Kris Allen (album)
Kris Allen is the major-label album debut (second overall) from "American Idol" eighth season winner Kris Allen. The album was released on November 17, 2009, through Jive Records. Background. Allen has writing credits on nine of the twelve tracks on the album, including one solo credit for "Red Guitar", a song that he wrote prior to participating in "American Idol". "Is It Over" was written by Allen with Cale Mills, who is an Arkansas friend of the "Idol" champ. According to a preview of the album, the tracks are: In a break with "American Idol" tradition , Allen's "Idol" "coronation song", "No Boundaries", was not included on his major-label debut, becoming only the second Idol winner album to do so after Taylor Hicks' self-titled album. Instead, a newly recorded version of "Heartless", covered by Allen during his run on "Idol", was included as a bonus track. There has been speculation that this was because "No Boundaries" was already included on the Walmart-exclusive season 8 compilation album, which is the first time the winning single was included on the season's compilation since Kelly Clarkson in 2002 and is the first new compilation since  season five. However, it has been included as part of the deluxe album version via iTunes. The album was released in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2009, making its official release before that of the United States. Promotion. Allen previewed three songs from his album "Written All Over My Face", "Can't Stay Away," and "Before We Come Undone" at a Miami Dolphins tailgate party before their game against the New Orleans Saints on October 25, 2009. AOL Music began streaming the full album on November 9, 2009. Critical reception. "Kris Allen" was met with "mixed or average" reviews  from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 52 based on 8 reviews. In a review for AllMusic, critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote: "Unhip it may be by design, at least Kris Allen delivers the goods: it’s tuneful and likeable, melodic enough to merit a close listen, ready to slip into the background at a moment’s notice." Chart performance. The album debuted on the "Billboard" 200 at No. 11 with 80,000 sold for the week.