AIKEN NEWS NETWORK MAY 23

[clayMaine-iac]

Idol Chartwatch, May 20: Clay Aiken and Chris Sligh Make an Impact

Clay Aiken’s fourth album, On My Way Here, hit the Billboard charts this week. The CD, which is Clay’s first album of original material since Measure of a Man, sold 94,000 copies and debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, #3 on Top Digital Albums, and #1 on Top Internet Albums.

FOXESONIDOL

[clayMaine-iac]

The Billboard 200

This Wk  Last Wk  Artist Name Album Title Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label  Peak  Wks On

18    4     Clay Aiken On My Way Here       S/19/RCA   |  28089   |  RMG       Peak:4  Wks On:2 

BILLBOARD

[clayMaine-iac]

Top Internet Albums

This Wk  Last Wk  Artist Name Album Title  Peak  Wks On

6    1   Clay Aiken  On My Way Here      Peak 18 Wks On 2

BILLBOARD

[clayMaine-iac]

Billboard Comprehensive Albums

18 4 Clay Aiken On My Way Here S/19/RCA   |  28089   |  RMG      Peak:4  Wks On:2

 

BILLBOARD

[clayMaine-iac]

177 AND COUNTING: It might not be long before the Davids -- Archuleta and Cook -- have their own No. 1s on the Billboard charts, adding to the grand total of "American Idol" No. 1s racked up since 2002. But even without their contributions, the total increases by one this week, as Clay Aiken's "On My Way Here" (19/RCA) debuts at No. 1 on Top Internet Albums. That is the 177th No. 1 for the "Idol" franchise, counting all national, domestic charts compiled by the Billboard Information Group.

BILLBOARDCHARTBEAT

[clayMaine-iac]

ALL BY MYSELF: Take a careful look at the top 10 albums on The Billboard 200. Notice anything? No? All right, here are the 10 artists in this week's top 10: Neil Diamond, Toby Keith, Madonna, Clay Aiken, Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, Gavin DeGraw, Josh Groban, Dierks Bentley and Luis Miguel.

How about now?

Sharp-eyed Chart Beat readers will have noticed that every album in the top 10 is by a solo artist. There are no groups, soundtracks or multi-artist collections.

How rare is it for the top 10 albums to be by 10 different solo artists? So unique that our chart department hasn't been able to find any other album chart like this one yet, and they've already checked back to 1963.

BILLBOARDCHARTBEAT

[clayMaine-iac]

Why’s “American Idol” so dull this season?

That’s the question lots of folks are struggling to answer right about now.

With the season finale just hours away, there’s little — if any — excitement in the air. Frankly, we’re a bit bored right about now. But we’re powering on just for you …

The Associated Press believes the contestants are to blame, calling them “good but not memorable.”

We have to agree. Where’s the Sanjaya? The Clay Aiken? The Fantasia? You get the idea.

Comments
By peggy

May 20, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this

Personally, I really miss the whole “making of a star”. Watching Clay Aiken turn from nerdy to superstar cute kept me tuning in each week…of course, hearing that voice didn’t hurt either. I have yet to see anybody of Clay’s caliber on any season since Season 2.

On another note, the judges are making it way too obvious who they want to win. The spin is sickening.

AUSTIN360BLOG

[clayMaine-iac]

I'm hearing unusual commentary from David Cook fans. They say their man doesn't need to win "American Idol" Wednesday night.

A friend told me Sunday morning: "I hope he doesn't win. The ones who don't win seem to do better."

I heard from another Cook fan who seconded the view: "Winning 'American Idol' would hurt his credibility as a rocker. He doesn't need to win. David Archuleta, however, can become a big star if he wins." (Archuleta and Cook are pictured.)

How do you like those insights? It isn't always about winning, is it? And we have the fine examples of  Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler to remind us that the "Idol" crown isn't everything.

ORLANDOSENTINEL

[clayMaine-iac]

The Farr Side: ‘American Idol’ becomes tale of two Davids
By David T. Farr Sturgis Journal Published: Thursday, May 22, 2008 12:59 AM CDT
 
Regardless of whichever David is named "American Idol," both should have promising careers in the music business if they play their cards right. Something tells me they'll both do fine.

Former Idol finalists Clay Aiken, Phil Stacey and Josh Gracin have new albums and songs all over this week's Billboard charts, once again proving you don't have to win to make your dreams a reality.

Aiken's new CD, "On My Way Here," debuted at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 200 album's chart. The new album is his fourth album release since his runner-up status to Ruben Studdard on Season 2.
 
Aiken was the first non-winner to have major success. He also has sold more albums as a non-winner than any other former Idol finalist including Chris Daughtry, although Daughtry fans may argue Chris has only released one album versus Aiken's four.

The first single from Aiken's new album happens to be the title track, co-written by OneRepublic front-man Ryan Tedder. A good move for Aiken, considering Tedder is like music's current "it" man. Tedder also penned Leona Lewis' No. 1 song "Bleeding Love," not too mention his own band's major hits "Apologize" and "Stop and Stare."

"On My Way Here" sort of depicts Aiken's life from childhood to present day, touching on both the good and bad and drawing from those lessons to become the person you are today. The lyricism is sincere and relatable with my favorite line being "I've learned to fly, I have to want to leave the ground."
 
The rest of the album features a contemporary mix of ballads and up-tempo tracks including "Ashes," "Weight Of The World," "Falling," and "Where I Draw The Line" as defining songs.

STURGISJOURNAL

[clayMaine-iac]

Clay and Neil, Neil and Clay
By Ron Rollins | Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 03:15 PM

Yay! Our CDs du jour:

Neil Diamond: HOME BEFORE DARK

Clay Aiken: ON MY WAY HERE

If Neil Diamond was just getting started today, he’d probably be Clay Aiken. Which isn’t necessarily a compliment to either of them.

Aiken’s newest album finds the former Idol-man still caught up in a strange sort of puppyish earnestness and inescapable preference for songs about his feelings (typical line: “Has anybody else but me / ever felt this way before?” Gosh, d’ya think?).

You almost have to feel sorry for somebody who gets more irritating the harder he tries to please — but then again, considering that Aiken has found a way to turn his drippy style into a pretty profitable career, maybe not. Key to success: Make older women want to hug you!

To which point, it’s a bit surprising that a few cuts from “On My Way Here” punch up the pop-rock a bit. And it’s even more surprising that it’s the uptempo cuts with a little edge (note: little) are the ones on which he sounds most assured, at ease and in command of his material. “Ashes” and “Falling” work particularly well on that score, the latter turning out to be a darn good song for anybody — even Clay Aiken.

DAYTONADAILYBLOG

[clayMaine-iac]

Idol sales take a tumble

After a good week last week (which included Mother's Day), sales of Idol albums came down to earth with a thud in many cases this week.

Clay drops from No. 4 to No. 18 on the Billboard chart, selling 21,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan, for a two-week total of 115,000. (snip)


An exploration of uncharted Idol waters follows.

Clay sold 300, same as last week, of A Thousand Different Ways. Total is 526,000

USATODAYBLOG

[clayMaine-iac]

Clay Aiken - On My Way Here
This Is Clay Aiken
About.com Rating
By Bill Lamb, About.com

First, if you are a serious Clay Aiken fan, you will be very pleased with On My Way Here. The production throughout this album is wisely toned down to make plenty of room for Aiken's warm, sweet vocals. The songwriting, while not spectacular, is solid throughout. However, if polished adult contemporary is not your thing, this is a collection to pass by. Clay Aiken is a master of this style, but you won't find him much on most mainstream pop radio stations. It's a wise decision to stop chasing what's out of reach and stick to what he does best.

Music for the Fans
A key element to Clay Aiken's success thus far as a singer is his impressive ability to connect strongly with his core fans. At his best moments, he demonstrates the ability to ignore critics and zero in on what it is his listeners most want to hear. The covers album A Thousand Different Ways, largely dictated by record label interests, veered a bit off that path. However, On My Way Here, filled with lush ballads and a few slightly funky workouts, exploits Aiken's strengths as an engaging vocalist. More than a few songs here are destined to become favorites for his devoted following.

Solid Batch of Songs
The songs here are solid. A number of the songwriters here have strong backgrounds in the Contemporary Christian arena. Other standouts include the work of OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder on the album's title cut "On My Way Here." Sweden's Martin Kaxe and Fred Alexander edge Clay Aiken into pop-rock territory impressively on "Falling." Music industry veterans David Foster and Emanuel Kiriakou collaborate with Aiken on the gorgeous album closer "Lover All Alone."

Top Tracks from On My Way Here

On My Way Here
Falling
Weight of the World
Lover All Alone

Clay Aiken Takes a Firm Hold of His Niche
Success in the mainstream pop arena can be a very enticing bauble for a pop singer to attempt to grab. However, adult contemporary fans and radio are more likely to embrace an artist over the long term with appreciation for a polished voice. Clay Aiken's fellow American Idol alum Kimberley Locke has proven one can build a very solid career at adult contemporary radio with almost no exposure from mainstream pop stations. This is clearly Clay Aiken's comfort zone and from time to time on On My Way Here he soars. This is his niche in the pop music industry.

TOP40ABOUT

[NCSandhillsDeb]

Mornin'   

Thanks for all the news and links Deanna!!!!!

Debbie

[clay_enthusiast]

Anyone else think that the reports for the past year or so on sales of ATDW is strange ,  it is always another 200 or 300 each time.  Just seems weird.               Wonder how many he really has sold of that cd.  And MOAM  after a few months of brisk sales seemed like the totals never went up much even though Clay was touring and selling out concerts at the time and had a tv special and yet it never sold many more cds.  ????

[Mary]

Thanks, Deanna.

[lucrezianoine]

Yeah well if we're only counting domestic sales, as in CD sales for US alone then yeah it will seem lower but if they actually included CD sales outside the US shores, I wouldn't be surprised if Clay's CD sales will actually be a lot higher. 

  Good morning!

Jules

[Moonshot]

NC Idols: Where are they now?