"Live Like We're Dying" (CD single) (by Kris Allen, Pop)

LIVE LIKE WE'RE DYING is the first single from American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen. True to its title, the song describes how people should live every day like it's their last and, subsequently, take every opportunity to express their affection to loved ones. Like Allen himself, the tune is super innocuous, avoiding any graphic language or other adult content; the only lyrics that give even the slightest pause are the reference to the common metaphor "we’re all staring down the barrel of a gun." While this clean approach is in line with Allen's personality, he can't take songwriting credits: those go to the Irish band The Script, which penned the track. 

Despite their enormous popularity on the show, most American Idol winners are not known for being big post-show smashes -- a fate that many are already predicting for fairly vanilla Kris Allen. They may not want to count him out so quickly, however: his debut track shows more originality and appeal than the first singles from other Idol winners. Its catchy hook gives it a surprisingly stand-out sound that attracts your attention, and Allen's vocals, though somewhat spotty on the show, are solid here. He may yet have a chance to break the streak of mediocre post-Idol careers.