Kris Allen’s Album is Finished

Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 06:52 AM | American Idol 8
Tags: Kris Allen

Kris Allen announced on Twitter that his album is “finished”… just in time for it’s release next month on Nov. 17:

- You guys know what I miss…..the show Doug. So good. Oh btw……..done with the album!

Yay! I’m very impressed!

I think it was a bit naive of me to think that it couldn’t be done a few weeks ago, but on hindsight, American Idol has a good track record of producing decent-selling albums at such a short time under pressure.

Taylor Hicks, who is the least successful in terms of album sales in the U.S. among Idol winners, still managed to sell 704,000 copies of his debut. Taylor sold a respectable 298,000 copies in his first week.

Jordin Sparks had the weakest first week sales in the U.S. among Idol winners selling 119,000 copies in her first week. But that album still managed to sell a total of 1,020,000 copies so far.

David Cook has sold 1,240,000 copies of his debut over the course of a year.

So as far as winners are concerned, 19 Entertainment really knows how to sell. All those albums were done under time pressure, and they sold at least 700,000 copies. The rush to come up with an album is the same thing we have seen with Kris Allen over the past few weeks. I think 19 Entertainment knows what they are doing. Kris Allen is going to sell a lot of albums even without a PR blitz. The market will just take it.

My prediction still holds: Kris Allen will have the #1 album in America during the first week. And just to be on the safe side of a bet, he will also sell at least 700,000 copies for his self-titled album — a number I believe is respectable. I know a lot of you disagree with me these days, but you can’t argue with trends over the past 7 years.

Download: Live Like We’re Dying

More analysis:

There are three numbers we are looking out for next month:

1. First week sales. Kris needs to sell more than 119,000 albums to avoid a PR pitfall. If he doesn’t sell more than Jordin Sparks, then he will be labeled as the weakest first week seller of any Idol winner. Jordin for her part, overcame that negative label by outselling Taylor Hicks overall, so…

2. Overall sales. Kris needs to outsell Taylor Hicks’ 704,000 albums to avoid being called the least successful American Idol winner. He has an entire year to do this, and I think he will sell more than Taylor.

3. Adam Lambert’s sales. This is a bit unfair to Kris Allen, but if Adam’s numbers are as huge as his fans want it to be, then even if Kris has respectable numbers, the media will love the angle that Adam is “outselling” the winner. This is more of an annoyance to Kris fans, because it really doesn’t take anything away from what Kris has done or will do if Adam Lambert becomes the Clay Aiken-Daughtry-Jennifer Hudson of Season 8. But the media will always go for the more interesting story even at Kris Allen’s expense.

But wait, what if Danny Gokey is the Jennifer Hudson of Season 8? Let me think about that…

17 Comments for Kris Allen’s Album is Finished

1

can’t wait on how kris and adam’s lambert will turn out. this battle is so epic! both of them are talented and i truly hope the best for them!

keanna montanna on October 21, 2009 at 7:15 am
2

wish all the best for kris.. i love him so much

cam on October 21, 2009 at 7:38 am
3

pls.. buy kris’ album .. pls… pls…

cam on October 21, 2009 at 7:40 am
4

Probably not going to buy it if it sounds like his last recording….hope it is better….but don’t count on it being a big seller…

chris on October 21, 2009 at 8:48 am
5

Love Kris! Love his music. Can’t wait to buy his album. Don’t care what he sells as long as it is enough to keep him making more music and support his family.

sme on October 21, 2009 at 8:58 am
6

Album sales declined dramatically over the past years with internet piracy, file sharing and global recession going on. An artist will be lucky if an album sells over 200K units on the first week and become platinum. I really hope Kris’ fans will spend some money for his music. I’m hoping the same for Adam and Allison’s fans.

vince on October 21, 2009 at 9:07 am
7

I notice many people have been expressing the same concern you had about Kris’s album being completed on time but, what I don’t get is why these same concerns didn’t apply to Adam or Allison. Their albums are yet to be completed and will be released in a equally tight time period, shouldn’t the “worry” or “concern” be applied across the board?

Anyway, I for one think you are right. Kris’s album will sell and I also think it is going to be awesome!

LC on October 21, 2009 at 10:14 am
8

Love his Music ,…I am definitely going to buy his album.. He will be my second idol that i am going to buy the whole album (First was David Archuleta)

keith on October 21, 2009 at 10:43 am
9

How are you defining “Number 1 album in America during the first week?”. Number one sold from when to when? Number 1 where? Number 1 by what methodology? Number 1 by who’s statement of the revenue? Where is this info available? Are you actually predicting that Kris’s album will OUTSELL other artists already on “charts”? That have been there for months? I don’t think that’s what you mean, so please define the criteria?

paparazzi on October 21, 2009 at 10:57 am
10

btw, by photos of Cheetos bags, describing bodily functions (”%%^$ my pants”), and other random silliness, Kris is doing himself no favors by his subsequent casual “btw the album’s done” afterthought comment. He misses the show “Doug” and btw the albums done. wtf and who is Doug or does he mean Dawg? Regardless, he needs some serious coaching that one.

paparazzi on October 21, 2009 at 11:03 am
11

hmmm actually he said “done with the album” which in itself is very negative.

paparazzi on October 21, 2009 at 11:04 am
12

rickey why are you removing comments that don’t praise Kris? Yet you allow comments mocking Adam’s SKIN on his thread?

unfair on October 21, 2009 at 12:05 pm
13

Kris is frickin awesome cuz Doug rocks. I don’t care that his album is finished I care that he digs Doug XD

rachel9isfine on October 21, 2009 at 12:19 pm
14

The lame 1st single will not help him 1 bit. Adam will outsell him simply cuz his deranged fans will buy multiple copies. I fully expect Kris’s 3rd album to be country-its where he belonged to begin with.

YAWNNN on October 21, 2009 at 12:54 pm
15

So what if “Adam’s deranged fans buy multiple copies”? At least his fans spend the money. Unlike poor Kris’s one download only sold 63,000 copies according to Rickey’s other thread and that represents 55.795% of his TWITTER base. So it shows that the Kris fans DID VOTE with the PHONES as reported but that was it. What’s wrong with having a boatload of “deranged fans” who buy your work? Gene Simmons (lol) would cut his manhood off to be so lucky.

Kristine on October 21, 2009 at 4:14 pm
16

yea whats this obsession with Kris Allen…i know hes cute and all but geez give it a rest already…

Melanie on October 21, 2009 at 7:41 pm
17

It does indeed seem as if Rickey is very partial to Kris. IMHO, I doubt that Kris’s CD will do nearly as well as was predicted. As far as I’m concerned, he is a very mediocre singer who just happened by chance to beat out the best vocalist ever from AI. I doubt Kris will ever attain the success that Adam is heading for.

Lucy on October 21, 2009 at 10:25 pm