Kris Allen certainly has his work cut out for him. His album is expected to post the lowest first-week sales from an American Idol winner in the show’s eight seasons—not that opening weeks mean everything. (Ruben Studdard’s best-ever first week didn’t exactly herald longevity.) And although Kris beat Adam Lambert for the AI title back in May, Adam seemed pre-destined to become the bigger media darling/pull-quote generator.
But in reality, Allen’s no less passionate about music (and he did win), so we chatted up the soft rock singer/songwriter at Us Weekly’s Hot in Hollywood Party in Los Angeles, the same bash where we talked pop with Adam Lambert. Check out what Kris has to say about his debut album, and what he thinks might be wrong with it: MORE »
12:15 PM on Fri Nov 20 2009
By Becky Bain
19 Comments
Latest by JoJo: MORE »
For your entertainment (and, sure, ours too), we caught up with Adam Lambert and Kris Allen at the Us Weekly Hot in Hollywood party at Voyeur nightclub last night. (The magazine honored both guys in its “Stars of the Year” coverage—Adam was named “Glam God of the Year” and Kris “Victor of the Year.”) Tomorrow we’ll be posting our interview with the adorable and subdued Allen, but for now, check out our heart-to-heart with the delicious little space alien known as @adamlambert: MORE »
12:02 PM on Thu Nov 19 2009
By Becky Bain
41 Comments
Latest by Jenn: MORE »
In 2004, Annie—Bergen, Norway’s sunniest export—scored both club hits and indie cred with her debut album Anniemal. Her sophomore LP Don’t Stop was initially announced in early 2008, but got tangled up, as she explains it, in a nasty case of record label drama. “I kept on delivering things but it was never enough,” says the singer.
Fast forward a year-and-a-half later, and Don’t Stop has finally arrived on these shores, thanks to Oslo-based label Smalltown Supersound. Idolator met up with 31-year-old Annie (real name: Anne Lilia Berge Strand) in Los Angeles on the eve of her album’s release to discuss her upcoming American DJ gigs and how she eventually got the spectacularly upbeat Don’t Stop into her fans’ hands. MORE »
1:01 PM on Tue Nov 17 2009
By Robbie Daw
10 Comments
Latest by Yuri: MORE »
The idea of even speaking to the Pet Shop Boys–one of my favorite acts–was nearly too much for me to take, and it completely obliterated any pretense of journalistic cool I might have previously had. What do you ask Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, who made me nearly burst into tears when they performed “It’s A Sin” at the Arizona State Fair? I managed to largely keep it together, share a few memories about the aforementioned fair, and talk a bit about the new album in chats with each member–although for some reason my digital audio recorder decided to only record Chris when he sang a portion of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” near the end of our discussion. He’s a delightful interview, however, one who laughs more than I would have imagined. My conversation with Neil below the cut. MORE »
11:00 AM on Tue Apr 21 2009
By Dan Gibson
7 Comments
Latest by hndinglove: MORE »
Two weeks ago, I caught an acoustic show by The Academy Is…—well, really just lead singer/songwriter William Beckett—along with hundreds of adoring teenagers, some of whom were camped out four hours ahead of showtime in the venue’s lobby, hoping to catch a sight of Beckett in person. The show itself was good, although as fan of the group’s most recent album Fast Times At Barrington High, I feel like I would have enjoyed it a bit more as a full-band spectacle. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate the Jimmy Eat World cover or the banter, but the screaming-girl contingent and the acoustic guitar took me back to a very uncomfortable memory of Dashboard Confessional halfway through the set. Still, hearing his more recent power-pop stripped down makes it obvious that Beckett has the goods as a songwriter, regardless of what direction his career ends up taking. Before the show, Beckett was kind enough to discuss the tour, the state of radio, and where his career goes from here. MORE »
10:00 AM on Fri Mar 27 2009
By Dan Gibson
3 Comments
Latest by onelovegrace: MORE »
Friday night I saw Ne-Yo headline Radio City Music Hall, and like his spellbinding set at last December’s Jingle Ball, the 75 minutes he spent on stage were a whirlwind of slick songs, mic-stand twirls, and wise words on love. Monday afternoon, I caught up with the singer at Electric Lady Studios in New York, where he was working with fellow Grammy winner Chrisette Michele on her new album. After the jump, we chat about the nitty-gritty of relationships, his average song output per day, his upcoming acting projects, and the injuries one can sustain when trying to perfect the twirling of microphone stands. MORE »
12:00 PM on Wed Feb 25 2009
By Maura
9 Comments
Latest by dyfl: MORE »
It’s no secret that the denizens of Idolator HQ are big fans of both Fall Out Boy and really smart pop, so having FOB frontman Patrick Stump and pop troubadour Butch Walker interview each other is kind of the perfect way to introduce our new series of conversations between artists. After the jump, the two have a friendly chat about first concerts, free stuff, and how each developed his signature singing style. MORE »
12:00 PM on Tue Dec 16 2008
By Maura
20 Comments
Latest by Invisible Circus: MORE »
