"No Boundaries" is the 2009 winner's single of season 8 of the reality television show American Idol. It was co-written by American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, along with Cathy Dennis and Mitch Allan. It was the first single for winner Kris Allen.
It was also performed on May 19, 2009's final performance show by Allen, and by the show's runner-up, Adam Lambert. Both Lambert's and Allen's versions of the song were released to digital music retailers on May 20, 2009.
It is the second American Idol winner single that was released by both winner and runner-up. The first single was "Inside Your Heaven" of season 4, released by winner Carrie Underwood and runner-up Bo Bice.
Chart Performance[]
In 2009, Kris Allen's version peaked at #1 on iTunes, and Adam Lambert's version has peaked at #15.
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 13 |
| UK Singles Chart | 92 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 11 |
| US Billboard Adult Contemporary | 19 |
Criticism of the song[]
DioGuardi got criticized by many, including then-former Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe & even fellow judge Simon Cowell, for writing a really bad song mainly due to the very cheesy & sappy lyrics. Some accused her of writing it with someone else other then Allen or Lambert in mind because the song proved to be difficult for both men to sing in the final performance show because of its high range. Some even have called it the worst American Idol coronation song ever.