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Kris Allen Talks New Music, Shares 'American Idol' Secrets

Posted 5/26/11 3:49 pm EST by in American Idol


By James Dinh, with additional reporting by Jim Cantiello

TLC, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga were just some of the star-studded names that graced the "American Idol" stage on Wednesday night, but there were also a slew of former season contestants in the house too, including season-eight winner Kris Allen.

Always a friend to MTV News, the 25-year-old singer/songwriter gave our resident "Idol" expert Jim Cantiello a tease at what his new tunes sound like in three words: "soulful, weightier and organic."
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Kris Allen Being On 'American Idol' Now Would Be 'Weird': The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 1/20/11 3:30 pm EST by in Music


"It's probably a little bit different to sing for someone like Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler, because they have been in the industry for so long and you've been watching them do it forever, so it would probably be weird."

-Former "American Idol" winner Kris Allen, discussing the difference between auditioning for the team of judges he performed for during his season and the current crop of A-list stars taking up spots behind the table. Allen dropped in on "Judging the Judges: An 'Idol' Without Simon," a livestream show hosted by MTV News' Jim Cantiello right after the premiere of the 10th season of "American Idol" wrapped up on Wednesday night (January 19). Overall, he was pleased with the performances of the new judges. "I thought they were good. I thought Steven Tyler was obviously the most interesting one," Allen explained. "I figured he was going to be a wacky kind of guy, and, I mean, you can't be mad at him for singing [along] all the time — he's freakin' Steven Tyler! I thought it was awesome, I really did. It was fun. It wasn't mind-blowing or anything. I thought there were some good singers. I thought there was some funny stuff, and I thought Steven Tyler was great."

Allen was one of three former "American Idol" contestants who dropped in on "Judging the Judges," along with fellow season eight contestants Matt Giraud (who serenaded the audience with a few lines from Aerosmith's "Crazy") and Allison Iraheta (who revealed her new hair color to the world and teased that she would have some big announcements coming next month).

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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Join Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud And Others For 'Judging The Judges'

Posted 1/19/11 9:45 pm EST by in Music


If you're like us, you just watched the premiere of the 10th season of "American Idol" and marveled at the arrival of new judges Jennifer Lopez and (especially) Steven Tyler. But while the show was more focused on the idea of all these new faces, the real question on the minds of the millions of people watching has been "Does 'American Idol' work without Simon Cowell?" The cantankerous Brit has been the show's guiding force and the anchor at the judges' table for the entirety of its existence, but without his cutting insights, honest opinions and unadulterated bile, will the show ever be the same again no matter what the new judges do?

We decided to ask just that question in the special livestreaming presentation of "Judging the Judges: An 'Idol' Without Simon," which goes live at 10 p.m. Eastern. "American Idol" expert Jim Cantiello will host a discussion that will include an MTV News panel as well as drop-ins from former "American Idol" contestants Kris Allen, Matt Giraud, Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta, as well as insight from "Idol" experts and bloggers. The whole thing should promise to answer the question at hand: Is a Simon-free "Idol" still "Idol"?

Get involved in the conversation by tweeting to @MTVNews or @jambajim and use the hash tag #idolwithoutsimon. The "Judging the Judges" team might just read your contribution live on the air! You can also open up a new tab and head to the MTV News Facebook page to vote in our Simon poll. And of course, stay tuned to MTV News and the MTV Newsroom Blog for even more "American Idol" news, opinions, interviews and insights!

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Kris Allen Indulges In His Goofy Side For 'Alright With Me' Video

Posted 11/19/10 4:30 pm EST by in Music


MTV News has known for awhile that Kris Allen is a fun-lovin' goofy son of a gun with a killer sense of humor and a low-key down-for-whatever attitude. In fact, we often take advantage of those qualities. (Exhibits A, B, C, D, E, F — you get the idea).

Yet both of his official music videos — "Live Like We're Dying" and "The Truth" — have been angsty affairs filled with desert metaphors and passionate guitar strumming. (We get it, Jive Records. Kris Allen is a serious musician. He's even forlorn on his album cover. In leather, no less.)

Thankfully, last night Allen tweeted a link to a music video for his catchy new single "Alright With Me" that shows off his personable side in a huge way. (Watch the video at his official website.)

The video, directed and edited by his Arkansas buddy Matthew Leonard, is one of those "on the road" diaries that hair metal bands churned out back in the day. But where Journey's "Faithfully" and Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive" relied on slow-mo melancholia ("Sigh, it's so hard to be a rock star on the road earning millions of dollars and having sex with anonymous groupies"), "Alright With Me" takes the opposite approach. "Hot diggity, touring with my good friends and meeting fans and rocking out is totally the best thing ever." (Also, no groupies.)

In between artfully-shot live footage of the Kris Allen Band taken from their current fall tour with Lifehouse, we see the "American Idol" winner shimmying backstage, getting his nipples clamped by a dude named Big Daddy (!!!) and making enough silly faces to make Jim Carrey go, "Dude, chill."

Ironically the charming, silly clip (made to say "thanks" to his fans) sells Kris as a serious music artist far better than his first two music videos ever did. Whether they're on stage in front of thousands or by themselves in a studio, Allen and his band are having so much fun playing music together that it's hard to watch the "Alright With Me" video and not buy them as legitimate musicians madly in love with what they do for a living. No over-dramatic symbolism or wind machines needed, thank you very much.

Some have compared the playful video to the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" flights of fancy. It might be a reach, but then again, Kris once told MTV News that he was going for "a George Harrison vibe" when he recorded "Alright With Me." Nothing in Kris' video matches the Fab Four racing around a field in fast motion, but then again, not much in the world does. At the very least, Allen and his team have finally figured out that it's time to unleash their best kept secret: his personality. And that's alright with me.

After you watch the new music video, why not watch his latest MTV collabo? A few weeks ago the jokester stopped by for an appearance on my weekly musical Glee-cap segment. It's "Rocky Horror" themed, so if you've ever wanted to see Kris Allen channel a young Meat Loaf (hip wiggles and all), click play at once.

What do you think of the "Alright With Me" video? For now it's just a treat for the fans, but do you think it could work as the official video for the single? Leave a comment below, and for more "Idol" chatter, follow me on Twitter@jambajim!

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Kris Allen Outtakes: Falling Notes, Malicious Bus Wheels, The Band And E.T.

Posted 8/2/10 4:30 pm EST by in Music


Any time I interview Kris Allen, things eventually get silly. Whether he's claiming to be a "gangsta" from Little Rock or we're geeking out over German board games, I can always count on returning to the office with tape that's not news, per se, but with tidbits that are too fun not to share with his devoted fans.

Hence, the outtakes.

In the latest edition, held over from when I interviewed Kris and his band at Yankee Stadium, the former "Idol" champ waxes poetically about tour bus wheel massages and chews me out for dropping my notes not once, not twice but three times during our interview. "You need a clipboard," said an amused Allen. Well, Kris, you need a set of "Harry Potter" books, since you seemed totally confused by my harmless "Chamber of Secrets" reference.

However, most of our sidebar conversations revolved around a plush E.T. mascot that lives on the Kris Allen tour bus. (At some gigs, the little bugger even plays tambourine on stage.) The fans demanded I ask Kris about the mascot so I hit that topic hard. Who does E.T. sleep with at night? Why does he ride shotgun? And how the heck does he tweet? (Yep, E.T. Mills, named after band-member Cale Mills, has his own Twitter account. But Allen confirmed that he has "no idea" who created and maintains the account.)

Just whatever you do, don't call E.T. a toy. "He's real, Jim!" said a horrified Allen. Later in the interview, E.T.'s papa Cale insisted, "He's not a doll."

Whatever you say, boys.

Enjoy the outtakes, Allen Nation! Come for the banter, stay for Kris' E.T. impression.

What do you think of Kris and Cale's "E.T. is real" talk? Is it an on-the-road inside joke taken to extreme lengths or have these two Arkansas boys legitimately lost it? Leave a comment below and give me a shout-out on Twitter @jambajim!

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Kris Allen Offers Lee DeWyze Some Advice: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 7/2/10 5:30 pm EST by in Music


"I feel like I learned so much during that recording process, but yet I still didn't know a lot. I would just say, ask a lot of questions, especially of those producers and all of those people that you work with. Just ask a lot of questions and figure out stuff, because I feel like I would just sit there and be like, 'OK, you're awesome.' You know? Be humble, but get involved too."

-Former "American Idol" winner Kris Allen, offering up some valuable advice to recent "Idol" victor Lee DeWyze. While Allen certainly learned a lot during his time on the show, he credits much of his musical education with making his own album and being out on the road. "Maybe this is more of a product of being on my own tour and all that stuff that I feel like it's a little bit separate now from 'American Idol,' which is a good thing," Allen told MTV News' Jim Cantiello during a tour stop in New York.

Allen remains gracious to the show that gave him his big break but is happy that DeWyze has assumed the mantle of current "American Idol" champion. "Obviously, I owe a lot to the show, but the people who have made it successfully off the show have to separate themselves," he explained. "So I think that's happening, and that's a good thing, and now Lee has taken the reins."

The 25-year-old Allen has been almost constantly on the road since the release of his well-received self-titled debut album last fall. Over the course of the next few months, he'll be doing shows with the likes of Maroon 5, Barenaked Ladies and Daughtry, so it's sure to be a busy (and fruitful) summer for him.

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Kris Allen Fans Celebrate His Birthday With Charitable Cows

Posted 6/21/10 8:00 am EST by in Music


In honor of Kris Allen's 25th birthday, a group of fans bought him some cows. 50 cows, to be exact. But it's not like the "Live Like We're Dying" singer is going to ditch his current tour and start raising cattle (at least as far as we know). Instead, the cows purchased in Kris' name will be put to use thanks to the charity Heifer International, which tackles poverty with livestock and education. You know the Chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"? It's like that, but think turf instead of surf. (And milk. Lots and lots of milk.)

The fundraising started late last week when a small group of Kris fans created a Team Heifer page called "Alright With Moo." (For the uninitiated, Kris has a catchy song on his self-titled album called "Alright With Me." You've probably had it stuck in your head thanks to those inescapable Ford commercials where Kris talks about leaves, video games and saving three cents on gas.) The initial goal for "Alright With Moo" was one cow ($500), but once word spread around Kris fan sites and "Idol" blogs, 10 cows were purchased within 12 hours. The goal was upped to one cow for every year of Kris' life: 25. How tidy!

By Friday, a birthday video tribute had been created. (Bill Gates later embedded it on his "Daily On Twitter" page, proving that the bajillionaire digs “Live Like We’re Dying” as much as the next guy.) By the time Kris had officially turned 25 early this morning, "Alright With Moo" had raised over $25,000, exceeding their initial modest goal by 5000 percent.

This isn't the first time the "Idol"-obsessed have rallied for a good cause. Earlier this year, David Archuleta fans donated thousands of dollars (and virtual cupcakes) for the Haiti Relief effort, and Adam Lambert fans spent the better part of 2009 raising a whopping $250,000 for Donors Choose. Yo, "Idol" freaks. Be more awesome. I dare you.

We have it on good authority that Kris was blown away by his fans' charitable gift. So let's all raise a glass (of milk, duh!) to toast the birthday boy, and let's give a round of applause to all those who supported the cause with awareness, tenacity and tons of moolah. (Pun intended.)

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Kris Allen's Skinny Dip: 'When I Was 17' Deleted Scenes

Posted 6/1/10 4:00 pm EST by in Music, Television


Since his victory on "American Idol" last year, Kris Allen has been on a whirlwind run of recording sessions, tour dates, promotional opportunities and everything in between (observe what you have to look forward to, Lee DeWyze). Allen's latest pop stardom hurdle was his sit-down interview for the MTV show "When I Was 17." This past Saturday (May 29), Allen (along with fellow featured stars Travie McCoy and Kourtney Kardashian) reveled the tales of his high school life in his tiny hometown in Arkansas.

You can catch up with the entire episode here, but if you really want the skinny on the clip that was too much for TV, you'll have to check out the clip below. It features Allen telling the story about skinny dipping in his pool when he was 17. "Who talked me into this? I have a feeling it wasn't my idea," Allen said.

In fact, it appeared to be the mastermind of either Allen's brother Daniel or his friend Josh. With their parents out of town, the brothers decided to invite some people over to party at the family pool. Along the way, the idea of skinny dipping came up. "I said, 'OK everybody — nude volleyball!" Daniel Allen told MTV. "I dove in and by the time I came up, everybody had their clothes off."

"We had a slide," Kris said. "And we were like, 'Maybe we want to go down this slide bare-skinned?' It was horrible going down that slide with no pants on."

The party ended when the neighbors blew the whistle on them. "They had little girls," Kris said. "And I think they could see. That made it a lot worse."

Not for brother Daniel. "It's pretty funny that some little girl is gonna grow up and go, 'Yeah, I've seen the American Idol and his family naked."

What were you doing when you were 17? Let us know in the comments!

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Spotted: Jessica Simpson Saves Some Smiles

Posted 5/7/10 12:00 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Jessica Simpson began her career as the reserved version of the other teenage pop starlets but has since remade herself into an actress, reality show star and advocate for a number of noble causes. Her most recent project, "Jessica Simpson's The Price of Beauty," saw Simpson crossing the world and talking to women about health and beauty traditions all over the planet. She has also gone to work for Operation Smile, which treats oral deformities like cleft lips and palates in children all over the world. Simpson was a guest at their annual benefit gala at Cipriani in New York City on Thursday night (May 6). The event also played host to celebrities like Nick Cannon and "The City" star Olivia Palermo.

They weren't the only famous folks doing their bit for charity, as Snoop Dogg and George Lopez hung out at the Lupus Orange Ball in Beverly Hills, California, while former "American Idol" winner Kris Allen performed at a benefit for the Save the Music Foundation at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted!" archive, which features over 400 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, the Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Jay-Z, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, Madonna and 50 Cent!

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MTV News' Musical March Madness: Adam Lambert Vs. Kris Allen, Kings Of Leon Vs. Creed

Posted 3/23/10 4:35 pm EST by in Music


It's Musical March Madness! The sprawling bracket — both a parody and a tribute to the NCAA basketball tournament, masterminded by MTV News' James Montgomery — takes the 65 biggest names in rock, splits them up into four regions, assigns them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 65. Over the next few weeks, we will present a series of polls that will allow you to vote for the match-ups presented in MTV News' Band Bracketology. You vote for the winners, we'll keep advancing the seeds and, in the end, we'll have some sort of champion. What will the winner receive? Little more than our esteem (as well as that of the fans) and some Internet bragging rights.

It's been a crazy couple of days, but we have finally arrived at the last set of match-ups. Tomorrow, we hit the ground running with the second round, but before we keep pushing this thing forward, let's take a look at the last two pairings in the South region.

(8) Kris Allen vs. (9) Adam Lambert
The world has already weighed in on this head-to-head, but now that they've been out in the real world for nearly a year, it will be interesting to see who scores the victory during the rematch. Can Allen pull off the sweep, or will Lambert score the victory?

(1) Kings of Leon vs. (16) Creed
Kings of Leon have turned just about everything they've touched to gold in the past year, from their sold-out world tour to their smash single "Use Somebody." While Creed have a great series of hits under their belts, they already had to fight their way into this game with a victory over Against Me! in the qualifying round, so they may have conditioning issues. Can they pull the ultimate upset, or will Kings of Leon coast into round two?

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