Idol Chatter & Voice Views

The list of former American Idol contestants releasing new music this year just keeps getting longer.

And you can add Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis to the list.

Answering questions from fans on Facebook Tuesday night, Blake replied: “Yes, I’m in the middle of recording my 3rd album and I hope for it to be out in the middle of summer! I’m very excited to share this new music with you.”

Blake’s always been one of the most underrated Idol finalists.

After Season 6, he released a debut album back in 2007 called “Audio Day Dream.” Cheesy cover aside, it still ranks among the freshest runner-up albums from an Idol, and Blake had writing credits on nearly every track.

He followed that up in 2009 with “Heartbreak on Vinyl,” which included a number of solid dance tunes, including my favorite, “Love or Torture.”

So news that another album is on the way is welcome news.

By the way, Blake was also a guest last week on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Idol Hangover” show, sharing his straightforward views of the semifinal shows. In short, he was impressed by Joshua Ledet, thought the song choices among the guys were among Idol’s all-time worst and thought the ladies fared much better in that department.

You can watch the episode here. And, on the same site, check out this treat — Blake beat boxing as Season 9 Idol contestant Didi Benami sings her song “Release Me.”