Idol Headlines for 08/12/09
Kris Allen’s Secret Songwriting Weapon? Adam Lambert
Every “American Idol” champ’s debut disc is a make-or-break affair. For every David Cook, there’s a Taylor Hicks. The stakes are high, and the odds of success are slim, which is why, for his post-”Idol” debut, season-eight champ Kris Allen is hoping to increase his chances by getting a little help from his friend Adam Lambert.
“Adam will get a song, and he’ll be like, ‘Listen to this,’ and I’ll tell him what I think about it, whether I like it or not. And we were actually doing that last night. … He was listening to some things of mine,” Allen told MTV News. “He had some good things to say, some critiques to say as well. We do that to each other. … We’re just trying to help each other out.”
Adam Lambert: The ultimate interview, Part Four
Lambert-part-four In the final segment of this four-part interview, the Season Eight runner-up discusses his “American Idol” experience. Part One of this interview can be read here. Part Two can be read here. Part Three can be read here.
Let’s talk about some of the songs you performed on ‘Idol.’ One of my favorites was your interpretation of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles’ ‘The Tracks of My Tears” during Motown week.
My first impulse was to do ‘War’ by Edwin Starr. I love that song.
More Idol Headlines after the JUMP…
Adam Lambert outshines Kris Allen as “American Idol” plays LI
Sure, Kris Allen may have won the TV show back in May over Adam Lambert, but that doesn’t mean he no longer has to prove himself.
And at Nassau Coliseum last night, the laid-back Allen showed he has a ways to go before he reaches his potential. (The “Idols” return to the Coliseum for another show tonight.)
Though his likable personality and warm voice came through, his song choices didn’t have a lot of flash – Matchbox Twenty’s “Bright Lights” isn’t exactly a barnburner in the best of circumstances and the dressed-up jazzier version of Kanye West’s “Heartless” lost some of its punch.
Lambert Fans Gift Him Skivvies!
Adam Lambert has gotten a taste of fame touring with his fellow ‘Idols’ — including numerous undergarments thrown by zealous fans!
Adam Lambert has gotten a taste of fame touring with his fellow “Idols” — including numerous undergarments thrown by zealous fans!
“I get a lot of bras, decorated very creatively,” Adam tells “Extra” of receiving onstage gifts from fans. “I do believe there was a jockstrap the other day.”
Pharmacist – Heart’s ‘butterflies’ can be soothed
Dear Pharmacist: I attended an “American Idol” concert and I got so excited to see my favorite, Adam Lambert, that I developed cardiac arrhythmias. I went to the ER, the doctor called it “A-fib” and I was sent home with medications. What do you suggest so that this scary thing doesn’t happen again? – J.S. Ocala, Fla.
‘American Idol’ contestant to speak at Badger Association event
Scott MacIntyre, a contestant on last season’s ‘American Idol,’ will deliver the keynote speech at the Badger Association of the Blind & Visually Impaired Inc. volunteer recognition event Aug. 27 at Potawatomi Bingo Casino.
MacIntyre, who was among the top eight finalists on ‘American Idol,’ spoke candidly of his visual impairment during the show’s run. Blind since birth, MacIntyre learned to play the piano by ear at the age of three.
The Badger Association is a nonprofit organization that offers comprehensive vision services to individuals with vision difficulties.
Which ‘American Idol’ alum is champ? We’ve got a top 10 list.
According to voters, Chris Daughtry was only the fourth biggest talent to compete in the fifth season of “American Idol.”
But record sales tell a different story. Daughtry’s post-”A.I.” career has easily topped those of the three singers who beat him ‘†Elliott Yamin, runner-up Katharine McPhee and champion Taylor Hicks. Daughtry’s self-named band recently scored its second-straight No. 1 record, “Leave This Town,” which it will support with a sold-out show Thursday at the Fillmore in San Francisco.
SELF speaks out about Kelly Clarkson photo retouching
Pictures are meant to tell a story, express a feeling, convey an emotion or capture a moment. Portraits like the one we take each month for the cover of SELF are not supposed to be unedited or a true-to-life snapshot (more on that in a moment). When the cover girl arrives at the shoot, she is usually unmade up and casually dressed, and could be mistaken for a member of the crew or the editorial team in many cases. Once we do her makeup and hair, and dress her in beautifully styled outfits and then light her, we then set the best portrait photographer we can on a road to finding a pose and capturing a moment that shows her at her best. This usually involves music for her to relax to, props, painted backdrops or locations that create a natural context. Then the shoot starts and after about 100 images are snapped, there are outfit changes and more lighting adjustments, more hair touch-ups and fans blowing, etc. The scene is truly amazing to watch and there are often two dozen people on set.
Then we edit the film and choose the best pictures. This is done in tandem with the star; the creative director, Cindy Searight; the photographer; and myself. Then we allow the postproduction process to happen, where we mark up the photograph to correct any awkward wrinkles in the blouse, flyaway hair and other things that might detract from the beauty of the shot. This is art, creativity and collaboration. It’s not, as in a news photograph, journalism. It is, however, meant to inspire women to want to be their best. That is the point.
Jennifer Hudson Welcomes Her Very Own American Idol
Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson just met her little dream boy.
Tragedy took a backseat as the Oscar winner and fianc David Otunga welcomed David Daniel Otunga Jr. late Monday, E! News confirms. The tot weighed in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces.
“The baby is beautiful and perfect,” Hudson rep Lisa Kasteler said in a statement. “His parents are ecstatic.”
How ‘Idol’ and Abdul Parted Ways
LOS ANGELES ‘†Paula Abdul’s departure from ‘American Idol’ was the product of months of calculation: financial and logistical on the part of the show’s producers and its network, Fox, and entrepreneurial and retaliatory on the part of Ms. Abdul, who in recent months has grown increasingly certain that greater opportunities lie elsewhere.
Ms. Abdul’s announcement last week that she would not return to ‘American Idol’ after eight seasons produced an array of reactions, most of which focused on her career prospects. Most assumed that she would be unlikely to find a job as lucrative and as prominent.
Turns out, American Idol’s Simon Cowell isn’t dumb enough to turn down $45-million a year
This is the difference between Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.
Abdul, forced to alternate between snarky public criticism and disingenuous compliments as American Idol producers installed her replacement, announced her departure from the show on Twitter and is now trying to find a way shoehorn herself into lesser-rated, lower-regarded reality shows.
Cowell, who told the press six months ago he was planning to leave the show when his contract expired next year, is instead finalizing a three-year deal to stay on the show, according to the Hollywood Reporter. If other reports are to be believed, its an agreement worth $45-million a year.
Paula Abdul — Easy As ABC
Paula Abdul isn’t missing a beat. Our spies say she spent part of the afternoon yesterday with ABC entertainment honcho Steve McPherson.
We’re told Stevie M. wants Paula to be a contestant on “Dancing With the Stars” in the worst way. We’re told there was talk of making her a guest judge but that’s not gonna happen, and we know why. Paula and Carrie Ann Inaba don’t get along.
But McPherson, who’s friends with Paula, wants more from her than “Dancing.” There’s talk of Paula doing a guest appearance on “Ugly Betty.” And we’re told Paula has a show in mind with her name on it.
As for that other show … “American Idol” we think it’s called …. Paula is not shutting the door. $10 million, and she’s theirs.
Ruben Studdard — I’d Give Paula $10 Million!
Studdard, who won season two, thinks Paula is “probably” worth it — but as TMZ first reported, Abdul has been taking meetings with ABC head honcho Steve McPherson and could end up on “Ugly Betty” and a show with her name on it instead.
Why Idol Is Soooo Much Better Without Paula
OK, we admit: We’re not entirely convinced American Idol is soooo much better without Paula Abdul. The woman, after all, does make unscripted TV soooo deliciously unscripted.
But by all accounts, Abdul is moving on, Fox is moving on’â€and it’s time we move on. To do that, we convince ourselves that this unwanted divorce will propel TV’s No. 1 show to new heights. Here goes:
Who Can Replace Paula Abdul on ‘Idol’?
The brouhaha surrounding Paula Abdul’s decision to quit “American Idol” promises to gather speed until a replacement judge is officially announced. Guest judges will fill in, but Fox has made clear that they are seeking a full-time replacement for the cheerleader-turned-1980s pop sensation.
Executives remain tight-lipped as to who may take her place, allowing speculation to run rife.
Former ‘Idol’ Mentor Quentin Tarantino ‘Sad’ Over Paula Leaving Reality Show
LOS ANGELES, Calif. –
Quentin Tarantino said he is sad Paula Abdul has chosen not to return to ‘American Idol.’
At Monday’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ premiere in Los Angeles, the director, who served as a guest judge during ‘Idol’s” Season 3 and a mentor last season, spoke out for the first time about Paula’s departure with Access Hollywood’s Maria Menounos.
‘I feel bad about Paula leaving,’ Quentin told Maria. ‘I really liked her on the show.’
Quentin said, however, that the move didn’t come as a shock.
Misplaced sympathy for Paula
Despite Paula Abdul and Sarah Palin’s similarities — both are attractive, in their mid-40s, polarizing, occasionally incomprehensible and, having quit high-profile jobs, presently unemployed — they might seem like odd dance partners. But their supporters have mastered near-identical routines.
The most interesting development since Abdul tweeted her way off “American Idol,” in fact, has been the groundswell of compassion directed her way, in much the way that Alaska’s former governor has found no shortage of supporters who appear to feel personally every sling and arrow lobbed at her.
Rock on: Daughtry in the club
Daughtry — the bestselling group fronted by “American Idol” hard-rock hero Chris Daughtry — has indeed developed into a true band. That was obvious on the group’s recent chart-topping second album and at the quintet’s performance Sunday night at the jam-packed Cabooze bar in Minneapolis.
The only question: What kind of band?
Sunday’s 75-minute set suggested that Daughtry writes songs for the radio, not for the stage.
Daughtry an Idol ‘winner’
Rocker Chris Daughtry has managed to accomplish what no other American Idol contestant has.
The fourth place finalist on the show’s fifth season has succeeded in having two consecutive No. 1 albums in the U.S., including his recently released sophomore album, Leave This Town.
“It’s kind of a crap shoot — you never know what’s going to happen,” said the 29-year-old Roanoke Rapids, N.C. native, in Toronto recently for a promotional stop with Charlottesville, Va.-based guitarist Brian Craddock at his side.
Taylor Hicks greasing the skids for a long career
For countless American Idol contenders, a good showing on the country’s favorite talent contest has been the start of a very brief career.
Season 5 champ Taylor Hicks is determined that his star will glow for years to come.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint, as far as I’m concerned,” Hicks said in a phone interview from Fort Lauderdale. “I’m just at the beginning of the marathon.”
MTV SET TO WALK AWAY FROM ITS TIMES SQUARE STUDIO
We want our MTV back!
The cable channel plans to unplug its famed studio overlooking Times Square at the end of the year, according to landlord SL Green, which has put the space on the market.
MTV’s parent, Viacom, didn’t renew its studio lease when it extended its lease on more than 1 million square feet of offices at 1515 Broadway, between 44th and 45th streets, last year. And while it could still make an offer on the space that’s now possibly 10 times more costly than it was 12 years ago, it has not yet done so.
Jeanine Mason Talks About Dancing Off with the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Title
Last week, Jeanine Mason, a 28-year-old contemporary dancer from Pinecrest, FL, became America’s favorite dancer, winning the “So You Think You Can Dance” title, $250,000 and a cover feature in Dance Feature Magazine.
“I just didn’t think it could happen.” Mason declared in an interview after winning the title. “Brandon Bryant is such a powerful and beautiful dancer, and I admire him so much that I definitely thought he had it. So I was just ready to give him a hug, step back and let him have his moment. So hearing Cat Deeley say my name was so surreal, it was amazing.”
STELLAR ‘SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE’ FINALE GIVES FOX ANOTHER WEEKLY WIN!
On Wednesday night, the Top Four dancers competed for the last time on the two-hour performance finale of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE. The spectacular show posted a 2.8/9 among Adults 18-49 and was the highest rated program of the night among Adults 18-34, outperforming originals of NBC’s America’s Got Talent and The Philanthropist and ABC’s Wipeout and I Survived A Japanese Game Show.
On Thursday night the two-hour SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE results finale aired live from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, featuring encore performances of the judges’ favorite routines and culminating in the crowning of Jeanine Mason as ‘America’s Favorite Dancer.’ The smash summer hit closed with an impressive 3.5/11 among Adults 18-49 and grew +6% over the previous year’s finale. In addition, the finale show gained significantly compared to its prior summer average, gaining +17% among Adults 18-49, +10% in Adults 18-34, +12% among Teens and +20% in Total Viewers over last season.
Will Jackson siblings, trainer, go ‘Dancing’?
The ninth season of “Dancing With the Stars” could end up resembling a reunion of Michael Jackson’s family and friends.
Lou Ferrigno, Jackson’s personal trainer and the onetime star of “The Incredible Hulk,” said he’d “definitely be interested” and has been in talks to join the show.
LaToya Jackson, Michael’s sister, is also now in discussions to become a part of ‘Dancing.’
“She’s a big fan of the show, and being from a musical family, it would be a good fit,” her rep told Us Weekly.
And finally, brother Jermaine Jackson, never one to let an opportunity pass him by, is throwing his hat in the ring.
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449 Responses to “Idol Headlines for 08/12/09”
Thanks Newfan I love this interview too. Adam was great in this interview and I think the interviewer was great also.
The list is only for male vocalists, no mention of Aretha Franklin whatsoever
EDIT: Sorry, Sassycatz, I checked again and she is mentioned. I read at the beginning of the thread that they were not going to mix men and women in the list. But they finally did. Anyway, their analysis is based on technical criteria.
I’m glad Adam finally made that tweet. Good for him. I hope there will be no more bitterness from the fans who waited 2 hours.
I don’t know if I agree the numbers of people who check on AI on the internet is that low a percentage out of total AI viewers, or even American population as a whole. Now granted I do feel that the AI blogosphere is a very heremtic place indeed, and those that are big time crazy about every Tweet, go to several boards, or indeed post at any board, is a much smaller percentage (of which I am one), but I think this underestimates the amount of internet penetration and use within the population as a whole. There are several Pew and Harris studies that speak about this. Which I won’t bore by linking, they’re easy to google for.
Which is not to say that there is a direct correlation between internet or tour chatter to AI as a whole, much less the real world. Clearly there is not. I’m just hypothesizing that AI news is more widely disseminated on the internet than to 110,000 people on the whole of the web. Though again, I agree that the more heavily invested users remains a much smaller number. Also, the larger, casual AI internet population is probably limited to a few major news and articles. Just a thought, I could be all wrong. I haven’t done any research about AI and the internet in particular, though I have about nternet usuage and news in particular.
Now how was this relevant again? Oh yeah, I don’t think Kris is being a boring, green, wet blanket (or whatever) to the music buying audience as a whole via some Tweets and online interviews and that will then adversely affect his sales. I also don’t think that Adam is being seen as the second coming, outside of that same limited audience, so that won’t affect expectations.
YMMV.
I assume they are rating everybody except Adam on years and years and years of vocal performances. So, somebody like, oh, Wayne Newton, who had a lovely voice at the beginning of his career but has definitely lost it these days, can’t rate very well against someone like Adam, who is only beginning. That is also a problem for Aretha, who certainly doesn’t have the range or breath support she had when she was younger. Ditto Frank Sinatra and Roy Orbison and Elton John and Billy Joel. Whereas Bob Dylan never had any to start with.
Especially since “perceived excitement” is such a self-fulfilling prophesy. I am excited about this thing; therefore it is exciting. I talk about it endlessly on the internet; therefore it has endless levels of excitement on the internet. Yeah, okay. Knock yourself out. I think I’ll wait to see the promo levels nearer to when the albums drop and get back to you.
I still say the healthcare debate, Sonia Sotomayor, whoever and Kate plus eight, Michael Jackson, J-Hud and Paula Abdul are blowing Adam and everybody else out of the water “buzz” wise. So if August 12th is the be-all and end-all, then Adam loses. Meanwhile, my top entertainment stories of the week are that Psych had its season premiere last Friday in an episode with Cary Elwes (Westley!), Mad Men starts Sunday, a really cool revival of “Finian’s Rainbow” with Cheyenne Jackson and his lovely baritone (as well as his lovely thighs) is getting closer to Broadway, it’s the 40th anniversary of Woodstock (where the likes of Joan Baez and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young did just fine cheek-to-jowl with Jimi and Janis, thankyouverymuch) and Pasha and Anya from SYTYCD start Aug. 18 in “Burn the Floor” on Broadway. One girl’s buzzworthy is another girl’s pffffft.
Ok are you saying Diva to be sarcastic or do you really believe he is a Diva. I hope the former or you going to be starting another He is/He isn’t debate. Please NOOOOOOO!
YAY Adams tweets mean less drama about him not coming out! I’m THRILLED! I’m sure there will still be some drama though:( I think he meant he’s not coming out 4 allshows?
It’s still three months until his album comes out. It really doesn’t do much good to get people hyped up about buying it NOW. They will have forgotten about it come November. Like I said earlier, I’m sure Jive has a strategy for marketing the album, and it probably involves strategic leaks of collaborations and or particular songs along with the obvious release of a single and massive media interviews–print, television, radio, online–as well as personal appearances. The idea that because the media is losing their collective minds over the release of Kris’s album three months from now is in any way meaningful, or somehow means there won’t be the appropriate level of buzz for the album, is laughable to me.
Most people have little to no buzz or media about their upcoming album this many monts from its release. I would guess that Kris has quite a bit more than the average. And, because he does have the Idol title, he WILL get TV and radio appearances that other new artists wouldn’t get. I have been really happy with what I have seen Jive doing with Kris so far. I think they know what they have in Kris, and they know what they are doing.
Also, Kris said that he ran the idea of doing “Heartless” by Adam and he told him he thought it would be brilliant. So, Kris came up with a brilliant idea that Adam reinforced. Kris did the arrangement of the song. Kris actually got out there and sung the thing with just his acoustic guitar. I think Kris has enough ocnfidence in his musical instincts and judgments and abilities to serve himself quite well.
DAMN YOU ADAM what about us people that like a great tweetville party.Hell the other nite when the CIRCUS showed up in tweetville.WOW what a show it was.
I agree with you. On the other hand obviously Kris respects Adam’s knowledge and judgment. My take is he believes Adam knows what he is talking about and feels he has great Musicality. Now if only people can respect each for their talent instead of putting down one to make the other seem better.
He is getting backlash but most of the responses are positive. I don’t blame him it must be annoying to have to do this every night after a show. I’m sure when his CD comes out he will have formal signings.
That was my attempt at sarcasm since I read a thread calling Adam a diva because he would rather spend time with his boytoy, while the other idols -who have family- are still out there signing.
And his hat and shirt were cute, and it’s always fun to see him with no make-up beyond some eyeliner.
That is what I thought. I am expecting someone to be asking for a Doctors note to prove that is why he can’t come out. :laugh_tb:
So we are saying the same thing. The amount of people who frequent this site and those like it, who are aware of every single thing the idols do or say, who share the “truths” we put together for ourselves here on the internet… is very, very small compared to the greater number of people who watch idol, and even tinier compared to the general music buying public. In short, we don’t matter, and neither does the minutae of what idols do or say in the press. We don’t even make up a majority of the people who will buy the albums the first couple of weeks and through the Christmas season. LOL.
So there is no need, IMO to angst about any of that. They will sink or swim on the quality of their music and promotion, and the degree to which the greater public responds. Not the quality of our arguments or the fierceness of our fanwars! Thank god for that. Because we are all nuts. Heh.
washpd: I agree completely with your post. I am not worried about Kris at all. He has made extremely wise choices through out the whole AI competition and I am sure that will carry over to his CD. The success that Kris has had, has been of his own making. All I want from Kris is for him to continue being himself and for him to make music that he is proud of.
I think they rate them to their best ability ever recorded but I am not sure. There was some debate in the end of the thread about some singer who only hit a certain note once (but oh what a note!) but in the end they all concluded it should be accounted for. The tone of their whole discussion makes you feel you’re attending an english tea party, which is why I thought it was fun.
Ehh, btw, if they rated everyone at their current status (singers that is) it’s no wonder Adam is topping Freddy Mercury.
Who might likely to be more successful? A person the media raves about and excites people, or a person who the media is lukewarm to and does not excite people? I am not comparing Adam to anyone else, I’m just referring to Adam, himself.
I apologize in advance if this has been posted – I’m trying to work and read here at the same time
http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/08/exclusive-paula-abdul-gets-offer-idol-australian-idol
So, inasmuch as I didn’t want to think Adam’s vocals were not up to par in Starlight last night… It looks like his vocals were, in fact, suffering. Better Adam miss signing rather than cut his set short. This is going to be so disappointing to people who have AP passes.
dhunken, I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Diva is the new Bitch. Own it Adam!
Bitch used to be an insult until women empowered themselves and embraced the term as a positive.
Diva is actually a compliment of the highest order to a singer. “a celebrated female singer. The term is used to describe a woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, and by extension in theatre, cinema and popular music.”
For men, the word is Divo, as in Il Divo, Simon Cowell’s pop opera group.
Since Adam is gay, I guess Diva or Divo is acceptable. hahah.
J/K
blurb about Kris in Billboard mag.
http://www.billboard.com/news/hot-tours-madonna-u2-ac-dc-idols-live-top-1004002818.story#/news/hot-tours-madonna-u2-ac-dc-idols-live-top-1004002818.story
@adamlambert In an attempt to make up for any dissapointment, let’s have a Twitter party tonight!!! I will be answering questions and chatting w u guys!!
^^^^^This should help head off at least some of the fan emo!tweets of sadness at his missing the AP/barricades.
Since so many people attribute Kris’s win to the surprise that was “Heartless”, I wonder if Adam wishes he would’ve said, “No, that’s a bad idea, let me see if I can think of a really good Don Henley song for you…”
Just goes to show you they really did have each others’ best interests at heart…Simon dissed Kris on the show for being a “good guy”, but honestly, Adam is just as sweet.
About Adam not coming out after performances. Somewhere in the middle of the tour last year David Cook stopped coming out after the show. It was never explained but I think it had to do with the record. He was flying back and forth across the country alot back then.He was exhausted and was working on the record when not doing Idol stuff. He got grief but these guys have to know their boundaries and take care of themselves. David switched to coming out before shows when the crowds were calmer and more manageable. People don’t remember stuff like this it blows over and Adam will be fine. When the tour is over no one will remember. Except crazy uber fans like myself who remember everything it seems. LOL
I’m not saying Adam is a diva by any means, but Daughtry was called a diva while still on AI. Didn’t hurt him one bit.
Sad to read that Adam is now on voice rest. I hope that he can really get some. I knew that there was something off when I here watch the video of Starlight from last night’s concert.
OK range is by no means the measure of a great vocalist. And Aretha is one of the best. But I looked up her range and had to laugh — they are basically the same:
Aretha Franklin:
Voice type: Dramatic Mezzo-Soprano
Highest note: B-b5
Lowest note: B2
Vocal Range: 3 octaves (B2-Bb5)
Adam Lambert
Voice type: High Tenor (some references Contratenor)
Highest note: B-b5
Lowest note: B-b2 (some references say A2)
Vocal Range: 3 octaves (B-b2-B-b5)
I agree, I thought SELF sounded totally unconvincing in their defense of their indefensible photoshopping of Kelly to make her look way thinner than she is. I wouldn’t quibble with a little bit of photoshopping making her look a little bit thinner, but what they did was kind of ridiculous, and their defense of it was nonsense (imo).
@SparklesATL,
^^^THIS!! This has been bugging me FOREVER! How did the term Diva, which always used to mean the unequivocal female star of the show and or company devolve into one where someone is impetuous, spoiled, completely entitled and love to abuse minions?
Yes, possibly from “Phantom of the Opera” some, but that was comic relief. And the attitude of a few “Prima Donnas” (another term that suffered the same fate … perhaps I answered my own question there) were also originally the star of the company. The original HBsIC.
Cute Adam interview. News 12 Long Island
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhudACbCF1w&feature=player_embedded
He’s very aware he has no filters. This was a fun interview.
wrong thread
“Bitch used to be an insult until women empowered themselves and embraced the term as a positive.”
I disagree with this. If someone called me a bitch, I’d probably smack them.
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/realityrocks/267546/kris-allens-commercial-appeal-alexa-chungs-commercial-flop/
Story on Kris on the Alexa Chung show with video.
I agree with a previous poster – I consider “bitch” to be an insult to a woman.
Dance-rock can be done quite well live, but I understand what you mean. He can do what GaGa does and do stripped down versions of songs if she feels like it (or has fire shoot out of her bra if she is so inclined). Adam has shown he can do the stripped down version of a song, or go all out. I actually think his re-staging of Mad World on Top 2 night was brilliant in illustrating how he can perform songs differently as well.
Yeah, while it can all amount to nothing (and still, I don’t find what Adam says he is doing that out there as genre-defying albums have been dominating the more underground music scene for awhile and people describing their sound as all sorts of things has been happening in the mainstream a lot, especially the way Adam seems to be describing his), and I agree with the poster that Adam can be a huge AI failure or a major player (he seems to have quite the support to launch though, that’s fore sure), buzz isn’t meaningless. It may not translate into success, but it sure does help it. RedOne saying he went to Adam so he could work with him creates an industry hype since he is the current hitmaker that artists go to for hits (including other buzz artists in other countries, like Little Boots in the UK). It does a great job of starting it, even if it doesn’t reach everyone. But it’s a start.
Hehe, yeah, I consider “bitch” to be an insult and it’d make me want to smack the mouth of whoever called me that
me and my girlfriend call each other that all the time…eh, don’t bother me but if a stranger or someone I’m not cool with call me that then we have a problem.
I think the day the caca hit the twitter fan he wanted to spend time with his mother, Neil and old friends….(Newark day 2)
mrjoezeeIn the meantime, I told Kradison how much love you all have for them and they were all genuinely touched. No joke.
15 minutes ago from web
mrjoezeeBUT maybe we will post a teaser video on @elle_com if you’re all good!
Keep following and I will tweet details as I have them.
16 minutes ago from web
mrjoezeeOk, All AI fans. You are all so passionate (aka persistent) but article and pics won’t be out till Dec issue to time with their CD releases.
17 minutes ago from web
NOOOOO December?
I don’t care if Adam comes out or not coz I won’t ever get to see one of these AI shows anyway… and whenever he comes to my part of the world, I doubt he would have the time to accommodate proper meet and greets either. People just expect more from idols than any other artists,I think.
But whatever, the few people disappointed he didn’t come out to sign for them aren’t the ones he should worry about, in the long run, they’re just a very small part of a very big picture.
I’m sorry, but this made me laugh out loud.
If this group that was linked to in the comments is interested in “strictly the mechanics of singing” then why are they even discussing rock vocalists?
Their whole premise is ludicrous. A discussion about the mechanics of operatic* or concert singing singing? Sure. That makes sense.
IMO, rock singing is about everything *except* mechanics. It’s about heart, soul, passion, sex, desire, hate, love, longing and roaring down the highway with the radio up and the top down, but it sure as hell isn’t about mechanics. A dry dissection of the mechanics of rock singing is the ultimate in trivial, because it ignores what is most critical to making memorable rock music. IMO.
*Yes, operatic singing is also about passion etc., and not just about mechanics. But an operatic singer who is passionate but technically poor won’t thrive. A rock singer who is passionate (and a good writer and/or interpreter of music), even if technically poor, can shape culture and smash boundaries. Or even just rake in a fair amount of cash. But s/he can definitely succeed.
::hops off soap box::
I don’t think that group is only interested in mechanics–they just happened to be discussing mechanics on that particular thread. And it takes nothing away from the fact that rock music is about heart, soul, insanity, etc., to have a discussion about the technical merits of rock singers for the interest of it. No one is saying that great rock singers must be technically great (many are not) or that technical skill makes a great singer (it doesn’t)–they’re just discussing technical skill at the moment. Discussing one doesn’t invalidate the other or make it all about one over the other, and I don’t think it makes sense to say that technical skill must never be discussed in the context of rock singers. People who are interested in singing like discussing different aspects of singing.
Incidentally, there are plenty of amazing rock singers who have little or no technical skill, but technical skill isn’t completely irrelevant to a discussion of some of the greatest rock vocalists of all times, such as Freddy Mercury. It’s not all that made him great by any stretch of the imagination, but it is part of what made his voice what it was.
I respect talent. I don’t respect hyperbole or putting down other artists (including other idols) in my admiration for one particular idol. I don’t care for it this year or any other year. So, I agree with you on this point.
Well, there are people who the media is all over, who the public looks at with derision or thinks is a joke or maybe just finds interesting or a curiosity. There are also people the media rarely spends any time on — because they are just doing their job well and don’t do or say anything outlandish or controversial to attract the media — who are very, very successful. So, media “love” is not the best measure of worth in my opinion.
http://forums.nutsie.com/viewtopic.php?t=18672
Did you look at the rest of the list? Do these singers not seem like rock singers to you? It’s interesting to look at the ORIGINAL top 100 singers and see how Adam came “roaring in” to take the number two spot! Adam seems to be in pretty good company!
Yeah, she is. … She’s powerful, extremely emotional expressive, etc. But while she’s pretty high even on a lot of measures of the pure technical singing aspect, in those areas there are quite a few people who are probably better at various particular skills, including Adam. He and others definitely best her at register blending, for example. That’s not really her long suit.
Technical singing ability doesn’t make you a star, or original, or the greatest singer, however. Some great technical singers aren’t great *singers,* at all, while some people who don’t even make the top 1000 on “technical singing” are great great singers because of other aspects.
As far as quantity of work — Well, look at Jeff Buckley. He is (deservedly) high high high on virtually everybody’s list of great technical singers in pop, even though his body of work is quite small (tragically). So, no, you wouldn’t declare him one of the greatest singers, period. His body of work doesn’t prove that at all. But you only need a few songs to prove that he’s got the technical chops to be high that list.
And as far as it being dumb to discuss that on a rock board. Well, as I understand that board, they like music a lot and love dissecting it down to the tiniest barest bones, to make teensy distinctions between this singer and that, this band and that, and this song and that…..
Yeah, rock and pop music are much heavier on the passion side than they are on the technical side. But you seldom hear anybody remark that technical prowess is completely irrelevant when it comes to judging rock *instrumentalists,* for example, so I don’t see why it’s cringe-inducingly silly to discuss it with vocalists, too. After all, it *did* have something to do with why people like Freddie and Robert Plant are so widely respected and enjoyed, even if it was far from the whole reason. Some bands and soloists actually do get a lot of their success from being technically amazing and out there, whereas others get theirs for writing, and others get theirs from wild, out-of-control, technically imperfect passionate performances … and some get theirs through a great gimmick, like KISS. … All of it matters to somebody, I think.
Plus, in some cases — though certainly not in all — being a good technical singer helps you *be* more expressive and more versatile and sing more and longer, etc etc.
isisdagmar:
I understand what you’re saying, but I still disagree with the premise. My point, which I didn’t make at all well, is that a great rock singer can and will sacrifice “good mechanics” to achieve what IMO is the real goal of rock singing — to move an audience and make them feel something. It’s one of the most free, soul satisfying thing about rock music. (Um, unless one’s soul is totally satisfied by the technical aspects of singing, and I totally get if that’s true. I’m a geek too.
My problem with this sort of analysis is that the data samples will always be suspect because of the overarching goals of rock singing that blow past the technical aspects of singing to get to the soul. They’ll be skewed because many singers, within the context of whatever song is being analyzed, weren’t trying to be good technical singers, they were trying to be a great rock singers.
tiger92:
Yes, I did. And no, not all of them. : )
lucy:
I agree, point taken about skill being a more common requirement for a great rock instrumentalist than for a rock vocalist (although just like for vocalists, there’s still wiggle room there for someone who is not as technically proficient but can still make great, passionate music versus a technically perfect but soulless instrumentalist no one wants to play with). However, I think that is the nature of rock music, which is so heavily instrumentally based, as opposed to opera or concert singing, which are all about the voice.
To me, a technically good rock singer can add to a great band’s sound, but a technically poor one won’t necessarily detract from it, if they make up for it in other, and IMO more critically important, ways. Which again brings me back around to the… oddness of judging a rock singer based on technique.
YMMV, and thank you all for the interesting discussion!