And then I started wondering if there's actually anything new with the rest of the Top 10 of the recent American Idol season.  I mean, we've seen contestants outside the final two get record deals and have pretty successful post-Idol careers.  This year is no exception: Kris Allen and Adam Lambert have snagged contracts, as well as fourth-placed Allison Iraheta.  And then we wonder about the rest.

E! Online caught up with them as they rehearsed for the it's-getting-seriously-close American Idol summer tour, and then I realized that they're all pretty much in a state of limbo.
"I'm sitting down with record labels next week," third-placer Danny Gokey said.  "I hope to sort it out before tour.  But I don't want to wait too long.  The quicker the better."

Well, actually, that is the exception.

Fifth-placer Matt Giraud: "I'm writing a little, but mostly I'm waiting until after the tour and I'll see what happens the."

Co-seventh-placer Lil Rounds: "I think the tour is a great showcase for us and will help build interest from record labels, so I'm thinking after the tour is when we'll see something happen."

Co-seventh-placer Anoop Desai: "No CD plans yet. But I too am looking at the summer tour as a new audition process."

Eighth-placer Scott MacIntyre: "I've produced some CDs and have a home studio, so I've started working on [it] ... I've received some interest, and I'm sure it's going to increase a lot when the tour goes on.  I have talked to publishers and managers, and I'll leave it at that for now."

Ninth-placer Megan Joy: "For those of us that don't know yet, we're supposed to find out if anything is lined up for us this month.  Right now, I'm just writing ... And I heard a rumor that [Fleetwood Mac singer] Stevie Nicks was maybe wanting me to play her in her movie. I really want that to be true."

Tenth-placer Michael Sarver: "There are some options out there for record deals, and I'll entertain those when the time comes.  I reached song number 900 over this last week.  My short-term goal is to write 1,000 songs."

So, basically, they're hoping for the tour to get them somewhere.  Was the last season overhyped, then?  Maybe not exactly--for all my past dislike of Danny months ago, I'm waiting for him to get a record deal, partly because it's inevitable.  Of course, wishful thinking on my part means Matt and Megan will get albums, too.  As for the rest, well, I can only wish them luck, and I hope they have fun with the tour--after all, if there's one thing with Idol, it's that a tour slot doesn't mean you won't fade away into obscurity, too.  Like that thing with Ace Young that I wrote a couple of days ago.  I remember getting some odd stares after that.




- Henrik Batallones, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: E! Online
(Image courtesy of Fox)