‘American Idol’ Winner Candice Glover To Release Debut Album In July

American Idol season 12 winner Candice Glover is wasting no time getting into the studio.

The 23-year-old will be releasing her debut album, Music Speaks, on July 16. The album was available for pre-sale on iTunes the day after she won the singing competition. The lead single, “I Am Beautiful,” sold 48,000 copies in its first week.

Previous American Idol winners have released their debut albums in the fall after winning the competition in the spring. Glover, however, said she wanted to take advantage of the timing.

“I’ve built a fan base being on this show, and my fan base is interested in me now and they won’t see me every Wednesday and Thursday anymore to admire my singing, so I think it’s a good thing it’s coming out this summer,” she said.

“It’s crazy that I’m even talking about an album because last year I was working at a resort,” Glover added.

The St. Helena Island, South Carolina, native auditioned for American Idol in seasons nine and 11. When she didn’t get a golden ticket, she decided to change her approach.

“(From) day one I was still in the mind-set of pleasing people. In season 11, I was all about pleasing people…. This year I took more chances because I didn’t care anymore,” she said. “I didn’t always have that confidence. I was insecure about how I looked and people would tell me all the time, ‘You don’t look the part.’ And this year I kind of stopped caring about that and just did me.”

Music Speaks will be a mix of R&B, jazz, and soul. “Almost like a Jazmine Sullivan vibe because I love her, Glover said. “She’s my favorite singer of all time.” At this time, Glover said she wasn’t sure which producers and songwriters she would be working with on the album.

Candice Glover and the top 11 contestants will be embarking on a 40-show concert, which kicks off June 29 in St. Louis.

[Photo credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com]