Danny really suits country. It is also a great market for him to be in.

I like the latter half of the song the best as it becomes more emotional/intense, that sounds very distinctively Danny

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This is an interesting song, it definitely builds as it goes, but has a lot of heights and softer sections that don’t follow a purely linear progression. I like it. It lets Danny use a lot of different textures and levels in his singing, from the softer parts that one reviewer I read called “tender”, to the raspier edges, to the occasional full growl, some all-out power moments, and a lot of range vocally including the falsetto.

It’s very striking to hear all that in a country song. It’s quite unlike most male country singers these days, and most of the women for that matter. I can see why the one reviewer made a point of saying that there is room for a “vocalist” in country who can do what Danny does vocally in delivering these country songs.

This might be a challenging song to sing live, but I could well imagine Danny lighting it up when he’s at his best in live performance. I can also envision him getting the audience into sections of it, as he’s done over and over again on videos I’ve seen, or when I saw the AI tour. (Saw the same thing that mj commented on in her intro article above for Danny’s single.)

I like this better each time I listen to it. I feel good about its prospects. I know that the country songs that Danny did on tour were extremely popular, and I think that this one seems to be very current and very well done.

So the song sucks and the singing sucks? I dunno, I didn’t think
so. I think it is pretty impressive, the dude can definitely sing. Yes, I will be buying this

Well, it’s all opinion and taste. Song isn’t to my taste. I’m also not impressed with his vocals. I don’t wish Danny ill will or anything. I’ve tried to like him. Honest.

Yeah nothing religious aside from the line, “it’s only Jesus.” But it’s country so what can you expect. On my second listen, I was hearing a Carrie Underwood tune with a Danny vocal. I’m personally just not crazy about country I guess.

Also I would have to disagree with the poster about Danny’s studio voice being better than Adam’s. Danny just took a less processed approach than Adam did for FYE. However, both did studio vocals that fit their respective singles well IMO.

This seems to be a very intentional strategy. Even with Danny’s single coming out yesterday morning, it wasn’t until pretty late in the day that Danny himself said anything. It was just the Milwaukee country radio station putting out some news the night before, which some weren’t even sure was true as that was the only source. From there, it was strictly a viral process of word making the rounds on twitter and sites like this.

The Country Music Awards are next week in Nashville, with a lot of country media types coming into town. I’ve seen at least one trying to arrange an interview with Danny for one of their on-air shows that debuts new music. Perhaps some wily interviewers can pry some more information out of him or Mark Bright than we’ve seen before (which is almost none).

And singing a song by highly respected Country Music writers Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum is a huge honor for a new artist. ‘It’s Only’  works because Danny stayed trued to who is as an artist. This is the kind of music he enjoys doing. ‘My Wish’  was a huge crowd pleasure on the tour

I, too, think it’s an honor that he is singing a song by such highly respected country music writers. Also, it’s impressive that he is able to work with such a highly respected producer in Mark Bright. Danny actually knew what he wanted from early on. He was saying that he had met Mark Bright and discussed what he wanted to do with his music back in June. It seems like everything is coming together nicely for him.

I enjoyed the song. I don’t really listen to country music and being that I’m agnostic, I don’t listen to Christian music either. But the references in this song don’t bother me at all. I respect other people’s beliefs and I find the message of the song to be a universal message of compassion.

Danny is singing a type of music that he loves. It has the message that he believes in.

As far as the negativity, it’s the same people every time…so I pretty much expect it at this point.

There have been a few idols along the way that I didn’t like, and their personalities rubbed me the wrong way. I just never open threads about them or read/listen to their words or works. It’s actually pretty easy.

And once again it seems that a lot of what made the voice distinctive to the Idol, isn’t present in their first song. And this song has the general generic feel to AI first singles. Oh and yes, his breath control isn’t there. Oh wells, not a big deal.

I don’t know enough about modern country, except that I turn the station when it comes on, because DNW, but it could very well be a successful song for him. I have no idea about that space. In which case, good for him.

I hear a breathier version of a dude that had no concept of breath support on Idol.

Finally someone else who gets it! How about his phrasing on Idol too…that was pretty horrible.

So the song sucks and the singing sucks? I dunno, I didn’t think
so. I think it is pretty impressive, the dude can definitely sing. Yes, I will be buying this.

I love the ladedas; different from Danny’s usual growls and “ohs” but very delicate and pleasing to the ear IMO.

“He said his homecoming week was the biggest homecoming week turn out for any IDOL in history. As I remember his homecoming coincided with a music fair in the same city. Those people were not there for him.”

Just have to correct the above factual error. I live in Milwaukee. The whole day was declared Danny Gokey Day in the city by the mayor.
There was no other event (music fair). After multiple big crowds at events around the city and parade, he gave a concert at the Summerfest grounds, where turnstiles accurately counted everyone leaving the concert (except those leaving by boat, lol so actually there were more!)- 26,000 (which AI stated was the largest turnout). Danny was the only event there-they opened the grounds for him; everyone was there only for him. Hundreds of people sat in line for hours. He then sang the NA to a sold out crowd of Cubs and Brewers fans.
The above paragraph is not opinion, it is fact.

It’s kinda pretty, but I expected the raspiness we heard on idol. It’s just not what I expected at all.

Although this song has a softer part at the beginning, I hear plenty of raspiness and even a bit of the growl toward the middle and end of the song.

It was worth hearing it on a real mp3 player vs. online with some of the lower quality versions that surfaced today. Danny’s new official myspace has a quality version running, but of course limited by what you play it on. [ For me, my laptop audio isn't that great ]

I am glad that pictures are surfacing from Danny’s photo shoot. So glad to get rid of the pics from AI. He’s looking mighty fine in thos pics.

.Also, another new photo surfacing that looks like part of Danny’s official photo shoot package

http://www.twitpic.com/ok3yb/full

It does remind me of Jesus Takes The Wheel, and I hope it’ll turn out to be a hit just like that song

As for the ladeda, I know some people don’t like it, but I actually did like that, even from the first listen. It just kinda served as a nice little bridge for me.

I like that part of the song too.