American Idol winner Kris Allen is every bit as affable in person as he is on screen, writes PETRINA JO FERNANDEZ. HE’S got the looks, the moves and, most importantly, the voice that sent millions into a frenzy and won him the American Idol title last year. In hindsight, Kris Allen was one of the less noticeable contestants at the gruelling group auditions at American Idol’s Hollywood Week.

While runner-up Adam Lambert stole the spotlight from day one, Kris was the underdog few really noticed — until they heard this soft-spoken lad’s vocals.

He won the final with his coronation song No Boundaries, written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. Kris paid a visit to Malaysia last week to put on a showcase — the first American Idol winner to perform here. At an interview at The Gardens’ G.Six Club at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur, Kris displayed none of that superstar demeanour.

Dressed casually in a sky blue buttoned-down shirt and faded jeans, the reigning Season Eight winner is far more adorable in person than onscreen.

His preppy style has made him quite a favourite with women, and more than a few young hearts were broken when they discovered that the brown-eyed heartthrob is happily married. Are you often hounded by fans, someone asks.

“Oh, it’s not that bad in Los Angeles — probably because I don’t get out all that much,” he laughed, sinking into his armchair.

“It does happen every once in a while, when I go to an airport or a mall, but it’s not too bad.

I guess you just have to adapt.” And the Arkansas-born hunk seems to be adapting well to this drastic change.

The approachable star welcomed his eager fans with a disarming smile, and signed countless autographs and posed for endless pictures. “It’s terrific to have fans who support you,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to putting on a good show.” He need not have worried — it would have been a tough feat not to enjoy his performance.

The 25-year-old was a pro, switching easily from pop rock hits to folk-inspired tunes without batting an eyelid. Kris’ first self-titled post-Idol album displays his versatility with songs such as the chart-topper Live Like We’re Dying (produced by The Script’s Andrew Frampton, Steve Kipner, Danny O’Donoghue and Mark Sheehan), his rendition of Kanye West’s Heartless, and a song he wrote pre-Idol, Red Guitar.

Below is a question-and-answer with Kris:

Question: You were the guy next door one moment, and a star the next. What was that like?

Kris: It was really weird. A year and a half ago I was sitting in my small apartment, not really doing anything. And look at me now, I’m touring the world, I’m in Malaysia! It’s surreal.

Q: Are you watching the current season of American Idol?

K: I managed to catch one episode. I felt sorry for those people (laughs). Part of me wanted to run onstage and pull them off, tell them not to do it, that it’s a rough road ahead. Another part was glad they were going for it.

Q: There is talk that Simon Cowell will soon be leaving American Idol. Any idea who would make a good replacement?

K: I don’t know… maybe me? (Laughs) I’d make a good judge, but they’d have to pay me his salary. Naw, seriously, I’m sure whoever they find will be terrific. He’s an impossible person to replace; he’s such a vital part of the show. But the show must go on.

Q: What sort of judge do you think you would make?

K: I’d be truthful, but nice. Like Randy, only with less “dawgs”.

Q: You’ve been frequently compared with Adam Lambert, both musically and in terms of success since American Idol. Any comments?

K: I think it’s funny that people would even try to compare me with Lambert. We’re just such different people — it doesn’t make sense at all. We both do our own thing.

Q: Your debut self-titled album had to be completed in four months. Would you have done it that way if you had a choice?

K: Making an album in four months is crazy. It was hard, but it’s a great thing to have achieved. I’ll want to take my time with my second album though — I want to write all the songs myself, and spend more time in the studio perfecting them. I want to try a different sound too, add a bit more rock to it.

Q: Tell us about your band.

K: These guys are the best band mates in the world. One of them is an old friend of mine, we go way back. We thought of putting together a band, so we had a few try-outs. We’ve just kind of stuck together from there. We’re getting tighter, more cohesive now. I think people come more to hear them play rather than hear me sing (laughs).

Q: Any tips on how to get noticed on American Idol?

K: Play an instrument, if you know how. Otherwise, eyeliner helps (laughs).

Kris blows away Malaysian fans A FAN’S T-shirt proclaiming “Have fallen for Kris Allen” said it all – the Season 8 American Idol winner has a huge fanbase right here in Malaysia. The first Idol winner to perform here, Kris put on an exclusive showcase at The Garden’s Ballroom, The Gardens’ Hotel recently, thanks to Star World. His tour began with an autograph-signing session for 200 lucky fans, who’d lined up as early as 10am for the 6pm meet-and-greet session at Mid Valley’s Concourse area.

Kris then gave an amazing performance later that night, belting out hits such as Alright with Me, Heartless and Live Like We’re Dying to the delight of his fans. Infectious and upbeat, Kris had the crowd clapping and singing along as he gave one inspired number after another, stopping only to take a swig of water every once in a while. The young artiste also performed some tight dance moves when he wasn’t strumming his guitar.

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