MTV Buzzworthy Blog › David Cook

Credit: Zev Schmitz/VH1

While he was here doing an exclusive live performance for VH1's "Top 20 Live," we asked David Cook what he's reading these days. That's not just a weird, nosy thing we do where we go around asking musicians which books they couldn't put down. The last time we interviewed David Cook, the "American Idol" season 7 winner revealed himself to be an avid reader. So, naturally we were curious to see what he's added to his reading list.

"The Last Goodbye" rocker makes reading a priority, even when he's out on the road. A self-professed JFK buff, David Cook told us he's almost finished with "The Kennedy Detail," a book which discusses the Kennedy assassination through the eyes of Kennedy's Secret Service. (God, he's cultured.) And he told us that his favorite book of all time is Chuck Palahniuk's "Survivor." "Chuck Palahniuk is an incredible author," he said.

Chuck is great and all, but what's incredible to me over here in Swoonsville, is how intelligent this guy is. David Cook, that is. Chuck Palahniuk is obviously intelligent. David, if you need anyone to help you... I don't know... organize your Kindle, we're just a tweet away.

+ Watch David Cook discuss his favorite books, and check out his exclusive "VH1 Top 20 Live" performance of "Come Back To Me" and a cover of Radiohead's "High And Dry" below. And check out more of his "Top 20 Live" performances here.

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Tags American Idol, David Cook, video

Credit: Lauren Dukoff

"American Idol" winner David Cook just released a music video for his new single, "The Last Goodbye" (off his upcoming album, This Loud Morning), and it has a fittingly big concept for such a big, powerful breakup song: "man fakes own death to gain sympathy from ex-girlfriend, and maybe mess with his friends a little bit, too." This is an urge many of us can relate to. I mean, what naughty (and perhaps slightly egomaniacal) person wouldn't want to fake his or her own death to hear what people will say about him? It's a fantasy straight out of Tom Sawyer. (Also, please do not actually do that.) And also, he isn't faking his own death. He's WRITING A HIT SONG!

"If you hear this on the radio, we've already said our last goodbye," Cook sings, before making everyone believe he has drowned himself in the ocean in the Nigel Dick-directed video. The cops get called, his ex is sad and his face lands on the cover of the newspaper. But all is not lost. Cook shows up at the end of the video to say "you got punk'd!" and the look on his bandmate's face is... well, you'll just have to see for yourself.

+ Watch David Cook's "The Last Goodbye" video.

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When he beat out the precious David Archuleta to win the seventh season of "American Idol," David Cook momentarily proved that the show isn't necessarily fueled exclusively by puppy-dog-cute pop singers (although Cook isn't necessarily hard on the eyes, either). Unlike some other Idols, David has fared quite well as a rock singer -- his last album went platinum, and he's toured steadily -- even coming out of the same show that begat Sanjaya.

Now David Cook's returned with a second major-label album, This Loud Morning, featuring a new song called "The Last Goodbye." It's an instantly catchy, guitar-driven lamentation on love lost, with a drop of ornamental electro elements thrown in for good measure. And oh those "woah oh ohs." For the most part, though, the up-tempo slice of Americana brings to mind Angels & Airwaves and fellow "Idol" Kelly Clarkson.

We're used to "David Cook: Rock Star" sounding a bit more brooding with slower songs that fall into the soft rock arena, so it's pretty cool to hear something a little more fast-paced from the guy. It's definitely a contender for being one of the biggest rock songs of the summer, perfect for riding around with the top down.

What do you think of David's new song? Let us know in the comments!

+ Listen to David Cook's new song, "The Last Goodbye."

Tags Allison Iraheta, American Idol, Angels & Airwaves, David Archuleta, David Cook, Kelly Clarkson

We The Kings' Smile Kid record release party went down at Red Bull Space in New York City last night -- the band took requests from fans watching the live stream on MTV.com, while fans and celebs -- Pete Wentz, David Cook, and members of Boys Like Girls and Forever The Sickest Kids and Ben Jorgensen (ex-Armor for Sleep) took in the show.

In case you missed the chat, check it out below, don't miss all the photos, and stay tuned for footage of "Heaven Can Wait."

Tags Boys Like Girls, David Cook, Forever The Sickest Kids, Pete Wentz, We the Kings

In her brand-new MTV Buzzworthy "The 5" interview, Brooke White confounds us with a medical mystery... she's got a twitch that doesn't sound life- threatening, but in my semi-professional opinion, she should get an MD to take a look at that. Or at least administer an official diagnosis via Twitter.

Thankfully poor Brooke's poor guitar finger is at least on the the road to recovery. And along with discussions of mild medical conditions, the American Idol Season 7 contender (she shared a stage with David Cook and Lil Archuleta!) shares more about her new album, High Hopes & Heartbreak (not to be confused with 808s And Heartbreaks), which she released on her own label, with production by Randy Jackson,

While Brooke gives no mention of American Idol in her interview (she was the one who had never seen an R-rated movie, or something?), she does offer some interesting tidbits about the recording process, childhood musical memories, and a somewhat comical phobia.

Finally, Brooke plugs her latest single, "Radio Radio," and you should take her word on this: it's summery, folky,  and alt-country -- a little comfort in these hectic times.

+ Watch Brooke White's "Radio Radio" video after the jump!
Read more...

Tags American Idol, Brooke White, David Cook, Randy Jackson, the five

Welcome to the Twitterverse, David Cook! WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG? Oh well. Better late than never! I hope he Tweets about smart-guy stuff like reading books by Chuck Palahniuk.

Follow him at @TheDavidCook

Accept no David Cook imitations or substitutions!

Related Content Watch David Cooks Come Back To Me Video

Tags American Idol, David Cook, Twitter

Holy V-neck, Batman, I thought Zac Efron was putting out singles for a minute there. But it's actually a spruced-up John O'Callaghan of The Maine, and dude deserves a raise, because that blazer is looking all. right. on him. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed the entirety of The Maine in their airport appearances (as part of the band's tour diary from a few months back, trust me, the dance parties were memorable), but this new production goes the extra mile, I would say, to hold my attention.

And yes, The Maine's new video, "Into Your Arms," off Can't Stop Won't Stop, is set in an airport and runs backwards -- VERY MUCH like David Cook's "Come Back To Me" video! But what David Cook's video lacks that The Maine has in spades is John O'Callaghan's lip curl! Hearts!

Watch a (former? potential?) flame going backwards in time through extreme airport hell while the guys of The Maine remain cool amidst chaos. I feel for this girl. But at least her hair looks good. And she also has a really close encounter with John. Why doesn't that happen to me at LaGuardia!?

Tags David Cook, The Maine, video, Zac Efron

Like their Los Angeles hometown, it's always 70 degrees in the minds of hair metal band Steel Panther. It's also always approximately 1986.

Steel Panther, formerly Metal Skool, have been working L.A.'s notorious Sunset Strip harder than a stripper in stilettos, and they've accumulated more famous friends than you've got Facebook friends: Kelly Clarkson, Benji Madden, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Linkin Park's M. Shadows, David Cook, and scores of other celebrities have joined them on stage to cover '80s metal classics by Skid Row, Journey's epic "Don't Stop Believin'," and LOTS of Guns N' Roses. (Steel Panther's also responsible for the cover of Aldo Nova's "Fantasy" used as the theme song of Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory.)

Watch Stix Zadinia, Satchel, Michael Starr, and Lexxi Foxxx reveal five never-before-revealed things about Steal Panther -- including the unspeakable, peanut-butter-based things they'd like to your lady area -- in this groundbreaking episode of "The 5." (It's the first one we've ever had to age-restrict! RAWK!)

Like how that felt? Pick up Steel Panther's new album, Feel the Steel when it comes out in November.

+ Plus: Watch "Death to All But Metal" after the jump!

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Tags Avril Lavigne, Benji Madden, David Cook, Guns N' Roses, Journey, Kelly Clarkson, linkin park, Pink, Rob Dyrdek, Steel Panther, video

+ After battling cancer for eleven long years, Adam Cook (brother of American Idol winner David Cook) lost the fight on Saturday. Our thoughts are with the entire Cook family during this time. (People)

+ A morsel of (un)shocking news "came out" this weekend:  P!nk is -- wait for it -- BISEXUAL! <GASP!> (News Of The World)

+ If you ever thought your parents were weird, we guarantee that your mom wasn't playing "Naked Twister" while you had your friends over after school. Hot/Dirty Transformers star Shia LaBeouf's mom, however, was. P.S. and if he could marry his mother, he would! How 'bout THEM coconuts?? (Gabby Babble)

+ While her record label gets its s*** together, we applaud singer JoJo for deciding to take the bull by the horns and enroll at Boston's Northeastern University. She's double majoring in International Affairs and Anthropology, and no, she's not putting her career on hold. (Singersroom)

+ O.M.G. if you haven't already heard, some fanboy rushed the stage at Britney's concert at Mohegan Sun Arena in CT this weekend and tried to dance with her! We secretly applaud his valiant effort but remind everyone that what she does up there can't really be classified as dancing. It's more "softshoe." (IDLYITW)

+ Amy Winehouse was rushed to an emergency room in St. Lucia, where it was determined she was suffering from "dehydration." She doesn't seem to be a person that was ever "hydrated," does she? (PopCrunch)

+ Happy One Year Grossiversary, Mariah and Nick! Here's to hoping someone went "traditional" and gave you some paper masks while we ride this Piggy Flu out. (Seriously? OMG! WTF?)

+ Madonna and daughter Lourdes were among the celebs in attendance at Lady GaGa's NYC concert at Terminal 5 this past Friday. We're not sure how it could have topped her recent Philly show where she showed her cha-cha to the crowd, but... (PopCrunch)

Tags American Idol, Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, David Cook, JoJo, Lady Gaga, Lourdes, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon, P!nk, Shia LaBeouf, Transformers

I mean WHO? WHO? In their RIGHT OR LEFT MIND would LEAVE David Cook? SHAME ON YOU, Sarah Roemer, even though you're just PORTRAYING David Cook's lost love. Also, David, you are PHENOMENAL at playing piano in reverse and hailing a cab in the middle of the woods. (I can hardly get one in Times Square!) That takes SKILL! And, as always, David Cook, your soulful scruff is the picture of perfection!

Watch David Cook's visually arresting new video, "Come Back To Me," from his certified Platinum self-titled debut. The "Come Back To Me" video was shot at LAX airport -- Maroon 5 also shot their "Make Me Wonder" video there -- by Gavin Bowden (Lifehouse, Jason Mraz, Red Hot Chili Peppers).

Plus, watch David Cook answer Buzzworthy fan questions!

... And for more backwards videos, watch...
+ Coldplay | "The Scientist"
+ Cute Is What We Aim For | "Practice Makes Perfect"
+ The Academy Is | "Everything We Had"
+ The Pharcyde | "Drop"

Tags Coldplay, Cute Is What We Aim For, David Cook, Gavin Bowden, Jason Mraz, Lifehouse, Maroon 5, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Academy Is, The Pharcyde