Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Chris Blue has released his first post-show single, Blue Blood Blues. (NBC Photo)

The song is called “Blue Blood Blues.” And while it was absent from the iTunes Top 200 12 hours after its release — and still is — the song is climbing the R&B/Soul singles chart.

The song was number 33 on that chart at noon eastern time Friday and had climbed to number 24 by 4 p.m.

“It’s a song about persistent optimism, just living with all the decisions we make in life — the good ones, the bad ones,” Chris told TV station WBIR earlier this week.

“It’s a song about pain and going through hardships in life, but it’s also about persevering through that pain.”

Chris, 27, from Knoxville, Tenn., signed with Republic Records after his victory. He’s been receiving management and creative help on his upcoming debut album from Voice coach Alicia Keys.

“Chris has grown in his songwriting. He’s really more confident as an artist,” Alicia says in a video about his new music. “And now, when he’s in the studio with these different producers, he’s an equal to them. It’s amazing to see him own his space.”

She says his new songs have “a cross-section of his soul influence, but with a super modern sound.”

Here’s the new song.