"I'm grateful for 'Idol,' but so many of the first albums are taken as souvenirs," he adds. "I think that everything to do with my album -- the look of it, the feel, the songs-are about me. They didn't come in and go, 'Bo, change this, all of the kids are wearing mascara ...' F*** that. This is about the music. We got a rock'n'roll album, not a souvenir from a television show." billboard.com
After the first season ... many critics wondered if American Idol would truly help to discover artists capable of maintaining long-term careers in the music industry. Kelly Clarkson has proven that the answer is definitely “yes.”"Breakaway" finished 2005 as the No. 3 best-selling album of the year ...
[The album] debuted in the top 20 over a year ago, and has been in the top 20 for its entire chart life.