[Review] American Idol’s Stefano Langone Drops Debut Single

    Stefano I'm on a Roll
    When I heard back in January that American Idol (Season 10) contestant Stefano Langone had signed with Hollywood Records, I was over the moon!  During his season, Langone was easily one of my favorite men on the show, and while he was a frequent resident of the ‘Bottom 3‘ corner, JLo backed him throughout.  In fact, Stefano was JLo‘s Wild Card pick, which saw him advance to the Top 13.  Now, nearly a year after his untimely 7th place elimination, Stefano Langone (just ‘STEFANO‘ now) is set to release his debut single, “I’m On A Roll” featuring New Boyz & Rock Mafia, on April 24th followed by a live performance on the American Idol stage April 26th.

    I have to be honest, “I’m On A Roll” is not the sort of music I pictured Stefano releasing as a solo artist.  It’s just so…radio friendly!  Not exactly a glowing review, I know but this is completely unexpected for me.  On Idol, Stefano dazzled the audience week after week with renditions of soulful classics like Stevie Wonder‘s “Lately,” Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes‘ “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” and Elton John‘s “Tiny Dancer.”  While I realize that these songs were picked based on that weeks preset theme, I always pictured Stefano as a soul/pop artist. “I’m On A Roll” is urban-leaning dance/pop.  If LMFAO were to feature Langone on one of their tracks, this is what it would sound like, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

    I’m On A Roll” is a straight up party song.  With lyrics like, “I’ve got a fast past to the front of the line,” “I’ve got the Midas touch wherever I go,” and “Pour another shot of whatever you like,” it’s pretty clear that Stefano is having fun with this song.  While there’s certainly an overabundance of autotune, Stefano‘s trademark vocal acrobatics still manage to shine through all the clutter.  Featuring American hip-hop duo New Boyz and production/songwriting trio (and former American Idol mentors) Rock Mafia, “I’m On A Roll” is destined to be a fist pumping summer anthem.

    In the end, I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised by the Top 40 friendly direction Stefano‘s heading in, given that he’s signed to Hollywood Records, home to a bevvy of tween pop artists such as Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Jesse McCartney, and the Jonas Brothers.  In this day and age, it’s all about being a commercial artist and Stefano‘s definitely going to sell records if the rest of his album sounds like this.  I just hope we get to hear Stefano belting out some big, juicy ballads as well as his exquisitely beautiful falsetto, because that’s what he does best.  I’ve got my eye on you Stefano!

    Download “I’m On A RollApril 24th (iTunes US) and watch Stefano sing the song live on American Idol April 26th.
    Check out Stefano on the web: