To honor American Idol’s season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis on his birthday*, I will risk the scorn and ridicule of those who have not heard his underappreciated Audio Day Dream by embedding the disc’s best track, "Know My Name" (featuring Lupe Fiasco), below. I’ll admit, the Audio Day Dream CD cover was hella bunky, and yes, I spent more on my breakfast (a sesame seed bagel and a bottle of Diet Coke) than Arista Records’ total budget for Lewis’s pitiful debut video for "Break Anotha," but all that aside, I dare you to press play on the track below and tell me it wouldn’t have been a sizable hit if the dude had gotten even a modicum of support from his label.
* I solemnly vow that this will be my final blog post of 2008 using a former Idol contestant’s birthday as a platform to complain about his/her flagging album sales. But for those of you who think I’m an indiscriminate Idol cheerleader, do note that the birth dates of Katharine McPhee, Diana DeGarmo, and Phil Stacey all went unnoted here at PopWatch. That is all.
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i fully agree slezak – blake lewis deserved better. audio day dream is a great album- totally under promoted and underappreciated. i still haven’t gotten bored with it. i love how blake made an album filled with creativity and energy, that could easily fall in line with junior senior, girl talk, m.i.a., etc. hopefully blake will continue to make music – i’d be annoyed if audio day dream was all we got to hear from him.
I heard Blake in a department store yesterday – I may have to check that CD out. The one internet station I listen to at work used to play it.
Step away from the lame Idol discs. This is 10 pounds of garbage in a 5 pound bag. Unlistenable, derivative and completely uninspired.
i loved “how many words”
OK, just gave the song a try and it stinks. Slezak, how do you expect to get any respect when you won’t quit thinking with your d_ _ k? Of course you’re not going to acknowledge the aforementioned others’ birthdays…..you don’t want any of them to stick it to you.
100 % agreed with your post. ADD is one of the best pop albums that came out this past year, and in fact in the past several years that clearly did not receive support from the label. From those of us who truly appreciate Blake’s musicianship, you can be assured that you will never hear scorning or ridiculing but heartfelt thank you for thinking out of the box. There is no question that “Know my name” is a great catchy song that should be a huge hit on the pop charts.
ITA with Kate here– and I have to say, I wish Arista had somehow managed to support this album of Blake’s. We’ll never know how big it might have become, in a time when many of us are really looking for something new.
The next album will be something more jazzy and ambient-sounding I think, and may be truer to what his natural vibe is. I wish him luck in pursuing what his heart guides.
No, it won’t be a hit. His singing is very weak. And he is a douchebag. People don’t like him.
I’m not a fan of this “song” (most of it doesn’t have a melody, and I believe songs are supposed to have a melody). would it have been a hit? Maybe–but I don’t think this sound is expected from someone who looks like Blake Lewis.
I totally agree with you! The composition of Audio Day Dream is one of a kind. Eclectic, yes, but it is definitely cohesive and creative. It’s really refreshing to see and hear something new pop up in the world of Pop music. I’m definitely looking forward to Blake’s next album…which will hopefully get some support from an indy label! Arista knows that Blake is marketable, they just didn’t want to put the money into his album that they should’ve. Just goes to show that you get out of something exactly what you put into it!
I love it! ADD is great. Arista really effed up. It’s such a great album.
I like this song alot…he was my AI favorite last year but never bought the cd when it fell off the radar. I’ll be downloading it this afternoon.
I’ve never understood why labels don’t promote some records. Just doesn’t make sense. Go Blake! Keep plugging away.
Slezak, you are right on with this one. I totally agree. Blake’s cd has gone so under appreciated! I think the cd is awesome and Blake is so multi-talented. Happy B-day, Blake!
It’s nice to see the album being appreciated–ADD is a great cd, filled with very memorable songs and catchy beats–every time I listen I hear another layer.
Blake Lewis has real talent and his fans can’t wait to see what he does next.
If you like what you heard on here, try “Human” –available only on itunes due to Arista’s infinite “wisdom,” but one of my favorites (other than “She Loves The Way”–only on youtube because it’s too out-of-the-box).
If you love this album, do Blake a favor and turn your friends on to the CD too.
It’s too good to keep underground.
Blake is so amazing!!! He should be HUGE!! ADD is an incredible album!!!
ADD is AMAZING! Everyone should own a copy! It’s too good to not be shared with the masses! If you love amazing pop music that is eclectic and fun, then you will enjoy Blake Lewis’ “Audio DayDream”!
Happy Birthday Blake!
Michael Slezak, you rock!
Slezak, I fully agree with you. ADD is completely underappreciated, and Blake got screwed by his label. I still love and listen to ADD. It’s creative, fun, and one of the best pop albums I’ve heard in a while. Hopefully someday it will get the recognition it deserves. Happy Birthday, Blake!!
Aw, you’re a sweetheart Slezak
I agree, the fate of ADD had nothing to do with the music and everything to do with the business. It’s too bad.
I mean, come on. What is top ten right now. “I Kissed A Girl”? puke.
Happy birthday Blake! Hope you have better luck now that you’re out of the clutches of corporate music!
Sorry, Slez, I usually agree with you, but not on this one.
The song is just noise….annoying noise.
Ok, a few months ago Slezak said some people gets Jason Castro and other people just don’t get him. I think the same thing can be told of Blake. I GET Blake Lewis. This song is very Jamiroquai-ish, and I like it! Maybe this sort of music is not for everybody, but so many people could appreciate what Blake does. I think he is very under-rated and he deserves some support. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLAKE, hope you get the good things you deserve !!!
ADD is very under appreciated! This song would be a hit a long with the other tracks on the album! Blake is amazingly talented!! If you see him live you will totally get it! Happy 2th Blake!!
Slezak, thanks so much for acknowledging Blake Lewis’ music and his album Audio DayDream. Arista did little to nothing to promote the album and relied almost completely on the AI audience to sell the record. It’s the first CD I’ve bought in a while and I love it! Unlike most of the garbage on radio today, this album actually has lyrics, melody, rhythm and beat. Wow! I hope Blake continues to stay true to himself and makes his music for years to come. I know I’ll be supporting him.
Hey Michael, cool of you to acknowledge Blake’s birthday! “Know My Name” is also my favorite track on ADD and in my opinion it should’ve been the first single.
I feel bad for Blake Lewis. He needs to hook up with Jamiroquai and the Roots and do a tour with them cats. The pop world was not made for a “gimmick” guy, at least not if he wants to have more than one hit single.
But seriously, wassup with the Yoko Ono record cover? Babaloo Babaloo babaloo, I love you!
Michael Slezak, you’re my hero. Thank you for acknowledging Blake’s amazing artistry (on his birthday no less!)and Arista’s little support. The world deserves to hear Blake’s incredible music! Blake made the CD HE wanted and he won’t change to fit the mold that THEY want to put him in. That should get him that much more respect! Kudos to Blake! And to you Slezak, for sticking up for him!
You’ve got to be kidding. As a former radio station Program and Music Director this kind of crap would never air on any station I was programming.
You’ll get no argument from me, Michael Slezak–Blake Lewis’s amazing CD is underappreciated. Thanks for keeping a little light shining on Audio Day Dream. Blake’s creativity can’t be dimmed, and people who appreciate his music and artistry will be there to support him.
I can agree with Slezak’s comments here. Blake Lewis is a huge talent and people love him-I am so flabbergasted as to why no one bought his album. (I mean literally… no one.) I probably would have bought it if the first single was more like the Keane song he sang on AI. That seems to me to be where he thrives.
And Slezak you can continue to wish birthdays to Idols, as long as it’s not crazies like Fantasia.
I listened to ADD in it’s entirity, and I can honestly say that I didn’t like a single track on it. He does nothing that others don’t do much better, I find his work derivative, uninspired, and just second-rate. At least a couple of the others you mentioned put out decent albums that could have sold much better with decent support. I doubt if this one would have done much better no matter what Arista did, and i think they knew that. Why throw good money after bad?
Know My Name is smokin’. I don’t understand the ‘no melody’ comment. To me, it’s one big fat infectious melody backed by a heavy backbeat. The kind of song that if given a chance would catch on quickly with the general public.
It’s confounding to me why Know My Name hasn’t been promo’d more, esp. since Lupe is a contributor. Would be good association for Blake…what gives??