Clay Aiken returns with cover album

American Idol season two runner-up Clay Aiken is returning to the music scene with his new album "A Thousand Different Ways," which consists largely of cover songs, due Sept. 19.

"When we first embarked on making an album, my executive producer Jaymes Foster and I started out with one or two covers, then we had three," Aiken says. "We slowly discovered that it's harder these days to come by songs that are as superb as the songs that I grew up on."

The album includes 10 remakes of classics such as "Right Here Waiting," "I Want to Know What Love Is" and "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)." In addition, Aiken has recorded four new tracks written by Desmond Child and Jon Bon Jovi, among others.

Aiken's first record "Measure of a Man" sold over two million copies and was followed up by the platinum-selling Christmas album "Merry Christmas With Love."

"A Thousand Different Ways" will compete with the release of season two winner Ruben Studdard's new album "The Return," due Sept. 26. Other "Idol" finalists releasing records this year include season five's Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry, as well as season three champ Fantasia Barrino.