Elliott Yamin 'Just Texted To Say I Love You'

Elliott Yamin has joined forces with Modern Family's Sarah Hyland to cover Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Love You" for a new generation. Tongue-->cheek, you know... hopefully this won't appear on his third album Gather 'Round when he finally gets 'round to releasing it here.

Elliott Yamin "3 Words" Video Premiere

"3 Words" is the first single off Elliott Yamin's third album Gather 'Round, which is out now in Japan/due in March or April in the US. Not bad. This is one of the four or five quite good songs on the album... the rest are alright, but kinda retro & not what I was hoping for.

Elliott Yamin "Gather 'Round" Cover

Here is the cover for Elliott Yamin's upcoming third album Gather 'Round, which is being released in Japan first. He said on Twitter that it will probably include a few different tracks when its released in the US. Elliott looks old school classy on the cover, which is fine & all, but I hope it sounds more like his last album!

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Idol Review: Top 9 (Pt. 2)

Adam Lambert "Whataya Want From Me"



Elliott Yamin & Kara DioGuardi Visit Africa
To cap off a week of trying to help this sad, sad group with their stage presence (& failing... but don't worry, Adam--it's not your fault! Ya gotta work with what ya got!) as mentor, trusty ol' Adam Lambert gave a stellar performance of his stale current single. He was easily the week's highlight... but--imagine--what if that performance had been of "Aftermath"?! (Or "Broken Open"... or "Sleepwalker"... or "Soaked"... or anything something else!) Anyway, also putting in an appearance, more or less, during the results show, Elliott made a return trip to Africa to kick off this year's Idol Gives Back, which occurs next week. Throughout his segment, they played his James Fauntleroy-penned Fight For Love bonus track "Doorway", which is my JAM! Onto the contestants though... Crystal was her typical BowersUx self, Tim was his typical snoozy self, Old Yeller 2.0 was his typical awful self, Aaron actually managed to embarass himself more than usual, Siobhan was her typical talentless self, Michael was his typical snoozy self (They're so boring, my mind isn't even bothered to come up with different adjectives!), & Casey was his typical headache-inducing self. It was definitely Andrew's time to go, while I actually thought Katie was halfway decent for once... oh well. On to The BabyV Show(!):

*UPDATED* Elliott Yamin Performs "Rock Around The Clock" In Chile

Elliott Yamin sang "Rock Around The Clock" at the Competencia Internacional in Chile recently. I'm not really sure why, but you can't say he didn't sound great! He timed this well, as it makes me think of a semifinal Idol performance--& a better one than any offered this week by far! I feel the need to remind you that Elliott's terribly underrated sophomore album Fight For Love is out now.

UPDATE: So, you know how there was that big earthquake last night in Chile? Well, Elliott was still there! He was live-tweeting (@elliottyamin) the whole time & I was actually up, so I caught his tweets & got really worried for him, but thankfully, he's alright. Here he is talking to the Today show this morning on the phone about the incident:

Elliott Yamin Prepping Live EP

Elliott Yamin has announced his intentions to release a live, acoustic EP early next year. The EP will probably include some b-sides & possibly a new song or two. This is cool news. I'm glad Elliott's gonna put a little something out there to create some buzz... even if I don't think it can top his sophomore album Fight For Love, although Elliott can sing his butt off live (duh). Elliott has some killer b-sides, so I hope they make the cut, & more new songs are always good!

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Elliott Yamin Performs On LiveDaily Sessions

Fight For Love



Know Better



Wait For You
Elliott Yamin performed a set, including a pair of tracks from his sophomore album Fight For Love, for LiveDaily Sessions recently. I think that one of the worst mistakes the public has made this year so far is ignoring Fight For Love. It sure would be great if his label released a new single & gave it the proper promo because people need to recognize this great album!

Billboard Update

^This week's #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart
This week's #1 single on the Hot 100 chart^

See full charts HERE.

Chrisette Michele's Epiphany debuts at the top of this week's Billboard 200 album chart. I'm happy for her. Sadly, Ciara only sold 81,000 copies (a mere 2,000 away from the #1 spot though) of her third album Fantasy Ride, which came in at #3. Also, Elliott Yamin's sophomore effort Fight For Love started off at #26, which I think isn't too shabby, considering he has had -0- promotion. Over on the Hot 100 singles chart, The Black-Eyed Peas continue to "Boom Boom Pow" their competition & stay at the top spot. Daughtry had their best debut to date as well as the chart's highest this week with "No Surprise" after it sold 106,000 copies following their performance of the song on American Idol last week. Also new this week are Sean Kingston's "Fire Burning" at #29 & Paula Abdul's "I'm Just Here For The Music" at #87.

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

*UPDATED* Album Review: Elliott Yamin "Fight For Love"

It only seems appropriate that, as American Idol has been dominated by guys for the last couple years, we take a look at the sophomore album from one of the earlier & more successful male Idol finalists, Elliott Yamin. After experiencing some success with his self-titled debut, Elliott is back triumphantly with Fight For Love. His sophomore effort features a number of high-profile producers such as Madd Scientist, who is behind the excellent first single, title track "Fight For Love." But how does the entire album compare?

Fight For Love kicks off with "Let Love Be," which, despite its slightly awkward meter construction, sets the mood well. One of my favorite up-&-coming producers Midi Mafia is the mastermind behind "Know Better." The knocking groove leading into the big chorus makes this one a highlight. "Fight For Love" stays in line with the feel, while "You" is unmistakably Stargate, as most of their music is. Elliott's voice really helps this ballad stand out from the crowd though.

"Can't Keep On Loving You" is midtempo album filler, but I just can't stress enough that the talent Elliott displays is very refreshing. Stargate reappears with "Don't Be Afraid," which seems a little less them & a little more Elliott. International single "You Say" is a catchy tune that definitely screams single material, as many of the songs here do. Midi Mafia offers up another highlight in "Apart From Me."

I like the fact that Elliott finally switched things up a bit with the soulful "Cold Heart." "How Do I Know" puts him back in the land of midtempos, but he's definitely in his element with it. Elliott turns, err, keeps his crooner on for the nice ballad "This Step Alone." Fight For Love concludes with "Someday," a touching dedication to his late mother.

It's a rare occurrence, so listening to one of my favorite former Idols' second (& improved!) album is a real treat. Fight For Love is a great showcase of Elliott Yamin's vocal ability set to an equally good soundtrack. My only criticism is that most of the material sounds too much alike. Still, Elliott's presence on radio is sorely needed & I wish him the best with this project.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

UPDATE: I love Elliott, but why didn't he put any of his collaborations with my man James Fauntleroy (Brandy, Jordin Sparks), particularly "Doorway" & "Always," on this album?!

Elliott Yamin "You Say" Video Premiere

"You Say" is the first Japanese single taken from Elliott Yamin's sophomore album Fight For Love. This must've been shot back-to-back with the recently premiered "Fight For Love" video, as the female model is the same in both videos. This particular video isn't too terribly much to look at, but who cares when the song is this good? My review for Elliott's excellent Fight For Love disc will be up in the next few days.

New Music Tuesday

^Click To Purchase^

May 5th has arrived & it ain't lookin' too shabby on the new release front. First up, we have Ciara's serially delayed third album Fantasy Ride, which features the singles "Never Ever" featuring Young Jeezy & the Justin Timberlake-assisted "Love Sex Magic." Also dropping today is Elliott Yamin's sophomore effort Fight For Love, which includes the lead single of the same name. Rest assured, reviews for both of these are on their way & they'll definitely be positive.

Elliott Yamin "Fight For Love" Video Premiere

"Fight For Love" is the first single off Elliott Yamin's sophomore album of the same name that will be in stores on Tuesday. Better late than never. I like the concept of the video & I think it represents the song well. Definitely check it out if you haven't heard the song yet cause it's awesome.

Listen To Elliott Yamin's "Fight For Love"

Stream Elliott Yamin's forthcoming sophomore album Fight For Love (Tuesday) HERE. For starters, it's much better than his debut album! This is the kind of music that makes Elliott shine & it reminds me why I fell in love with his soulful voice in the first place.

Elliott Yamin "Fight For Love" Tracklisting + Preview

Elliott Yamin's sophomore album Fight For Love is set for a May 5th release (next week!) & the tracklisting for it has recently surfaced:

1. Let Love Be
2. Know Better
3. Fight For Love
4. You
5. Can't Keep On Loving You (From A Distance)
6. Don't Be Afraid
7. You Say
8. Apart From Me
9. Cold Heart
10. How Do I Know
11. This Step Alone
12. Someday

A snippet of each track has been posted for our listening pleasure HERE & you can also preview the bonus track "I Believe." In all honesty, Fight For Love sounds like it's gonna be really good! "Know Better" is already my jam, but if I had to pick one other song that sounded promising, I'd go with "You Say." Elliott's really coming into his own! Note: "Someday" previously leaked as "Show Me."

Elliott Yamin "Fight For Love" Cover

Here's the cover for Elliott Yamin's upcoming sophomore album Fight For Love (May 5th). The title track & first single is awesome, so I'm really looking forward to this project.

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Elliott Yamin On Idol Confessions

Elliott Yamin recently sat down with the LA Times for an Idol Confessions segment. The clip starts off with a short acapella performance of "Fight For Love" that is outstanding, which leads into an interesting interview. Look out for Elliott's forthcoming album Fight For Love on May 5th!

Elliott Yamin Visits Q102

"Fight For Love"

Interview

Elliott Yamin stopped by Philly radio station Q102 on St. Patrick's Day to perform an acoustic version of his new single "Fight For Love," the title track off his upcoming sophomore album (May 5th), & sit down for an interview. Elliott sounded great & I'm really looking forward to his new album. He's sure stepped up his game!

Elliott Yamin Collaborates With Taylor Hicks + More

Practically taking a page from the Jennifer Hudson & Fantasia book, Elliott Yamin is featured on the new album from Taylor Hicks, the winner from his season of American Idol. Their collaboration, "Woman's Got To Have It," is the album closer & can be heard HERE. Ha... Elliott sounds better than Taylor (but then again, I never liked Taylor anyway).

In related news, because Elliott's label apparently wants him to fail, considering his lack of presence on the iTunes homepage, I would like to show Mr. Yamin some support by letting everyone know that the amazing first single "Fight For Love" off his May 5th sophomore album of the same name is now available for download:

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New Elliott Yamin Promo Pics

Courtesy of his newly-launched official site, here are some new promotional photos of Elliott Yamin. Lookin' good these days! Elliott's sophomore album arrives May 5th.

Elliott Yamin "Wait For You: Premium Edition" Details

You know that phrase "I'm big in Japan?" Well, turns out, Elliott Yamin sooo is. Long story short, Elliott released his self-titled debut album (re-titled Wait For You after his first single) in Japan with a few previously available bonus tracks & it was so successful that he's now re-releasing it there. In addition to a couple more previously available bonus tracks ("A Whiter Shade Of Pale" & "I'll Make You Dance"), a cover of the song "Home" by Kiyama Yusaku, who recently covered Elliott's "Wait For You," is being included on the re-release. I was hoping to wait for more details on this set before posting about it (e.g. an actual tracklisting), but it appears to have already been released, so since there still isn't more info, I thought I'd share what I knew. As unimportant as a tracklisting might really be, I'm sorry to report that no one in Japan has leaked the studio version of "Home," so feel free to scour YouTube for that over the coming weeks. Anyway, for those interested (I would be, but I ain't made of money!), click HERE to purchase Wait For You: Premium Edition.

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