May 2007 News Archive (Page 2)

How is Blake Lewis feeling following his second place finish on American Idol? Just dandy, thanks for asking. He speaks with MTV below...

MTV: Let's talk about the album. Any news on that?
Lewis: You know, I can only hope in the next, like, two weeks or before the tour that I get signed and get management. Things take [their] course, it seems, from the show. Hopefully I get represented by the creative people I surround myself with and get to make the album I've always wanted to. I've tried to stay true to myself this whole entire time, and I think I've represented myself as creatively as I could with what I got on the show. So I'm excited to do that even more so singing my own songs I've written and, you know, just be me 110 percent.

 MTV: We caught up with your parents on the red carpet and they were telling us all about some of the stuff that you have written. Can you fill us in?
Lewis: My style's like if you took Jamiroquai and mixed it with Citizen Cope. It's like G. Love & Special Sauce. It's more groove-oriented, danceable, though. I love electronic music, I love hip-hop and loop-based music. I want to do that, but I want do that on a more organic tip. You know, have my drummer come in, but then edit the drums and program them and make them crazy and tweak them out. Make a really good danceable, feel-good album, but with a really good jazzy, melodic twist on that.

MTV: If you had any dream collaborator in the studio, who would you pick?
Lewis: B.T. He's my favorite producer pretty much ever. I've been talking to him. He hasn't seen American Idol, but I opened for him a long time ago and he wanted to work a long time ago. And now we have the opportunity to maybe get together and work. It's not official, but I talked to him for a couple hours about it.
There's so many amazing producers out there that are more underground. I like DJ Shadow, I love Dan the Automator. Will.I.Am is an amazing producer, and he lives in that realm of hip-hop, dance and pop. ... I'd love to work with anyone that would really want to work with me. I'd love to work with Danger Mouse and Gnarls Barkley and Cee-Lo. Robin Thicke ... The possibilities are endless. I'm putting it out there. If you want to do something, call me!

MTV: We saw on the show that you were always rearranging stuff. Would you ever be interested in producing stuff yourself?
Lewis: I have my own studio at home. I haven't produced, obviously, on a larger scale, but I'd love to. I love making things. I love going from the improv realm and the more jazz-based instant creation, you know, being in front of an audience and creating for them. My music comes from that. All my stuff is live, and then I take it home and I rearrange it, then I write to live music I did in front of people. I'd love to do that with other artists.

MTV: What can we expect on the tour?
Lewis: Tour! Oh, I'm very excited about the tour, because I get to use my loop pedals and my guitar. We're all playing instruments this time. That's never been done before. I think maybe Chris Daughtry played some guitar last year. But everyone plays a different instrument, like Chris Richardson plays drums; he's been playing drums for, like, 15 years. Chris Sligh plays guitar, Phil Stacey can play keyboard, I play guitar and keyboard, bass.

For me, I'm excited because I'm gonna do a one-man band show because I have all my loop pedals from beatboxing and then I play guitar and sing over that, so I'm gonna do kind of like a little medley that I used to do — the only two songs that I used to ever cover. One of them I sang on the show.

MTV: Which one was that?
Lewis: [Maroon 5's] "She Will Be Loved." So I'll probably do that on tour. I have a really cool arrangement that I'd like to do.

Let's take a look at what went down behind the scenes of last night's final American Idol results show of the year...

The Grand Finale
Within minutes of his – and everyone's – hearing Ryan Seacrest announce Jordin Sparks as this year's American Idol, Blake Lewis was backstage, facing the press. "It's bittersweet right now," he said, "because it's over, and like three seconds before I got on the stage with Jordin at the end of the – it was just like, 'Oh, man, it's done. This is like the last moment I get to step on the American Idol stage, and the journey has truly been a blessing.' "

And just what was it Blake whispered in Jordin's era as Ryan's was breaking open the envelope? "I told her two things," said Blake. "I said, 'I love you, Jordin Sparks.' And I said, 'If it comes down to me singing this last song, will you do a duet with me?' "

Cutting a Rug
The American Idol Finale red carpet completely blanketed the Hollywood Walk of Fame – except for one particular star in the sidewalk: Ryan Seacrest's. A square hole was cut in the red carpet so everyone to see it. Everyone, that is, but Carrie Underwood, who was caught by surprise when she suddenly noticed the name – and then had to do a little hop, skip and a jump to avoid tripping on it.

Paula's Prediction
On the red carpet Paula Abdul rightly predicted Jordin Sparks would be victorious at the finale, but acknowledged that the female finalist had the upper hand when it came to the final song, "This Is My Now." "They shouldn't have given the same song to both male and female – it was more of a female song," Paula told People magazine. "What they've done the last few years is have songs written for the guys and songs written for the girls."

Mother Knows Best
Blake Lewis's mom agreed about her son's lineup for his final performance. "I liked the first two [songs] and the last one. I knew that he wasn't hot on it, and Jordin did a better job," she said. "[But] I love it when he does rock because I'm an old rocker, so that was cool. He does very little rock so I loved the Bon Jovi!"

The Roaring Crowd
A radiant and confident Jordin owned the carpet in her Badgley Mischka dress, shining above all else around her as she made her way past the media throng. For his arrival, Blake came in a sea of his top 12 Idols surrounding him like a human shield – while fans went crazy screaming his name. Also making their way into the foray: Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Hicks, Constantine, Mandisa and even more former Idols.

Teddy Bear Hug
Former Idol Ruben Studdard had nothing but good words for the two finalists. "I think they're both totally unique," said the Velvet Teddy Bear. "You know, Blake has that urban hip-hop flavor going for him. Jordin, you know, she's a cleancut young lady – very smooth."

Now that Jordin Sparks has won American Idol, she isn't exactly going to Disney World. But she is gonna share her thoughts on the experience below...

What was going through your mind right before Ryan Seacrest announced that you won?
I was standing up there and Blake Lewis was holding my hand and he was like, "I love you, sweetheart." I was like, "I love you too." He squeezed my hand and I knew whatever happened I'd be okay and everything would be fine. He's such a great supporter and so encouraging of me. I'm one of his biggest fans and he's one of mine. It turned out pretty cool, I guess!

You became very emotional during your last song, 'This Is My Now.' What were you feeling then?
It was a mix of a lot of things. I can't believe that it's over. It seems like years ago that I auditioned in Seattle, but at the same time it's gone by so fast. It was a mix of everything was ending and I don't know – the song is just so amazing. I looked up at all the people and I saw my parents sitting there and I realized that what I said I wanted to do a long time ago, I was doing it. And it just totally overcame me.

Are you ready to record your first album?
I might be getting some material during the [Idols Live] tour and then I guess right after I'll start working on that.

Will you write your own songs?
I would love to write. I've written a couple of songs but I don't know if they'll go on the album. But I've written and I hope I can write a little bit on my album.

Now that you've won and have a singing career ahead of you, how does college factor in?
I haven't graduated [high school] yet. I'm only a junior. I'm still working on it. During this whole process I've been doing at least three hours a day because that's what I'm required to do and it's been really cool. It's kept everything pretty normal. I'll do my school and then I'll go sing; I'll do my school and then I'll go get fitted in amazing dresses.

It's so crazy. I would love to go to college one day, but I'm kind of just thinking about the now. But education is important and I'm still getting it. I actually get out of school tomorrow!

Do you have a favorite performance?
I have no idea. I loved each and every performance that I did. There were some that I liked more than others. I think that I tried to top myself every performance. I liked them all. I don't regret anything.

Did you speak with Simon after tonight's show?
He was like, "Congratulations, Jordin. You deserved it." And I was like, "Thank you." And he gave me a hug and it was like, "Oh my God! Simon Cowell is hugging me!"

Continue Reading...

Recently, a pair of American Idols underwent significant changes. No, we don't mean the career boosts of Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis.

Kellie Pickler may - or, we suppose, may not have - gotten breast enhancements. We don't care much either way, but a lot has been made about this celebrity gossip rumor.

It is a fact, however, that Elliott Yamin improved his crooked teeth a few months back. You can see the evidence below and respond to this question: Who looks better?

It was a weird night that featured Joe Perry rocking out with Sanjaya Malakar.

In the end, though, viewers got it right: Jordin Sparks was named season six's American Idol.

The results weren't really in doubt after Jordin outperformed Blake Lewis by such a wide margin on Tuesday night, but there was still tension as Ryan Seacrest drew out the announcement at the end of the two-hour show.

Blake handled it like a true gentlemen and we have no doubt each singer will have a great career. Congrats to them both!

Before the winner of American Idol is crowned tonight, let's go back stage at last night's performances. We thank People magazine for the report...

Blake's VIP Treatment
Thirty minutes before the show started, Blake Lewis, rockin' his performance gear, made an appearance in the FOX VIP room in the Kodak Theatre lobby. The room lit up as the finalist was escorted in, looking cool as ice despite having to get onstage and take on Jordin Sparks moments later. Blake, who was all smiles, greeted guests, shaking hands as he made his way around the room.

The Idols
Johnny the warm-up guy led the cheers and jeers at the Kodak Theatre Tuesday night. With the clock counting down to show time, he introduced the top 10 (minus two), sending the crowd into hysterics as Haley Scarnato, Melinda Doolittle, Chris Sligh, Sanjaya Malakar, Phil Stacey (wearing his black and white sailor suit), Gina Glocksen, Brandon Rogers, Stephanie Edwards and Chris Richardson made their way into the room.

And this group, who will hit the road for the American Idols Live tour this summer, couldn't have been a happier, more easy-going bunch.

They should be dancing
When it was time to introduce the judges, band leader Ricky Minor had a little surprise up his sleeve: When Simon Cowell came out wearing, rather than his signature tight tee, a discoed-out black suit with a white shirt unbuttoned down to his "cleavage" (as Ryan Seacrest would later joke), Minor and band played "You Should Be Dancing" by the Bee Gees, replacing the lyrics with "It's Simon Cowell, yeah."

But, of course, Simon and Randy Jackson were already in their seats, with no sign of Paula Abdul. No problem: Minor and crew had some lyrics for that as well, adding "where's Paula Abdul? Where's Paula Abdul?" And, finally, Ryan, who is always on cue and on time, got a little theme too as he made his way onto the stage: "What you doin' Seacrest, yeah? It's Ryan Seacrest, yeah!"

Ryan, Ryan
After Ryan introduced Simon Cowell as "Simon Cleavage" and said on live TV, "So the bitch is okay?" to Paula Abdul after she explained how she'd tripped over her female dog, it was revealed that Ryan's parents were in the house. "The Seacrest family is here," said Johnny the warm-up guy. "Big round of applause for Mom and Dad!" Aww ... Ryan smiled as he headed over to do his next monologue right next to his folks. But true to form, he didn't let their presence hold him back, continuing to make often risqué quips on and off screen.

TV Dads
Ricky Schroder was in the audience with his wife Andrea, daughter Cambrie and sons Holden and Luke, as was Heroes' Greg Grunberg, with his wife Elizabeth and their sons Jack, Sam and Ben. During one commercial break, Schroder, holding his daughter's hand, went up to shake hands with and chat with the judges.

Chris Daughtry Comes 'Home'
Fans have heard the song "Home" all season each time one of the finalists was given their walking papers, but tonight, to the crowd's delight, former Idol Chris Daughtry gave a live performance of the song that even the judges had to stand up for. Audience members, including Denise Richards and Marlee Matlin, cheered and gave Daughtry and his band a standing ovation.

On Tuesday night's performance show, Jordin Sparks got all choked up while singing "This Is My Now," the song she will record if she wins American Idol.

The touching song was written by Seattle songwriters Scott Krippayne and Jeff Peabody, the winners of American Idol's first-ever songwriting competition.

According to FOX, Scott is a professional songwriter and Jeff is a full-time pastor. The writing team won the competition after 25,000 submissions and more than 500,000 votes.

For winning the contest, they earned a publishing deal with 19 Entertainment.

Blake Lewis seems like a really nice guy. And we have no doubt he'll succeed in the music business.

But viewers and critics around the country are in agreement, after last night's three performances, regarding who should be crowned American Idol: Jordin Sparks. Here's what many had to say after the show last night:

Simon Cowell (to Jordin): You just wiped the floor with Blake.

USA Today: Jordin Sparks can handle a saccharine ballad with ease, and even threw in a little extra artificial sweetener by sobbing a bit to finish it up — but not before she had soared through the chorus and hit a crowd-pleasing glory note toward the end.

TV Guide: Jordin's slated for the big win. That's my story and I'm sticking with it! Jordin is my pick. After all, it is a singing competition.

People magazine (regarding the final song:) [Jordin] just stood there, opened her mouth and out came beautiful music colored with emotion. She somehow infused the song with radiance and strength.

One final time this season, let's hear from TV Guide's American Idol experts:

TVGuide.com: What's going through the finalists' heads right now?
Rosanna Tavarez: "I hope I win, I hope I win.... " [Laughs] "I hope I don't forget words during the finals."

TVGuide.com: Is it likely that at some point they'll freak out?
Rosanna: Of course they're going to. They're going to go to the Kodak Theatre and it's down to the two of them, so for sure they're nervous.

TVGuide.com: Our TVGuide.com poll had 68 percent of people "very shocked" to see Melinda Doolittle go, and 16 percent "somewhat shocked." In which camp did you fall?
Rosanna: Somewhat shocked. I know that Blake's got a lot of the chick vote, the girls who think he's cute and is "the next Justin Timberlake." Jordin also has a lot of the young crowd. Melinda's appeal is definite, but I'm not sure if she appeals to a lot of younger people in the audience.

TVGuide.com: Have you heard anything about the original song that will be part of each finalist's set this week?
Rosanna: The one from the songwriting challenge? It's supposed to be very inspiring — like every year.

TVGuide.com: Will it have some title like, "If Dreams Were Made of Candy-colored Wings"?
Rosanna: If it were called that, I would have to.... [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Do you think Blake Lewis has any chance to pull an upset and win this thing?
Rosanna: Oh, he definitely has a chance. This is the second season where I feel I have no clue who's going to win.

TVGuide.com: I was looking at the past five finals. We had Kelly and Justin, of course, then Ruben versus Clay, Fantasia versus Diana, Carrie against Bo, and then Taylor versus Kat. Of the six seasons to date, which do you think was the hardest to call?
Rosanna: I think the hardest was Ruben and Clay, because Clay was insanely popular — and still is. People weren't sure which way that was going to go.

TVGuide.com: Complete this sentence: "If Blake loses, it will be because... "
Rosanna: "He beatboxed in every song — even the ballad." [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: And "If Jordin loses, it will be because... "
Rosanna: Oh, lord... I don't know. Because Blake beatboxed? [Laughs]

TVGuide.com: Who do you think has the most to gain from winning?
Rosanna: Blake. Definitely. I feel like Jordin is already a winner.

TVGuide.com: That her inevitable album is already presold, but Blake's needs that extra shot in the arm?
Rosanna: Yeah, it could use a little boost.

Things are getting intense before tonight's American Idol season finale: Paula Abdul recently broker her nose.

No, the judge wasn't drunk. She simply took a tumble over the weekend as she tried to avoid trampling one of her pooches, her rep told E! News.

"She tripped to avoid stepping on Tulip, one of her Chihuahuas," the rep said. "She is fine. This will have no effect whatsoever on her appearance on American Idol tomorrow and Wednesday for the finale."

The rep added that Abdul was not hospitalized for her injury.