“American Idol” Season 6 fourth-place finalist LaKisha Jones is releasing her debut album, “So Glad I’m Me,” on Tuesday. It's made up of 12 R&B-style songs with a definite positive vibe, including “Let’s Go Celebrate” (the first single) and “Beautiful Girl,” a song for her 6-year-old daughter, Brionne, as well as a cover of Whitney Houston’s “You Give Good Love.”
Jones says fans “can expect to see a different side of LaKisha than they saw on 'Idol.' Of course, everybody’s used to me singing the ballads. This album is more adult contemporary, more urban. It does have an inspirational song on it also, so they’ll get to see another side.”
The 29-year-old native of Flint, Mich., started singing at age 5, so it’s no surprise that her young daughter also has it in her. “We’ll be in the car sometimes, and I’ll start singing, and she says, ‘Mama, you can’t be everybody.’” Maybe Brionne’s just trying to give her busy mom a break! Tech-savvy Jones (who used a Bluetooth headset for the phone interview) enjoys Twitter, where she directly updates fans (“I’m trying to do my best to kinda keep up with it, and keep the fans posted on what I’m doing and what’s going on”). As far as keeping up with Season 8 of “Idol,” she says she either watches or records it — but admits that though it’s the week before the finale, “I don’t have a favorite as of yet.” She says “Idol” — the platform that let her do what she’s doing now — is something she “won’t ever forget.”
The Houston-based singer had a “Hollywood fantasy wedding” at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in October to financial advisor Larry Davis. Several “Idol” castmates attended, including Melinda Doolittle and Sanjaya Malakar. The newlywed is expecting her second child — another girl — in August. She says she’s “changing every day.”
Jones says she’ll “probably go on tour after I have the baby.” Maybe fall? “Probably so.”
— Leslie Anne Wiggins
