Haley Reinhart announces new single release date!

Haley's debut single "Free" was originally going to be released on March 1.

Scotty McCreery's Clear As Day certified platinum

Scotty McCreery's debut album Clear As Day has just been certified platinum. After only 3 months of it's release, the album has sold over 1 million copies.

Scotty says in a press release, "It means the world to me. It’s one of the highest honors you can get with your album and it’s a huge testament to the loyalty of country music fans and how great they have been to me this year."

Clear As Day was certified gold last month, and reached #1 on the Billboard 200 in its' first week.

Congrats, Scotty!

Blast from the past: David Cook's debut album

Having just released his sophomore album not too long ago, it's hard to believe it's already been three years since American Idol winner David Cook released his debut album. David Cook was released on November 18, 2008, just a week after runner-up David Archuleta released his debut album. Cook's album made #3 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on Billboard Top Rock Albums. Not only on the album were hit singles "Light On" and "Come Back To Me"," but American Idol winner's single "Time of My Life," one of the most popular winner's singles, as well as all new original songs by the rocker. Between the upbeat songs like "Declaration" and "Life on the Moon," the inspirational tracks like "Heroes" and "Mr. Sensitive" and the soft but edgy "Permanent" ballad, Cook shows off his strong, endearing voice with meaningful lyrics in these captivating songs. Three years later and though he's found his sound and has changed things up with his music, this album  is what showcases everything you loved about Cook back in 2008.

‎5 days, 5 artists, 5 songs! Day 4: Top 5 - David Archuleta

As a big David Archuleta fan, I know second place is his sweet spot. Whether it's his sweet balladeer side or his fun pop side, whether it's the crooner in him or the enthusiastic belt-it-out-like-there's-no-tomorrow part of him, David is truly one of the most amazing performers I have ever seen. David's got a big voice and the heart to match, singing always about positivity and the good things in life. Here are, in my opinion, the Top 5 best songs by David Archuleta:

"Imagine"
If you asked anyone what song they remember most from David during American Idol, I'm pretty sure 99% would say "Imagine." His slower cover of the famous John Lennon song shows the best of David in every way; David's powerful voice singing this inspirational ballad as David truly believes in every word he's singing, that is the "magic" that is in this performance.

Credit to zzcali

"Crush"
There's just something about "Crush" that brings every David Archuleta fan right back to the summer of 2008 when it was a hit on the radio all over the country. Now, after hearing the song every day on the radio and David singing it at every concert, some may get tired of listening to it after a while. But even so, once that known piano melody starts playing, you can't help but listen to David sing and wonder, "Is it real or just another crush?"

Credit to DavidArchuletaVEVO

"Touch My Hand"
From the very first time I heard it, "Touch My Hand" has always been one of my favorites from David's debut album. The song is quite simple: David sings about being on stage and singing to his fans, and wanting to take in the moment and take their hands. When David performs this song live, he puts even more emotion into it and connects to his fans in a whole new way as everyone he's singing to also relates to the lyrics, "Can't let the music stop, Can't let this feeling end, Cause if I do it'll all be over, I'll never get the chance again"

Credit to DavidArchuletaVEVO

"O Holy Night"
I had to throw in a Christmas song, after all, David's Christmas album Christmas From The Heart is one of my favorites and David is sure to sing this song on his My Kind of Christmas Tour in December (at least I hope). I went back and forth between this song and David's original "Melodies of Christmas", as that song too is my real favorite from the album. But "O Holy Night", though bored me at first, now seems to have a deeper meaning to me, probably because I remember every second about seeing David perform this song live. David sang this as his encore during his Christmas tour in 2009, and as I stood there as the music began, him singing as his voice soared throughout the concert hall as he sang each note beautifully, I was awed. For the rest of the night, that was the song that was stuck in my head, making the night simply unforgettable, which is why I chose this concert video of David performing "O Holy Night" in Boston:

Credit to AnnAve47

"The Other Side of Down"
Though I have many favorites from David's sophomore album, the title track is definitely one of the best. With it's uplifting beat and David's captivating voice, "The Other Side of Down" goes through the ups and downs of life and puts you in a positive mindset, making you want to be 'on the other side of down'. One of my favorites performances of this song was when David sang it on FOX's New years Eve Live in 2010. The strong impact  of David's voice and these lyrics that shines through in this performance is fun and inspiring (not to mention he looks really cute!)

Credit to bumpaworm

Honorable mention: "God Bless America"
I've posted about David's amazing version of "God Bless America" before, which is why I made it an honorable mention. Even more so this year, I've noticed how absolutely stunning David is when he sings patriotic songs. He always kills it when he sings the National Anthem, and I guarantee he will blow you away with this version of "God Bless America":

Credit to 8throwcenter

Blast from the past: David Archuleta's debut album

Let's take a trip back to November 11, 2008. Just out of a summer full of American Idols Live tour concerts and longs days of writing and recording, on this day three years ago, the 17 year old American Idol runner-up was getting ready to release his self-titled debut album. Already having such a strong reaction from his first single "Crush," there was no doubt David's album was going to take off, and it becoming #2 on the Billboard Hot 200 proved that. Along with "Crush" was pop favorites like "A Little Too Not Over You", which David helped pen, and "Touch My Hand" mixed in with "You Can," the cute, guitar-based ballad and "To Be With You," the strong piano ballad that showcased some of David's best vocals on the album. Also included was a cover of the Robbie Williams hit "Angels," which David had performed previously on Idol, as well as the Idol tour. A good mix of pop and ballads, this album was young, fresh and full of catchy tunes - not to mention that voice.

Three years, three albums and a worldwide plethora of concerts and tours later, David is still going strong. Though David has grown up and matured with his music over the past three years, David Archuleta will always be the album that kicked off his solo career, and still to this day is a great album to blast.

American Idol Fun Fact

In it's first week, American Idol winner Scotty McCreery's debut album Clear As Day made #1 on the Billboard 200, while runner-up Lauren Alaina's Wildflower made #5.

Fun fact: an American Idol winner and runner-up haven't charted at the top 5 of the Billboard 200 with their debut albums since 2008, when Season 7 winner David Cook's self-titled debut made #3 and runner-up David Archuleta's debut album made #2. Cool!

Source: Billboard

Scotty McCreery's album reaches success in the first week!

Scotty McCreery's debut album Clear As Day was released just a little over a week ago and already it's breaking records! Scotty is the youngest male artist to debut at #1 on Billboard 200 with a first album. It's also the first debut album from an American Idol winner to be #1 since Kelly Clarkson's Thankful back in 2003. Clear As Day has sold 197,000 copies in it's first week and 36K digital copies.


You can read my review of Clear As Day HERE.

Blast from the past: Big Time Rush - B.T.R., debut album

With their highly anticipated second album on the way, today we celebrate the one year anniversary of Big Time Rush's debut album B.T.R. Though I wasn't a fan of them at the time, I'm definitely a big time fan of this album now. Filled with pop, rock and R&B hits from their Nickelodeon show, Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan show off a lot of their vocal abilities, as well as Logan's awesome rapping!

B.T.R. sold 67,000 copies in it's first week, landing at #3 on the Billboard 200 and just recently went gold. Big Time Rush collaborated with singer Jordin Sparks and singer-actress Cymphonique Miller on the album. I know this day is of significance in the Rusher fandom, and is known as the day Big Time Rush went from "TV boy band" to artists.

Double Album Review: Scotty McCreery - Clear As Day & Lauren Alaina - Wildflower

Get both this year's American Idol winner and runner-up's album reviews in one spot! Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina both released their debut albums within a week of each other, and both proved that they have huge potential as country music stars.

Scotty released Clear As Day on October 4th, and in my opinion, that boy has the voice of a 50 year old, and I mean that in the best way. His deep, southern voice fits these songs perfectly and shows every ounce of country, as well as maturity, he has in him. The just-turned 18 year-old proves why he won American Idol as he belts out these young love songs and tells a story in each one. "Water Tower Town,", the song that sheds light on small town life and the title track "Clear As Day", the cute love song that ends sadly when Scotty sings, "Last thing you said is I’ll call you tomorrow, But that’s a call you never got to make, They blamed it on the fog and pouring rain, That night’s still clear as day", are only two example of the genius and simplicity of these story-teller songs, and Scotty's soulful voice only adds to these touching tunes.

Lauren Alaina releases her debut album Wildflower on October 11th, and I think Lauren is following in the successful footsteps of fellow 'Idol' Carrie Underwood. These pop country songs are perfect for Lauren's youthful audience and playful vibe, being nearly 17 herself. "Eighteen Inches", "Georgia Peaches" and the over five minute-long "The Locket" are only examples of the creativity on this album, and Lauren's voice shines through in all of them. In sum, there's not a bad song on this album and whether you watched Lauren on American Idol or not, if you're a fan of country music, you'll be a fan of this album after listening to it.