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What does it take to be an Idol? If reigning American Idol Kris Allen’s advice is anything to go by, the secret is pretty simple. “I think playing an instrument helps.”
Sound advice as he handled quite a few instruments during his performances on the show including the acoustic and electric guitar, keyboard and the piano.
“But if you can’t do that, obviously eyeliner helps — but not for me,” he laughs, in an apparent reference to his Idol runner-up Adam Lambert.
His deadpan sense of humour is refreshing. In an interview some time before his showcase at the Gardens Hotel last week, Kris did seem rather aloof, but it’s forgivable seeing the strenuous schedule he has been put through since being crowned in the world’s most popular talent show.
In the 15-minute session, he only warmed up almost at the end of the conversation. In fact, this writer had been warned moments before meeting Allen.
Colleagues from other media who had faced him, came out disappointed, what with his monosyllabic answers.
And then there were warnings to steer away from questions related to Lambert. Which was hard, considering that while the flashy glam rocker may have played second fiddle to Allen at the finale, he has kept up with the champion like a shadow ever since, in terms of success.
It was too tempting to see if the Jackson, Arkansas all-American boy would flinch at the mention of Lambert’s name just one more time.
And so, we asked if the gay Lambert being ‘outed’ in some implicating photographs helped 2010 his win in Idol.
“I knew,” he said in reference to Lambert’s sexual preference. But did middle America’s ‘discovery’ of Lambert’s penchant for boas and such help him?
“I mean… people… I guess…,” he trails off, taking time to organise his thoughts.
“How could you have not known?” he says with a wry smile, shrugging.
Still, whether it helped or not, it wasn’t smooth sailing for Allen. He didn’t get much attention throughout the competition, and it was only much later in the Top 11 when Simon Cowell praised him for his interpretation of To Make You Feel My Love noting that the shy lad actually had a shot at the Idol title.
Plus, not to mention, no married individual had seriously posed enough threat to ever take the Idol title prior to Allen’s win.
“Everyone knew I wasn’t single. It was hard… I had hoped that people watching the show would vote on talent, but I know it’s not completely what people consider when they’re voting.
“They’re thinking, can I hang out with this guy? And whether he’s likeable.”
However, Allen admits that his clean boy-next-door image, coupled with his loving husband role helped, as did his religious background.
“I think I’m a relatable guy. I’m a little bit weird to some people… but I think it does play a part.”
Perhaps, Allen’s reluctance to go more in depth during interviews is also partly due to the media’s tendency to focus on fluff and trivial matters.
After countless interviews, one of the most asked questions is how much has his life changed post Idol. Even in the Press conference prior to the interview, Allen was asked those exact words by a member of the Malaysian Press.
“I can only answer that I’m in Malaysia,” he says, shrugging off the obvious.
Allen may come off misunderstood to some, appearing bored at mundane queries but the folksy rocker is a serious artiste who appears to be coming into his own.
While others may jump for joy at an offer to release an album within months of winning Idol, Allen realised that there was much to do.
“Making an album, there are things that I would want.” And while he says he feels “pretty good at how the album turned out,” it was clear that it has not met his own personal expectations.
So much so, that even the ‘coronation tune’, No Boundaries, co-written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, did not make it into his debut — breaking away from Idol tradition.
“Well, I just felt there were better stuff to put on the album.
“The studio version is on iTunes, if people wanted they could get it there but I feel that it has run its course.”
While staying away from reading album reviews, Allen is aware that he has yet to find his sound.
The critics have been quick to point out his albums lacks maturity and direction as opposed to Lambert’s debut.
And that doesn’t even include the updated comparisons on the sales of their respective albums. The comparisons don’t irk him, especially when he avoids reading reviews, but Allen finds the whole scenario amusing.
“It’s not disturbing, but it’s funny that people would even try comparing him to me.
“It doesn’t make sense at all because he does his thing and I do my thing and it has worked for both of us.”
As for lack of direction — he admits that writing and producing is hard.
“And to come off the show and go straight into that kind of thing…” he said.
“For the second album, I want to write all the songs and I definitely want to spend more time in production. Ask anybody how you can make an album in four short months.
“I want to spend months and months sitting down by myself and write songs and really perfect a lot of stuff.”
Allen hints at a shift in his music, and it should come as no surprise if he pulls a Kelly (former Idol Kelly Clarkson), who changed her sound after her debut upon being given more creative freedom.
So how different will Kris Allen be in the future?
“I don’t know how different. For me maybe a little bit more raw, emotionally heavy.”
Still, despite the pop machinery at work, Allen is thankful for it all. He says he is clueless as to what he would have done without Idol, not having industry connections and having exhausted his avenues playing small bars.
“I’m just glad it all worked out. The first person I worked with was with David Hodges and he had worked with a lot of big names like Kelly Clarkson and Daughtry and come off after being part of Evanescence.
“I got a little intimidated with the Grammys and all he had in his home.”
Hodges has also written and/or produced for artistes such as Amie Miriello, David Archuleta, Anastacia, Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys as well as Dashboard Confessional amongst many others.
And he’s also in the writing credits for Lambert’s upcoming album, of course.
As for his album, Allen says that the inclusion of the cover of Heartless is the last time he includes reworked tunes.
Despite his many enjoyable interpretations of big tunes in the show, there is almost no chance of any of them making it to future studio albums.
“Can’t imagine that I would (include reworked tunes). All the songs I did on the show, I really loved, definitely suited a live show. But I really can’t imagine I would record them cause it’s already been done.”
Meanwhile, Allen’s continuing his tour around the world for his fans, discovering and ‘enjoying’ new things like the ‘balut’ (a fertilised duck or chicken egg with a near developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten with the shell).
Or maybe not. “I’d rather just eat a hard boiled egg,” he smirks.
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