Clay Aiken - Sales?

I just read a very disturbing paragraph in a Billboard article about David Cook.

At the request of American Idol producers Apple/iTunes agreed to hold back reporting sales figures until the Season 7 winner was chosen.

David Cook Sizzles With Record Chart Debuts

"This is the first week of the 2008 season that "American Idol" downloads counted toward Billboard's charts. In cooperation with the show's producers, Apple withheld reporting iTunes sales of those songs until the week of the final episode."

I realize that record sales are down for all artists, including Clay Aiken, but after reading about this deal I can't help wondering whether or not AI would also ask to have sales for other AI alumni held back to make their chosen ones look good.
If they can make this deal with iTunes who else can they make a deal with?

With Kelly Clarkson's My December album her sales were way off from her Breakaway album. So was Clay Aiken's A Thousand Different Ways album. You can't sell what is not stocked in stores. Clay isn't promoted overseas so worldwide sales figures just don't enter into the equation. Kelly is promoted overseas and her album did quite well outside the U.S. Of course Simon Cowell predicted that Carrie Underwood would be the best selling AI alumni - and reported sales figures are bearing that out.

After this admission in Billboard my question is can we trust that the reported sales for these artists are accurate.

Technorati tags: Clay Aiken

Kelly Clarkson

Carrie Underwood

American Idol

Billboard

David Cook

Clay Aiken - "Everything I Don't Need"

The one song on Clay Aiken's new album that I keep playing over and over is "Everything I Don't Need". Written by Kipper (the album producer) it's got a jazzy bluesy feel to it.

The opening drums makes me think of knocking someones head to get their attention. I've gone to bed angry a few times, mulling over and over whatever incident made me angry, and it's kept me from falling asleep. So yeah, I can relate to the lyrics. I think we've all known people who yank our chains, or as the lyric says "ring my bell".

"I tried so hard to get who you are, but there's no way I understand what you do" applys to a few people I've run across. I just don't get what they do. Not only can I relate to this song but without rehashing old news I can see why Clay chose it.

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On My Way Here

Everything I Don't Need

Kipper

Clay Aiken - "On My Way Here"

Clay Aiken and his new album, "On My Way Here", have taken a beating from some of the critics. Nothing new about that but I do have to wonder why. The question I had was did they even bother to listen or did they just go with the sentiment that if Clay sang it it can't be good.

Some of the critics/reviewers made it apparent that yes, they did listen and while Clay's music might not be their style, they were fair and honest in their appraisals. Others who profess to be music experts made it quite clear they didn't bother. They just dished out personal slams along with slamming the album.

Early on, I saw the claim made that canned music was used. This could not be further from the truth and one blog, Clay Aiken's "On My Way Here" - Measuring The Gap Between the Critics and The Truth explains exactly why

"... assumptions are an interesting thing. Critic after critic, determined to dismiss any effort Clay put forward, wrote reviews with little or no bearing on the reality of the music on "On My Way Here" --- right down to trashing musicians they had praised in other reviews. According to multiple sources, Keith, Freddie, Jon and Jeff are considered among the best session men in the world --- unless they are playing with Clay Aiken, apparently."

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