Be careful what you wish for. While "American Idol" fans (and certainly producers) have been itching for what they hope will be the epic showdown between the Davids for months, now that the last woman standing, Syesha Mercado, has been tossed from the locker room, it's worth asking: Do we really want a male "Idol"? Or, better yet, is there a jinx on male "Idol" winners?

Since season-one winner Kelly Clarkson took the mantle, two-thirds of "Idol" winners have been female and, to date, they have all managed to have very respectable (Fantasia Barrino, Jordin Sparks) if not superstar (Carrie Underwood, Clarkson) careers. The men, on the other hand, have had a less-stellar path. In fact, so far, the two male winners, season two's Ruben Studdard and season five's Taylor Hicks, are the only top vote-getters to be dropped from their major-label deals.

The tale of the tape tells it all: Underwood and Clarkson are the undisputed "Idol" champs, with debuts that sold 6.4 million and 5.9 million copies, respectively, according to SoundScan. Studdard nudges Fantasia by just more than 20,000 copies with his 1.78 million-selling debut, but he was dropped from J Records last year after his third album, The Return, sold just over 230,000 copies.

Fantasia, on the other hand, received three Grammy nominations for her second album and is working on her third while prepping to play Celie in the upcoming film adaptation of "The Color Purple" musical. Hicks, who was dropped from J Records in January after just one album, brings up the rear with just more than 700,000 copies of his debut sold, which made him the first "Idol" winner not to go platinum. In fact, his debut sold 40,000 copies less than Sparks' first effort, which was released in November and is currently getting a second wind thanks to the top-five single "No Air," which will likely further boost her album sales.

While it might be too early to say that there's some sort of bad mojo for the top "Idol" men, Michael Slezak, senior writer for EW.com, said it is becoming clear that America is more willing to embrace a female winner singing the traditionally gooey career-launching ballad. "Somehow, Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson singing the cheesy 'Idol' anthem as their first single didn't seem to harm their credibility quite as much," he said. "America has a history of embracing their divas singing cheesy ballads, but it's a bit harder for male artists to get radio play with that schlock."

Slezak said he didn't think the career arcs of the two men who've won "Idol" to date are indicative of what might happen to Cook or Archuleta, but he did wonder if the latter's preference for squishy, adult-contemporary ballads might make him a square peg with radio. "[Archuleta] falls into that Clay Aiken sort of square, which is a tough sell at radio," he said. "And when he was doing the Chris Brown song ... he clearly doesn't have it when it comes to contemporary music."

Cook, on the other hand, has proven he can handle rock songs by acts like Switchfoot and Our Lady Peace and even put his own unique spin on tunes by Dolly Parton and Mariah Carey that are out of his comfort zone. "I think it's better for 'Idol' if David Cook wins," Slezak said. "They do need a male artist to win who can sell records."

Geoff Mayfield, Billboard magazine's director of charts/ senior analyst, said he's not willing to go so far as to call male "Idol" winners cursed but rather sees their struggles as part of the traditional hit-or-miss nature of the music business. "I think it might be a coincidence, but it's always down to how much talent does this person have once they've won," he said. "And that's true for any of [the winners]. I believe Jordin Sparks has the wherewithal to hang in there longer than Taylor Hicks because there's more to work with than what Taylor had."

But still, he said, it's a case-by-case call, whether the winner is male or female. For Studdard, who came out of the gate strong, the rapidly declining returns on his second and third albums would likely have gotten him booted from any label, "Idol" crown or not, and the call on Hicks was much easier given the difficulty he had in connecting with a mainstream audience.

"Idol" hasn't been particularly kind to male runner-ups, either, from season-one also-ran Justin Guarini and season two's once-shining star Clay Aiken to season-four former major-label rocker Bo Bice and last season's beatboxing flame-out, Blake Lewis. Though Aiken is back with his fourth studio album and just finished a well-received run on Broadway in "Spamalot," it does seem as if "Idol" fans love voting for the boys but aren't nearly as hyped on buying their records.

And perhaps it's also a coincidence, and likely a function of "Idol" being seven seasons in and ratings being down across the board due to the strike-impacted season, but the numbers for the show this year have consistently been down from previous highs. Though it is still the #1 show on TV, during last week's Tuesday night episode, 21.8 million people tuned in, which was the lowest audience total for the show since season two, the Studdard/Aiken year.

"Winning 'Idol' has never been a [guarantee of future success]," Mayfield said. "It gives any artist who comes from there a familiarity with their fanbase in the comfort of their living rooms, but whether they can parlay that into something bigger depends on how much talent they have at the right time, right place."
By : Gil Kaufman

Source : http://www.mtv.com

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - April 18, 2008) - Lyric Jeans, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: LYJN), the parent company behind the LYRIX brand for girls, today announced that 9-year-old Dakota Prado from Brooklyn, New York, was selected the winner of its "Be An 'American Idol' for a Day" sweepstakes held at Macy's Herald Square in New York City.

Dakota's favorite "American Idol" contestant this season is David Archuleta, and she loves songs by past "American Idol" winners such as "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson and "Dream Girls" by Jennifer Hudson.

This will be her first trip to Los Angeles from her native New York, where she attends the 3rd grade at a magnet school specializing in media and the arts.

As the winner of the sweepstakes Dakota will be flown to Los Angeles with her grandmother and will receive a LYRIX wardrobe to wear to the season finale of "American Idol."

LYRIX is a rock n' roll apparel line for girls based on popular song lyrics and imagery made famous by the hit television phenomenon "American Idol." The line is available at select Macy's nationwide.

LYRIX is an extension of the Lyric Culture brand, a premium adult contemporary apparel and accessories line driven by the music of such legendary artists as The Beatles, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, Janis Joplin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bee Gees, Steppenwolf and many more.

About Lyric Culture

Lyric Culture is a music-driven apparel company involving lyrical content on jeans, denim wear and accessories. Each item reflects the song through its design. As the innovator and manufacturer of groundbreaking fashion, Lyric Culture employs a cutting-edge design strategy which allows the wearer to express themselves through the words of their favorite song -- a modern twist to wearing your heart on your sleeve (and pant leg)! Lyric Culture. has deals in place with the largest music publishing companies in the world including Warner Chappell, EMI, Universal, Sony/ATV and BMG to name a few and has secured the rights to utilize lyrics made famous by The Beatles, Janis Joplin, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, The Bee Gees, Rod Stewart, Steppenwolf and many more.

The company currently produces Lyric Culture, a premium rock 'n' roll apparel and accessories line available at over three hundred specialty boutiques nationwide. www.LyricCulture.com

Included in this release are certain "forward-looking" statements, involving risks and uncertainties, which are covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Lyric Jeans, Inc. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to certain factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, events and performance to differ materially from those referred to or implied by such statements. In addition, actual or future results may differ materially from those anticipated depending on a variety of factors, including continued maintenance of favorable license arrangements, success of market research identifying new product opportunities, successful introduction of new products, continued product innovation, sales and earnings growth, ability to attract and retain key personnel, and general economic conditions affecting consumer spending, Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Lyric Jeans, Inc. does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law.

Safe Harbor: This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approvals for anticipated actions.

Source : www.marketwire.com

Fans of “American Idol” will get a chance to lick all seven winners of the hit Fox reality show — in the form of a stamp, that is.

Fox has announced a partnership between “Idol” and Photostamps.com to release unique collectable postage stamps of past “Idol” winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Jordin Sparks, along with the upcoming season seven champ.

All 50 U.S. states will get an exclusive design. Every week, Photostamps.com will print 100,000 sheets of each winner, with each state having its own design featured on 2,000 of the sheets.

A stamp of season one champ Kelly Clarkson is already available for purchase on Americanidol.com and Photostamps.com. Past season winners stamps will be available for purchase online every Tuesday for the next six weeks.

Proceeds from the “Idol” stamps will benefit the “Idol Gives Back” charity organization, which benefits Children’s Defense Fund, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Make It Right, Malaria No More, Save The Children, and the Children’s Health Fund.

Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com

"You are going to Hollywood", yes with the same sentence, Paula, Simon and Randy might have invited many a faces to compete for the title of America’s best singer, but it was only six special people who made it! Although we keep on hearing the lame "everyone’s a winner" and "winning doesn’t matter" bits at any competition, a winner remains to be the only one to grab the winning trophy (not to mention the heft prize amount and coveted music contracts) and has the biggest smile on his face as he/she waves to the group of audience and supporters. Yes there have been six winners of the six seasons of American Idol, each winner with a charming voice and a unique style. Here is an attempt to refresh your memories and take you on a trip down the memory lane to visit all the American Idol winners…

Kelly Clarkson

On 4th September 2002, as millions of people sat glued to their television sets waiting nervously to find out who would win the title of America’s best singer, Justin Guarini or Kelly Clarkson, Kelly walked her way to glory and became America’s first American Idol as she won 58% votes. With tears of joy Kelly performed a ballad – A moment like this , which was a song written for the American Idol winner and which shortly featured in Kelly’s debut album - Thankful. Shortly, when the song was released as a single it was a major hit as it rose from number fifty to to the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. After American Idol, Kelly also tried her hand at movies as she featured with her fellow runner up Justin Guarini in a movie From Justin to Kelly which was poorly received by the critics as well as the audience. In April 2003, Kelly managed to release her first full-fledges album - Thankful. The album was quite a success and as of 2007, it has sold over three million copies worldwide. Her song Miss Independent earned her a Grammy nomination for the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Her second album Breakaway released in 2004 gave the audience as many as five US top ten singles and won tow Grammies for her. The single releases from Breakaway garnered huge success and hence made it the fourth album to stay in the Billboard 200 Top 20 for a consecutive year. Also the album was certified five-times platinum in the U.S. on January 18, 2006, due to the humongous sales.

Christopher Ruben Studdard

Also affectionately called the "Teddy Bear", Ruben Studdard, rose to fame as winner of the second season of the American Idol. Life after winning Idol was a dream come true for Studdard who released his first single - a cover of Westlife's Flying Without Wings, produced by the Underdogs and Face, a month later in June 2003 and it debuted at second position on the Billboard Hot 100. In December 2003, advance orders for Ruben’s album Soulful crossed the 1 million mark even before it was released into stores. The album was a major hit and debuted at the number one position on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling over 400,000 copies in its first week. Further, Studdard released his gospel album I Need an Angel on November 23, 2004. The title track and first single of this album I Need an Angel was a cover of a single performed by R&B singer Daniel DeBourg in the year 2002. The gospel album sold over 96,000 copies in its first week and entered the Gospel charts at number position on the Billboard 200 chart. I Need an Angel was also placed on the number one position on the 2005 Billboard Year-End Gospel Albums Chart. His third album, The Return was released in October 2006 and sold 71,000 copies in its first week to open at number eight on the Billboard 200 album chart. The records till June 2007 say that Studdard is the fifth-best selling American Idol performer with more than 2.4 million albums sold in the U.S.

Fantasia Monique Barrino

Fantasia, the girl with a mesmerizing voice won accolades for her performances from the audience and managed to earn many a compliments from the toughest of the judges including Simon. Fantasia rose to fame as the winner of the third season of American Idol in 2004. In June 2004, she released her debut single I Believe which was at number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100. The single, I Believe also went on to become the top selling single of 2004 in the U.S., was certified double platinum and also won three Billboard Awards. Fantasia’s first album Free Yourself was not only certified double platinum but received four Grammy nominations as well. The second album, Fantasia was certified gold and received three Grammy nominations. It also featured the number one Billboard Hot R&B hit When I See U. In April 10, 2007, Fantasia made her stage debut as Celie in the Broadway musical The Color Purple. She won the 2007 Theater World Award owing to her marvelous stage debut performance.

Carrie Marie Underwood

The most popular and most successful American Idol winner Carrie Underwood was crowned as the winner of American Idol in May 2005. It is an interesting fact that judge Simon Cowell had once predicted on the show that Underwood would not only win the competition, but would outsell all previous Idol winners. After winning the American Idol title, Carrie has become a multi-platinum selling recording artist. Her debut album Some Hearts was certified 6x platinum and is touted as the fastest selling debut country album in Nielsen SoundScan history. Not only that, Underwood is also the first American Idol winner to win all three major music awards in the same awards show season , including four American Music Awards, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, and two Grammy Awards, including the award for the Best New Artist. Her debut album Some Hearts has as many as five number one hits that feature in many lists till date. These hits are Inside Your Heaven, Jesus, Take the Wheel, Don't Forget to Remember Me, Wasted, and her biggest hit, Before He Cheats. Underwood created another Top 10 Billboard hit with her charity single, I'll Stand by You.. Underwood’s second album, Carnival Ride , which is certified 2x Platinum was released on October 23, 2007. Carnival Ride became Underwood's first number one album and has so far sold over two million copies in the US alone. The second album has already produced a number one country hit, So Small. Carrie's Christmas single, Do You Hear What I Hear? has scaled at number two position on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. On February 11, 2007, Carrie Underwood became the first American Idol winner to sweep all three major music awards including American Music, Billboard, and Grammy Awards in a single season.

Taylor Reuben Hicks

Yes, make way for the Soul Patrol. Taylor Hicks who started as an underdog on the show often found himself at the receiving end of unpleasant comments and reviews especially from Simon Cowell. However, on May 24, 2006, Taylor won the American Idol title. Thereafter he was signed by Arista Records, under which he released his debut single Do I Make You Proud. His major label debut Taylor Hicks was released on December 12, 2006 and was at number two position on the billboard 200 charts. The album was certified platinum in the year 2007. Taylor’s vivacious stage performances and his influences derived from classic soul music have fetched him a humongous following of devout fans that are dubbed as the Soul Patrol.

Jordin Brianna Sparks

The youngest one. At a young age of 17 Jordin was the youngest winner in the history of American Idol. On May 23, 2007, Jordin was declared as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Not many people know that Jordin had first auditioned for American Idol in Los Angeles California and was rejected. Yes, thereafter she competed in the Fox-affiliate sponsored Arizona Idol which she won and thus got a second chance to audition in American Idol since the Arizona Idol winner was guaranteed an audition with the producers of American Idol. Although Simon criticized her for being too cute, all the three judges were impressed with her singing and thus she was invited to Hollywood. In August 2007, Jordin has signed up with 19 Recordings/Jive Records /Zomba Label group which made her the first Idol winner to join the label group.

Well so far so good. As for those who await the new American Idol winner, the new season airs on January 15.

Source : http://www.buzzle.com
By : Uttara Manohar

Right now, I would say it's currently a toss up between Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood as to who is the most popular American Idol winner. Over time, though, I believe that it will more than likely end up that Carrie Underwood becomes the most popular American Idol winner.

While Carrie may have only recently released her second album (Carnival Ride), her debut album (Some Hearts) has sold at a faster rate than Kelly Clarkson's first album did. Also, I think Carrie is more likely to have crossover appeal (not only can Carrie appeal to the country audience, she can also appeal to pop and adult contemporary audiences as well). Kelly, while she may have the pop and adult contemporary appeal, is much less likely to find any real success on the country charts. And it also doesn't help that Kelly's third album, My December, didn't sell as well as her previous efforts.

So far, it looks like Jordin Sparks won't be much of a contender for the title of the "most popular American Idol winner." Her self-titled debut album recently debuted at number ten on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. This debut position was not only the lowest debut for an American Idol winner's album, it also sold the least amount of copies its opening week compared to other albums released by American Idol winners. Taylor Hicks, the American Idol winner in 2006, is now without a record label, after only selling 690,000 copies of his debut album. And second season winner Ruben Studdard is now also without a label, after J Records reportedly dropped him near the end of 2007.

The seventh season of American Idol has just started, so its way too early to tell how successful the winner of this season will be. However, from what information we have at the time of this writing, it appears that Carrie Underwood will have the greater potential to maintain her popularity and be the most popular American Idol winner.

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Former "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood performed at the Mullins Center last night as part of her first headlining tour. She focused on most of the songs from her newest album, "Carnival Ride," along with some older fan favorites from 2005's "Some Hearts."

The three years since her "American Idol" win have transformed the Oklahoma native into a completely different performer. Her stage presence has evolved, focusing more on pumping up the crowd than on showcasing her vocal talents.

Underwood started off shakily with the first track off her new CD, "Flat on the Floor." She rose out of the stage from underneath, which made for an exciting entrance, but the vocals through her first few songs were mediocre as she began her set.

Following the first five songs, she changed into a floor-length blue dress and transitioned into Grammy award-winning song "Jesus Take the Wheel." The song was one of her earliest singles and the first of the night from her first album. The crowd instantly recognized the song, and Underwood let them sing the first chorus on their own.

The crowd's reaction to the song gave her an obvious confidence boost and energy for the middle of her performance. She followed "Jesus Take the Wheel" with powerful ballad "I Know You Won't."

This song and the ones that followed finally showcased Underwood's true vocal abilities, creating a different stage presence than earlier in the show. She shifted to a series of more upbeat songs with "I Ain't In Checotah Anymore" and "Crazy Dreams."

Towards the end of the show, Underwood seemed to lose momentum a bit. "All-American Girl" was well-received, but she seemed to have lost some of her energy by the time she got to "So Small," one of her newer songs.

Underwood's encore started with a ballad and moved on to an unlikely choice, a Guns 'N Roses cover. As more of a ballad performer, '80s metal is not where her strengths lie. It wasn't her best song vocally, but gave her band a chance to have fun and do something different onstage. She ended her set with her latest and most successful hit, "Before He Cheats." This was a definite crowd favorite.

Although Underwood's catchier songs carry her albums, her ballads were where her voice really shone in a live performance. She seemed most comfortable with the slower songs, during which she gave herself a chance to belt out the strong notes and showcase her talent.

Josh Turner opened for Underwood with a simple set that featured his deep, crooning voice. "Would You Go With Me" from his 2006 album "Your Man" was especially popular with the female portion of the Mullins Center crowd.

Meghan Murphy can be reached at mmurphy@dailycollegian.com

Source : http://media.www.dailycollegian.com