Caleb Johnson: Will ‘Idol’ Winner’s Debut Album Make Its August Release Date?
Caleb Johnson has a busy summer planned. After winning American Idol last week, the North Carolina rocker is set to go on tour June 24 and record an album. Just Jared Jr. reported Johnson’s new record has a release date of August 12 and is available for iTunes pre-order.
The release date was announced mere hours after Caleb got the American Idol crown last week. HitFix muses it may be the quickest album release of any Idol winner.
So far, only Caleb’s debut single is on the track list. That’s the song that was shopped around a bit before Johnson gave it his signature classic rock style during the last few weeks of Idol competition. As The Inquisitr previously reported, “As Long As You Love Me” was first offered to Kelly Clarkson a few years ago.
It will be a quick production turnaround, but if past Idol timelines are any indication, that August date may be pushed back.
HitFix notes the debut album of Candice Glover, last year’s Idol winner, was slated for July 2013 release. It did not actually come out until February of this year, when Idol was well into its next season. Season 10 winner Scotty McCreery released his album in the fall after his win, and season 11 winner Phillip Phillips waited six months.
Even if the deadline is looming, Johnson seems ready to go into the studio. Caleb told Enterainment Weekly during his exit interview, he has a clear vision for what he wants to bring to the record:
“I really want this record to be an amazing experience. I want it to be a full deal, that front to back every song is awesome and tells a cohesive story and it culminates me stylistically and vocally and have all these facets to it… I want this to be deep and heavy and soulful and convicted and have a lot of depth to it and hit people right in the gut when they hear it.”
Caleb also told EW that he enjoys different kinds of music, calling out “theatrical rock” artists like Queen and Meat Loaf. Caleb’s similarity in style and look to Meat Loaf got the latter rock icon tongue-in-cheek congratulations for his American Idol success. Meat Loaf took the jokes in stride and sent out compliments to Johnson:
“[L]et me take a second to really congratulate Caleb Johnson. It’s great to see him tearing it up and putting some real rock ‘n’ roll back on prime time TV! Congratulations Caleb, GOOD LUCK and don’t you ever stop rockin’!”
American Idol will be back next year for its 14th season.
[Image: American Idol]
