VOA常速英语:American Idol Winner Releases New Album

In 2009 singer Kris Allen was crowned the winner of season eight on American Idol. Kris released his debut self-titled CD in 2009 and produced the Top 20 hit Live Like We're Dying. In May Kris released his sophomore CD "Thank You Camellia.

Kris Allen agrees that his life has changed since his appearance on American Idol in 2009.

"[Things have changed] In a good way," said Allen. "I am able to make music for a living and I was not able to do that before so this is a nice change. I am gone a lot and I travel a lot which I love but it is also fun and I love getting out there and playing for the fans… I love the fact that I have fans, it is a good thing".

"Thank You Camellia" is the name of Kris Allen's new CD. But who is this mystery girl? "It is actually a street in Los Angeles and my friends live on Camellia Avenue," Allen noted. "While I was making the new CD they let me stay with them. I was sleeping on their couch for about a year on and off while I was in the studio and it was nice to have a place instead of going to a hotel by yourself every night it was going to a place where you were comfortable with friends so I want to give a big thank you to them.

Now that the new CD is out and the first song was a Top 40 hit Kris Allen is excited about the idea of going back on tour.

"We are working on it," Allen explained. "We are working on getting out there and playing for all the fans and trying to fill some [concert] dates up for the summer and fall and hopefully that happens really soon".

Kris Allen's debut single The Vision of Love from the new CD is about two teenagers who are tormented by loneliness and bullying and represents the struggle to find inner confidence. He has rereleased his new CD "Thank You Camellia" with five bonus acoustic songs and looks forward to sharing the new music with his fans.