Posts Tagged ‘Blake Lewis’
American Idol Finale Red Carpet
May 21st, 2009 / Author: OK! Staff
Blake Lewis Dropped By Label
June 26th, 2008
Another one bites the dust.
Former American Idol finalist Blake Lewis has been dropped from his record label, Arista Records, a mere six months after his debut album, A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream), hit shelves.
"Arista Records will not be picking up Blake’s option and we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors," the label tells OK!. "Blake is still with 19 Recordings."
19 Recordings, the entertainment company behind American Idol, manages the careers of many of the show’s alumni.
Blake revealed he was let go during an interview on MJ’s big blog, but isn’t bitter about the split.
"I think it’s a great thing," he said. "I never really wanted to be with a major label. I wanted to be with an independent record label, but…after American Idol, I was kind of forced into the deal, which is good because…I still got 80 percent control of my record and make a record that I was really proud of. But I wasn’t really happy."
Released in December, A.D.D. opened at No. 10 on Billboard, but subsequent sales have been tepid. The disc is now sitting just shy of 300,000 copies. To put the number in perspective, that’s only about 5,000 more copies sold than William Hung’s 295,000 total. However, Blake doesn’t see the album as a failure.
"I didn’t really have a single that did well on the radio and I still sold 300,000," he said. "I think it’s a huge success for me, so I think it went great. People are still picking up the record."
The 26-year-old beatboxer now joins Katharine McPhee, Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks — the former, a runner up; the latter two, AI winners — on the label-less sidelines.
Alumni Returns!
March 3rd, 2008
The last time Blake Lewis was on the American Idol stage, he was being told that the audience had decided that the recording contract should go to his rival, Jordin Sparks. But he’s being given the chance to climb up there once more—and this time, no one can vote him off.
Blake, 26, was adored by fans and mesmerized audiences by ripping up classic songs with his beatboxing skills. Now the singer from Redmond, Washington, is ready to release his debut album, Audio Day Dream, and he’s returning to Idol as an alum to perform his new single, "How Many Words," live on the March 6 show.
Meanwhile, it has also been announced that another AI vet is coming back to the show on something of a more permanent basis. Producers have picked the new single from season two winner Ruben Studdard as the "farewell song" for this season. His version of Kenny Loggins’ "Celebrate Me Home" will send the fallen Idols on their way as we watch the highlights from their Idol experience. We wonder if it will make that farewell any easier, listening to a former winner’s eighth single bidding them good-bye?
More Idol Classics
February 28th, 2008
Blake Lewis
January 3rd, 2008
Blake Lewis on Life After American Idol
January 3rd, 2008 / Author: cwillett
It’s been a year since Blake Lewis beatboxed his way into America’s heart. Since his second-place finish on American Idol, the 26-year-old has toured the states with his season six crew and released his first album, Audio Day Dream. But even with all the big breaks, Blake tells OK! he’s still the same old guy from Seattle.
"I think my environments change around me, but I never change," he tells OK!. "I’m trying to promote this record, which is me, not ‘Blake Lewis from American Idol.’"
Blake is also quick to extract himself from another AI link — a romance with champ Jordin Sparks. While rumors abound that things are heating up between the two, he says that couldn’t be further from the truth.
"Are you kidding?" he says. "I’m 10 years older than her… It’s so funny. It’s like [fakes a lisp], ‘Oh, my god, they’re holding hands, they’re so dating!’"
So what does he look for in a girl?
"I’m a Baskin-Robbins kind of guy — 31 flavors, you know? I like girls who are outgoing, independent and can handle my cheesy humor."
For more on Blake, check out the newest issue of OK!, on newsstands now.
OK! Exclusive Interview: Jordin Sparks
November 19th, 2007 / Author: cwillett
supreme on American Idol this past season, becoming the show’s youngest champ
in the process, embarked on a hit summer tour with her AI buds and her self-titled debut album hits stores tomorrow. And she’s not even 18 yet! The teen phenom took time out of her busy schedule to chat with OK! about her new disc, saving herself for marriage, the pressure to be thin and why her AI experience was “traumantic.”
HER ALBUM
What’s the most personal song on your album?
I co-wrote a song called “Freeze” and there’s another song
called “Worth the Wait” that I co-wrote. I think it’s a bonus song on the
Wal-Mart album that’s going to come out.
Those two are very personal to me because “Freeze” is about
freezing the moment and memorizing every detail and trying to remember
everything about that time, which really applies to what I’m going through
because everything has gone by so fast and I can’t remember some of the stuff
that I’ve done.
“Worth the Wait” is about when that one person comes it’s
worth it. I’m glad you waited for me and I waited for you.
That song’s really personal too.
There’s another song that I didn’t write but it really
applies to me and I’m so glad they included it on the album. It’s called “God
Loves Ugly,” and I’m so excited I got it on the album. It talks about how no
matter what you feel like, no matter what you’re going through, no matter
what’s going on, if you have a blemish — if your teeth are messed up, if you
have a bad hair day — God takes that and he turns that into something beautiful
no matter what.
If you could freeze one moment, what would it be?
Being on the tour. The opening night of the tour this year
and the last night of the tour this year were both really, really amazing. We
were like, “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” The last night, we were like, “I
can’t believe it’s already over.” Probably if I could just remember a little
bit more of what went on. There were so many good times that happened on tour,
and the show went by so fast too. I would love to be able to go back and soak
it up a little bit more.
Any wild tour requests?
Not really. The funny thing is people are like, “You just
want green M&Ms” and I’m like, “No, but I only like green gummy bears.” I
don’t mind. They can give me a bag of gummy bears and I’ll pick out the green
ones.
SAVING HERSELF FOR LOVE
You were saying that “Worth the Wait” is very personal. Were
you in a relationship that that song is about?
No, I haven’t been in a relationship but I did take a stand
to remain pure until I was married. They were like, “What do you want to write
about?” and I was like, “Can we write about that, but not so in-your-face?” It’s
about a girl saying, “Wait for me. It’ll be worth it. Wait until I’m ready.” It’s a pretty song. I’m really glad I got it on there.
Why is it important to you to wait until you’re married?
It just makes sense. For me, I’m thinking how great it’s
going to be to give my heart fully to that one guy once he comes along, instead
of handing my heart in pieces to different guys. It makes sense to me. It’s
very important to me.
I didn’t date before the show, and I still haven’t been on
my first date yet anyway, so I don’t really know what I’m missing. I’m like, “It’s okay,” and I feel like it’s important for me and how I feel about myself to
just remain that way.
How might a guy get your attention?
They have to be really, really funny. Humor is a huge, huge
plus for me. I love being able to laugh. I laugh all the time, and I’m really
dorky and nerdy. I love to make people laugh, and I’m really random all the
time. I guess they kind of have to be that way too. They have to be cute. You
have to be attracted to them. Just nice, sweet, outgoing and respectful.
Any celebrities you have your eye on?
All of them are pretty much taken. Brad Pitt is very
cute and he’s way too old for me, but he’s very, very good-looking. He’s very
nice to look at. Maybe Jake Gyllenhaal? He’s funny sometimes. Jim Carrey is one… I would love to marry him.
HER DIET
How do you cope with the pressure to be stick-thin?
I really think that
needs to get over that. I’m just saying! I kind of thought it was really dumb
before, anyway, before I got into all this. I’m still the same. I’m not going
to change just because you have this image of somebody and how they need to
look, because I will never look like that. I would probably fall over if the
wind blew if I was that skinny. I can’t help it. I love food and I love my
curves. I’m very strong-willed and I’m stubborn in that sense to where I’m just
like “no, I won’t be that way.” I definitely do like exercise. I like to eat
right. It’s all about being healthy. The stick-thin thing, I’m kind of just
like “not gonna do it” and I couldn’t.
Do you follow a special diet and exercise regimen?
Well, before the show started and before the tour, because
everything has been so crazy, I’ve kind of been out of it for awhile. Before I
was hiking the mountain every morning and I was going to spin class every
night. It was all about portion control. I was trying to do portion
control but it’s kind of hard to do that because I need a little more
self-discipline than I have. [Laughs] I
eat salads, steaks and good stuff, and I’m trying to cut out soda but it’s kind
of hard. That’s what I was doing, and I’m trying to get back into it. Since
everything has been so crazy and sometimes I don’t really have time to go out
and drive to the gym, I’ll just do some sit-ups in my room, jump rope in my
room a little bit, to get that cardio in, and then just trying to eat right.
I’m trying to get back into it.
During the holidays when you’re eating all this great food,
is there anything special you do to stay in shape?
Sadly, no, because just from past years, all I want to do is have a good time and not have to worry about it,
but I’m going to have to this year. I think I’ll be at home, so I’ll probably
hike the mountain in the morning and my aunt is a trainer up at the gym. If
she’s still doing that, I’ll probably go up there with her and do spin class
again.
AMERICAN IDOL
Which American Idol is your idol, and why?
I love all the past winners, and no offense to the guys,
but Carrie Underwood, Fantasia and Kelly Clarkson just are amazing. Everything they have gone
through, they’ve sold millions and millions of albums worldwide and then on top
of that, there’s so many things they’ve gotten to do. I mean, Fantasia’s on
Broadway doing The Color Purple and she is phenomenal. I got a chance to go see
it. She is amazing. I was like, “Uh! I want to be like this.” I want to be able
to do more than just sing, because singing is always going to be my number-one
love, but to be able to act and dancing at the same time? It would be amazing.
Carrie is just so dang sweet, didn’t she win Female Vocalist
of the Year again at the CMAs? It’s just crazy to win awards like that.
Of course, Kelly, she’s the first Idol and she just set the
bar for all of us. I really, really look up to her too.
Who do you keep in touch with from your season?
Oh my gosh, all of them! I talked to Blake Lewis and Chris Richarsdon three
days ago, I talked to Melinda Doolittle yesterday, I saw Gina Glocksen last week because I was
doing promo in
so I got to spend time with her. We went and got coffee. I talked to Sanjaya Malakar a
little bit ago. I keep in touch with all of them.
What advice would you give this season’s contestants?
Buy a digital camera. You’re going to need one. Just make
sure you have fun with the season. Take it seriously, but not so seriously that
you forget why you’re doing it and why you’re singing, which is because you
love it. There were times when I was like, “Oh my gosh, why … ?” and I really
had to sit and think and I was just like, “Yeah, I’m doing this because I want
to do it and because I love it.” Just remember that you love what you’re doing
and make sure you’re you, as cliché as that sounds. Be you.
Biggest challenge you’ve overcome?
Being on the show was really crazy and exciting and slightly
traumatic all at once. The fact that I had to do school up [to] three hours a
day and be up earlier than everyone else on top of the crazy schedule we had, I
had to do school plus everything else. It was really crazy and I’m really proud
of myself that I did that because it was really crazy and draining at the same
time because by the time that was over I was tired and I didn’t really want to
do anything else. But it was okay.
The other time I guess would be doing the tour and having to
record at the same time because I’m still new to this. I’m sure people do it
all the time but for me, I’ve never sang that much in my life continuously — it was eight songs a night, five nights a
week — and then on my days off, when I was supposed to be resting, I was
singing all day long. It was very crazy and it was very trying but it was good.
WINDING DOWN
How do you like to relax?
I love to pick up a good book and get lost in it. I’m a
reading freak. I love to read. Sometimes I’ll have four books I’ve started all
at once. I love playing my guitar and just writing some poems about whatever’s
on my mind.
Best book you’ve read recently?
I’m in the middle of a book called River God by Wilbur
Smith. It’s something my grandpa gave to me. He’s like, “
you ever read these?” I said, “No, papi, I haven’t read these yet.” And then
he’s like, “Okay, you have to read them.” He’s been telling me that for a couple
years. Finally I’m like, “Okay, papi, I’ll read it.” He gave it to me, and it’s
pretty good so far.
What’s something we don’t know about you?
I can walk on my toes. Ever since I was little, I would just
walk around on them. My mom would be like, “You are a freak of nature, Jordin.” And I’d be like, “I know.”
Would you like to act?
I would love to. Before I even did American Idol, when I was
12 is when I first started to perform and I did some musical theater. It was
really fun. I joined the drama club when I got into high school. I love to act, so
it would be really fun if I could act in a movie maybe one day. It would be a
blast.
What’s your dream role?
Probably playing a daughter or a friend. I don’t know if I
could do a main role, it just depends what people think or how they can see me.
It would be really cool to do an animated movie where I can do some voiceovers
or something like that. That would be very cool.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 to 10 years?
I hope I will have been successful, sold a couple million
records, maybe have a couple Grammys, have a really loving boyfriend or family,
depending on what happens, and I don’t know! I want to be happy in 5 to 10 years.
By Valerie Nome
Ashlee’s Scared of Idol’s Blake
October 18th, 2007
Ashlee Simpson’s long-awaited follow-up to I Am Me is going to be delayed because she wasn’t want to go head to head on Nov. 27 with American Idol Blake Lewis, 26.
In a moment of the pot calling the kettle black, “Ashlee hates American idol, and thinks the show makes stars of nobodies, taking credibility away from real musicians,” a source told OK! of the former MTV reality star turned pop star.
The source added, “They’re figuring out the release date, but it should be at the end of December. She doesn’t want to compete with crazy Idol fans.”
Although her website simultaneously declares the album’s release date to be November and December. Ashlee’s rep tells OK!, “There was never a date set, so it couldn’t have been pushed back.”
