Idol Territory

I heard three songs in the last month that I've liked and then almost choked each time when I realized each song was from a former Canadian Idol loser. All losersfrom last year actually (the year Brian Melo won).

I particularly like Carly Rae Jepsen's new song which sounds un-Idoly and actually kind of cool! It's quite unexpected actually.

Carly Rae Jepsen- "Tug of War" (not the actual video but it's all I could find):


Canadian radio seems to have been bombarded with a lot of Idol music. Between the American Idol's David Cook and Jordin Sparks adding to Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson, and non-winners David Archuleta and Chris Daughtry getting lots of airplay, there's already a LOT of Idol on the radio.

Then add the Canadian Idol's, none that really broke out huge like the Americans but Hedley has faired well, and Brian Melo, runner-up Rex Goodie, Eva Avila and Melissa O'Neil put out pretty good albums (Rex's still ranks as one of my favorite Idol albums of them all (Canadian or not)) but now it seems like anybody who was on Canadian Idol at all has an album coming out. Well, a lot did and CTV plugged it every moment they could but now they actually seem to be GOOD with new songs from Jaydee Bixby, Tara Oram (videos below) and Carly Rae Jepsen that all caught my attention on the radio, only to later realize they were all Idol contestants. (I had already mentioned Oram's song before).

Plus, I never mentioned the latest winner Theo Tams who deservedly won last month is also, to my knowledge, the first Idol winner of any (English) version that had an openly gay man actually win. No? (Will Young wasn't out when he won, Anthony Callea was runner-up for Australian Idol and only came out afterwards as well). No idea about the other idols in other languages.

(And speaking of finales, how the heck did Canadian Idol land Mariah Carey and John Legend to perform???)

Theo Tams first single "Sing" is out at i-Tunes and the album comes out soon.

Tara Oram and Jaydee Bixby's songs after the jump:

Tara Oram - "Fly Girl":


Jaydee Bixby - "Old Fashioned Girl" from his new album Cowboys and Cadillacs :