Who Will Win American Idol Ten?

[PeterG]

Right now Naima is my favorite...

I think she is a throwback to the amazing torch singers of the past like Lena Horne & Dinah Washington.

To me, American Idol is all about finding the next big pop star. In the UK, the show that began it all, was even called "Pop Idol". Anytime a contestant chooses a song that would never get played on pop radio, usually my first thought is "GET RID OF THEM"!!! (Songs like Georgia On My Mind, Summertime, God Bless The Child, Someone To Watch Over Me....)

I agree and think Scott will walk away with the win.

I think Scott's repetoire will be too limited to take him to the top. Plus in his first live performance, he kept doing these strange facial things...mugging into the camera slightly with his eyebrows going up. It's tough to describe. It came across as insincere, stagy and somewhat smug. Scott might get dumped on for this, like when people were ruthless with David Archuletta for actually audibly breathing between the lines of the songs.

This year may end the WGWG run because Paul is too quirky and I can't see him suppressing his personality the way that Lee did. I also think a lot of people won't appreciate Casey's sense of humor.

Lee had a personality? Who knew?

Casey will not go as far as Taylor Hicks did because he is offbeat and quirky, which will divide voters (a love him/hate him thing is going to happen, I think). Hicks was cute and cuddly (relatively speaking) and enveloped the audience, whereas Casey likes to challenge people (which is a good characteristic in general IMHO, but will not pull in votes).

I think that Pia is a good singer and pretty, but I'm not sure that, as a New Yorker, she can appeal to a broad AI audience like Carrie and Kelly did. Thia seems too young and boring.

So Pia being a New Yorker is a detriment?

I think people might have seen Thia is too cool/sombre...to the point of coldness. But in the results show when she cried about someone else being eliminated...I still can see the tears coming down her face...this may have warmed the audience up to her. Thia needs to stick to some upbeat pop songs for a few weeks...dance around, have fun, joke a bit with Ryan and the judges - and America could really warm up to her.

[taf2002]

To me, American Idol is all about finding the next big pop star. In the UK, the show that began it all, was even called "Pop Idol". Anytime a contestant chooses a song that would never get played on pop radio, usually my first thought is "GET RID OF THEM"!!! (Songs like Georgia On My Mind, Summertime, God Bless The Child, Someone To Watch Over Me....)

I agree that being a fantastic singer wouldn't make you win on Idol if you're not current. Hopefully Naima will sing something more relevant next week.

I think Scott's repetoire will be too limited to take him to the top. Plus in his first live performance, he kept doing these strange facial things...mugging into the camera slightly with his eyebrows going up. It's tough to describe. It came across as insincere, stagy and somewhat smug. Scott might get dumped on for this, like when people were ruthless with David Archuletta for actually audibly breathing between the lines of the songs.

I hope you're right. I am not a Scott fan at all & his facial expressions really put me off.

Lee had a personality? Who knew?

Casey will not go as far as Taylor Hicks did because he is offbeat and quirky, which will divide voters (a love him/hate him thing is going to happen, I think). Hicks was cute and cuddly (relatively speaking) and enveloped the audience, whereas Casey likes to challenge people (which is a good characteristic in general IMHO, but will not pull in votes).

I couldn't disagree more. Taylor was cute & cuddly? I thought he was very corny & was probably the least talented in that year's top 10. When he did A Thing Called Love I actually cringed.

So Pia being a New Yorker is a detriment?

I don't think being from New York will keep her from winning...but unless she shows that she can sing more current songs, she will have the same problem as Naima & Thia.

I think people might have seen Thia is too cool/sombre...to the point of coldness. But in the results show when she cried about someone else being eliminated...I still can see the tears coming down her face...this may have warmed the audience up to her. Thia needs to stick to some upbeat pop songs for a few weeks...dance around, have fun, joke a bit with Ryan and the judges - and America could really warm up to her.

Agreed.

[Allskate]

I'm wondering if Lauren and Scott will split votes amongst the country fans??

Did Lauren sing any country songs before this week? I don't think of her as a country artist. Scott says that his early audition was with a John Mayer song. Maybe they've both realized that they can get more votes and have a better chance at a career if they go the country route.

Lee had a personality? Who knew?

It helps in this competition to suppress your pesonality and just pretty to a boring, happy, good guy.

So Pia being a New Yorker is a detriment?

Nobody from the Northeast has ever won. I can't even think of someone from the Northeast who has made it to the finale. The majority of the time, someone from the South or the Midwest wins.

[rfisher]

Nobody from the Northeast has ever won. I can't even think of someone from the Northeast who has made it to the finale. The majority of the time, someone from the South or the Midwest wins.

Maybe because that's where a majority of people who actually vote live. I suspect a lot of people watch who never actually vote. Like me. I have to really, really like someone before I'll bother.

[Kruss]

One thing to remember about song choice is that, no matter what the judges say about how important it is to choose the right song, oftentimes there are only a few songs on the list that the contestants can pick from. An article from last year said there was something like 12 songs for 8 contestants one week - something like that.

When I saw the Idol tour this past summer, I was shocked that someone I didn't like during the show for being boring and not all that great - Katie Stevens - actually is a great female rock singer! Who knew? When I talked to her after the show, she said that she wasn't allowed to sing rock on the show, but that her album would have a lot of rock on it.

Just one small example of us not really knowing what happens behind the scenes, no matter what script Uncle Nigel/Producer Whomever has written for everyone to follow.

[LuckyCharm]

That's messed up about Katie. I remember her seeming totally out of her element once she got past Hollywood. She seemed not ready for prime time in terms of vocal ability and stage presence. Perhaps being pushed into a mold that wasn't really her was the root of the problem.

[Allskate]

When I saw the Idol tour this past summer, I was shocked that someone I didn't like during the show for being boring and not all that great - Katie Stevens - actually is a great female rock singer! Who knew? When I talked to her after the show, she said that she wasn't allowed to sing rock on the show, but that her album would have a lot of rock on it.

I am very much aware that they have a very limited number of song choices, especially on nights when a particular artist is the theme. However, I'm totally not buying this from Katie. She may have wanted to be a rock singer at the time you saw her (or said so), but from what she said and did on Idol, I got the impression that she was all over the place and not particularly into rock. Whenever she was asked about her favorite singers, she was not mentioning rock stars. She was mentioning the likes of Whitney Houston and Andrea Bocelli and said that Carrie and Kat were her favorites among Idol contestants. I really doubt that she's going to put out a rock album. If Allison couldn't talk a label into producing a rock album, Katie won't.

But, I think her real problem on Idol was that the nerves got to her. It wasn't just the song choices. The singing itself was not very good.

[PeterG]

I voted Casey. I think vote splitting will leave him as last man standing.

Here's what I predict will happen with Casey. Three weeks in, there will be a comment in our AI threads about him being a little "too" (quirky, smarmy, this, that...) The next week, a few more voices will chime in with similar comments, getting a little bit more biting and nasty. Others will voice the opposite, that he is an artist (and perhaps "misunderstood" ).

Of course, the public will follow our thoughts and Casey will become a "love him" or "hate him" kind of performer. He'll get voted out in fifth place, I'd guess. I can't see him making the top three, even though he will be more talented than someone "less offensive" than him, who stays longer.

The thing is, country is a big money maker. Big. While Kelly has done well, there's no denial that Carrie Underwood has done much better. I think Scott has the potential to do so also if he gets a hot song writer and makes a good video. He's very young, but he's got the looks and the voice to do very well down in Nashville.

It's interesting that Scott is added to the mix when Casey James hasn't even released his album yet. If anyone has a shot at country super-stardom like Carrie Underwood, it would be Casey. He can sing, he did well on Idol, he is an amazing guitar player and is HAWT . So if Scott does well, Idol will have two male country stars they are promoting at the same time...

Since they are supposed to really be working with vocal coaches this season, it'll be interesting to see who improves as the season progresses.

Haven't they had vocal coaches since season one? Debra Byrd, specifically? She was the vocal coach on Canadian Idol and they let her sing live on one of the results show...for which she got an (extended) standing ovation:

Debra Byrd - I'll Never Love This Way Again

I still don't know who 3/4 of these people are.

Just keep sleeping, sweetie. We'll wake you up for the finale in May.

[taf2002]

It helps in this competition to suppress your pesonality and just pretty to a boring, happy, good guy.

Name someone else besides Lee who "suppressed his/her personality". Kelly,
Carrie, Ruben, David, etc, are exactly who we thought they were during the show. Maybe Lee doesn't have much personality. And even he did suppress during the show, he hasn't shown much besides hubris since the win.

[Allskate]

Name someone else besides Lee who "suppressed his/her personality". Kelly,
Carrie, Ruben, David, etc, are exactly who we thought they were during the show. Maybe Lee doesn't have much personality. And even he did suppress during the show, he hasn't shown much besides hubris since the win.

It's not just the suppression of personality that helps. Not having one also helps. Frankly, I don't think Carrie has much personality. I don't think Ruben showed much personality on the show and doesn't really have a strong personality. I also think that Kris was very quiet and didn't show a strong personality, though I do think he's naturally kind of quiet and that he wasn't really pretending. He actually has a really good sense of humor, though. And Lee definitely has a personality. His hubris is part of it. I definitely think that he was purposely suppressing his personality and trying to come off a certain way that was not him. For the most part, I don't think having a quirky or strong personality helps you win on the show. It may help you initially, but it eventually hurts. I totally agree with Peter on Casey. His personality, humor, and quirkiness helps him now, but it will hurt him in the long run. But, I think many contestants pretend to be someone they are not. There is definitely a pageant aspect to this show.

[BigB08822]

Lee had/has a personality?! I must have missed that somewhere along the way. I would put him on the very opposite side and said he was one of the winners/contestants who went far that has the LEAST personality. I guess personality is subjective.

[Kruss]

I am very much aware that they have a very limited number of song choices, especially on nights when a particular artist is the theme. However, I'm totally not buying this from Katie. She may have wanted to be a rock singer at the time you saw her (or said so), but from what she said and did on Idol, I got the impression that she was all over the place and not particularly into rock. Whenever she was asked about her favorite singers, she was not mentioning rock stars. She was mentioning the likes of Whitney Houston and Andrea Bocelli and said that Carrie and Kat were her favorites among Idol contestants. I really doubt that she's going to put out a rock album. If Allison couldn't talk a label into producing a rock album, Katie won't.

But, I think her real problem on Idol was that the nerves got to her. It wasn't just the song choices. The singing itself was not very good.

Well, before the tour hit Chicago, I'd been seeing a lot of posts by Brian Hodges who is co-writing some of her stuff, and he kept posting she was a "rock star". I remember thinking "Huh? Rock star, her?", but it all gelled when I saw her singing on tour. So who knows? I guess we'll see.

Haven't they had vocal coaches since season one? Debra Byrd, specifically?

Yes, Byrd is still there and has been since S1. Of course, I remember her from the mid-70s when she was part of Lady Flash, Barry Manilow's backup singers.

[Cheylana]

To me, American Idol is all about finding the next big pop star. In the UK, the show that began it all, was even called "Pop Idol". Anytime a contestant chooses a song that would never get played on pop radio, usually my first thought is "GET RID OF THEM"!!! (Songs like Georgia On My Mind, Summertime, God Bless The Child, Someone To Watch Over Me....)

Yup.

Lee had a personality? Who knew?

Only by default, when "constipated" was recently integrated into the Myers-Briggs formula

[taf2002]

It's not just the suppression of personality that helps. Not having one also helps. Frankly, I don't think Carrie has much personality. I don't think Ruben showed much personality on the show and doesn't really have a strong personality. I also think that Kris was very quiet and didn't show a strong personality, though I do think he's naturally kind of quiet and that he wasn't really pretending. He actually has a really good sense of humor, though. And Lee definitely has a personality. His hubris is part of it. I definitely think that he was purposely suppressing his personality and trying to come off a certain way that was not him. For the most part, I don't think having a quirky or strong personality helps you win on the show. It may help you initially, but it eventually hurts. I totally agree with Peter on Casey. His personality, humor, and quirkiness helps him now, but it will hurt him in the long run. But, I think many contestants pretend to be someone they are not. There is definitely a pageant aspect to this show.

Taylor Hicks had NOTHING except a strong personality. Not good looks, not a hot bod, not the greatest singing voice, not good song selection (remember A Little Thing Called Love? :shudder: ).

Strong personalities: Kelly, Fantasia, Taylor, Jordan, David
Quieter personalities: Ruben, Carrie, Kris, Lee

[BigB08822]

Is it sad that I can't remember, at all, who Katie Stevens is? lol

[Allskate]

Well, before the tour hit Chicago, I'd been seeing a lot of posts by Brian Hodges who is co-writing some of her stuff, and he kept posting she was a "rock star". I remember thinking "Huh? Rock star, her?", but it all gelled when I saw her singing on tour. So who knows? I guess we'll see.

Perhaps that explains it. Maybe it was Hodges that convinced her to do rock, but she definitely expressed absolutely no interest in doing rock before that. And there's no way I believe her claim that she was prohibited from singing rock on the show. People may have suggested that she sing certain other types of songs, but there's a different thing.

Lee had/has a personality?! I must have missed that somewhere along the way. I would put him on the very opposite side and said he was one of the winners/contestants who went far that has the LEAST personality. I guess personality is subjective.

He showed personality in some of his post-win interviews. It was not a particularly appealing personality, but it was a personality. On the show, I thought he showed zero personality, but would have had a problem if he had behaved like he did in interviews after the show. If Crystal had played the pagean game and Lee hadn't, I think she might have won.

Taylor Hicks had NOTHING except a strong personality. Not good looks, not a hot bod, not the greatest singing voice, not good song selection (remember A Little Thing Called Love? :shudder: ).

Strong personalities: Kelly, Fantasia, Taylor, Jordan, David
Quieter personalities: Ruben, Carrie, Kris, Lee

Jordin came across as incredibly pageanty and phony. David definitely was more mild-mannered on the show than he is post-show and I definitely didn't get the impression that he had a strong personality. Kelly very much had a girl next door personality. I don't see any of those people being at all similar to Casey. And let's see what happens if James tells AI viewers what he told an interviewer last year -- that he likes writing songs about whores. Contestants on this show tend to go bland in order not to turn off voters.

I hope I'm proven wrong, though, because I find Casey more appealing than Pia.

[Kruss]

Perhaps that explains it. Maybe it was Hodges that convinced her to do rock, but she definitely expressed absolutely no interest in doing rock before that. And there's no way I believe her claim that she was prohibited from singing rock on the show. People may have suggested that she sing certain other types of songs, but there's a different thing.

I can believe anything, this show is so ridiculously scripted at times. Plus, she did choose rock songs for the tour, so yeah, I can believe she was prohibited. They probably cast her as the young pop princess, not knowing what to do with a young rock singer (item: Allison Iraheta). All I know is, the girl can sing rock and I never would have believed that before the concert.

[Tak]

Can someone tell me how far behind we are on Ai? This weekend they just aired the final selection episodes and at the end introduced the top 24 to us. We will hear them sing "live" for the first time next Sat. How does that compare to you all?

[Allskate]

I can believe anything, this show is so ridiculously scripted at times. Plus, she did choose rock songs for the tour, so yeah, I can believe she was prohibited. They probably cast her as the young pop princess, not knowing what to do with a young rock singer (item: Allison Iraheta). All I know is, the girl can sing rock and I never would have believed that before the concert.

I don't see why they would insist on no rock on the show and then let her do rock on tour. What rock songs did she do on tour? Christina Aguilera is quite pop.

Katie didn't audition with rock. Was that forced on her, too? Are all these contestants lying when they say they had to flip a coin for a song because they were picking from the list? During Rolling Stones week, she was forced to do a pretty version of Wild Horses instead of choosing a harder rocking song? Did they also force Katie to lie about who her favorite artists were? She really loves Linkin Park and Pearl Jam and Constantine and Bo, but they put a gun to her head and made her lie and say that she loved Whitney Houston and Andrea Bocelli and Kat and Carrie? I'm as cynical as the next person, but I so don't buy her load of nonsense about being a rocker, but Idol prohibiting her from showing it.

When the rock thing doesn't work out, she'll probably say she's always wanted to do country.

[Kruss]

I don't see why they would insist on no rock on the show and then let her do rock on tour. What rock songs did she do on tour? Christina Aguilera is quite pop.

Katie didn't audition with rock. Was that forced on her, too? Are all these contestants lying when they say they had to flip a coin for a song because they were picking from the list? During Rolling Stones week, she was forced to do a pretty version of Wild Horses instead of choosing a harder rocking song? Did they also force Katie to lie about who her favorite artists were? She really loves Linkin Park and Pearl Jam and Constantine and Bo, but they put a gun to her head and made her lie and say that she loved Whitney Houston and Andrea Bocelli and Kat and Carrie? I'm as cynical as the next person, but I so don't buy her load of nonsense about being a rocker, but Idol prohibiting her from showing it.

When the rock thing doesn't work out, she'll probably say she's always wanted to do country.

Jeez louise! I'm sure she didn't mean she wanted EVERY song on Idol to be a rock song. I'm just saying she didn't sing rock on Idol, and then busts some rock-like vocals on tour, did it well, and I was surprised. With that, I think I'm done with this conversation. Really not sure why this is evoking such a strong response, but okay.