Arista Records announced recently that Blake Lewis will debut a new single, “How Many Words” in front of the American Idol audience March 6. The beat-boxing sixth season “Idol” finalist will then open up on radio stations nationwide March 11.

“How Many Words,” a fan favorite off of Lewis’ debut album Audio Day Dream, was co-written by Lewis, Sam Hollander and Dave Katz and produced by S*A*M & Sluggo (Gym Class Heroes, Boys Against Girls), Arista said in a statement last week.

According to the record label, the 26-year-old singer was born in Redmond, Wash. He started singing at age five and competed in statewide talent contests while in high school. He became a beat-boxer at 17, inspired by the then Seattle-based a cappella group M-Pact. Lewis was a member of the Pacific Northwest a cappella group Kickshaw for four years.

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