Now, a Sanjaya Malakar CD!

It's been a couple of days since the American Idols Live! Tour 2007 came to an end, after much success, but one of the most visible contenders is just getting started.

Sanjaya Malakar kicked up controversy galore in the competition, the judges constantly bashing his singing but nationwide support across America providing him with an easy berth in the top 7.

Now, Sanjaya -- hold your ears -- is ready to record an album.

Who cares about singing? Sanjaya can win!

In an interview to TV Guide, the 18-year-old said he's all set to focus on a solo album. 'I'm definitely going to focus on music because that's my passion,' Malakar told the magazine. 'But I'm interested in other things, like acting and modeling. So basically I'm just going to see where the road takes me and ride the wave. I'm excited about it.'

'I'm really excited about my album. I'm going to start working on it as soon as I move out to LA,' Sanjaya gushed. 

Images: Sanjaya's dinner with George Bush

'But I have a really, really, really good idea. Basically, it's just going to be me. It's going to be my personality in the form of music,' he said, painting an interesting picture. After all, the entertainer was more in the news for his wild hairstyles than his singing talent. 'See, it's going to be an R&B-rooted vocal style, but I want to integrate jazz emotion and rock energy and world beats, world sounds,' he explained. 'So it sounds kind of schizophrenic, but I'd marry them in a comfortable way. I'm confident it will sound good.'

Tons may disagree about the quality of voice, but this boy's already a fan favourite -- and only likely to get bigger.

Photograph: Kevin Winter/Getty Images