Kris Allen has signed his first record deal after winning American Idol.

Billboard reports that Kris has signed with 19 Recordings, a division of Jive Records, and his album will be released later this year.

Kris released a statement saying: “As exciting as the last few months have been, I’m really looking forward to what is next.”

He revealed that his album would contain tracks “definitely in the pop/rock genre”.

The chairman and CEO of Jive, Barry Weiss, said :

“He’s a super-talented singer and all-around gifted musician who has that rare common touch which will give him the ability to connect with the broadest possible audience,” he said of the Arkansas native.

American Idolw inner Kris Allen has revealed that he and his wife are not ready to start a family.

The man who doesn’t even look old enough to be married, told People that “now would not be a good time” to have children.

“We do not have any plans to start a family,” he said. “Right now would not be a good time – I don’t think that I would ever be around, so we are definitely gonna hold off on that for a while.”

Allen also said that his wife would not be joining him on tour.

“My wife is not going to go with me on tour. She’s still got a job so she’s going to work,” he explained. “She doesn’t want to follow me around and I don’t blame her.”

Kris Allen has admitted that he was shocked when he won American Idol on Wednesday night.

“I feel great but I’m just shocked,” he told People.com.

“Adam deserved this just as much as I do,” he said. “He’s an amazing performer, a gifted guy – an amazing guy.”

Adam took the news on the chin and congratulated Kris on his victory.

“He’s such a good guy, so humble, and he’s super talented. I’m really happy for him.”

“I’m a little bit different, and people enjoyed it, and that feels amazing,” he added. “It feels really cool to be able to challenge people’s concepts of what is an American Idol.”

“I think there’s always other things in the works,” he added.

“It’s about music, but it’s also the personality of the artist, about how the artist looks, how the artist dresses, it’s about all of it, it’s a package deal.”

After 620 million votes, 100,000 auditions, a new judge and a bikini girl, Kris Allen has snatched this years American Idol title. This shock result occurred despite Simon Cowell predicting that Adam Lambert would steal the crown.

In the final showdown each contestant had to sing three songs, their own favourite, a choice from Simon Fuller, and the winner’s single ‘No Boundaries’. On the results show the pair took part in collaborations with Keith Urban and Kiss, I’m sure you can guess who sang with who and they ended with a duet of the Queen classic, ‘We Are The Champions’.

Kris has proved the dark horse from this season. He started off in near obscurity, receiving little coverage during the audition stages of the show. The turning point seemed to occur in week nine when he set the spines-a-tingling with his rendition of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine.’ He seemed shocked to win last night but Afam took the blow like a real man and there seems to be no doubt that he has a shining career ahead.

For me the highlight of the night had to be a bikini (and shirt-dress)-clad Kara joining Katrina “Bikini Girl” Darrell on Mariah Carey’s “Vision of Love.” Hi-bloody-larious!

After Danny Gokey left the American Idol semi-final, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert flipped a coin to decide who would sing first in next weeks final show. Kris Allen won the toss and he wisely chose Adam Lambert to sing first.

In the past seven seasons of the show only twice has the person who performed first won. His performance being the last will give Kris a real advantage and keep his song fresh in peoples mind when the voting lines open.

The performance order for the past seven seasons are recorded below, the bold names are the winners.

Season 1: Justin Guarini, Kelly Clarkson

Season 2: Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken

Season 3: Diana DeGarmo, Fantasia Barrino

Season 4: Bo Bice, Carrie Underwood

Season 5: Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks

Season 6: Blake Lewis, Jordin Sparks

Season 7: David Cook, David Archuleta

Kris Allen and Adam Lambert have made it through to next week’s final of American Idol, Danny Gokey was eliminated last night.

Listening to the three semi-finalists performance on Youtube I am not at all surprised that Kris got through. He performed Heartless by Kanye West, but he wiped the floor with Kanye’s own performance on the show a few weeks ago. Adam did an amazing job with U2’s One but Danny Gokey definitely underwhelmed with his chosen track, ‘Dance Little Sister.’

Judge Simon Cowell told the contestants: “Look, none of us would have predicted this, guys.” I find that a strange statement given that Simon predicted that Adam would win just a few days ago.

So who are you backing to win next week? Have a listen to last night’s performances and leave your comments below.

More videos over the jump

Kris Allen is a grower. For me he was a bit of a non runner during the early weeks of American Idol but since the halfway mark he has really stood out from the crowd and impressed me with his versatile performances.

Tonight Kris sang ‘Together’ by the Beatles and at first I cringed at the thought of his song choice but actually in the end I think he made the perfect call.

Kara thought it was a little lame but I disagree. It was soft rock, in fact rock is a bit of an over statement but he was so confident and competent and it is so refreshing to see someone playing their own instrument and possessing real musical talent.

In the words of Mr Cowell……loved it!

Kris won some high praise from Jamie Fox during his American Idol mentoring session, so big things were expected from his performance this week.

I love ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ and can’t hear it without thinking of Julia Roberts lusting after her Best Friend, however I wasn’t digging Kris’s version at all. It was distinctly boring with a strange fast bit thrown into the middle.

The judges loved it but it was not my cup of tea at all.

American Idol eliminated another contestant last night – with the bottom three consisting of some surprising names.

The show began with the contestants having a cake fight in their shared house, leaving their kitchen completely destroyed. Host Ryan Seacrest asks the group who was responsible for starting the mess, with the blame left at Danny Gokey. Seacrest then hands him an envelope containing a bill for $6,000 for the maid service that had to clean up the mess, before Gokey replies, “You don’t think American Idol can pay for this, with all the money they make?”

The fun soon disappears when the results are announced. Seacrest asks Matt Giraud and Kris Allen to stand on one side of the stage, and Allison Iraheta and Danny Gokey to stand on the other, before asking hotly tipped series favourite Adam Lambert which side he thinks he should be on. As Adam decides that he should be with Allison and Danny, Seacrest pulls him back and tells him to stand with Matt and Kris, with the three of them receiving the fewest votes on the night.

The drama continued as Kris was declared to be safe – leaving Adam and Matt in the bottom two to sweat it out.

Seacrest then ribs Simon about how Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson were better at judging than him this week, and made all the right calls, whereas [Simon] made the wrong ones. Cowell admits to defeat, saying “Well, one week out of twelve isn’t bad”.

The result is finally revealed at the end of the show with Adam revealed as being safe – with Matt becoming the next contestant to be eliminated. Giraud said on his elimination: “I’ll definitely remember being the cat with nine lives. This is definitely not the last time you’ll see me.”

The show also featured performances from this week’s celebrity mentor Jamie Foxx, as well as Taylor Hicks, who was crowned winner of series five.

Next week’s theme will be rock and roll week, with Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Slash confirmed to be next week’s celebrity mentor.

Watch the full episode on Friday 1 May, 9pm, ITV2

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford were the names on the lips of American Idol’s final five contestants as they performed on this week’s Rat Pack-themed show – with actor and singer Jamie Foxx as this week’s celebrity mentor.

Kris Allen was first to perform, singing The Way You Look Tonight, impressing Randy Jackson, who called it his best performance to date whilst Kara DioGaurdi and Paula Abdul swooned, with Abdul telling him that he had turned from gone from the “adorable boy next door to the ever-so-handsome sophisticated gentleman.” Simon Cowell took a different view, however, calling his performance “a little bit wet” and “not that incredible”. Allen is now a top choice to reach the final, after it was revealed he was the surprise second most downloaded artist on iTunes, from this year’s line-up, behind Adam Lambert, with Danny Gokey widely thought to be Lambert’s nearest competitor.

17 year-old Allison Iraheta was next up, singing Someone To Watch Over Me, with the judges praising her efforts – apart from Cowell again, who told her that he doesn’t think she believes she can win and that “she might be in trouble tonight”. Iraheta was followed by Matt Giraud, who was the third performer singing My Funny Valentine, which Jackson and DioGuardi didn’t believe came off for him before Cowell once again disagreed with his co-judges telling him “it was the only believable and authentic performance of the night”.

Danny Gokey sang next, singing Come Rain Or Shine – with Cowell telling him his vocals were “outstanding” and that he “loved his swagger”. DioGuardi agreed, and Jackson believed he could “release an album like this and win”.

Adam Lambert was the final contestant to sing – which once again earned rave reviews from the judges. Abdul compared his show stopping performances to “watching Michael Phelps in the Olympics”, and says he makes her “feel better than good”, while DioGuardi says he’s “shocking in a good way… confusing and shocking and sleazy and superb and way over-the-top.” Jackson labelled the performance “too Broadway and dramatic” before Cowell retorted, “complaining about that for any Adam effort is like complaining that cows moo.” Cowell added that he “can tell that Adam wants to win and entertain every week.”

Watch American Idol, Thursday 30 April, 8pm, ITV2