One of the more fascinating elements of the American Idol phenomenon for me is watching the chart success (or failure, in most cases) once they leave the show. This becomes even more interesting for me because I have rarely picked the winner early on, because I’m going off of who fits my taste, rather than America’s as a whole. While there have been some no-brainers (Carrie Underwood, anyone?), who would have picked Jordin or Kris to win it all back in the audition process?
It’s a given at this point that the winner and runner-up will get a record deal, and then a few more trickle down through the Top 10. It may surprise some of you to know that the Country artists actually have some of the best track records on the show, with artists like Phil Stacey, Kristy Lee Cook, Josh Gracin, Bucky Covington, and Kellie Pickler all getting signed to deals. Success hasn’t always followed them, though. There’s a promo CD of Kristy’s holding up a table in the stock room of a record shop somewhere in America at this very moment.
As you can see above, Jordin is ready for war on her 2nd release Battlefield, which will hit stores July 21st. [Side note: is that really a flattering album cover for a 19-year-old?] Besides working with Stargate again, Jordin also brings on hitmakers Ryan Tedder and T-Pain to deliver the hits. The single of the same name (produced by Tedder) debuted strong a few weeks ago, but has dropped back a bit due to the first-week sales burst from appearing on American Idol. I have no doubt it’s going to rebound, and you’ll hear it all over the place this summer, as it is rapidly gaining at Top 40 radio. But is that enough to propel the full-length to a strong debut next month? The timing seems good, but we’ll have to see what type of promotional push she gets. “Tattoo” was a slow-builder (eventually going Platinum), but it did a great job of setting the stage for “No Air” to blow sky high. Personally, I’m reserving judgment until I hear samples of the other tracks.
Next stop on the Sophomore Express is Leave This Town, the second release for fourth-place Chris Daughtry and his eponymous band. Billboard declared his debut CD the fastest-selling debut rock record of the Soundscan era, and the numbers bear that out. #1 for two weeks, over 4 million sold and counting, and five Top 25 hits, including two Top fives (“It’s Not Over” and “Home”). It would be an understatement to say that RCA is banking on a huge opening week for this when it hits shelves on July 14th, but I honestly can’t think of a clearer sure-shot hit for the month of July than this one. First single “No Surprise” doesn’t stray far from the first record’s formula, and has already conquered multiple formats. Chris would have to go on a killing spree in a Baptist church in order to kill the momentum he’s currently got.
For every sure-fire Idol hit, there are going to be multiple non-starters, and Elliott Yamin’s 2nd CD falls into that category. Coming off of a surprise hit debut, which sold close to 100,000 units in its first week, Fight for Love hasn’t even come close. The record debuted mid-May at 26, but the sales were only a fraction of the first record, and the first single (also called “Fight for Love”) didn’t even dent the Hot 100. I’ve got the CD, and it’s one of my favorites for the year so far, but I thought “Fight” was the record’s best shot at a Top 40 hit, so this disc might already be over and done. That’s a shame, because Elliott is really finding his own identity and sound, and it would be a big loss if he doesn’t get to keep evolving that.
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i have to tells ya, that elliot yamsforpudding song is really growing on me. And yes might work for shayne ward. But Battlefield – well it has all been done before by Mr Tedder, but so was Since You’ve Been Gone and they are both marvelous.
Yeah…I think some folks are having the same reservations about “Battlefield” that other people had about “My Life Would Suck”. Good call! For some reason, I just think this is a better song than some of the other tracks it is being compared to (most notably “Halo”).
Jordin’s pic is not flattering. Are they trying to make her look like a cougar or something??
I honestly have no idea what they were thinking. It’s a horrible cover.
“Over and done?” Oh, no, NOT YET! As Elliott says, this is not a race but a marathon! Everyone else is suffering in the biting recession, and Elliott is doing just fine, with much less overhead than the majors. Re Top 40, everything there is crap, and it badly needs a dose of Yamin’s ethereal artistry.
And did you know that Elliott Yamin is NUMBER ONE in Japan at this very moment?
My concern right now is with how the promotion has been set up. For example, the video is terrific, but it came easily a month after the single was serviced to radio. I hope the record catches fire, but the odds of it doing so right now aren’t looking too great.
I love Elliott’s new CD, too. As an independent artist, it’s really tough for him to get any radio play these days. It’s a crying shame how they ignore any artists not with a “major” label. I’ve also seen him in concert, and he gives an incredible live performance — so much passion, energy and intensity. Most of the Top 40 artists today just fail without Auto-tune. I hope radio will give him a break, because his voice needs to be heard!!
Cathy, no argument at all about his passion and pure talent. I’m glad he went the independent route, since he probably got paid from his debut, which many Idol artists probably don’t.
I respect Elliot for going the indie route. It’s more about his voice than his material anyhow. His video is all over Vh1…I adore “Battlefield” and kind of at a lost that it’s not firing up the radio charts. I don’t know what the public is thinking. First V Factory and now this? But…I’m keeping the faith. I’m very excited for her upcoming album. I wasn’t keen on Daughtry’s new single but I ended up adoring their debut so…only time will tell.
I don’t watch VH1 anymore, so I didn’t know the video was getting a lot of play. It’s actually REALLY well done. And Battlefield is picking up some momentum, so fingers crossed.
I think I know what killed Elliot’s new record… one word: MULLET!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, I noticed that, too. Not really crazy about it, either.
I bought Elliott Yamin’s sophomore CD “Fight For Love” and love every single track and some of the bonus tracks. It’s amazing that music of this calibur is just totally missing out on the charts. The radio isn’t playing the tunes so who is buying. But I gotta tell ya, those who haven’t taken the time to listen to the music, are truly missing out. Dude, don’t be hatin’ on the mullet!!! He’s adorable no matter what!!!!
This CD is much more solid and consistent than the first one, and as I said before, he’s really finding his own voice.
To be honest, I try to avoid the American Idol alumni like the plague. That shows seems to produce the most boring, soulless individuals on the music scene.
I’m not a fan of Jordin’s new song. It’s a rude re-hash of Beyonce’s “Halo”, only without B’s beautiful voice. As for Daughtry, I couldn’t name a single song of his – so I can’t judge.
I did like Elliot’s “Wait For You” but I haven’t heard anything from his new album. Is it really worth hunting down?
See, I actually think “Battlefield” is a better-written song, and while Jordin’s voice is nowhere near Be’s, she’s really shown some growth since the first CD. As for Elliott, this CD goes in a more R&B direction, and I think it suits him well. Whether you should spend your hard-earned money on it depends on if you would like that direction.
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I like following the Idol finalists too, even though I haven’t watched the show in years. I like to follow those who actually crossover from being successful TV stars to being successful music stars. Also, I agree the cover is bad, but maybe that’s a good sign: The cover of Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway wasn’t very flattering either.
I agree…it’s almost like a reality show continued. Why haven’t they done one following a couple of mid-pack contestants?