Obsessively blogging about pop music, pop videos, pop stars, and pop culture from inside the MTV headquarters in Times Square. We also have a slight Jonas Brothers problem. And a little fixation with Tokio Hotel.
Kris Allen and Adam Lambert both grace the cover of the November 28th issue of Billboard magazine, and you're either an Adam Lambert fan, a Kris Allen fan, or both, so here's the Kris Allen/ Glambert cover for your enjoyment... for you entertainment, even! The Billboard issue takes a careful look at the upcoming album releases by Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Allison Iraheta and the impact that Idol and their record sales could have on the music industry.
The "American Idols Live!" tour may be done and gone -- booooo -- but Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Allison Iraheta are onto bigger and better things. Adam Lambert is putting the gloss on his debut album, featuring the Twitter- and Idolsphere-busting single, "Time For Miracles" from the upcoming disaster flick, 2012. Kris Allen is living life as a winner, about to release his debut, and covering his favorite shower song, "Hit Me… Baby One More Time." Meanwhile Allison Iraheta's "Friday I'll Be Over U" could catapult her into the ranks of Pink, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, and Fefe Dobson (and did I hear a little Berlin in there? "The Metro," anyone?)
But let's look back at a time when it was easier to get Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Allison Iraheta all together in the same room (without Simon Cowell, hm?)
Check out this Walmart Soundcheck interview with Allison Iraheta, Adam Lambert, and Kris Allen, to see the always amicable Idols, on the "American Idols Live!" tour, discuss spending life on the road together, and the good-natured teasing that goes with the territory.
Does Kanye West's "Heartless" emit "cover me!" pheromones? There's Idol winner Kris Allen's acoustic version that, shall we say?, sealed his victory; there's the Lady GaGa live concert cover, along with Ace Hood's "Ruthless" take on the number... The "Heartless" melody and lyrics must strike fellow musicians as somewhat of a non-fit in the dreary, AutoTuned oeuvre that was 808s and Heartbreak, begging for modification. Or else everyone just can't get enough of that effing song.
I'll be the first to say, "Heartless" lends itself to several genres; and The Fray's latest cover -- as an aching, earnest pop-rock ballad -- takes on a solid life of its own. The Fray first covered "Heartless" at Live Lounge, which begat other fantastic covers, such as Leona Lewis' cover of Snow Patrol's "Run" (get out the tissues and download that now), but has since released a proper single and music video.
As you might expect, the music video is an extremely bleak and lonely affair: a lovesick schoolboy doodles in his math notebook, and a forsaken, bleeding heart trudges in a defeated journey to nowhere, which instantly recalls Gnarls Barkley's video for "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" as well as Spoon's "Everything Hits At Once" video.
I didn't quite expect this song to work with kids as subjects, but the solitary, cerebral aspect of doodling is somehow painfully sad here - and the video becomes lovely, if a bit disturbing, when doodles morph into elaborate and nightmarish theme-park monsters...
+ Watch Kanye's version of "Heartless" after the jump! And by the way, Kanye approves. Phew.
Looking at the pic above, you'd guess that American Idol winner Kris Allen was pleading for mercy while having the life choked out of him by Alexa. But on today's It's On With Alexa Chung, our affable host was merely offering her lap as a polite gesture while Kris recounted the time a rabid fan jammed her tongue down his throat at a concert. Ah, the trappings of stardom... either way, Alexa looked cute (as usual) in her casual-but-fun shirt dress and accessories. Here's what she wore:
+ It's a big day in blogland today, particularly for Miley Cyrus. First, she's been Tweeting a trail of tears all over the place about her alleged breakup with boyfriend Justin Gaston after recently leaving town to go shoot a movie in the South. (Twitter)
+ Then, her EX-ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas confirmed that he and Miley did indeed record an alternate version of a song originally sung by The Jonas Brothers. (Twist)
+ ...though it seems that Nick might have a had a little more to do with the split than they're letting on, as reports surface that the former couple were recently seen goofing around on the set of a music video, and also "writing" a song together in a dark movie theater. Hmms.... (E! Online)
+ Photoshop moment of the day: Beyonce hustling hard in these Japanese water ads. (Bossip)
+ If Simon Cowell has his way, Zac Efron will play the lead role in the remake of Saturday Night Fever. How anyone could think John Travolta's performance could be matched, we will NEVER know. (Limelife)
+ Calling all cavedwellers: married "Chairman of the Bored" Kris Allen somehow managed to beat truly truly truly glamrageous M.A.C. board member Adam Lambert on last night's American Idol results show. Watch the hilarious 60-second recap! (MTV News)
+ Green Day potentially lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales for refusing to censor their new album so that retail giant Wal-Mart would stock it. Good work, boys. Way to fight "the man." (NME)
+ Speaking of sticking it to "the man," Coldplay announced that they were releasing a FREE 9-song live album as a thank-you to their fans. We know, right? Download it. (Coldplay.com)
+ Bidding has started on a pink dress that was Inspired by Mariah Carey's new fragrance "Luscious Pink" (the dress was also worn by Carey while out to anniversary dinner with hubster Nick Cannon). Good news is that ALL proceeds benefit cancer research foundation Susan G. Komen For The Cure. (eBay)
