Blake Lewis has had a tough year. After 2007, the year that he was named one of People magazine’s Hottest Bachelors and released his first solo album A.D.D. (Audio Day Dream), he was unceremoniously dropped from Arista as the label was restructured, and the publicity trajectory of earning runner-up on American Idol was more short-lived than anticipated.

Now the beat-boxing Washington native is hustling for a comeback, kicking off a tour October 5th in New York City. Now associated with a new label and creating an album with a more cohesive musical sound, Lewis is ready to propel his career forward as an artist and producer.

With musical influences like Duran Duran, George Michael, BT, and Depeche Mode, Lewis describes the record he is currently working on as “synth-pop” and said in an exclusive CollegeOTR interview, “Dance music is fun, and it’s finally becoming more respected.” The remix of his single, “How Many Words,” peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart.

The fall tour will focus mostly on the east coast, from New York to Florida. An enthusiastic performer, Lewis told CollegeOTR, “Getting to tour with friends is really a dream job. My fans have done so much for me; I hope I can do something for them, have a good show, and hopefully they’ll want to come back a second time.”

You can see Blake Lewis October 5th at the Canal Room in New York City at 8pm.