Idol Addendum

So I finished the girls & almost finished the boys from this week. I'm building on my thoughts from the other day. I'm now clearer on what I meant about country. I don't think I meant the quality is always less in terms of talent than mainstream pop music. This is the problem with Idol. In the bubble of Idol, you root for people you probably wouldn't listen to on your own- on the radio, buying on itunes, etc. You get into their stories and in comparison to the other people left competing, you pick favorites. Perfect example is Taylor Hicks- "Soul Patrol". I LOVED him because he reminded of Michael McDonald, who reminds me of my mom and being a kid, listening to music with her. The reality is, when he was singing familiar songs, I liked him. I liked his personality and he was more interesting than the average person there. I wasn't into Katherine McPhee for some reason. I guess because she was probably doing the whole diva emulating thing. I don't remember what she sang but it was probably covers of the big guns- Mariah, Celine, Whitney, Aretha, etc. Boring. So Taylor won, made an album, and it wasn't music I wanted to hear when he was off Idol.

I've actually bought a lot of music off Idol itunes. But looking at it, it is all covers of POP music. That's it. No "soul patrol", no country, no R&B. I've bought singer/songwriter stuff and pop. Because ultimately, that's what the show is supposed to be about- mainstream music. I realized I'm bored through all the R&B stuff too. I don't know it, I'm not interested in it, and I'm not going to buy it. I can recognize and appreciate that Candace Glover can probably make a record right now but I'm still not buying it. I LOVE Kree. I love her story, her voice is beautiful, but I'm never listening to her music. I like catchy, Top 40 stuff- Fergie, Ke$ha, Pink, Katy Perry, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, etc. So unless it sounds like them, it's not happening no matter how well they sing.

I watched the boys this morning and the judges are KILLING me. They love that Elijah kid. They keep saying he "looks like the whole package". They love his "styling". Seriously? He looks like Justin Bieber and let me tell you- Justin Bieber looks like a hot mess these days. Pull up your damn pants. Anyway- when he came out, I was singing "Mr Telephone Man" by New Edition in my head. I guess his voice is fine. And maybe he can sing pop music. But he's not interesting. He may as well be a singing marionette.

That's why I said I'd like Misfit Idol- except I was right about Charlie. He crossed the line into over the top cocky and just totally messed up. I didn't watch the elimination yet, but I have a sneaking suspicion he's out. Because he just couldn't reign in the crazy. I think he got overwhelmed, he fell in love with the attention, and lost his way. It's a shame because he was interesting before he tried to become the marionette he isn't natually. He was trying to be weirder than he even really is. It didn't work. I'd like Misfit Idol because at least if I wasn't going to buy the music in the end, I'd still be more entertained than I am listening to songs from a million years ago in genres I don't even like.