For the love of music.

So, I’ve been following American Idol on and off for all 8 almost 9 seasons now. I hardly watched a few seasons just because the business of my life OR it possibly conflicted with some other AMAZING TV I just had to watch. However, I’ve religiously watched the past 3 seasons and all that comes with that…picking my favorites, voting, yelling at Simon, laughing at Paula, and crying at least once every elimination episode. I just get so emotional when people get to realize their dreams! Anywho, last season I was a BIG fan of Kris Allen from the beginning. I work in Arkansas and even though I’m not that close to Conway, there are probably only 2 or 3 degrees of separation between lil ole me and this amazing singer with boyish good looks!



First, I have to be clear. I have been genuinely disappointed with the caliber of albums released by my Idol picks over the past few years. I nearly peed my pants every time Blake Lewis stepped on stage in season 6, bought the album, liked it, but it went no where! I was a Jason Castro fan and again…did he even release a full album? David Cook, definitely a fan, but where did all the emo go? I thought…maybe it’s Idol… but then Kris Allen. That “winning” song that was written by our new frenemy Kara SUCKED! It was wrong for any of the top 5. So again…disappointment! THEN, it happened. I was driving to work one day and I heard it on The Morning Mash Up. I usually just switch back and forth to this show while Cosmo runs commercials, but as luck would have it I was just in time on this particular morning to hear “Live Like We’re Dying” for the first time. Then, come to find out it was The Kris Allen! So, of course I bought the album on iTunes. I absolutely love so many of the songs on this album. I’ve been listening to it for months now and still feel inspired. Now, I understand that Kris only wrote one song by himself, but this is the first time the Idol Machine has produced an entire album that I can just put on shuffle and be satisfied. Also, to mention the respect I have for him that he co-wrote 9 of the 12 songs on this album along with guys I love, such as, Matt Kearney, Joe King of The Fray fame, and Eg White known for his work with Adele, Duffy and other famous Brits.
I’m a lyrics girl, so I find the meaning in the actual words and I feel like the music is there to add emphasis and induce emotion. So here are some examples of what I love about this album.
“I Need to Know” is sung in a deep, low, lazy sort of tone, but these lyrics evoke emotions so deep you can almost hear the tears.

Feel like I'm tryin' to breathe under water
Tryin' to climb but I keep fallin farther
Will you take my hand?

Feels so far away
Want to see your face
Are you even there?
Can you show me?!
Can you make me believe?!