Artist:Kris Allen
Song:Waves
Album:Letting You In
As I have said many times, American Idol (AI) can be a double edged sword. There is a certain level of fame. But there are also record company expectations. And if an artist doesn't meet those expectations, the scrap heap is nearby. And that's what happened to Kris Allen after he won AI in 2009. He now records for his own label. He was born June 21, 1985 in Jacksonville, AR which is a suburb of Little Rock. He taught himself to play guitar. Influences include Jamie Cullum and Jason Mraz. Allen attended University of Central Arkansas as a business major. He was a missionary and worship leader. Then Allen dropped out of school to try to make it in music. He even released an album on his own label. He worked as a shoe salesman during the day. Auditioning for AI was a last ditch attempt for a music career. Allen said if he failed, he would return to school. But he made the show and was an upset winner over Adam Lambert. After he won, Allen reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his coronation song No Boundaries followed by Live Like We're Dying at #18. This was followed by the 2009 album Kris Allen and the 2012 album Thank You Carmellia. RCA couldn't have been too happy with the sharp decrease in sales of the second album. Plus there were management changes in RCA that probably did Allen no favors. And he wrote all the songs. So I'm sure he wasn't surprised when RCA declined to renew his contract. This has happened to many AI winners. Since then Allen has released two albums on his own label. The 2017 album Letting You In is his latest. Interestingly, on his two albums Allen worked with producers Charlie Peacock and Brown Bannister who are known for CCM. Considering Allen's religious beliefs, I would like to see him sign with a CCM label. He could do very well in that market. That's what Danny Gokey did after AI. Allen released a new single a couple of months ago. That and his own albums are available as digital downloads. And he is currently on tour. Here's the video for Waves by Kris Allen.
No comments:
Post a Comment