Funky Hot Medina

FUNKY HOT MEDINA: Chris Medina, the 26-year-old barista from the Midwest who captured America’s hearts, only to be shown the door in a tear-filled exit from American Idol last night, has recorded “What Are Words,” a song written especially for him by hit producer Rodney Jerkins. It will come out on 19 Recordings through Interscope, the first release through the show’s new recording deal with UMG after being on Sony Music for the first nine years of the Fox show’s existence. The song, inspired by Medina’s emotional story of his wheelchair-bound fiancée Juliana, injured in an automobile accident on the eve of their wedding, was recorded just this week. It will debut on tonight’s show and be made available digitally immediately afterward. A video, shot last weekend, will premiere at 2 p.m. (ET), Friday on www.aol.com. Medina will also perform the song on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno Friday. (2/24p)