Are Five ‘American Idol’ Alumni Albums Dropping In November?

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Carrie Underwood, Kris Allen and Jason Castro are confirmed for November, while Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta are possibilities.
By Jim Cantiello

Adam Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Kris Allen

Photo: F Micelotta/ Getty Images

Looks like “Idol” fans will have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. In addition to major-label debuts by Kris Allen and Jason Castro hitting shelves in November, Carrie Underwood has now thrown her hat into the November “Idol” album thunderdome.

Underwood’s third album, Play On, is scheduled to land first, on November 3. Underwood’s camp told USA Today that the album will be produced by Mark Bright, who worked with Carrie on her first two albums.

Carrie will only have a two-week lead on the charts before two high-profile debut albums from “Idol” favorites hit stores. On November 17, recent “Idol” champ Kris Allen will drop his major-label debut, and in an eyebrow-raising move, Atlantic Records has decided to release Jason Castro’s first album that day too. (Castro failed to secure a management or record deal with “Idol” ’s 19 Entertainment after season seven wrapped but was scooped up by Atlantic earlier this year.)

While Underwood skews country, Kris Allen and Jason Castro share a similar style. Both Allen and Castro overcame limited early exposure in their respective “Idol” seasons to emerge as unlikely competitors. Both became popular for eschewing the expected “big voice and glory note” formula and instead focused on making smart song choices that made the most of their atypical vocal styles. And both have worked with Kara DioGuardi. The “Idol” judge had songwriting sessions with Castro in early 2009, and Kris Allen recorded the DioGuardi-co-penned “No Boundaries,” although there’s no word as to whether either of these Kara collabos will end up on the final track lists for Allen’s and Castro’s CDs.

Complicating things further? Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta (who placed second and fourth this past May, respectively) are also set to release their first albums later this year. 19 Entertainment has remained mum about their release dates, yet there are a few clues that might shed some insight. And the forecast is looking crowded.

For example, Adam Lambert recorded a song for the Roland Emmerich film “2012,” which hits theaters November 13. (The film is a Columbia Pictures release. Guess which record label Adam Lambert is signed to? RCA, which shares a parent company with Columbia.) It would make sense for RCA to capitalize on Lambert’s soundtrack offering by getting his album in stores close to the film’s release.

Meanwhile, rocker-grrl Allison Iraheta has said that her debut album will land “November-ish.”

That brings the tally up to five potential “Idol” albums all hitting stores in November in the most epic “Idol” sales showdown the show has ever seen.

So while only three of the five albums have confirmed November release dates, and album release dates shift more than the tides (just ask Mariah Carey), one thing’s for sure: “Idol” fans should start saving their cash now.

Whose album will you race out to buy? Who will win the November “Idol” sales death match? And have I mentioned that David Archuleta is releasing a Christmas album in October?! Let me know what you think below.

Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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