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"Idol" runner-up Lewis realizes "Dream"
2007-11-23
Blake Lewis wants to be known as an artist and not just an "Idol" -- or, more accurately, an "American Idol" runner-up. The 26-year-old Washington state native, who finished second to Jordin Sparks on the "Idol" sixth-season finale in May, takes great pride in being able to say, "I'm the first person, really, to have creative control coming off of 'American Idol' and making his own album." That includes co-writing 12 of the 13 tracks for his debut, "Audio Day Dream," due December 4 on 19 Entertainment/Arista. Lewis worked on the set's first single, "Break Anotha," and "Gots to Get Her," which is based on Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz." He also created specialized intros and outros for the songs. "Being on 'American Idol' was the lottery ticket," Lewis said. "It's one of the most amazing experiences I'll never have again ever in my life. I'm not a big fan of television at all, but it's an amazing way of communicating with people. I tell people that all I was put on this earth to do is communicate my art to people, and what better way to do that (than) on 'American Idol."' Lewis will make TV appearances throughout December, including on MTV's "TRL" and Fuse, as well as visiting major-market radio shows. The label is planning an equally heavy Internet advertising blitz along with special editions of the album for iTunes and Wal-Mart -- the latter of which will feature a 17-minute video special about Lewis' career and the making of "Audio Day Dream." RCA Music Group senior vice president Aaron Borns expects Lewis to engage in some guerrilla-style marketing to help promote the album. "He's a young guy that likes spending time on the Internet and communicating with fans, posting videos on his Web site, all those things," Borns said. "He's all about sharing the process with his fans." Lewis, meanwhile, said the most fun he has is making the music. "Audio Day Dream," he said, was "a blast" that allowed him to work with a "dream team." It included good pal Ryan "Alias" Tedder of red-hot band OneRepublic, who worked on eight of the tracks, as well as J.R. Rotem, BT, Mike Elizondo, David Hodges and S*A*M & Sluggo. Fellow "Idol" finalist Chris Richardson co-wrote the song "What'cha Got 2 Lose?" with Lewis and Rotem, and Lupe Fiasco guests on "Know My Name." "I don't want to be put in a box," Lewis said. "If there's any box I could be put in, it's pop music. The surprise is that, hopefully, it's an album you've never heard before, but it's very pop and mainstream. I just go with my gut feeling and my instincts and intuition. I did that on the show, and that's how I approached (the album), too." Reuters/Billboard
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