USA Today has an article this morning about how American Idol producers choose the winning singles for the end of the season. It turns out the two songs that Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks sang last night were what the producers considered the best of 150 potential singles for the winner of American Idol. Producers want a song that is fittingly climactic but also would do well on Top 40 radio.This year, Katharine's song, My Destiny, was written by Harry Sommerdal, Hanne Sorvag and Tim Baxter. Taylor's song, Do I Make You Proud, was written by Tracy Ackerman and Absolute. You know those songwriters all tuned in to American Idol last night with their friends and family to see their songs debut, only to have them bashed by the judges in front of 30 million people. And, I'm sorry songwriters, but I agree with the judges. Those songs were corny.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
5-24-2006 @ 3:03AM
Lacy Hall said...
Oh man, couldn't agree with you (or the judges) more. Those songs sucked. Sucked. It was all so cheesy too. It felt all very "After-school Special" minus the punk rock violinist and add a fake church choir.
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5-24-2006 @ 10:20AM
Willy said...
Thumbs down. Way down.
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5-24-2006 @ 10:23AM
Missy said...
They need to hire songwriters that can write with a particular idol in mind instead of just pulling random cheesy songs out of a big pot. Those songs were HORRIBLE!
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5-24-2006 @ 10:29AM
Tammy said...
I was surprised that the judges would bash them but I guess they didn't get a percentage of the profits from them. I mentioned this in the other AI blog but think of who buys cd singles today? I'm talking the actual cd at the store. As far as I know it's mostly pre-teens and tweens. They talk their parents into it. This is the same age group that shot the soundtrack to High School Musical to #1.
The thing is the songs were horrible on so many levels. They claimed to pick out songs to fit the contestants personality and singing style. Huh? Katharine's was too low for her and no big dramatic chorus for her to belt out. Taylor's wasn't soulful at all. He still was able to sing it in a way that suited him but you know he couldn't have loved that song. I bet they weren't even given a chance to pick from a few songs.
David Foster didn't write them a song this year?
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5-24-2006 @ 10:33AM
LifeInTheOffice.com said...
The songwriting is what ruined Ruben Studdard's album. His voice was still amazing, but all of the songs written for him were just horrible. The only good songs on the album were the remakes of older songs.
I really wish he'd release another album that is more his style.
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5-24-2006 @ 10:38AM
Bex said...
Seriously, where do they get these finale songs? Every year they're awful, just awful.
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5-24-2006 @ 10:43AM
Rabbit said...
AMEN!!!!!
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5-24-2006 @ 10:45AM
niccomm said...
"who buys cd singles today? I'm talking the actual cd at the store. As far as I know it's mostly pre-teens and tweens. They talk their parents into it. This is the same age group that shot the soundtrack to High School Musical to #1."
Great observation Tammy, and funny.
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5-24-2006 @ 10:53AM
Jen said...
The songs were very childish, especially for a 29 year old Taylor! I agree with you Lacy!
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5-24-2006 @ 10:59AM
Joe T said...
I agree with most of the posts that the songs were awful.
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5-24-2006 @ 11:02AM
jason said...
but did you see the look that simon shot randy when he talked trash on kat's song. i thought he was going to kill him.
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5-24-2006 @ 11:08AM
Elliott said...
American Idol shells out millions of dollars to keep Paula around, but they couldn't splurge a little and get Linda Perry to write a decent single for the finalists?
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5-24-2006 @ 11:11AM
Gene Glover said...
Taylor, should be doing songs by Gary Nicholson and Delbert McClinton.
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5-24-2006 @ 11:12AM
Bob said...
They ALWAYS completely awful - this is why, in a way, I hate to see these two where they are - committed to an AI album with this crap - look at Bo's horrible song.
Just absolutely awful. I would prefer to watch them sit there in silence than listen to that pathetic mess of I don't know what.
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5-24-2006 @ 11:20AM
Kim said...
You would think with as much money as this show is making, they could really come up with some fantastic songs. They need to quit trying to sum up the season with the finale songs. Cheesy is a polite description.
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5-24-2006 @ 11:21AM
JR Wolfe said...
Those two songs sucked...the judges were right.But to tell Hicks & McPhee that they were bad song choices was wrong..they didn't pick the songs.The judges SHOULD have said "Who picked THOSE songs for the singles ?"
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5-24-2006 @ 11:22AM
Liz said...
Cheesy - cheesy - cheesy! It was so much like Cheez Whiz it was as if they made them say "Gee, Whiz". Were the songs written by 80 year olds?
If I were Katherine or Taylor I would have been SO embarassed to have had to sing such insipid, Hallmark lyrics without any appreciable tune... especially on a night where the performances were so critical to the final outcome. I felt badly for them and my respect for the judges increased immensely when they reacted honestly about how poor the songs were.
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5-24-2006 @ 11:23AM
Kittycremecake said...
I said this last night at the chat, but I'll say it again. I thought the songs were pulled out the Disney movie music reject vault.
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5-24-2006 @ 11:35AM
Rob said...
For this reason, and this reason only, I'm so happy Chris didn't make it to the finals!
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5-24-2006 @ 12:23PM
jason said...
When you are hunting the best mic stand available you have to hire songwriters because there is no talent in singing it its the writing that makes the songs great
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