Last week, America granted entry to three more finalists to round out American Idol's top twelve, and just like they did with the first three, Fox gave us a chance to hound the most recent additions to the VIP club via a Very Special Conference Call, this time featuring Alison Iraheta, Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. Startling truths were revealed (Alison would name her Sasha Fierce incarnation Wild Blah! Adam's first theater role was Linus in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown! Kris Allen is as hot as he is boring!) But to quote Levar Burton, you don't have to take my word for it! Here are all the scintillating highlights of my telephone chat with the most recent gaggle of finalists. For your eyes only!
On Simon's criticisms...
Adam: Well I just kind of said I guess [my sound] is kind of music in general -- you either love it or you don't love it. Obviously I'm a risk taker. I kind of feel like I'm not easy listening. You know what I mean? I'm not going to be always the most digestible thing for everybody across the board; I'm specific, and I like to kind of blow it out the box and either you like it or you don't.
Alison: He doesn't know me enough, I guess, because he said I was boring. But honesty, I'm not. I guess I was nervous a little; I mean who isn't going to be nervous before they sing the first time for that round. So I guess I'll just chill a little bit more, because the nerves got me a little.
On whether tragic backstories like Danny Gokey's help contestants nab airtime and votes...
Alison: I don't know. I think they give us all airtime fairly. They all focus on all of us, so I think it depends on what people see, you know, if they like it or not.
Adam: I think it does make a difference. I think it allows the audience to empathize with that person, with that artist, especially when you go on stage and sing a certain number. If they can relate to the song, if they feel like you're relating to the song based on your own personal experiences, I think that that really evokes quite a reaction from the audience.
On the type of album they'd like to make...
Alison: Well you know I love doing all kinds of music, but I'm really trying to go down on one lane of like I guess you can say like rockish pop or something like that; something, you know, that really can show my style, I guess. I don't know. So maybe a little bit of everything, but maybe just I'd be doing a little, you know, rock.
Adam: You know, that's the thing that's really difficult for me. I like so many different styles. I think picking one singular genre wouldn't apply to me. I think I would try to kind of fuse a couple different vibes together, whether that be all at once or a scattered genre throughout the album. Definitely there would be elements of rock, there would be elements of pop, I think there would be elements of electronic music; something to kind of blend it all together. There would definitely be elements of funk as well. So a little of everything I would hope. I think David Bowie has been a really, really, really cool artist. Just considering that he has reinvented himself, he took a ton of risks, both visually, lyrically, and musically. Obviously vocally we're very different, but I think that along those other lines we have some similarities, and someone like that is a great model for me.
Kris: Probably you know I do a lot of acoustic soul kind of music.
On picking songs...
more information will get on dvdorderonline, just scan it on its homepage.
On Simon's criticisms...
Adam: Well I just kind of said I guess [my sound] is kind of music in general -- you either love it or you don't love it. Obviously I'm a risk taker. I kind of feel like I'm not easy listening. You know what I mean? I'm not going to be always the most digestible thing for everybody across the board; I'm specific, and I like to kind of blow it out the box and either you like it or you don't.
Alison: He doesn't know me enough, I guess, because he said I was boring. But honesty, I'm not. I guess I was nervous a little; I mean who isn't going to be nervous before they sing the first time for that round. So I guess I'll just chill a little bit more, because the nerves got me a little.
On whether tragic backstories like Danny Gokey's help contestants nab airtime and votes...
Alison: I don't know. I think they give us all airtime fairly. They all focus on all of us, so I think it depends on what people see, you know, if they like it or not.
Adam: I think it does make a difference. I think it allows the audience to empathize with that person, with that artist, especially when you go on stage and sing a certain number. If they can relate to the song, if they feel like you're relating to the song based on your own personal experiences, I think that that really evokes quite a reaction from the audience.
On the type of album they'd like to make...
Alison: Well you know I love doing all kinds of music, but I'm really trying to go down on one lane of like I guess you can say like rockish pop or something like that; something, you know, that really can show my style, I guess. I don't know. So maybe a little bit of everything, but maybe just I'd be doing a little, you know, rock.
Adam: You know, that's the thing that's really difficult for me. I like so many different styles. I think picking one singular genre wouldn't apply to me. I think I would try to kind of fuse a couple different vibes together, whether that be all at once or a scattered genre throughout the album. Definitely there would be elements of rock, there would be elements of pop, I think there would be elements of electronic music; something to kind of blend it all together. There would definitely be elements of funk as well. So a little of everything I would hope. I think David Bowie has been a really, really, really cool artist. Just considering that he has reinvented himself, he took a ton of risks, both visually, lyrically, and musically. Obviously vocally we're very different, but I think that along those other lines we have some similarities, and someone like that is a great model for me.
Kris: Probably you know I do a lot of acoustic soul kind of music.
On picking songs...
more information will get on dvdorderonline, just scan it on its homepage.
