We tracked down Blake Lewis when he was here at 1515 for TRL the other day and chatted him up. (We even got some exclusive pics of the season six American Idol runner-up for your viewing pleasure!) Here's what the rambunctious beatboxer had to say about his debut album, his plans for the holidays and why he feels like he got screwed during the finale of American Idol.
Buzzworthy: Are you psyched that your album basically tied American Idol winner Jordin Sparks on the Billboard album chart, coming in at #10?
Blake Lewis: Oh, s---. I had no idea. I don't really check the numbers or anything.
BW: Really, you didn't know that?
BL: I know what it did the first week. But I don't really care; it's just a week. Talk to me in a year. [Laughs.]
BW: So, if chart positions don't matter to you, what do you think success is?
BL: Fans showin' up to gigs. I just love playing live. Now that the record's out, I'm just stoked that I can play my own music and not do cover songs.
BW: The race between you and Jordin seemed really close on American Idol…
BL: I didn't pay attention. [Laughs.] I didn't care one bit.
BW: When you first heard "This Is My Now," the ballad you had to perform during the finale, did you think you were toast?
BL: Oh, totally. Me and Jordin went in a room with some guy who was producing that song and I was like, what the f--- is this? This is a piece of s---. And you're not going to let me arrange it? OK, cool. Thanks guys. I didn't want to win American Idol anyway; I wanted to get second. Then we found out we had to learn it in, like, three days or something ridiculous. It was dumb. [Laughs.] It was just like, are you kidding me? It was really a piece of crap song. And the guys who wrote it were like, we're sorry, dude.
BW: It seemed totally unfair…
BL: When I found out they wouldn't let me change it, I was like, you're kidding me. I mean, my range is alright but … I don't do power ballads. And if I do, I write them and tailor them to my voice. But this one, I was just like, ummm… So I totally just, like, brushed it off and picked a key that I shouldn't have picked. But it didn't matter. Honestly, I picked Jordin to win during Hollywood Week.
BW: Let's talk about your debut album, Audio Day Dream. Did you have as much creative control as you had hoped?
BL: Getting signed by Clive [Davis] was what I've always wanted. It's, like, huge, you know? So I just came in prepared. I had a music video and artwork done. I had song titles. I made a mix tape. I knew the producers I wanted to work with. I said this is what my album's gonna sound like and they kinda had their jaws on the floor and were like, [claps once] OK, let's do it. And that was that. It was perfect. I was true to myself on the show and I got to be true to myself on this record. I had full … well, not full creative control. No artist has full creative control on a record. Not even U2. But pretty much, as much as I could get I got. Like 85%. I wrote every song but one on there. And the one I didn't write I wanted on there.
BW: Why did you pick "Break Anotha" as the first single?
BL: That was the one song that Clive brought to me. I heard it and was like, that's not me. But then I thought, man, this could be rad and huge, and Clive was stoked on it. It just came together and it felt good 'cause it doesn't sound like anything on the radio.
BW: Do you have any fun holiday plans?
BL: For Christmas, mom, pops and I are going to Utah, where all my family is. I can't wait to go home. I don't get home too much. And New Year's I'll be here in Times Square.
BW: Have you ever partied in Times Square during New Year's before?
BL: I don't dig New Year's. It's just another day. It's just another excuse for people to get drunk and have fun.
BW: But, really, isn't that enough?
BL: For some reason New Year's just hasn't been productive for me or it wasn't that entertaining. But I'm excited for New Year's in New York. All my friends are comin' out. It's gonna be great.
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