A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream)
Encyclopedia
A.D.D. is the debut studio album
by Blake Lewis
, the runner-up on the sixth season
of American Idol
. It was released in the United States
and Canada
on December 4, 2007. The first single is "Break Anotha
" and was released to radio on October 30. The album did not leak as other artists' albums generally do, instead appeared in full first within the "Free Full CD Listening Parties" section on AOL
.com on December 3, the day before the release.
at MySpace
that on top of the American Idol tour, he has "been in meetings with producers and writers" for his album, though his record deal with Arista Records
/19 Recordings
was not announced officially until August 24. He started to record his album in the studio "for all night long" from June 18 and co-wrote 12 songs out of 13 tracks (excluding the interludes) on Audio Day Dream.
An exclusive version of Audio Day Dream with a 17-minute documentary
, which was shot by Ethan Newberry and Cisco McCarthy, Lewis' friends, is offered as a bonus video download by Wal-Mart
with purchase of their specially marked CD. Another special edition of the album, which is tied with a bonus track called "Human", is available on iTunes Music Store. A trailer
of A.D.D. was published on BlakeLewisComingSoon.com right before the leak of "Break Anotha
".
, electronic
and jazzy hip hop
feels to it, as he classified the sound as "electro-funk
-soul
-pop". He has also listed his ideal choices of producers and collaborators for his album in various interviews, including "Father of Trance
" BT
, Darkchild
, will.i.am
, Pro J, DJ Shadow
, Dan the Automator
and Gnarls Barkley
. In interviews with Entertainment Weekly
and Entertainment Tonight
, he mentioned a collaboration with Doug E. Fresh
, the hip hop/beatboxing legend Lewis beatboxed with to "The Show" in the Grand Finale of the sixth season of American Idol and received a standing ovation from the judges and the audience, as well as some of his musical influences, such as Maroon 5
, 311
, Duran Duran
, Michael Jackson
and Jamiroquai
.
Lewis described some of the songs he has recorded on July 16, 2007:
The singer gave another depiction of A.D.D. in the official press announcing its release:
gave the album a "C" and wrote "If Lewis could just find a way to integrate all his early-MTV influences (A Flock of Fat Boys?), well...that album wouldn't be great either--though it'd be less forgettable than this exercise in pop adequacy."
Other critics praised the album. Billboard
titled its review "American Idol" season six runner-up Blake Lewis' debut, "ADD: Audio Day Dream," is indeed a little all over the map, but, surprisingly, it works." Los Angeles Times
was quite impressed stating "His singing on "Audio Day Dream" is fine; it gets the job done. Yet what arrests your ear are Lewis' ideas."
debuted (although Jordin's sales were better on her debut week), and #3 on the Billboard Digital Albums Chart It has sold 308,000 as of July 1, 2009.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Blake Lewis
Blake Lewis
Blake Colin Lewis is an American singer-songwriter and beatboxer who was the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. His major label debut album A.D.D. was released on December 4, 2007 through 19 Recordings/Arista Records. On October 30, 2007, his first single "Break Anotha" was released....
, the runner-up on the sixth season
American Idol (Season 6)
The sixth season of American Idol premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company as a two-night, four-hour premiere special on January 16 and January 17, and ran until May 23, 2007. Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returned to judge once again, and Ryan Seacrest returned as host...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on December 4, 2007. The first single is "Break Anotha
Break Anotha
"Break Anotha" is the official debut single of Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. Being the leadoff single from A.D.D. , it was first leaked on October 29, 2007 via phone to fans who had signed up at . The single began to impact the radio on October 30 and was...
" and was released to radio on October 30. The album did not leak as other artists' albums generally do, instead appeared in full first within the "Free Full CD Listening Parties" section on AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
.com on December 3, the day before the release.
Background
On June 21, 2007, Lewis disclosed in his blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
at MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
that on top of the American Idol tour, he has "been in meetings with producers and writers" for his album, though his record deal with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
/19 Recordings
19 Entertainment
19 Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, United States, is a creator and producer of entertainment properties based around the areas of Music and Television / Film, including American Idol in the United States, Pop Idol in the United Kingdom as well as versions of the Idol series in more than...
was not announced officially until August 24. He started to record his album in the studio "for all night long" from June 18 and co-wrote 12 songs out of 13 tracks (excluding the interludes) on Audio Day Dream.
An exclusive version of Audio Day Dream with a 17-minute documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, which was shot by Ethan Newberry and Cisco McCarthy, Lewis' friends, is offered as a bonus video download by Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
with purchase of their specially marked CD. Another special edition of the album, which is tied with a bonus track called "Human", is available on iTunes Music Store. A trailer
Trailer (film)
A trailer or preview is an advertisement or a commercial for a feature film that will be exhibited in the future at a cinema. The term "trailer" comes from their having originally been shown at the end of a feature film screening. That practice did not last long, because patrons tended to leave the...
of A.D.D. was published on BlakeLewisComingSoon.com right before the leak of "Break Anotha
Break Anotha
"Break Anotha" is the official debut single of Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. Being the leadoff single from A.D.D. , it was first leaked on October 29, 2007 via phone to fans who had signed up at . The single began to impact the radio on October 30 and was...
".
Musical influences
Lewis has stated in several interviews that he wanted his future album to have popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and jazzy hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
feels to it, as he classified the sound as "electro-funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
-soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
-pop". He has also listed his ideal choices of producers and collaborators for his album in various interviews, including "Father of Trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
" BT
BT (musician)
Brian Wayne Transeau is a classically trained and Grammy-nominated American music producer, composer, audio technician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter better known by his stage name, BT. He is an artist in the electronic genre...
, Darkchild
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Jerkins received two Grammy nominations in 2011.-Biography:...
, will.i.am
Will.i.am
William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer...
, Pro J, DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, Dan the Automator
Dan the Automator
Daniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
and Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley
Gnarls Barkley is an American soul duo comprising Danger Mouse and Cee Lo Green. Their first studio album St. Elsewhere was released in 2006; along with its first single "Crazy". Both single and album were a major commercial success and have been noted for their large sales by download...
. In interviews with Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
and Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, he mentioned a collaboration with Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
, the hip hop/beatboxing legend Lewis beatboxed with to "The Show" in the Grand Finale of the sixth season of American Idol and received a standing ovation from the judges and the audience, as well as some of his musical influences, such as Maroon 5
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. While they were in high school, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bass guitarist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara's Flowers and released one album...
, 311
311 (band)
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
.
Lewis described some of the songs he has recorded on July 16, 2007:
The singer gave another depiction of A.D.D. in the official press announcing its release:
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
December 4, 2007 |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
Reception
The album met mixed reviews. Allmusic called the album "ADD is certainly one of the more interesting AmIdol-related records, but so much commotion without construction is ultimately as forgettable as Jordin's pageant-winner trifle, and perhaps a little more tiring to get through, too." Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
gave the album a "C" and wrote "If Lewis could just find a way to integrate all his early-MTV influences (A Flock of Fat Boys?), well...that album wouldn't be great either--though it'd be less forgettable than this exercise in pop adequacy."
Other critics praised the album. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
titled its review "American Idol" season six runner-up Blake Lewis' debut, "ADD: Audio Day Dream," is indeed a little all over the map, but, surprisingly, it works." Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
was quite impressed stating "His singing on "Audio Day Dream" is fine; it gets the job done. Yet what arrests your ear are Lewis' ideas."
Chart performance
In its first week of release, Audio Day Dream sold about 97,500 copies, debuting at #10 on the Billboard 200, the same spot where fellow American Idol Jordin SparksJordin Sparks
Jordin Brianna Sparks is an American pop / R&B singer-songwriter and actress. She hails from Glendale, Arizona who rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. Sparks won when she was 17 years old, making her the youngest winner in Idol history...
debuted (although Jordin's sales were better on her debut week), and #3 on the Billboard Digital Albums Chart It has sold 308,000 as of July 1, 2009.
Track listing
| # | Title | Songwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Silence Is Golden...(Intro)" | 00:32 | |||
| 2. | "Break Anotha Break Anotha "Break Anotha" is the official debut single of Blake Lewis, the runner-up on the sixth season of American Idol. Being the leadoff single from A.D.D. , it was first leaked on October 29, 2007 via phone to fans who had signed up at . The single began to impact the radio on October 30 and was... " |
Blake Lewis, Louis Biancaniello Louis Biancaniello Louis John Biancaniello is a songwriter, record producer, and musician.-Background:Louis' skills were developed while working alongside producer Narada Michael Walden with whom he produced hits for Shanice "I Love Your Smile", Whitney Houston "I'm Every Woman" from the Grammy winning album The... , Ryan Tedder Ryan Tedder Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona... , Sam Watters Sam Watters Sam Watters is a Grammy nominated American songwriter, record producer, singer, and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990’s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including “I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor”, and “All 4 Love”... |
Ryan "Alias" Tedder } | 03:09 | |
| 3. | "Gots to Get Her (Inspired by "Puttin' on the Ritz Puttin' on the Ritz "Puttin' on the Ritz" is a popular song written and published in 1929 by Irving Berlin and introduced by Harry Richman in the musical film Puttin' on the Ritz . The title derives from the slang expression "putting on the Ritz," meaning to dress very fashionably. The expression was inspired by the... ") |
Blake Lewis, Irving Berlin Irving Berlin Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous... , Kristal Oliver, Ryan Tedder, Steph Jones Steph Jones Steph Jones, is an American singer, songwriter, and model. He was signed to Def Jam, through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace but left the label.-Early life:... |
Ryan "Alias" Tedder | 03:09 | |
| 4. | "Know My Name" | Blake Lewis, Josh Hoge, Ryan Tedder, Wasalu Muhammad Jaco Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food... |
Ryan "Alias" Tedder | Lupe Fiasco Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food... |
03:58 |
| 5. | "How Many Words How Many Words "How Many Words" is the official second single by singer/songwriter Blake Lewis, from his debut album A.D.D. . The song was expected to be followed by "Know My Name", and then "Without You". However, due to being dropped by Arista Records, "How Many Words" is the final single from his debut album... " |
Blake Lewis, Sam Hollander, Dave Katz | S*A*M & Sluggo | 03:34 | |
| 6. | "Surrender" | Evan "Kidd" Bogart Evan Bogart Evan "Kidd" Bogart is an American music executive, television producer, music publisher and songwriter who has contributed to a long list of internationally successful artists... , Ryan Tedder Ryan Tedder Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona... |
Ryan "Alias" Tedder | 03:43 | |
| 7. | "Hate 2 Love Her | Blake Lewis, Ryan Tedder | Ryan "Alias" Tedder | 04:14 | |
| 8. | "Without You" | Blake Lewis, David Ryan Harris, Sean Hurley | The Runaways: Louis Biancaniello, Ryan "Alias" Tedder, Sam Watters, Wayne Wilkins, Rico Love | 04:22 | |
| 9. | "Here's My Hello" | Blake Lewis, Dave Katz, Sam Hollander | S*A*M & Sluggo | 04:16 | |
| 10. | "What'cha Got 2 Lose?" | Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson Chris Richardson Christopher Michael "Chris" Richardson is an American singer-songwriter who was the fifth-place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol.-Personal life:... , Jonathan Rotem Jonathan Rotem - Early life :Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age... |
J.R. Rotem } | 04:06 | |
| 11. | "She's Makin' Me Lose It" | Blake Lewis, BT BT (musician) Brian Wayne Transeau is a classically trained and Grammy-nominated American music producer, composer, audio technician, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter better known by his stage name, BT. He is an artist in the electronic genre... , Alex Greggs Alex Greggs Alex Greggs is a Canadian songwriter, producer, and remixer. He has worked with some of the biggest names in pop and hip hop. He started as a leading producer in the Canadian music scene, notably for Love Inc.... |
BT } | 03:55 | |
| 12. | "Bshorty Grabs Mic!" | 01:09 | |||
| 13. | "End of the World" | Blake Lewis, Johnson, Louis Biancaniello, Mani, Omley, Ryan Tedder, Sam Watters | Radio & Ryan "Alias" Tedder | 03:33 | |
| 14. | "1000 Miles" | Blake Lewis, David Hodges David Hodges David Hodges is a songwriter, producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist from Little Rock, Arkansas. He is best known for his work with the band Evanescence, which he left in 2002. He has also been part of the bands Trading Yesterday, The Age of Information, Avox, and David Hodges solo... , Mike Elizondo Mike Elizondo Michael "Mike" Elizondo is a well-known songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, and hip hop music producer.-Musical career:Mike Elizondo is especially known for his collaborations with internationally successful producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eminem. He has played the bass for many of Dr... |
Mike Elizondo | 04:17 | |
| 15. | "I Got U" | Blake Lewis, Ryan Tedder | Ryan "Alias" Tedder | 03:37 | |
| 16. | "...I Choose Noise (Outro)" | 01:06 | |||
| 17. | "Human" (iTunes ITunes Store The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States... bonus track) |
Blake Lewis, Sam Hollander, Dave Katz & Chris Richardson | S*A*M & Sluggo | 02:59 |