Jan

17

American Idol

Posted by maureen

January 17, 2007 |

Can the phenomenal success of American Idol be topped this year? Last year it was the top-rated TV series by far with a staggering 570 million votes cast in last season’s finale.
The contestants come out in the thousands to audition in the hopes of becoming one of the finalists. There is nothing like it that offers the same type of showcase for the young hopefuls. It gives them exposure, an opportunity to perform in front of a large audience and a chance to taste the publicity and media hype that comes with success. Will this year’s finalist far as well as those from 2006?
Taylor Hicks

Taylor Hicks was a singer and songwriter for ten years before appearing on American Idol. His grey hair and unique style set him apart from any of the other contestants and his devout fans dubbed themselves the “Soul Patrol” I felt that Hicks appeal was as much for his on stage energy and soulful performances than for any really strong vocals. I didn’t know if this could translate into a successful album. After winning Hicks was immediately signed to Arista Records. and his self-titled album debuted in November. The end result was a collection of comfortable but fairly bland, blue-eyed soul performed by a guy whose had some real experience on stage. Funnily enough I preferred “Soul Thing” and “The deal” which he wrote before his Idol success. Maybe there’s a moral here. The album finisher “Right Place” is refreshingly and a good fit for Hicks in part because I can visualize him performing the song. Taylor Hicks total sales to date are 559,000.

Katharine McPhee

Katharine was the attractive finalist with the great vocals who finished second to Taylor Hicks. Her fans caught “McPheever” There was some controversy because of a delayed start on the “Idol” tour caused by a fractured foot and bronchitis and laryngitis which caused her to miss performances. Her revelation that she had struggled with bulimia resonated with many of her fan base. The big question remained could she produce an album that would give her the fame and fortune she was looking for. She would need more than her striking looks to succeed. Her debut single “Over It” was fluffy and lightweight and didn’t highlight her talents at all. Hopefully her upcoming full-length CD which will be out at the end of the month will. She needs to find more depth and better material. Her striking looks however, have never been in question. She is looking more svelte that she did on Idol and reportedly has been approached to play “Wonder Women”
Elliott Yamin

Elliott Yamin began singing at the age of five and had no formal training. He was, however, a crowd pleaser despite being almost completely deaf in his right ear. Even Simon Cowell, usually gruff and hard to please complement him by saying Yamin is “potentially the best male vocalist on American idol“. He was the only one of the five finalists who wasn’t offered a record deal with Simon Fuller’s record company, 19 Entertainment, but that didn’t seem to faze him. After the idol tour he released a single “This Christmas” The Virginia pharmacy has undergone a make-over since we first saw him. Yamin recently announced a publishing deal with Sony Records and an album is expected by February 14, 2007.

Chris Daughtry

Many people were shocked when Daughtry finished fourth and didn’t make last years finals of American idol. His range, sensitivity and charismatic performances riveted his fans to the screen each week and they were dumbfounded when he got voted off. It didn’t hurt him though and he was immediately invited by Fuel to front their band. Daughtry declined, in part, because he wanted to write his own material and ironically, not winning gave him this opportunity His first CD is a collection of mostly his own stuff and is an impressive array of songs that manage to please his idol fans and stay true to his rock n roll roots. I was expecting something a little heavier but I’ve played the album over and over and it’s a great collection of songs. The opening single “It’s Not Over” is a very catchy, very commercial song that will cause comparison to Nickleback, although Daughtry more than holds his own. On “Home “he executes the song with controlled emotion that beautifully express the lyrics .The heavy guitar , Slash’s contribution on “What I Want” will appeal to the rock fans. In seven weeks, Daughtry has sold 1.18 million copies. My money’s on Daughtry to be the biggest star to come from American Idol


Comments

4 Comments so far

  1. Garry on January 17, 2007 2:34 pm

    Nickleback rocks so I’ll have to check it out

  2. glenn on January 18, 2007 1:03 am

    Good reviews on the principals….I too, am a fan of Idol, primarily because I am a singer too, but also for the human stories behind the young artists.

    (Shameless plug in: 3, 2, 1….)

    I’m also working on an Idol post…mainly on the cultural phenomenon of Idol itself.

  3. Joe on January 19, 2007 8:48 pm

    Not a fan, its American Karaoke as far as Im concerned. However, the train wreck that is the first auditions are hard to ignore.

  4. maureen on January 20, 2007 5:32 pm

    You’re right but it certainly is a great showcase for any hopefuls. I prefer Supernova..it’s worth tuning in to just for the house band

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