David Cooks Up a Music Video

MTV caught up with David Cook at a football field at Los Angeles Valley College while shooting the video for "Light On," the first single from his self-titled album, which is due November 18.



The video is being directed by Wayne Isham, who also worked on Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Britney Spears's "Piece of Me." Cook realizes the video is a pretty big deal, yet he freely admitted to MTV that he was star-struck by the entire process.



"We did the first run-through, and I felt real timid because, obviously, I don't have any experience. It's not like I grew up shooting music videos," he said. "It's weird, man. Little things keep happening along the way that drive the point home that I'm doing something that's both insane and really fulfilling, and this is one of those things. To be able to shoot a music video is kind of rad - especially something on this scale. So, you know, I hope I don't blow it."



MTV reported that Cook seemed extremely approachable, and very pro while performing on the 50-yard line, and joking with Isham.



"Light On" was co-written by Chris Cornell and has already hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is one of Cook's favorites on the album.



"I did [a version of Cornell's cover of Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'] on the show, and Chris went into the media and said some really, really nice things," Cook said. "And this song actually got pitched to us, which I take as another huge compliment, the fact that he saw something in me with a song of his . . . just the fact that somebody of his caliber takes the time out of their day not just to mention my name, but to say something nice, it's kind of out of this world."



"I was pretty much an open book on ['Idol'], and that's how I am. For me, I take music really seriously - the stuff that I write definitely comes from a serious place - but I don't really take myself all that seriously," Cook said. "I mean, at the end of the day, I'm out on a football field at 1, 2 a.m. There's a very kind of absurd undertone to most of the things I do, and I'm usually the first to try and get somebody to laugh - but, yeah, I do take some things seriously."





The video for "Light On" is expected to premiere in early November.