The Video and Backlash

In the wake and backlash of Adam Lambert's controversial performance at the AMA's his label has released the video to accompany his first single, "For Your Entertainment". The video, however, features no man-on-man action, leaving me to wonder why he didn't just opt for a similar performance to mimic the video - it would have given him more range to showcase his talented vocals. Take a look and leave your thoughts.



In related news, Lambert has been canceled from his GMA this morning. ABC released a statement yesterday saying they didn't want to take any chances that early in the morning on a performance that might resemble Sunday night's. CBS, however, feels differently and picked Adam up for their concert series airing tomorrow.

Not only does he have the WHOLE nation talking about him, but now he's got the network affiliates at war? He must be laughing in his...platform boots. The downside? It looks like Susan Boyle is going to beat him out for top spot on the charts this week. His album isn't selling as well as was predicted - could it be because of his performance??

UPDATE: This morning CBS sat down with Adam Lambert and asked him his thoughts on the backlash he's receiving. If you notice in the interview, they cut away to a clip of the performance when Adam had kissed his male band member, but CBS chose to blur that out. Interestingly, moments later, they showed an uncensored picture of Madonna and Britney Spears kissing. Is Adam right, is there a double standard. To me, it doesn't matter much, but what do you think?? Check out the clip below:



Screen shots of the two kisses:































Adam's performance of "Whatya Want From Me"The Early Show:

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AMAze Balls!

Sunday night's American Music Awards coverage might have been trumped by Adam Lambert's over-the-top performance, but if you missed the awards then you missed some great performances. So in Idol Insider fashion, here is all my highlights - and if you're looking for Whitney's "comeback", look elsewhere as I give it the most over-hyped performance of the evening.

Janet Jackson's Medley of Hits, including her touching rendition of "Together Again":


Kelly Clarkson beautifully delivers her latest single, "Already Gone":


Jay Z and Alicia Keys kill it on Empire State of Mind:


Carrie Underwood leaves me speechless with another incredible performance of "Cowboy Casanova":


Lady GaGa is weird and creepy in her performance of "Bad Romance/Speechless" - did I mention I love her?:


Be sure to pick up Lady Gaga's new EP The Fame Monster in stores now!

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Music Again: For Your Entertainment

If you watched last night's American Music Awards, you might still be feeling some of the shock from the...performance? ... Adam Lambert put on. Aside from the fact that it was WAY too over the top, his vocal left me wondering what happened to the voice that America had come to know during his run on American Idol. He was winded and nervous, which was apparent when he tumbled across the stage in a tuck and roll formation after tripping on his pointed black boots. He recovered, but only to continue delivering one of the most racy and sexually in-your-face performances ever aired on TV, screaming "can you handle what I'm 'bout to do", then pulling his male keyboardist to his lips in a lip lock that put Britney and Madonna to shame. And while it didn't "entertain" me, I got his message loud and clear, or should I say 'out and proud'? But Lambert did succeed at one thing, he got attention - and lots of it - and on the eve of his debut album's release.

The cleverly titled For Your Entertainment is a non-stop ride of glammed up, campy, rock licks and pop beats. The campy album cover was only a glimpse into what Lambert would deliver on the disc. The opening track, titled "Music Again", reminds me of a young Freddie Mercury as he falsettos into the chorus promising to make us want to listen to "music again". The title track and the discs first single "For Your Entertainment" could be described as a disappointment when compared to some of the other stand out tracks, but most noticeably the track sounds like one that was tossed aside during a session for Britney's latest album, Circus. And though the lead single doesn't provide listeners with the Lambert they came to know on Idol, he gives them what they might have been looking for on some of the album's softer moments, including "Soaked", "Sleepwalker", and "Broken Open", which are reminiscent of his most notable Idol performance - the Tears For Fears hit "Mad World"- that landed him a spot in the reality show's finale.

The most notable tracks, though, are those that seem to take on the painted nail, eye-lined, leather wearing persona that he's showcased on the cover of magazines filling newsstands.  It's the Lambert-DioGuardi (Idol judge Kara DioGuardi) penned track "Strut" where Lambert finds his stide, or 'strut'.  And on "If I Had You" when he sings "got my boots on, got the right amount of leather, and I'm doing me up in a black color liner" Adam shines bright.

The most haunting moment on the disc maintaining a mainstream sound is the Max Martin track "Whatya Want From Me", which parellels Adam to the song's cowriter, P!nk. And while  comparisons have already been made, Lady Gaga also makes a cameo writing the discs best vocal, and most campy, track "Fever" that will surely secure his place in the Hall of 'Gayme'.

While it may not be exactly what the voting public expected when they dialed his numbers, Lambert is making a statement and crossing boundaries on his debut album.  And as he makes national news it's clear that America is listening, whether we want to or not.

BEST BET: "Sure Fire Winners" - the perfect blend of glam rock mixed with campy lyrics make for what we'd come to expect from the dubbed "Wild Idol". Lambert showcases exactly "how far this bad, wild child is gonna go" as he descirbes his upbringing: "born with glitter on my face, baby clothes made of leather and lace". It is definitely worth the listen.

BETTER LEFT UNSAID: "A Loaded Smile" - the Linda Perry track is the album's weakest track, while still showcasing Lambert's ability to crossover back to his days on Broadway. And such a disappointment from Perry, who's best known for her work with juggernauts like Christina Aguilera and P!nk. I expected much more than this snooze fest.

And for those of you who missed last night's spectacle, you can check it out right here, if you haven't already caught highlights from a the local affiliates.

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AMA's Preview

Adam Lambert will be debuting his new single, "For Your Entertainment", on Sunday's American Music Awards, where he will share the stage with Janet Jackson, Rihanna, and other previous Idols, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Daughtry. Take a look at these behind the scenes video of the sultry performance and be sure to tune in for all the excitement on Sunday night on ABC.



Lambert will also be debuting his new video in the coming weeks for the single. Access Hollywood caught up with the singer on the set to give us this behind the scenes look:

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Friday I'll Be Over U Premiere

Check out the new video from Idol contestant, Allison Iraheta. The single "Friday I'll Be Over U" is the lead single from her debut album, "Just Like You" out December 8th. The video is a little too Miley in "7 Things", but I guess she can be the P!nk for the tween market.

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Braveheart

One of the most amazing things I have ever seen, period. Just watch, before I write something horribly inappropriate.

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Idol Updates

It seems everywhere you turn these days there's an Idol alum in your path, mostly because that's the truth. About to enter its 9th season, American Idol, has run through some of America's best talent and with each season it seems more and more of the contestants go on to be winners, despite their loss on the reality program, leaving the majority of our playlists, car stereos, and download logs to include some Idol association somewhere.

This will be illustrated at this year's American Music Awards, airing November 22nd on ABC, when Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, and Adam Lambert will all take the stage to perform their latest hits (or in Lambert's case, his first hit). The Idol alum will share the ticket with some of today's biggest names, including Rihanna, Jay Z, Jennifer Lopez, and well themselves. They are as big as it gets.

And speaking of Lambert, his debut single titled "For Your Entertainment" hit the net last week and is getting praise from many Glambots, but some are feeling it falls flat. Creating even more of a stir, is the recently released album artwork, which Lambert explains that it "is deliberately campy [and is] an homage to the past". And to all the haters who are up in arms over the "campy" cover, Adam says, "oh well, glad to have gotten your attention". The album will hit shelves and be available for download on November 23rd.

Also out this month, Lambert's season partner, Kris Allen. Even though Allen won the 8th season of the show, he's mostly staying out of the spotlight to focus on getting his album out. And for those of you wondering just what the latest Idol winner has in store will learn the answer to that question on November 17th, when his self titled debut album is released.

Also from the latest season of the show, Jive Records will bring us third runner up, Allison Iraheta's, debut disc titled Just Like You. Iraheta has been working on a video to accompany her first single, "Friday I'll Be Over You" and will be going on a promotional tour to pimp the album around it's release date of December 1st - just in time for the holidays.

This fall will certainly provide us with a lot of new Idol music. And if you haven't already done so, be sure to go out and get your copy of Play On by Carrie Underwood, which is in stores today! The Idol machine doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Our first diva on the Idol stage has been busy touring her latest album, All I Ever Wanted, but Kelly Clarkson says she's already working on her follow up album, which will be out next fall. Clarkson says, "The songs are really different, the next album is going to be really different". And while Clarkson will be on tour through March of next year, she says the new disc may feature more songs that she didn't write, explaining that she'll include whatever inspires her. She goes on to explain that she will make time for writing on the road, but isn't shutting the door to working with some of her favorite collaboraters to hear what they have to bring to the table. In the meantime, Clarkson will finish the promotion of her current single, "Already Gone", which just hit the top 10 last week on the Mediabase Top 40 charts, and then she'll release the album's next single, "Don't Let Me Stop You".

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Oops! She Did It Again

In 2005, the world watched as a new country diva was born on the fourth season finale of American Idol. The first country star to come from the now juggernaut series has gone on to become not only the most successful Idol winner, but has become one of today's biggest selling acts in music. Along side her reality competition title, Underwood has broken a number of industry records, won countless awards, including her reign as Female Vocalist of the Year, and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry only three years after her Idol win. Her successful run capped off earlier this year when she took home the Academy of Country Music's most esteemed award, Entertainer of the Year.

And now, a certified country diva, Carrie is ready to shed her Idol shell and move forward. Her new record, Play On, out tomorrow, has a recurring theme: the future. The disc, which is filled with 13 full bodied country-pop tracks, is full of life and showcases Carrie's new found maturity. For fans that remember the sweet innocent way she let 'Jesus Take The Wheel', this disc will provide a more grown up view of the world. It's harsh and blunt, but makes a point, when she belts out "You're just a fool, just a fool to believe you can change the world" on the track, "Change", reminding us of those less fortunate.  The album's title track provides a similar message, asking "Whatcha gonna do when the show is over?", but wraps it up in an upbeat hook that calls us to "play on, when we're losing the game."

And while the sound and the overall theme is more grown up, Carrie still delivers the same formula that her fans have come to know on her previous efforts, Some Hearts and Carnival Ride. She delivers her famous all-American girlfriend on the upbeat "This Time", a scorned girlfriend on the album's first single, "Cowboy Casanova", and the God-loving, faith driven woman on "Temporary Home". Much like her male counterparts, Carrie has fallen into the trap of delivering the same material without reinventing much of the content. And while the album delivers something to set her apart stylistically, she struggles to continue to change the genre that was once dying.

At an attempt to reinvent the sound, Underwood brought in a team of writers that have previously capitalized on different genres, including Max Martin, who is most famous for his work with Britney Spears, Pink, and her fellow Idol-alum, Kelly Clarkson, and Mike Elizondo, who's worked with 50 Cent and Eminem. The outcome provides some the most versatile tracks from the LP, but it's her work with R&B heavyweight Ne-Yo that leaves us wondering what could have been. In an interview before the album's release, Underwood said that the track the two penned together is "a keeper", but not for this album.

Sometimes change is bad, or like the old adage says, "Why mess with a good thing?" Underwood's third full length record is a masterpiece wrapped up in 13 well delivered tracks. And, while the formula is the same, the messages are stronger and more apparent. This time around the soft, delicate Carrie, is softer and the hardcore, rough 'em up diva, is even more fierce. The "Before He Cheats"-esque track, "Songs Like This" is much more Gretchen Wilson then we've seen from Carrie in the past while the third track, titled "Mama's Song" is a delicate goodbye watching her baby move on, a performance that will likely continue her reign as Top Female Vocalist. But, it's on "Someday When I Stop Loving You" that Carrie will likely win the hearts of the country community, showcasing the most growth and providing her most classic country sounding track, resembling a young Alison Krauss. "Undo It" partners Underwood with, now Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi where the twosome sample the pop/R&B-styled stutter to tell off a guy, one whom they wish they'd never met.

While our hopes were set a little higher for the Entertainer of the Year's third effort, Play On delivers enough of that delicious country swagger to keep us coming back for more, knowing that just when we're about to give up, Carrie will return with another round of all-American, scorned girlfriend, God-loving tracks to pick us right back up.  

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Falling Back and Playing On

Hey all! Did you turn your clocks back an hour?!

We are just two short days away from the release of Carrie Underwood's third full length album! Play On is already doing quite well in pre-sales and has created quite a bit of hype with the release of one new track on iTunes each week up to it's release. Carrie also took to her vlog to chat about the released tracks, "Mama's Song", "Temporary Home", and "Undo It".

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of the album last week and am excited to share my thoughts with all of you on the eve of the album's release. But in the meantime, check out the previously mentioned vlogs and prepare to "play on", then check back tomorrow when I will post my review of the new album.

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