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.
Filed Under: Blake Lewis, Celebrity, Music, TRL, Videos
That has to be one of the dumbest comments that I have ever read [made by a new artist].
1. Does Blake actually know Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry?
The guy has been industry for like 2 seconds, and he "knows" that a band like U2 does not have full creative control over a record?
2. Blake... sell more than 170 million albums worldwide, and win 22 Grammy Awards...
And then come back and tell me that your label won't allow you full creative control.
I feel sorry for the guy...
And in a way, its right.
Dont tell me any label will let you do any song any way you want it.
Blake has talked to Bono before.
And he wasnt even complaining. He said he got as much creative control as he beleived that he could possibly get. And Blake's been a musician for 7 years, its just that he's now getting actually into the mainstream. Just because he's become mainstream so recently absolutely doesnt mean he doesnt know anything ABOUT it. He has many friends who have been in the industry for years that HE has known for years.
I.E., Maroon 5, SirMixALot, ect.
Actually, no - he is wrong.
I have been in the industry as both an artist and executive (Artist & Repertoire) at the major label level for nearly 18 years.
What do the two of you do for a living?
That would be like me telling Kobe Bryant how to score points and how life is in the NBA. It would be ignorant of me to do so.
(I am not a player in the NBA nor do I work in the business of it)
You cannot presume to tell me I am wrong when this is my life (and has been a lot longer than Blake's).
Just because you know someone... does not mean you know everything there is to know.
Trust me, U2 has full creative control.
Like anna said, he wasnt complaining. He was happy with the amount of creative control he got and he's just saying what he thinks.
There's nothing wrong with being honest. Its better than covering it up with sweet little exaggerations or lying.
Okayy. Anon, you work in the music industry. So what? you seem really pissed off with the fact that Blake said U2 does not have FULL creative control.
And, i was trying to say. An artist does NOT have full creative control. True, some have. But most of the times now. In the end, it all comes down to the producers or whoever's in charge with the YES or NO
Say what you like. But its MY opinion. I'm not saying i'm right or wrong. But its definitely what I think.
Do you see what you are doing here? You are trying to tell ME what I know as being incorrect.
Do you understand the point of why I responded now? I am trying to enlighten you (and hopefully the Blake's of the industry) to what is accurate... and what is not.
For artists such as Blake... he said it perfectly:
"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."
Basically, he admitted here that he could not say no. He had absolutely NO say. You cannot say no to Clive when you are at the stage that Blake is in his career because artists such as Blake (i.e. new artists with no significant sales impact) have no control. Someone (and in this instance it was Clive) tells you what your singles are going to be, who is going to direct your videos, etc. But there is a point that is inevitably reached where an artist does gain full creative control. And why? Because the record company has made so much money off of them that they can no logner say no... or risk losing future revenue.
Just look to Kelly Clarkson's latest album as an artist who has (and was given) complete creative control (with disastrous results might I add).
There are few artists with such power this is true. But it was both naive and fairly ignorant for Blake to make such a blanketed statement.
All that I was trying to say was that he proved his youth in the industry by making such a ridiculous comment. There are some things you know you know... the other stuff... just leave it alone.
Blake got ahead of himself in this interview.
U2 should be amused that he mentioned himself in the same breath as them.
Lighten up folks. The boy is lyin' through his teeth about everything. He "doesn't care' about charts, winning American Idol or New Year's Eve (even tho he is hauling himself to NYC to experience it there.)
Sad little second-placer. Don't even dignify his arrogance.
All he wants is to look good by mentioning U2, one of the greatest and most succesful bands in the world. Personnaly, I think he has no right to mention someone he's "met" once or twice. He doesn't know anything about the industry and has no say in his own albums, as was mentioned by Anon.
Yeah, so did Barack Obama want second place in NH.
Wake up Katie, wake up!