The successful Idol loser

As most viewers of the show surely remember, the goodbye theme during the last season of American Idol (AI) was Bad Day and thanks to that massive exposure, it became a huge hit for Daniel Powter. This time around the song that kicks out the lowest voted contestant every week is Home and it comes from the hit album by Daughtry. The band’s name Daughtry comes from leader Chris Daughtry and Chris is a guy who knows first hand what being booted out of Idol feels like.

Chris was one of the finalists in Idol’s fifth season that was won by Taylor Hicks. Remember him as the guy with the eyeliner goatee and receding hairline. With showstopping renditions of rock favorites like Hemorrhage (In My Hands) by Fuel and Mystery by Live, he was considered a hot candidate for the top prize.

Rockers were glad. Remember Bo Bice did not make the cut in Idol 4 but then there came Chris, who might just be the first Idol rocker. But it was also not meant to be. Chris was booted out three shows before the finale and his departure took a lot of people by surprise.

But Chris, who was already getting a lot of offers while still in the show, took everything in stride. In fact, those who watched the 2006 MTV Movie Awards probably recall seeing Chris perform the Bad Day with comedian Jimmy Fallon. No hard feelings, he seemed to say about losing. After all, all that he lost was the seemingly restrictive existence of an American Idol. Think Kelly Clarkson and her quest for freedom to do her own music. Besides by then Chris had already signed a contract with RCA Records. That was all he needed.

Daughtry by Daughtry was released before the Christmas Holidays and fueled by the single It’s Not Over effortlessly made its way to the top of the hit charts. Barely a few weeks later Chris became one of the very few Idol winners or finalists to make it to No. 1 in Billboard Magazine’s Top 200 Albums list. Then a short while after that Chris got his first platinum record award. Not bad for a guy who lost the contest and who did not even qualify as finalist in that other talent search Rock Star: INXS.

Chris serves up a mixed bag of rockers. What holds the package together is his singing, which is richly emotive and bursting with power. He easily straddles booming arena screamers like There and Back Again, pop-tinged ballads like Over You and Feels Like Tonight, howling anthems like What I Want which features Slash or the emo-filled first single, It’s Not Over.

I do prefer albums with a definite focus. That helps the buyer know what he is paying for. But Daughtry is a first album and should be allowed some leeway. Next time around I hope that Chris is more definite about what his music is.

Top 10 albums in the US

Daughtry ranks sixth place in this week’s Top 200 Albums tabulation of Billboard Magazine. He is up one slot from last week, further proof of his album’s staying power in the charts. The Top 10 is as follows: Now 24 by Various Artists; Let It Go by Tim McGraw; Konvicted by Akon; Cassadaga by Bright Eyes; Timbaland Presents Shock Value by Timbaland; Daughtry by Daughtry; B’Day by Beyoncé; Waking Up Laughing by Martina McBride; HellYeah by HellYeah; A Hundred Miles Or More: A Collection by Alison Krauss.

Now here are the Top 10 tunes in the Hot Modern Rock Tracks listing: What I’ve Done by Linkin Park; Forever by Papa Roach; Breath by Breaking Benjamin; Dig by Incubus; Lazy Eye by Silversun Pickups; Survivalism by Nine Inch Nails; From Yesterday by 30 Seconds to Mars; Read My Mind by The Killers; Dashboard by Modest Mouse; and Prayer of the Refugee by Rise Against.

Free songwriting workshop

Here is great news for songwriters old and new. Heber Bartolome formerly of Banyuhay and creator of the modern folk classic, Tayo’y Mga Pinoy, is holding a free songwriting workshop. Take note of that word free. All that participants have to bring are 20 copies of their lyrics, CDs of their songs if they do not wish to sing live, a guitar if they need one and their own snacks.

Entitled Libre at Malayang Pagsasanay sa Paglikha ng Awit, the workshop will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow, and on April 29, May 5, 6, 12 and 13 at Heber’s studio gallery located at 170 Banlat Rd., Tandang Sora, QC.

For details, call 453-0516 or e-mail heberko@gmail.com