Kris Allen and Adam Lambert Album Sales: A Referendum on Obama

This Tuesday, American Idol winner Kris Allen released his self titled debut album. The same day, former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin released her book Going Rogue: An American Life. It seems fitting that Allen and Palin would share that day to release their respective works.

The finale for season 8 of American Idol was touted as a red state vs. blue state showdown. Allen, the humble Christian guitar player from Conway, Arkansas was up against the flamboyant and dramatic Adam Lambert from San Diego, California.

If Idol were just a talent competition, Lambert had the edge. Wowing the judges week after week, he displayed amazing range and was unlike any contestant the show has ever had. American Idol is much more than a talent competition though. It's also a popularity contest.

Ultimately, Americans decided that Lambert was a little too "out there" for their taste. Either that or the 14-year-old Allen fans who voted dozens of times the night of the finale overwhelmed Lambert's supporters. Regardless, The New York Times ran a front page article questioning if AT&T swayed the voting results when they hosted parties in Arkansas and provided free phones for fans to text on. Sure, it isn't "hanging chads", but should we demand a recount?

The New York Times wasn't the only "liberal elite" media outlet that took sides following the more conservative Allen's coronation as America's Idol. Rolling Stone did a full on cover story of Lambert with the headline "Wild Idol: The Liberation of Adam Lambert". The singer appeared on the cover with a snake and publicly came out in the article.

Various news outlets, including the New York Times, hyped gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia a few weeks ago, calling them a referendum on Obama. Of course, Republican victories in a few states don't necessarily spell doom for Obama in 2012, but could album sales for Allen and Lambert be a barometer for the country's political climate?

Let's see what each artist has going for and against them in this red state-blue state showdown.

What Kris Allen has going for him:

• Non-offensive singer-songwriter music can reach unlikely music buyers such as soccer moms.
• His good looks and awe-schucks demeanor might be enough to sway Lambert loving homosexuals to buy both albums.
• Without the support of mainstream media, his "underdog" status might make crazed 14-year-old female fans buy two copies.
  

What Kris Allen doesn't have going for him:

• Radio programmers might deem him too boring.
  

What Adam Lambert has going for him:

• Music co-written with proven hit makers Max Martin, Lady Gaga, and Dr. Luke might be catchy enough for red state record buyers to pick up a copy.
• People who live on the coasts make more money than everyone in the "flyover zone", right?
• If Lady Gaga vs. Britney Spears is any indication of America's political climate, Lady Gaga is winning right now.

What Adam Lambert doesn't have going for him:

• Let's be honest, that album cover scares children.

Numbers for first week sales of Kris Allen will be available next week and Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment will hits stores November 23.

Gender Reversal "You Belong With Me" Cover

Musician Butch Walker has covered Taylor Swift's wildly popular "You Belong With Me", and took some liberty to change the lyrics to fit a male perspective. For some reason he thought it would be a good idea to not start playing the song until nearly three minutes in. Stupid. Just so you don't have to listen to him pee and make Monty Python horse clomping noises, let the video load until 2:46.

Chart Watch: America In An "Empire State of Mind"

Jay-Z earns his fourth chart topping single today as "Empire State of Mind" featuring Alicia Keys moves 2-1 to become the No. 1 song in America.

This feat comes as a surprise for a number of reasons. How exactly did a song about New York win over the hearts of Americans everywhere? It seems like a song about the Big Apple wouldn't get a lot of spins from radio stations in Los Angeles or Boston, or say bitter Philadelphia. In light of the damn Yankees winning another World Series, it seems like many radio programmers would be hesitant to play a track that was sung before game 2 of the series in NYC. Surely the single's ascent to the penthouse is a result of digital downloads.

Shockingly, "Empire State of Mind" only ranks No. 4 in the digital downloads tally. On the airplay chart, it sits at No. 1.

Also surprising is how "Empire", the third single to be released from Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, outperformed its predecessor "Run This Town". "Run" sounded like the cousin to one of last year's No. 1 singles, "Live Your Life" by T.I. featuring Rihanna. Not only did Rihanna provide the chorus to Hova's song, but "Run" outdid "Live" by also including Kayne West. The star studded single hit No. 1 in the UK, but only managed a No. 2 placing in America. "Run This Town" had the unfortunate timing of peaking while the unstoppable Black Eyed Peas were ruling the charts with "I've Gotta Feelin'".

What is no surprise is that Jay-Z got to the top of the chart with the help of a female vocalist. His three previous No. 1s all followed that trend. There was "Heartbreaker" with Mariah Carey in 1999, "Crazy In Love" with Beyonce in 2003, and "Umbrella" with Rihanna in 2007. "Empire State of Mind" marks the first time that Jay-Z has had the lead credit in the song. This is his song, not someone else's that he tacked a rap onto and rode to No. 1.

"Empire State of Mind" is Alicia Key's fourth No. 1 single as well. Her previous chart toppers were "Fallin'" in 2001, "My Boo" with Usher in 2004, and "No One" in 2007.

The top ten welcomes two new songs this week. "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum is this week's digital gainer, landing at No. 5. It becomes the year's highest charting country song that's not by Taylor Swift. "Tik Tok", the stupidest, yet somehow extremely catchy debut by Ke$ha enters at No. 10.

1. "Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys (1st week at No. 1)
2. "Fireflies" - Owl City
3. "Whatcha Say" - Jason DeRulo
4. "Replay" - Iyaz
5. "Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum
6. "3" - Britney Spears
7. "Down" - Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne
8. "Party In The U.S.A." - Miley Cyrus
9. "Paparazzi" - Lady Gaga
10. "Tik Tok" - Ke$ha

"I Can Talk" Two Door Cinema Club

Two Door Cinema Club, a British band signed to independent record label Transgressive Records, are about to blow your minds in their video for "I Can Talk".

Watch indie kids rip each others heads off in the video. It's filmed with an old school quality. Sweet find Nick!

Simon Cowell Judges "Worst Live Performance" Ever

Simon Cowell recently watched what he called "the worst live performance" he's ever seen on X Factor, the British version of American Idol.

John and Edward, 17-year-old identical twins from Dublin, Ireland, have made waves on the show with their big hair and mediocre singing abilities. They recently performed Britney Spears' "Oops!...I Did It Again" to cheers from the audience. Simon however, had other things to say.

"The worst live performance I've ever sat through in all these years of doing the show," the judge said.

Check out the clip here.

Lil Wayne's Documentary Hits The Internet

Lil Wayne's film, "The Carter Documentary" made its online debut today. Catch him rapping his part of "Swagga Like Us" in Amsterdam, drink his "purple lady", and explain how he shot himself on accident when he was young. Watch the first ten minutes here.

Is "Hard" Rihanna's New "Umbrella"?

"That Rihanna rain just won't let up," sings Rihanna in the newest song to surface from her upcoming Rated R album. "Hard" is the best thing she's done since "Disturbia" at least, and it just might be her next "Umbrella".

Written by The-Dream (responsible for "Umbrella"), the song has a bite to it. Everything from Rated R has been pretty dark, but "Hard" has an edge. Timbaland-esque horns blare as Rihanna declares "no pain is forever," and references her recent hit with Jay-Z, "Run This Town" when she sings, "all black on, black top shades, black diamonds."

So far the song has only appeared on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts, but expect it to fly up the Hot 100 after its released on iTunes.

Beyonce and Gaga Team Up: Round One

Beyonce has teamed up with Lady Gaga for a remix of the track "Video Phone" for the deluxe version of her album I Am...Sasha Fierce. This will be the first duet for the singers as Gaga will feature Beyonce on a similarly titled "Telephone" for The Fame Monster.

Is it just me or is this the sexiest you've seen Lady Gaga? The best part though is Beyonce's opening line: "Shawty what your name is?"

This Week In Twitter: Obama Never Tweeted, Britney Pushes App

Barack Obama admitted to never using social networking site Twitter this weekend, despite having over 2.6 million users following him.

“I have never used Twitter, but I’m an advocate of technology and not restricting Internet access," Obama said to a youth audience in Shanghai on Sunday. "My thumbs are too clumsy to type in things on the phone."

To be more authentic, the President should follow the example of pop star Britney Spears who often has tweets written by her manager that are always attributed as such. Spears boasts over 3.7 million followers.

Like check out her like totally cool app for the the iPhone. It says "It's Britney bitch" when you shake it. Classy.

Lil Wayne on Katie Couric

Katie Couric interviewed rapper Lil Wayne and its amazing. This one went over much better than the Sarah Palin one.



"If you need an example for how to live, then you just shouldn't have been born...straight up." - Lil Wayne