X Factor final

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

(haha this almost ended up on fooptimists through not paying attention)

I've watched Pop Idol and X Factor a lot, but this is the first time I've felt myself really caring about who wins. We have Ray, a charming and likeable young man who would like to have been in the Rat Pack, and Leona, the first woman in an X Factor final, a powerful singer in a Mariah/Xtina vein. Ray is fine, but his singing is pretty limited - I suspect he will crop up in a big West End show in a few months, and probably do well in it. Leona strikes me as having ability that could make for one of the greatest three or four female voices the UK has ever had. I really think she is hugely talented, and the moment where she started singing A Million Love Songs and her backing vocalists joined her on stage, and they were Take That, was jawdropping.

I hope she wins it, but I suspect they will already have the song ready for the winner, and it'll be a lame ballad about chasing a dream or something that will suit neither of the contestants (nor the Rod Stewart/Joe Cocker type, Ben, who finished third). Give her the right songs and production, maybe only available in the US, and I think she could make records to stand comparison with Christina. Give her limp ballads produced to not offend anyone, and she'll have one #1 and fade quickly into the distance. I fear the latter is the more likely scenario.

Comments

[koganbot]

Part two of Erlewine's review of Kelly Clarkson's Thankful

Originally, this album was going to come out mere months after the end of the original American Idol, but it was delayed for a variety of reasons, including Clarkson's taxing schedule and difficulty in cobbling together workable material. Ultimately, the decision to delay the record paid off, because Thankful is a sharp, versatile modern pop record, showcasing her voice, to be sure, but being much better than expectations, much better than the scores of flop diva records that cluttered the pop landscape in late 2002. Why? There are many reasons, but the biggest is that everybody involved managed to make Kelly Clarkson seem younger and hipper without slutting her up like Christina Aguilera (who, ironically, co-wrote "Miss Independent," the first single from Thankful) while retaining a strong sense of melodic songcraft. She still can appeal to a wide, mature audience, but no longer does the music sound quite so static. Witness the new mix of "A Moment Like This" - it's still the same treacly song, but it now breathes; it doesn't sound stiff and reserved, it gives Kelly's voice room to roam. It's a major step forward toward a fresh sound, and Thankful follows through on its promise, delivering dance-pop that's catchy and flirty without being trampy and ballads that are tasteful without being boring. Amazingly, the album has a light, effortless touch, an impressive feat considering that it was certainly as overworked as any of the big, leaden diva discs of 2002. Much credit is due to executive producer Clive Davis, who masterminded the effort, deftly balancing the dance and ballad sides, making it sound easy. But the record simply wouldn't work without Clarkson, who can navigate the shifts in sound with vigor and personality. Although it hardly breaks any new ground, Thankful is much more demanding than an episode of American Idol, since it's all new material covering the spectrum of mainstream pop music. Throughout this record, she makes it seem effortless and charming. She can croon, she can belt out a song, she can be sexy and sassy while still being graceful and as wholesome as the girl next door. After listening to Thankful, it's hard to imagine any of 2003's American Idol contestants - including the two favorites, loverman Ruben Studdard and clenched, show tune-loving Clay Aiken, since both have taken one sound and driven it into the ground - being able to produce a record so versatile while sounding like it's all so easy. True, Thankful isn't a record that's earth-shaking, but in 2003 it is something special all the same: an unapologetically mainstream record that works and is very enjoyable. Maybe American Idol really does turn out pop stars.