American Idol’s Runner-up Rundown Continued

In case you missed it, we covered the first half of contestants in Where Are They Now [Seasons 1-7]. Now it’s on to the juicy stuff. These are the names that you might remember more (because they’re more recent) or less (because you didn’t give a shit about Idol at this point). Either way this second half list includes some one of the biggest runner up stars and probably the most controversial. If you didn’t follow along be sure to check out the music of these folks as they’re all quite talented in their own regards. Just think: they had to beat out tens of thousands of other humans to get to the point of runner-up. They made it so close, but so far….

Season Eight: Adam Lambert

If you look up the origins of American Idol Winners you’ll see that a majority of them come from the Southern United States. That’s the case again in Season 8 when Kris Allen snubbed sun boy Adam Lambert (originally from San Diego, California). This showdown was probably the last one that I would consider a tier one event. After this season it was still amazing, but the number of viewers made it less of a phenomenon. We all know what Adam is up to now, and if you don’t just visit Queen’s tour page.

 

 

Season Nine: Crystal Bowersox

Continuing the trend of hip/alternative runner-ups, Crystal Bowersox provided a great foil to the typical Idol contestant. After losing to Lee DeWyze she’s gone on to modest success including two studio albums including All that for This. Even though it didn’t fair very well, it still represents a solid outing from a contestant that really made her mark on the show. The most recent news out of camp Bowersox was a divorce from her then husband Brian Walker.

 

 

Season Ten: Lauren Alaina

This wholesome southern girl has a concrete place in Idol history as one of the more memorable country-western runner ups. Unlike some of the others on this list Lauren has actually been quite active this year! She has a new movie coming out, and already has a song/album with the same name (A Road Less Travelled). She has a huge tour planned this year and has already been promoting herself like crazy with performances on Good Morning America, Harry, and NBC.

 

 

Season Eleven: Jessica Sanchez

Another case of the San Diegans getting bumped by the southern boys. This time heartthrob and twice named goon Phillip Phillips stole the show and in turn crushed Jessica Sanchez’s dreams. As one of the youngest contestants in the show’s history she has a lot of room to grow and succeed though. It was only this year that she could even enter a bar! So what’s she been up to since her Idol appearance ended five years ago? Well in 2013 she released her debut album titled Me, You & the Music to minimal acclaim. It’s only her first work though, so hopefully she puts forth a stronger showing in the future.

 

 

Season Twelve: Kree Harrison

Finally Season 12 gave us two female finalists (something that hadn’t happened since Season 3!). That being said I wasn’t a huge fan of the talent pool this year. Kree was a sweet girl that definitely channeled country music in the best of ways. Even though she performed in 2013, her first album didn’t surface until last year when she released This Old Thing (which apparently was a reference to her favorite dress as a child). She’s currently on the labels 19 and Paid Flag. Her relationship status is unknown.

 

 

Season Thirteen: Jena Irene

I don’t know why, but 2015 feels so long ago. That’s when Jena Irene hit the stage and took runner up to Caleb Johnson. I don’t know why, but I distinctly remember her performance of Titanium at the behest of Randy Jackson as a highlight of the season for me. About a year ago in April she released her debut album which actually made it to #18 on the US Heat list (whatever that means). She’s already making waves in 2017 though, as she just released a video for her anticipate marijuana song, So I Get High:

http://www.fuse.tv/2017/04/jena-irene-asciutto-so-i-get-high-video-premiere

 

 

Season Fourteen: Clark Beckham

I’m a girl who loves my 0ld soul and R&B singers. That’s why Clark resonated with me. It seems like every week he was singing something from Stevie Wonder or Otis Redding or Marvin Gaye. Losing to Nick Fradiani must have been hard for him, but it looks like life is treating Clark just fine. It looks like he has a tour in the works and that means a new album may be looming! In the meantime checkout this soundcloud gem below and feel the serenade…

 

 

Season Fifteen: La’Porsha Renae

Here it is, the final runner up. La’Porsha may be best known for her wild hairstyles, but in my opinion her voice was even more unforgettable. Only a year removed from her time in the spotlight, La’Porsha hasn’t had that much time to work with. But being the trooper that she is, she already has an album that just came out a couple of months ago. Already All Ready was released on March 31st, 2017 and includes her hit single that shares the same name of the album.

 

 

 

What’s Next?

Let’s stay tuned. If you want to see America’s most successful reality television show return, please fill out this American Idol Petition on my website.