Image Credit: Joe Scarnici/FilmMagicHappy 18th birthday to Allison Iraheta, fourth-place finisher on season 8 of American Idol and all-around bad-ass chica. Anyone who’s read anything I’ve written about Idol in the history of ever knows I’m a huge fan of The Rocker, and that I am deeply dismayed by the fact that her most excellent debut album, Just Like You, hasn’t already become a monster, multi-platinum smash. (According to Nielsen SoundScan, it’s moved 97,000 copies through last week.) Problem is, I’m not sure the folks at Allison’s label (Jive/19) have done her any favors in the choice of tracks they’ve served to radio. Lead single “Friday I’ll Be Over U” stood out like a bubblegum-covered thumb among the mature, harder-edged ditties on the album — and I’m not really sure Miley Cyrus/Demi Lovato fans were ever going to be Allison’s core audience anyway. Followup “Scars” is certainly a gorgeous cut — but perhaps a little too subtle to be smashed in between, say, “TiK ToK” and “Imma Be.”
But the good news is, it looks like Allison’s label is keeping the faith, thanks to the heartwarming news that she’ll be opening for Adam Lambert on his Glam Nation Tour this summer. [We interrupt this blog post for a momentary Adison duet break: Slow riiiide! Take it Eeee-zaaay! And now we return to our regularly scheduled topic.] Still, while it’s awesome that a Glambertini-buzzing crowd will get a chance to enjoy Allison’s awesome live set, it’s also crucial for the Jive team to serve the correct third single to radio. I’m rooting for one of the following: the monsterously rockin’ “Holiday”; the ’80s-tinged hipsterpiece “D Is for Dangerous”; or the sublimely hook-y “Don’t Waste the Pretty.” (I’ve embedded all three below, plus a bonus Idolatry live version of “DWTP,” just in case you aren’t familiar with these tracks.)
Vote for your favorite song in the poll below, then I will proceed to make it my mission in life to hound Allison’s label with our very scientific results and get her headed directly to the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100. Let’s be honest: The world needs more of The Rocker, and I’m gonna need a project once Idol‘s ninth season wraps in a month’s time. (Follow me on Twitter @EWMichaelSlezak.)
Happy Birthday Allison! The contestants this season are lucky she didn’t wait a year to try out, or they’d all be in trouble. Her album is amazing as well.
Somehow I missed this post. Happy Birthday Allison, I hope it was a good one! Good luck with having your own place now!
DO PORN ALLISON. your 18
It’s an awesome album.
i love her album…i would release No One Else, Holiday or Beat Me Up (although in this post Rhianna/Chris Brown world, i bet parents would complain.
Happy birthday to Allison, but her album turning platinum? Unless you’re buying 900,000 copies yourself, Slezak, that ain’t happening.
I was wondering the same thing – even Gold seems to be a major stretch at this point.
Yeah how many albums are going platinum? like 20 maybe? Gold will be huge success.
Exactly, in the digital age, albums going gold is very good.
I was thinking the same thing.I think it is going to take her forever to reach gold. Is there an idol alum from season 8 gold? I don’t think so! It seems digital downloads are taking a toll on the music business. What a shame! The album rocks though. my fav track is Holiday, followed by D is for dangerous.
Anyways, good luck to little Allison and hopefully I’ll see her on the glamnation tour soon. Happy birthday Kido!
Yeah, between enormous toll illegal downloads and easily available streaming media have taken on the music industry and a global recession, it’s an entirely different world than it was just a few years ago.
On the bright side, Adam’s album did go gold several weeks ago, so YAY! (He also went platinum in Canada, and gold in several other countries.)
And Kris had the single Live Like Your Dying go platinum several weeks ago, and it looks like this week Adam’s Whataya Want From Me single is a shoe in to go platinum.
I think Allisan can at least join the platinum single club from S8 if Jive would just take Slezak’s advice and release one of those three really kickass songs, he’s right that they’ve really got radio potential.
Adam’s album has gone gold — he’s sold 600+K copies. Kris is at around 300K with his album, Danny is at around 140K and Allison has yet to hit 100K.
Meanwhile, Kris has a platinum single that has gone Top 10 in 3 formats (Pop, Hot AC, AC) and Adam’s single is about to go platinum as well. Danny’s single is in the Top 30 on the country charts although it’s not selling. The guys are easily outsoing Allison right now.
With such poor sales, and having already released 2 singles that have done nothing either saleswise or on the charts, Allison might not even get a 3rd single to try and salvage this debut. Jive seems to have screwed up the choices on what to release as singles, and they don’t seem to know how to market someone who is so young, but doesn’t fit in with the whole Miley/Demi/Selena vibe. And the public doesn’t seem quite what to do with her, either.
@Mel and @LAura,
Oh right on! you guys are right about Lambert going gold. I completely forgot that. I don’t know why but for some reason I tend to not consider him as an Idol contestant. Anyways, thanks for the info. ANd I am happy they are doing all good.
And I think Allison hopefully will reach many audiences in the summer tour with Adam. The dude is amazing and he’ll pimp her name like crazy,believe me, he is much better at promoting people than that dumb record label(19).
I love Allison’s album. It’s a shame that more people haven’t heard it. I would definitely choose Don’t Waste the Pretty for the next single!
“Trouble Is” is by far my favorite song on the album, and her live performances of it are always gorgeous and perfect. Tho “Holiday” is a lot of fun, too!
i agree 100% “Trouble Is” is so addictive, and it is pretty much the best track. I also really love “Pieces”. I think either of these 2 would have huge radio potential!
I <3 Allison!
I LOVE Allison’s album.. if you don’t already own it, please do yourself a favor and pick it up. You’ll understand that Slezak isn’t quite that crazy with the amount he tries to talk about her. Scars is a better song than 90% of the crap that’s played on the radio, but people just don’t appreciate music like that anymore..
I couldn’t agree more! Too bad now people perfer stupid music over actual talent
I love “Scars” too. It’s my fave track off the album. You’re right about today’s radio. Waay too much claptrap–I just bring my iPod to work instead and our department grooves to Kris, Allison and Adam daily.
most awesome post ever!! This makes me so happy! I completely agree with every word said, Mr. Slezak:)!! They need to finally pick the right single!
D is for dangerous all the way!!!! Holiday is a bad choice for pop radio. And Don’t waste the pretty as a consecutive single after Difd.
It’s really stupid people with annoying and really weak voices like Miley Cyrus are world famous and really talented girls like allison (and other gurls coming out of idol like carly ou brooke) don’t get any crdit
where’s the Noop love Slezak? You haven’t really mentioned him at all lately and his CD is coming out next week. He’s doing it with no help at all. At least Allison has Jive home of Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. I do hope you’ll give him an article soon. If anyone else deserves your help going platinum it’s definitely Anoop. I thought you liked him!
This article isn’t about Anoop. Give it a week. I’m sure Michael will write about his album next week.
Holiday is much too old fashioned to be on radio. There isnt anything on radio like it today. I think it would be a gigantic mistake to release that one. Personally D is for Dangerous is my favorite track but I think Dont Waste the Pretty is the most radio friendly song plus it is very hooky and does get stuck in your head. I was shocked that it wasnt released as the 2nd single. I knew 100% that Scars wasnt going to do well on the radio because it’s too slow and she sounds too much like Pink. DJs probably thought to themselves, why play this song by some red haired girl when we have the music of Pink to play?
Tough choice! Hard to choose between Holiday and D is for dangerous but went with Holiday in the end, what a rocking track!
If they want a ballad ‘Trouble is’ is like 10 times better than Scars.
“Trouble Is” is a beautiful ballad, and “Scars” too. If Trouble is is 10x better than Scars, Scars is 10x better than what is currently on the radio.
Thanks Allison for bringing us so much joy!
I love you Slezak and I love Allison!