Blake Lewis
Anyone who tuned into season six of American Idol knew to expect the unexpected of Blake Lewis. The Washington native, who admitted he hadn’t watched a single episode before auditioning in Seattle, arrived in Hollywood without a hint of a plan, other than to be himself. Yet through talent, instinct, creativity and unapologetic brashness, Blake managed to make it all the way to the finale as the first runner-up to Jordin Sparks, each week showcasing a different side to his endlessly eclectic musical identity.
Two years later, the beatboxing wunderkind is going on record with a fully realized follow-up to his 2007 debut, Audio Day Dream, which sold more than 350,000 copies. Heartbreak on Vinyl, Blake’s first album for groundbreaking label Tommy Boy, blends his intrinsic pop sensibility with a love of electronic and dance music, which began taking shape long before he hit the Idol stage. “This is me trying to bridge the gap and make a record that I’m truly proud of,” he says. “I’ve got my 80s side and my indie side, my super pop slant and the electronic music that I love. I wanted to make happy, feel-good music. It all comes from an organic place.”
ADD featured songs written and produced by pop heavyweights like Ryan Tedder, JR Rotem and Blake’s own longtime friend, BT. For Heartbreak, Blake had a hand in writing almost every single track, and teamed up with collaborators including S*A*M & Sluggo (Fall Out Boy, Panic at the Disco), remixer extraordinaire Dave Audé (Pussycat Dolls), superstar producer Rodney Jerkins (Lady Gaga, Britney Spears) and Jean Baptiste (Will.I.Am, Black Eyed Peas).
The result? A collection that’s rooted in dance music — from break-beat to trance — and oozing electro goodness from every pore. The track “Binary Love,” which Blake describes as a “sexy, nerdy love song,” is a clear example of an ex-Idol finalist reaching new heights, while “Rapture of Love” tackles affairs of the heart over a Depeche Mode, Erasure-inspired melody that’s pure pop. “I want people to rock out in the car and not care that people are watching,” says Blake. “I love that feeling when the sequences are all perfect and you can just press play. I want the music to take you on a journey.”
Hitting close to home is the autobiographical title track, which makes reference to Blake’s favorite Seattle record shop and was inspired by a fateful trip to New York’s Union Square Virgin Megastore — both no longer in business. As the song goes: “Heartbreak on vinyl / I’m missing you and how / Easy street is empty / The silence of the sound / I guess the turntables have turned one too many times.” Blake explains the inspiration for its lyrics: “When people would ask me what I’m addicted to, I always said ‘music.’ And while they’d laugh it off like it’s a cliché, I’m actually a complete shopaholic when it comes to records. I’d literally buy 10 albums a week for years, so when I went to that Virgin Records and it said ‘going out of business,’ my heart stopped.”
The title Heartbreak doesn’t only apply to Blake’s fondness for crate-digging. “This record is really about my ex-girlfriend,” he confesses. “It’s my Songs About Jane — inspired by a breakup, so I wrote a lot. I’ve always been a fan of the melancholy, like Morrissey. I grew up playing classical nocturnes like Chopin and Debussy on piano, so I write really melancholy lyrics and melodies” This background explains much of the range on the album which leaves you wanting to dance in your car like no one is watching, just as Blake intended.
Case in point: the single, “Sad Song,” and the epic pop number “I Left My Baby For You,” which Blake describes as Daft Punk meets Prince meets Iggy Pop. “It’s about leaving her for California and choosing my career, then going back and telling her I was wrong,” reveals Blake, who’s since moved to Los Angeles and has put this past behind him. Blake, however, has more than heartaches to deliver with his beats, as he made apparent while appearing as a DJ on the recent T-mobile GRAMMY Celebration Concert Tour alongside the likes of Lady Gaga, Estelle, Katy Perry, and Gavin Rossdale among others. Rising fans to their feet, Blake has even brought our First Lady, Michelle Obama, to break out her beatboxing skills during a performance at a luncheon in her honor.
Blake saw his story as an opportunity to build a new future. “I’m committed more to myself right now — both in my career and my life.” Simply put: Blake’s in the right place. “To do what you love and are passionate about is a dream come true,” he says. “My life is consumed by music and entertainment — and it’s the best life I could ever hope for.”
