American Idol's KRIS ALLEN & ALLISON IRAHETA Interview Billboard's New Years Eve

BILLBOARD’S NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE ON FOX

Interview with 2009 AMERICAN IDOL WINNER KRIS ALLEN and contestant ALLISON IRAHETA
December 2009
Lena Lamoray

BILLBOARD’S NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE CARMEN ELECTRA HEATS UP THE LAS VEGAS STRIP AS HOST OF “BILLBOARD’S NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE”THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, ON FOX

AMERICAN IDOL Winner Kris Allen and Finalist Allison Iraheta and Sean Kingston to Perform on Year-End Celebration. Eva Longoria Parker and Kim Kardashian are also confirmed guests.

World-renowned entertainer Carmen Electra is set to host BILLBOARD’S NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE airing Thursday, Dec. 31 (11:00 PM-12:30 AM ET live; CT/MT/PT tape-delayed) on FOX. Join Electra for a New Year’s Eve to remember as she celebrates the biggest night of the year in a coast-to-coast television event. Actress Eva Longoria Parker is spicing up the biggest night of the year when she joins BILLBOARD’S NEW YEAR’S EVE LIVE on FOX. Longoria Parker will invite viewers inside the grand opening celebration for her new Las Vegas Latin steakhouse, Beso, and luxurious nightclub, Eve, to get a glimpse of The Strip’s hottest new additions, which are located inside Crystals retail entertainment promenade at CityCenter. Kim Kardashian and some of the biggest names in Hollywood will join Longoria Parker to celebrate this momentous occasion.

AMERICAN IDOL Season Eight winner Kris Allen and finalist Allison Iraheta will shine along with the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip when they take the stage to perform hits from their latest albums. Music sensation Sean Kingston will also join the celebration performing several of his biggest hits.

FOX cameras will be there to capture every electrifying moment from Las Vegas and the heart of New York City as the world-famous New Year’s Eve Ball makes its descent into Times Square. The New Year’s celebration will showcase some of the most memorable moments from the historic Billboard Music Awards, and will count down the Top 5 of the year in music, movies and television.

AMERICAN IDOLThe much-anticipated ninth season of AMERICAN IDOL returns with a two-night premiere airing Tuesday, Jan. 12 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) and Wednesday, Jan. 13 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, television’s hit series promises to deliver the most unforgettable season yet as Ellen DeGeneres joins the judging panel to sit alongside Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi.

I participated in a conference call with KRIS ALLEN and ALLISON IRAHETA to promote their performances on the BILLBOARD’S NEW YEARS EVE LIVE on FOX. Here are some of the call’s highlights:

Q: What is some of your favorite music from this year?

ALLISON IRAHETA: I have to say Only By the Night, You'll Have To Take It From Me by Kings of Leon.

KRIS ALLEN: Yes. I would have to agree and I'm going to throw John Mayer's CD in there, too. Both of those are really good.

Q: Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions?

KRIS ALLEN: For me, it’s just work harder on music stuff, just writing and performing and all that. So, that's my resolution.

ALLISON IRAHETA: My New Year's resolution was to not have a New Year's resolution.

Q: What made you want to be performing live as the clock ticks down for New Year's as opposed to maybe being at home with your family or even at a party?

ALLISON IRAHETA: Who wouldn't want to be in Vegas performing. I mean, it's pretty much an experience of a lifetime for me and for both of us. It's going to be a lot of fun.

KRIS ALLEN: Yes. I'm excited about it. I've never actually been to Vegas. This is going to be fun for me.

Q: Twitter is a big part of your daily activities. Why is speaking to the fans through that forum such an important event for you guys?

ALLISON IRAHETA: I guess because it's an easier way to actually get in touch with them. I don't see any other way beside fan mail. Twitter is definitely an easier way to get to fans and that's why like using it because it's definitely easier.

KRIS ALLEN: I was thinking that fans see a different side of you. They just see you sing all the time. But for me, I think there's a lot of stuff that goes on in my head and I feel like Twitter is a good way to get that out.

Q: What one bit of advice would you give to American Idol hopefuls?

KRIS ALLEN: Just rock. There's only like one thing you could tell people it's just do the best.

Q: Are you surprised about the headlines that ADAM LAMBERT has been making?

KRIS ALLEN: No, anybody that knows him is not surprised at all.

Q: Do you think it's going to hurt him in anyway?

KRIS ALLEN: Obviously, it hasn't hurt him.

Q: Most memorable New Year's Eve?

ALLISON IRAHETA: I don't know. All of past New Year's Eve like, I've had, I was just with a huge family eating our faces off till the next morning, yes.

KRIS ALLEN: For me, last year, I was at a party, we had a party at my house and we had like this small deck on the roof. There was like 45 people at my house, or something like that, it was a lot, I don't know the number. We all had sparklers, or whatever, and somebody's pants caught on fire. So, that was pretty scary.

Q: What have you two heard about Las Vegas and New Year's Eve?

ALLISON IRAHETA: I heard that one thing we're doing is going to be pretty awesome. Plus we'll be broadcasting.

Q: You don't really strike me as the kind of guy who would embrace the glitz of Vegas. Are you going to be a fish out of water here?

KRIS ALLEN: We'll see what happens, you know. I'm going to have a good time, I can promise you that and it doesn't matter where I'm at, I'm going to have a good time.

Q: Both of you got to know Paula Abdul and the next season she won't be there. So I was wondering if you had some thoughts on what will be missing from the show, what she added to the show, without her there?

ALLISON IRAHETA: Obviously, we're all going to miss her. I honestly have to say that I'm pretty happy that we got the chance to work with her. Sorry season nine! But, they're getting Ellen, so we'll see how that goes. I really want to see what she has to bring to the table.

KRIS ALLEN: Yes. Paula is the one we get to know the best. She is a sweetheart. I think the show will definitely miss her. Obviously, people tuned in to watch what Paula was going to do. But she was just a nice person to have on there, but Ellen's going to be, I don't know of one person that doesn't like Ellen.

Q: Following up on the previous person's question, you know, so were swapping out Paula on Idol this season for Ellen; but now there's talk that Simon Cowell brings X factor to America, that he's going to leave Idol after this coming season. I mean, honestly, do you really think Idol can continue on minus Paula and Simon can it survive that kind of a double whammy?

KRIS ALLEN: I mean, obviously, Simon's a big watching point for a lot of people and they would have to replace him but I really don't have a clue.

Q: Everybody fell in love with you guys in your cover songs, on the show and on the American Idol tour. So, what is it like now getting out there and performing your own material?

KRIS ALLEN: That's the reason that I tried out for American Idol; it wasn't to go up there and sing a bunch of cover songs for millions of people, it was to hopefully get the chance to make music of my own and that's what we're both getting to do now.

Q: Now, after the New Year, how are you looking to use your American Idol success but also create your own musical identity?

KRIS ALLEN: For me, it's about putting what's inside of me and everything that I know I can do into music and just coming out with good stuff. That's what means the most to me and music means the most to me. I just want to make music and I want people to hear it and I want to be pleasantly successful doing it. So, that's my plan.

ALLISON IRAHETA: I guess for me I would do the same. Maybe get my name out there, that wouldn't hurt. I mean, don't get me wrong; getting known as "Oh it's the redheaded girl from American Idol," it's pretty cool. But I think for people to know who I am and for what I do that would be great.

Q: Obviously, there was a point in time where musicians just made music and that was it. But, now-a-days, obviously, you know, you do talk shows, you do magazine covers, you do, the New Year's Eve special. How much do you enjoy doing these other things? And how important are they to the overall success of your music careers?

KRIS ALLEN: Obviously, they're very important, you know. They're very important to what we do and to sell records people need to see you. And that's fine. I'm doing Letterman today, like, I'm excited. I grew up watching that show. So for me, I love doing that stuff.

Q: Why do you think people like American Idol so much? I mean, the show is still massive in the ratings. What do you think the reason is?

KRIS ALLEN: I think the beauty about American Idol is that it takes people that they can relate to, people that maybe acts like a friend of there's, or has the same job or something like that, and makes them into rock stars or country stars, or pop stars, or whatever. I think that's the beauty of it all is that a person coming from nothing to a lot of fame.

ALLISON IRAHETA: It's a reality show, I mean. Anyone gets stuck on a reality show, especially one like American Idol that has four judges; it's definitely an interesting show.

Q: Kris, I know you've been busy with Jingle Balls. What was it like performing to a sold out show at Madison Square Garden?

KRIS ALLEN: I keep going back and thinking about it because I think it was like probably the best show that I've been apart of considering the artist that were there. I just wanted to perform longer. But I thought it was incredible. I though it was an incredible night and getting to perform at Madison Square Garden, obviously is a huge deal. So, I think that will be something that will always stick with me.

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