Tag Archive for 'American Idol'

LIVE THE DREAM WITH UNIVISION

Published by Rainy on August 21, 2009 in Artist News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

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Tonight is the series premiere of Univision’s unique new talent/reality series *¡Viva El Sueño! (Live The Dream). At first this may seem like another American Idol-type competition but there is a twist.

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Viva will run for 13 weeks and feature 14 contestants; one of which is actually a 4 piece group, Zone D’ Tambora— the only band among those competing. The show aims to do something a little different from the usual “unknowns compete to get known” programs. These artists are actually professional Latin musicians, competing for stardom in front of industry professionals and a TV audience. While the contestants are already making a living making music, they want to take the next step.

The show will be hosted by Cristián de la Fuente and Carolina Guerra, two well-known faces in the Latin media. Joining them will be judges Enrique Santos, Raúl Brindis, and Stephanie Homindis, who will be critiquing the performers and helping the TV audience choose their favorites.

Don’t miss this exciting premiere- tune into Univision tonight at 8/7 Central. Until then you can get ready by checking out some of the current Fan favorites in Latin:

*Click here to read more about the show in English.

TALENT, COMPETITION, AND SCANDAL: AMERICAN IDOL IN ITS FINAL WEEKS

Published by Rainy on May 11, 2009 in In the News and Pop. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The events of this coming week on American Idol will determine which two contestants go head-to-head for the big win. Just a few days ago we said goodbye to 16 year old Allison Iraheta, who was the last girl left in the competition. Though going home a runner-up on the show doesn’t mean the end of a singing career, it’s no secret that everyone’s going for the gold. Right now we’re down to three very different guys, each with their own appeal and style:

Danny Gokey

danny-gokey-b1He’s adorable, he’s friendly, and he’s got a compelling backstory. This 28 year old has been a fan favorite since day 1, with undeniably solid talent that made him stand out from the crowd during his Milwaukee, Wisconsin audition. Very tragically, Danny’s wife passed away not too long ago. His early interviews on the show were frequently interrupted by emotion as he explained how he had decided to go on with his audition in her memory.

Danny always seems shocked and humbled to be doing so well on the show. He’s been labeled by some as the “good Christian boy,” a music minister involved with Faith Builders International. (Yeah, that’s him on the homepage.) Recently there has been a sort of mini-scandal, fueled mainly by a couple of internet sources, over Danny’s… eyewear? Honestly, if the worst debate critics can start is whether or not you might be secretly working for LensCrafters, you don’t have too much to worry about.

Adam Lambert

adam-lambertIt comes as no shock whatsoever that Adam Lambert has made it this far. A 26 year old Hollywood native, Adam is no stranger to the stage. He’s been singing and acting his whole life; you might be able to tell by his killer stage presence and unbelievable vocal range. This guy’s got PIPES! Week after week it seems like the judges just can’t get enough of his flashy performances and huge notes.

During the show’s first weeks, Adam was just the colorful contestant wearing the guyliner and skinny jeans. As always, of course, with increased interest in his talent comes increased interest in his personal life. Adam has become this season’s ambiguous intrigue, with fans and non-fans alike speculating, “Is he gay?” (He lists Freddie Mercury as a favorite singer!) “Or is he just well-dressed and extremely colorful?” (He also lists Lenny Kravitz!) Whatever the case, everyone will forget they cared (if they really do) in a few weeks when Adam is the new American Idol or a close runner-up.

Kris Allen

kris-allen3Kris Allen has a tough road ahead of him over the coming week, given the dubious honor of competing with the two people everyone always suspected would make it to the end. Perhaps it’s a blessing: the expectations aren’t on him to take it all. That means less pressure, and that can mean an even better performance. Since it’s all about the votes at this point, Kris might just pull through to be the true “dark horse” of the competition. He’s the youngest of the remaining contestants, a 23 year old from Conway, Arkansas.

Kris Allen doesn’t have any scandals attached to his name. Some might say that means that the public is less interested in him, but it also means that he hasn’t already been labeled as one thing or another. No one thinks they have Kris all figured out. We’ll have to leave it up to his performances this week to determine his fate on the show.

Don’t miss this week’s episodes of American Idol, Tuesday at 8/7c and Wednesday at 9/8c on Fox. Tickets are on sale now for the 2009 American Idol Tour happening this summer.

LADY GAGA AND KELLY CLARKSON PERFORM FOR RECORDING ACADEMY MEMBERS IN BOSTON

Published by KB@OS on May 5, 2009 in Artist News and Pop. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

T-Mobile and the Recording Academy took over Boston hot spot House of Blues throwing an invite-only extravaganza. The purpose was to promote the Sidekick™ as well as the organization that produces the GRAMMY®. Recently the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy has formed a Boston Committee in the hopes of nationally uniting both industry and musicians while informing them of the member benefits. And membership has its privileges. Last night members were treated to performances by host Blake Lewis, Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson. Production, staging and VIP hospitality were top notch for this Pop spectacular.

American Idol Season Six runner-up Blake Lewis spun iPod tracks, twittered and beat boxed as the entertaining Master of Ceremonies. The event itself demonstrated the inspirational spectrum of popular music, featuring “one-of-us” success story stars, Lewis and Clarkson, juxtaposed with the dues-paid breakout artist, Lady Gaga.

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Gaga’s career started behind the scenes working at Interscope Records, where she penned songs for acts such as the Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears and Fergie; all the while performing her own music throughout NYC.  She signed to Def Jam after record exec L.A. Reid overheard her signing down the hallway from his office. She was soon dropped but continued to hone her sound and burlesque performance style in clubs until she was once again spotted and signed to Interscope in 2008.

Last night Lady Gaga delivered a performance that showed she was deserving of the spotlight. She is a true entertainer, delivering a show filled with avant-garde fashion, dance, and video montage. But she is also a powerful vocalist and talented musician. These talents were best demonstrated through the piano-accompanied debut of a new song “Future Of” intertwined with vox-and-keys-only version of “Poker Face.” However it was her chart-toping electronic dance songs that turned the audience out.

clarksonAmerica’s sweetheart, and most success Idol, Kelly Clarkson closed the night with a set jammed-packed with her chart topping singles. Clarkson’s celebrity status continues to capture US audiences who can relate to the chanteuse’s pre- Idol financial hardship and family struggles. Regardless of personal opinions one may have about the Idol franchise, few can deny her inspirational rise to fame.

Clarkson, looking over a zealous audience of fans singing the lyrics to all of her songs, appeared as if she was just another young fan at a concert. Her ordinary identity yet diva talents were displayed as she performed hits such as “Walk Away”, “Never Again” and “Because Of You.” Clarkson’s vocal stylings were reminiscent of Janis Joplin’s, while also evocative of present day trendsetter Gwen Stefani. However, Kelly Clarkson’s demeanor was very much the pretense-free girl from Burleson, Texas, albeit one with seven year’s studio and tour experience.

The evening’s talents represented some of The Recording Academy’s most successful members and served as a warm welcome to some of Boston’s newest members. For information on how artists, industry, and aspiring college students (whether performance or industry driven) can become members of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) visit the GRAMMY’s website.

Life After Idol

Published by admin on March 11, 2009 in Artist News and Pop. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

It may be hard to believe, but there is a place other than OurStage where aspiring stars have gone to see how they measure up against others. A place where they perform, compete, rock out, let loose, and petition for your votes. It is called American Idol, (or so I’ve been told)… anyone heard of it? This guy has:

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His name is Chris Richardson and his track “Damm Thing” recently landed in February’s Top 10 Pop chart on OurStage. It’s not the first time he’s been in the spotlight; Chris came in 5th on Season 6 of American Idol. That’s no small feat! Any of you who has watched the show has seen the long lines and rooms filled with seemingly endless hoards of anxious contestants. Season 6 actually marked the third time Chris auditioned for Idol. It was finally his year to shine, and a lot of people took notice. While on the show, Chris often received comparisons to Justin Timberlake, whom he had listed as one of his favorite male singers along with Jason Mraz, James Brown, and Michael Jackson.

Armed with this powerhouse list of influences, Chris has a style all his own that has helped his fanbase grow and grow. “Damm Thing” is ready to be a radio hit with solid vocals and acoustic guitar reminiscent of late nights in a Spanish café. Be on the lookout for Chris Richardson; you’ll be seeing his face around. More importantly, you’ll be hearing his music.

Want to be the judge and decide for yourself? Judge the Pop Channel on OurStage this week to tell us if you think he belongs at the top of the charts and catch him live next month in Richmond and NYC:
March 16th: The Canal Club Richmond, Virginia
March 20th: The Canal Room New York City, New York

Daily Dose: Friday, October 24th

Published by Andrew on October 24, 2008 in Artist News. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

  • It’s been online for a while, but the timing has never been better. With the election around the corner, and Halloween a week away, you simply have to watch the clever musical Barackula.