introspective, and more thought-provoking, and that cover a spectrum of moods, emotions, and energy. Behind the Light is heavy with imagery of light and dark, day and night, and nature, with fire serving as an overarching metaphor that is wovened throughout the album. The fire rages from the colourful cover art to the tracks themselves, which follow themes of being true to oneself, finding strength, and coping with the passage of time.
Continue reading the track-by-track review on The Hudsucker…
Phillip Phillips‘ Behind the Light is available on iTunes.
American Idol 500
Tonight, American Idol reached a special milestone with the airing of its 500th episode. The show led the celebrations with cake, confetti, and a trip down memory lane with a moving montage of Idol moments throughout the last twelve seasons, featuring footage of former contestants and judges, and its veteran host Ryan Seacrest. Despite the falling viewership and continual ratings slide, Idol has just been renewed for Season 14 (and will likely be a mainstay on FOX for multiple seasons to come), proving that after all of these years, this singing competition continues to be the juggernaut all other reality shows of its type should aspire to. One cannot deny that impact that Idol has had on pop culture – just take a look at their list of alumni! During tonight’s broadcast, Idol shared video shoutouts from past winners, including Carrie Underwood, Phillip Phillips, Kris Allen (who baked a cupcake for the special occasion), David Cook, Candice Glover, Lee DeWyze, Fantasia Barrino, Scotty McCreery, and Jordin Sparks, all of which aired in-between performances from the three people who could fill their shoes…
This week, the Season 13 Top 3, who had just returned back to their second home at Idol after a weekend of homecoming festivities, each performed three songs chosen for them by their mentor Randy Jackson, the judges (Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban) and their hometown (they selected a song from the season for their hometown Idol to reprise). Caleb Johnson rocked out to “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS, “Demons” by Imagine Dragons, and an encore of “Dazed & Confused” by Led Zeppelin. Alex Preston delivered “Pompeii” by Bastille, “Stay” by Rihanna (featuring Mikky Ekko), and an encore of “Story Of My Life” by One Direction. Jena Irene sang “Titanium” by David Guetta (featuring Sia), “Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato, and an encore of Radiohead’s “Creep” (the highlight of the evening’s performances, as well as the top performance of the season overall).
Tune in Thursday night to find out who makes it into next week’s Season 13 finale. It’s gonna be a close call!
Elizabeth Rosalyn 