TVSquad

American Idol's season six winner Jordin Sparks and first runner-up Blake Lewis are hitting the studios to record their individual debut albums. With possible release dates as early as Thanksgiving, America will learn soon enough if the latest batch of Idols are "turkeys" or not.

Jordin said, "I'm trying to mix everything together. I'm loving all the songs I'm recording, so hopefully that will come off the album when you listen to it and you'll be able to feel the emotion."

When American Idol kicked off this week, Kelly Clarkson made some headlines for refusing to allow AI contestants to sing any of her songs. Simon Cowell made some nasty remarks about her refusal, saying something about biting the hand that feeds you, so she quickly changed her mind. Now her label, Sony BMG, says they are in negotiations with American Idol to decide which of her songs can be used by performers. It sounds like Kelly, or a representative for her, will approve the use of her songs on a case-by-case basis, but only for American Idol. The refusal to license her music to AI was actually part of a larger, overall policy that she has about not allowing her songs to be used for any purpose.

Do you still associate Kelly Clarkson with American Idol? I don't. Her Breakaway album sounds nothing like the music we hear on the show, nor does it sound like the crap songs the winners sing in the finals. I realize she'd still be a cocktail waitress without the show, but she's bigger than American Idol now. I guess that album title is fitting, isn't it?