Phillip Phillips’ American Idol career began when he won the eleventh season of the popular talent competition. With all of his stellar performances, the singer was bound to win the competition. At the end, he was pitted against Jessica Sanchez, but managed to emerge victorious.
Phillips is now speaking out against his contract with 19 Entertainment, claiming that the company has held him back since winning the singing show in 2012. Phillips also claims that 19 Entertainment also controls every aspect of his career and has made decisions that have hurt him – only to line their pockets.
Phillip Phillips claims the American Idol contract hasn’t given him a better deal and said that it is typical “in the life of a rising star” for the company to work things out to his benefit. Despite that, he says that 19 Entertainment never asked Interscope to help him out in that regard.
Phillips mentions one concert — where he was forced to perform a free show for a JetBlue ad, and 19 flat out told him he had to do it because it benefited the “American Idol” live concert tour.
He also says they have kept him in the dark to the point he wasn’t even consulted about the title to one of his albums and only found out when he heard about it in the media. Phillip says the 19 contract is so one-sided it’s illegal, and he’s asking for the Labor Commission to let him out.
A representative for the record company has since issued a statement in its own defense. The statement says, “We have always acted in the best interest of Phillip. We will vigorously defend ourselves from any baseless claims to the contrary and from any attempt to interfere with our rights and relationships.”
Phillip Phillips is fighting 19 Entertainment to be release from his American Idol contract, but it sounds like it will be an uphill battle. What do you think?
[Photo Credit: Mark Runyon via Flickr]