American Idol: “I haven’t been having fun”
April 24th, 2008 | 6:11 pm est |
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
What can we conclude from Carly and Syesha’s placement in the Bottom Two this week, along with Carly’s surprise elimination? Quite possibly that American Idol — either the viewing audience, the producers, or both — has grown tired of the big-voiced diva that has been the show’s stock in trade since the beginning, the kind of singer who patterns herself after Whitney, Celine, and Mariah. Ironically enough, Simon’s X Factor discovery Leona Lewis — as clear an early Mariah clone as there ever was — was given her inevitable showcase spot on this week’s results show but Lewis’ reserved ease only points out just how twitchily desperate Carly has been throughout the show. That was her Achilles Heel, as she could always sing — maybe her mainstream taste was at odds with her tattooed image, but she could always sing — but she seemed so determined to seize her second chance at the big time that she never let us forget it, even interpreting “Blackbird” as an ode to artists’ rights. When Carly didn’t try so hard she was far more likable, and even after her rejection materialized at the end of the show, a cloud seemed to lift and she seemed at ease, making it hard not to wonder whether the season would have turned out differently if she had been that relaxed throughout the season. But that’s all “might have been” conjecture — maybe now she’ll get another crack at another record and finally live up to all this potential that she’s been showing for so many years now.
Heather Phares
Brooke’s false start added excitement to Tuesday night’s show, but Carly’s elimination on Wednesday elicited outright shock. But was it really so surprising that she and Syesha, another of the most technically gifted singers left on the show, were sitting in the Bottom Two stools? Both had some pretty revealing confessions in their interviews with Ryan during the show: Syesha said that while she was singing, she was “being somebody else … a fun person.” Carly put an even finer point on it, saying “I haven’t been having fun” because she’d chosen songs to show off her singing ability throughout the competition. Carly and Syesha are both blessed with big voices, but each week they both seemed obligated to display just how big their voices were at the expense of showing much personality — while less gifted but more relatable contestants like Brooke and Jason became audience favorites. While it might seem unfair that Brooke and Jason escaped the Bottom Two this week — though Brooke at least had the decency to be shocked that she was safe — as Randy rather obviously explained, “it must be a popularity thing in the vote.” Simon nailed it when he said that Brooke’s flub made her human to the audience, and that Jason’s awkwardness was charming (and, based on the screams he got from the crowd, that awkward charm isn’t going anywhere anytime soon). Even though Carly and Syesha finally displayed some fun and personality this week, it was too little, too late for Carly, and the fact that she seemed relieved to be going home was just as telling as her revelation that she wasn’t enjoying herself. She (understandably) never seemed to get over her major-label failure at 15, and her desperation to “make it” in showbiz now while protecting herself from further hurt and rejection made her all too human — but unfortunately, that humanity never showed up enough in her singing for people to really embrace her on the show. Maybe post-Idol she’ll finally have the chance to have a singing career on something like her own terms.
Andrew Leahey
Bizarre. This show is totally, totally bizarre.
Many years from now, last night’s television waves will reach the radio towers of some distant star, whose super-intelligent inhabitants will decode and re-broadcast them via an extraterrestrial TV set. And what will those aliens see? Which images will they come to associate with that tiny green-and-blue planet on the other side of the galaxy? Andrew Lloyd Webber fidgeting like a quirky, excited schoolchild… Clay Aiken wearing a knight’s costume, a honey-dyed bob, and more makeup than Tammy Faye… A Ford commercial that leaves viewers with the desire to watch Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome… And finally, an incomprehensible decision to boot Carly Smithson, the show’s strongest female contestant and a humble sweetie to boot. Wow. Go America.
It’s hard to imagine Brooke and Syesha enjoying the same transatlantic success as Leona Lewis, whose presence last night was a helpful reminder that reality TV can occasionally turn out a true star. Her vocal performance of “Bleeding Love” often bordered on yodeling, but Cowell’s X Factor protégé still treated AmIdol viewers to the sort of steady, assured performance that Brooke so rarely musters (and Syesha so rarely pulls off). Simon’s shoutout to Clive Davis was also notable, given that the cranky Brit is rapidly taking Clive’s place in the industry by turning young, photogenic R&B singers into chart-topping divas. Leona Lewis may not have the raw talent of Alicia Keys, whom Clive rescued from record label purgatory in the early 2000s, but she does have two worldwide number one singles in her (very) brief discography. There’s no way Simon Cowell will have similar success mentoring the remaining Idol females, which makes Carly’s exit all the more puzzling.
There wasn’t much puzzling about the elimination. Brooke may have false-started, but once she put it back together, the vocal and the performance got better, got more confident. Carly (and the show) never let us forget about the record deal that crumbled, and even if Brooke had that false start, she didn’t mess up lyrics as clumsily as Carly did.
I’m less surprised Syesha hit the seal as much as I am that Jason miraculously avoided it with a misguided performance that implied the guy doesn’t know how to use Google to look up lyrical content. I mean, unless you’re a drag queen, why bother with “Memory” if you’re a guy?
Anyway, as much as Jason annoys and Syesha screams and Brooke is extremely fragile, I’d rather hear them sing Neil Diamond songs next week. Carly probably has a contract in place for a “comeback” album, and hearing her diva-fy a song, is more heinous than thinking about how Syesha might transform Neil into an R&B songwriter.
I read a bunch of American Idol blogs and one thing that bothers me soooo much is that while there is no problem dragging Brooke over fiery coals for forgetting the lyrics and starting over, David Archuleta can do it THREE TIMES THIS season and have it go unmentioned, even by the judges on the show. I really cannot understand what people see in that guy. I can’t watch him anymore, I really wish he was the one who went home! He has no personality , chooses horrible songs and has a voice that will NEVER get played on radio (unless it were Michael Bolton 1991ish).
Thank you Andrew Leahey for saying what me, and a lot of unheard audience from Idol believes deeply. I’m so sad we weren’t as many rooting for Carly as the deaf teeny boppers who voted for the flea-full Jason Castro.
Actually, if you’ve being going and checking comments on internet sites, Carly got the boot basically because the Bible Belt doesn’t like Jesus Christ Superstar, apparently.
What? It’s not like the Bible Belt likes tattoos, either, so I don’t think Carly’s song choice is what necessarily did her in.
Just wanted to say that you have to give the jason fans more credit - I’m a fan of his and I’m certainly no deaf teeny bopper. Like Andrew Leahey said in an earlier blog (well I think he said this) he’s quite possibly the only one whose album I’d actually consider buying.
That being said, I also thought Carly was great, but has definitely been losing her charm in the past few weeks. She slightly redeemed herself during Superstar, but (like Syesha) it just wasn’t enough to get me to be a fan again.
I do think that the general viewing audience is tiring of the big note divas. While I will miss Carly, I don’t think that America got it “wrong”. There are many genres of music and musical styles. I’m not sure why so many people feel that the big note diva is best.
At this point in the competition, each contestent has built a following. One bad or great performance is not going to make or break anyone. This is evident in the results show bottom two.
I think that the viewing audience is smarter and knows that bombing on an a broadway song is not an indication that a performer is weak. While it’s impressive that some singers can seem to sing anything, that is not what happens in the real world. This is why so many were forgiving of Brooke’s start and stop and Jason’s uneasy and downright scared reaction to the upcoming performance. By the way, go listen to the iTunes version of their songs. Their songs are lovely, as are the others.
People need to feel connected to the songs a singer chooses to sing and feel connected to the performance. I think the remaining contestents have done that better than those who have left.
I think the ‘America got it wrong/right’ thing may not be the culprit in the elimination of AI finalists this season (as well as in previous seasons). I think the producers have so much power, cache and leverage in terms of who they deem should be eliminated to: (a) add drama to the proceedings, (b) defy expectations to make the show interesting and unpredictable, (c1) weed out the unmarketable acts among the finalists, or (c2) make the elimination shocking as to test the waters in terms of public reaction and see if these eliminated contestants are worth signing, and (d) set up the stage for the duel of ill-matched contestants. Having said that, I am saddened to see Carly and Syesha in the bottom two last Wednesdays. It seems like the better the performance, the more uninteresting they become to the powers-that-be. Plus the voting public is also complicit in this outcome although we would never find out the actual figures to support various claims of fraud, etc. Randy was dead-on when he said that the show devolved into a popularity contest when Ryan solicited his reaction on the outcome of the bottom two. Not that we are not aware of that fact (i.e. popularity contest as opposed to a singing contest with a subjective view of who sings the best), but it was blatantly apparent after Wednesday’s outcome. I still like Jason and Brooke in their individual ways but I give credit to those who outperform others in a given week. I feel for Syesha’s frustration too as much as Carly’s. They have given their best performances that week and still they wound up in the bottom two. What can Syesha do to court voters next week? Sing while on tightrope. Do acrobatics while doing her vocal acrobatics? The two Davids are beyond assailable now it seems even if the two ladies outclassed both guys last week in my estimation. Voting has to be this capital-intensive endeavour promoted by the show’s telecommunications sponsor. Yet, I am drawn to the rigmarole of this show despite the apparent manipulation because it tells me the power of consumerism over anything else. For now, I will root for Syesha’s underdog status, but David Cook might surprise me again.
AI descended into a circus show this week. Jason can’t sing. He breathes and talks at different pitches - but it ain’t high quality singing. And charm? He’s a dork! If he gets across to us to perform in the UK he’d be laughed off the stage. David A is a creation who irritates. Brooke is an amateur - her retention over Syesha was actually embarrassing to watch, not for her, but for the american audience who made this decision. David C is manipulative, cynical, smug, etc - but he’s bloody good! He needs to win to revive the credibility of this competition.