You can say Adam Lambert is the breakout star of American Idol this season, and you'd almost be right. But he's not. He's too over-the-top most of the time (keep your tongue in your mouth!) and though he's come closest, he still hasn't had that "moment" Simon is waiting for. In fact, none of them have. This is about as bland a "Final Five" as we've ever seen. After all these weeks, there should have been a performance from almost everyone that forced me to back up the DVR and experience it at least once more. It hasn't happened.
Remember Jason Castro's performance of "Hallelujah" last year? How about David Archuleta on "Imagine?" And beyond that, we had the incredibly distinctive and diverse sounds of Brooke White, Carly Smithson, Syesha Mercado. Even underperformers Kristy Lee Cook and Amanda Overmyer brought a unique style to the show. In one season they touched on rock, country, soul, R&B, folk and pop. For all Kara DioGuardi's talk of "artistry" in this season's crop, there's very little diversity on that stage. If it weren't for Adam and Allison Iraheta they would almost be totally interchangable.
But this problem didn't start with the Top Five. Anoop was the same kind of singer as Kris and Matt and Danny. Most of the ones who did have a unique sound turned out not to be very good. Megan Joy was one of the most singular voices on the show, and she became awful. Lil had all this potential and got worse and worse. Alexis? Cut down almost immediately. And poor Scott MacIntyre was never as good as his story, despite what the judges tried to tell him.
In a way, it reminds me of Season Three when Fantasia was in a league of her own and the rest of the contestants just fell by the wayside, one boring performance after another. This year, the front-runner seems to be pretty clearly Adam, though I prefer Allison. Back then your top 5 was Fantasia, Diana DeGarmo, Jasmine Trias, LaToya London and George Huff. I know. So the pool is stronger this year, and the genders reverse, but it isn't any more interesting to watch.
For the first time in a long time, I don't even look forward to the new episodes anymore, really. And I don't think it's the show because I'm just as ridiculously fanatical about it as I've always been. And I'll be there next January hoping for a better crop of contestants to get excited about. I guess it's hard to get the right blend of talent every season. If you find a bunch great singers who all sing in the same way the same type of music, you could have a great singing group ... bit it makes for one boring season.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
4-27-2009 @ 4:38PM
Nornny said...
Song choices have been pretty iffy this season, but besides Allison and Adam, Kris Allen has really done some breakout work in my opinion.
I think most of the rest have done predictably, but that's not to say when they've been good, I haven't enjoyed or rewound their performances. I think each individual's ability to be diverse has been weaker than past seasons (Anoop and ballads for example).
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4-27-2009 @ 4:42PM
DIR said...
You're nuts. Kris Allen has consistently delivered inventive, quality performances. His takes on Ain't No Sunshine and Falling Slowly were both DVR worthy.
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4-27-2009 @ 5:01PM
pblackmon@aahsa.org said...
I disagree with your assessment that Adam has not had a breakout moment this season. IMO "Mad World" was exactly that. Simon has never given a standing ovation for an Idol individual performance (he may have for a finalist being crowned), but he did for that one. A beautiful, haunting vocal, beautifully staged, and beautifully realized.
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4-27-2009 @ 5:07PM
LM said...
Umm, I think Adam HAS had the moment Simon's been waiting for. In an interview he recently named Adam's "Mad World" as one of the best performances of all eight seasons. And we all know Simon gave him a standing O for it. If those two pieces of info don't spell out M-O-M-E-N-T to you, not sure what does.
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4-27-2009 @ 6:56PM
Jason Hughes said...
Okay, he did have a good moment there, but I just can't get into him. I always used to hate singers who did pointless vocal runs on this show in its earlier seasons. This year, Adam has worked his "scream" into virtually every performance. Except that one. He is vocally brilliant, but it's not just in the voice you have but how you choose to use it. He's getting there, but I think he overperforms most songs.
4-27-2009 @ 5:27PM
logan casey said...
ADAM LAMBERT is the BEST performer ever to be on AMERICAN IDOL.....Except for ALLISON, this has been the most boring group of performers on IDOL....Adam and Allison are worth watching IDOL on Tuesday nights...If this season did not have ADAM and ALLISON most viewers would be watching other shows on their television sets....Danny Gokey and Lil Rounds were the judges choices to make the finals....The 4 judges were all wrong on this....Both Gokey and Rounds were big disappointments.....They both were overhyped all season...It was like the children's fairy tale THE EMPERORS NEW CLOTHES.....The judges kept applauding both Gokey and Rounds and I am seeing the reality of mediocre to poor performances by them.....If it was not for the superior talent of Adam Lambert I would not be watching AMERICAN IDOL this season...
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4-27-2009 @ 5:32PM
Jeffrey.Kinderdietz said...
Adam is the break out performer. The producers were expecting Danny's story in the beginning and assumed he would win it all until Adam started to pull away with itune sales and votes. You may not like Adam but the fact that he is the early break out performer and early favorite is fact.
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4-27-2009 @ 5:41PM
Michael said...
Ugh, enough with the Adam love-fest. He is everything Idol is NOT about. It is supposed to be about unknown people but has turned into a "who can the producers plant in the contest to maximize their chances of selling records later".
Adam is not an amateur. He has experience, he has done albums and videos and shows. He is a major tool and the judges gushing over him shows just how fixed this show has become. They had picked him from the beginning and they will say whatever needs to be said each week to make sure he gets the votes. They have realized that what the judges say has a huge influence on how people vote.
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4-28-2009 @ 11:27AM
GENE said...
People should only be complaining if the contestant were well known before entering these shows. However, in the case of Adam Lambert, presumably 99% of AI viewers won't have heard of him until they watched AI. Adam's got a lot of previous experience, but if that disqualifies him then, David Cook shouldn't have competed last year - he's got arguably as much performance experience, and much more recording experence then Adam, yet this wasn't an issue. Kelly also had previous experience, and had been offered record deals before Idol. There's very few winners who don't have performance experience.
4-27-2009 @ 5:47PM
David said...
I look forward to each week to watch what Adam and Kris and Allison will do. I think all three are talented and can sell albums. None of them will be as famous as Carrie Underwood or Chris Daughtry, but at least one of them will be more successful than David and David from last season, both of whom gave us "moments" but will ultimately be failures when it comes to a successful pop music career, imo.
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4-27-2009 @ 5:49PM
nica said...
Mr. Hughes - you just displayed your utter ignorance in anything vocal in you bracketed comment. Vocalists spend countless hours learning how to do exactly what you think should not be done. So, that one comment negates everything you said afterward, as no wonder you did not enjoy any of the performances! Please educate yourself before you write about the subject.
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4-27-2009 @ 6:58PM
Jason Hughes said...
Are you talking about sticking out his tongue? Singers spend hours learning how to stick out their tongues? Is it really necessary, because there are plenty of singers with incredible ranges who don't do it. And he's generally doing it in a "dramatic rock-n-roll" way.
4-27-2009 @ 5:58PM
Lisa said...
Uh - I so disagree. This is my favorite season so far. Did you watch when Adam did Mad World? And Kris' disco song last week?
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4-27-2009 @ 6:16PM
elw said...
It is foolish of you to say that Adam has not had a 'breakout moment', I am embarrassed for you.
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4-27-2009 @ 6:16PM
Linda said...
I disagree with what this person's review had to say. Adam Lambert has had some really strong performances. The only problem with him is that some of his performances are cheesy or they don't quite cut it for me. I think Kris Allen is the performer who has been completely on top of his game. Kris has been creative and innovative.
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4-27-2009 @ 6:53PM
Rae said...
I've backed up twice this year to watch a performance over again. Actually I think I backed up Adam 3 or 4 times in a row (it was disco night), and Danny once. I didn't want to be an Adam fan actually. I usually buck against the "favorite" and the hype, but he really has some talent, and captures me.
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4-27-2009 @ 6:54PM
Jimmy said...
I couldn't agree more. When Randy said last week this was the most talented group ever on American Idol (something he says every years) I had to scratch my head. This group has nothing on last year's group, which in my opinion, was the best group since season 1.
Adam probably has then sown up, but we shouldn't count out either Allison or Kris (I think we'll have a Kris/Adam final two, but you never know with the fickle audience). Everyone thinking Adam has this sown up could backfire on him and in the end the audience may go with the down-to-earth pretty boy over the goth pretty boy.
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4-27-2009 @ 7:00PM
Jason Hughes said...
Really this is more my point. It's not a bash on Adam because he can sing. It's the fact that the collective top 5 (or 6 or 7 or whatever) isn't as diverse or interesting as last year's top 5 (or 6 or 7 or whatever). I said the pool was stronger this year because they can sing. they're just all largely similar, except for Adam, who is still too over the top at times for me, and Allison. Luckily, I'm allowed my opinion :).
4-27-2009 @ 8:06PM
Elliot said...
Are you nuts? Have you not been listening to Adam Lambert? Maybe you are one of those people who just can't stand Adam Lambert for other non-musical reasons, but whatever the reason is, please take the cotton out of your ears and listen to Adam Lambert. Mad World was one of the best MOMENTS in Idol History. Even Simon Cowell gave a standing ovation. If that's not a moment, what is?
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4-27-2009 @ 8:14PM
kyra lanet said...
wow.. are you crazy.. ADAM is the best thing thats happened on that show EVER. I think the rest are a complete BORE
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