Sanjaya Malakar, Blake Lewis, Justin Guarini?
American Idol has reached season 6 and seems to have run out of originality. Not that America's favorite cheese fest was ever all that original, but at least the cast of characters seemed to bring something different each season. This year, while there are a few good singers, for the most part, all AI 6 is doing is reminding us of AI 1.
Take the furor over Sanjaya Malakar. The consensus seems to be that he's progressing because of his style, not his singing. There have been the inevitable hair style comparisons to Justin Guarini from season one, because apparently no one else has ever had curly hair before. What really makes us laugh, however, are the self-declared Idol experts in the blogosphere who have suggested another comparison, namely that Justin succeeded on his looks alone. Well, no one ever said the ignorant don't have opinions. Fortunately for us, we have hard fact on our side. American Idol Rewind in itself debunks that notion. This week, Justin's skilled jazz phrasing is on display in his performance of Route 66. If you missed the show, you can watch the video below.
In case you've heard that Justin tripped up the lyrics, yep, it's true. He accidentally took Route 66 through Alabama, and in a split second, adjusted the song to rhyme "Alabama" with "Savannah." That took some mad skills. You'd never have known if he hadn't confessed to it later (or you live in either Alabama or Savannah and know the route doesn't go anywhere near you).
Putting aside Chris Sligh's blatant attempt to ride Justin's 'fro coattails, the other person evoking a Justin comparison this season is Blake Lewis. We've noted with wry amusement the championing of Blake because of his performance skills. He has indeed been doing a pretty good job in that regard. During the first season, although the show's producers have tried to re-write history with the help of an access-hungry media, Justin was at the top of many pick lists to be the first American Idol because he brought everything to the stage. He has that silky smooth bari-tenor voice and killer falsetto, he has the easy charm that captivates you before he even opens his mouth to sing, and he has the physical presence that takes charge of the stage. In other words, he's a true total package.
In the first season, interestingly enough, demonstrating this total package was discouraged. They wanted "presentation" singing - find your spot on the stage, stand there and belt out your song. Indeed, Justin was told not to dance. Imagine this season, Blake being told not to dance. What would he have left? The beat boxing can only be pulled out so many times.
The first season also had a teeny tiny stage and no live band. While Blake is a stand-out for his performance skills among his competitors, it's all relative. On tour, Justin finally was able to let loose and unleash the full power of his stage presence. If he were performing on the AI 6 stage, he'd show the audience why they should expect more from their prospective Idols.
But that is the reason producer Nigel Lythgoe will never again allow Justin to perform on the Idol stage.
You can watch Justin's tour performance of For Once in My Life below. Keep an eye out for the death defying leap down the stairs. You might want to turn down your volume a bit; the audio is loud.
Take the furor over Sanjaya Malakar. The consensus seems to be that he's progressing because of his style, not his singing. There have been the inevitable hair style comparisons to Justin Guarini from season one, because apparently no one else has ever had curly hair before. What really makes us laugh, however, are the self-declared Idol experts in the blogosphere who have suggested another comparison, namely that Justin succeeded on his looks alone. Well, no one ever said the ignorant don't have opinions. Fortunately for us, we have hard fact on our side. American Idol Rewind in itself debunks that notion. This week, Justin's skilled jazz phrasing is on display in his performance of Route 66. If you missed the show, you can watch the video below.
In case you've heard that Justin tripped up the lyrics, yep, it's true. He accidentally took Route 66 through Alabama, and in a split second, adjusted the song to rhyme "Alabama" with "Savannah." That took some mad skills. You'd never have known if he hadn't confessed to it later (or you live in either Alabama or Savannah and know the route doesn't go anywhere near you).
Putting aside Chris Sligh's blatant attempt to ride Justin's 'fro coattails, the other person evoking a Justin comparison this season is Blake Lewis. We've noted with wry amusement the championing of Blake because of his performance skills. He has indeed been doing a pretty good job in that regard. During the first season, although the show's producers have tried to re-write history with the help of an access-hungry media, Justin was at the top of many pick lists to be the first American Idol because he brought everything to the stage. He has that silky smooth bari-tenor voice and killer falsetto, he has the easy charm that captivates you before he even opens his mouth to sing, and he has the physical presence that takes charge of the stage. In other words, he's a true total package.
In the first season, interestingly enough, demonstrating this total package was discouraged. They wanted "presentation" singing - find your spot on the stage, stand there and belt out your song. Indeed, Justin was told not to dance. Imagine this season, Blake being told not to dance. What would he have left? The beat boxing can only be pulled out so many times.
The first season also had a teeny tiny stage and no live band. While Blake is a stand-out for his performance skills among his competitors, it's all relative. On tour, Justin finally was able to let loose and unleash the full power of his stage presence. If he were performing on the AI 6 stage, he'd show the audience why they should expect more from their prospective Idols.
But that is the reason producer Nigel Lythgoe will never again allow Justin to perform on the Idol stage.
You can watch Justin's tour performance of For Once in My Life below. Keep an eye out for the death defying leap down the stairs. You might want to turn down your volume a bit; the audio is loud.
Labels: 66, american idol, blake, guarini, justin, lewis, malakar, route, sanjaya, tour
posted by Essential Crew | 7:09 AM
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