Idol kids defend song choices
Contestants on Idol are pointing out they weren't allowed to change songs, only to be criticised for song choice.
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Idol‘s in the papers again today.
In the Courier Mail, judge Jay Dee Springbett says he won’t be turning nasty for ratings, although he does take a dig at Dicko.
“Australia was the only part of the world where there wasn’t a record executive on Idol . . . Dicko may think he is a record executive but he is more of a morning radio presenter now.”
He reckons when he relaxes into the role his true self will come through.
Meanwhile, 16yo Aliqua Mao tells the Daily Telegraph she couldn’t change the song she sang on Sunday’s Wildcard show, Power of Love, for which she was criticised over song-choice.
“I was annoyed and a bit stressed out all week about it. They say a lot about song choice but there wasn’t anything I could do,” Mao said yesterday.
Due to copyright clearance and arrangements, the song was locked in two weeks previously.
On Sunday night she told the judges, “What can I do? This song has been locked in, and I cannot change it. Obviously, clearly I would have changed it, and I know that song did not show my personality and I pray, and I really hope that Australia will give me another chance because I want to show who I am as a recording artist. And I know I can do it.”
Edmund Zaidan, 19, had similar concerns over singing The Living End’s White Noise.
“It’s the worst thing,” he said. “I had it in the back of my mind that it was another rock song. You get nervous about it.”
As TV Tonight revealed in June the show asks contestants to plan their song choices.
“We strongly recommend you have a repertoire of popular songs up your sleeve and be prepared to use them at any time,” FremantleMedia advised its Top 100.
Source: news.com.au
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16 Responses
Guess what Judges, the audience doesn’t want to hear songs that were a hit on the radio in the last two weeks, the audience wants to hear classics they’re familiar with.
Nor do we care how old the person is singing it as long as they can sing.
So the Judges criticism in the first place is wrong, wrong, wrong
Other than that no Aussie born judges on Idol, its not Aussie Idol
Tragic i am well aware of a songs background,i am just maing a point that the same style of songs seem to crop up year by year.Having an all Aus year is just a suggestion (if that is ok with you) & there is more than enough diversity within our industry (especially over the last 40 years) to allow that.
I feel it is massively unfair to contestants to not be able to change their song choices following their last performance, re: Aliqua. For FremantleMedia to say to have songs and “…be prepared to use them at any time”, is clearly a massive exaggeration. If the show has a timeline that restricts their clearance periods, that should not disadvantage contestants, which it clearly did for some in the wildcard show. The announcement of winners to the wildcard round, was quite awkard too, esp. as 16 contestants had to have songs prepared (only 9 had to perform). Also, the judges clearly knew those who had won from the 4th semi (announced to viewers on sunday) well before Sunday, as they had their wildcard choices pre-chosen. (Voting closed 3am Friday). Why does voting close at 3am anyway?? It used to close at the start of the next show?? Why not at perhaps 6pm the next day?? These changes should at least be explained…
Stay true to yourself…so long as it sells. That Aliqua girl has a fantastic voice, but she’s being bagged out because she’s not hip enough. I just wish she would stand up to the judges, but that’s what you get for having someone so young introduced to showbiz I guess.
Apart from Lucie and Aliqua, all the performances on the wildcard show were awful but they all had the look which is what really counts right? This show has little to do with singing, and that’s a bit more apparent with the voting lines opening at the start of the show. Though, I know this is may be more of an issue with reality TV rather than the show itself.
Busted. It’s pretty easy to see why the real talent is booted early on. However, I saw one show the other night and the performances were just wrong, out of tune and the pitch was oily.
Still, what chance to the kids have if the songs are all easy pop fodder, not the sort to show off their vocal range.
Meh, now I see why it’s been so borinnnnnnnnng.
This JD Guy representing Sony should not be on the panel. Sure they back the show and give the winner a recording contract but that is part and pacel of the free advertising they gather thru the series. By all means have a recording exec on the panel, but it should not be from the company sponsoring.. already from what I have seeen, this smacks of manipulation of the contestants by Springett for his own ends. They get somebody at the end – they have to promote them, love ’em or hate ’em. That’s the deal. If he can’t separate his personal view from his business – and that is a hard ask – then he should not be there.
It is time to rest Idol anyway! It’s obvious after watching the semi-finals that talent just isn’t attending the audition process. The reason for this is the career life for the winner is questionable (Casey Donovan, Natalie Gauci). Sony Music has a lot to do with this being unable to promote the winner after the TV show.
I think those with talent are taking the chance of being discovered by other means (My Space, Youtube).
It’s also a shame that over the years Channel’s 7 & 9 have rubbished idol on their Today Tonight & A Current Affair programmes yet are now touting “first” on new releases by Guy Sebastian & Wes Carr.
I agreed with john, they should have a serious where only Australian music are to choose from or at least have one of the episode.
I do like RnB song but somehow it doesn’t suit our Idol here.
Ch10 made the mistake last year by Changing around Big Brother, and they made such a mess of it that it was axed.
Same thing is gonna happen with Australian Idol, they are changing around that this is a mess, so AKA.. prepare yourselfs for Australian Idol to be axed also!
Why did she choose to sing that in the beginning though??
Well John “The Prayer” was not an Australian song either. So what’s your point. It is ridiculous to expect Idol to only have Australian songs. How much variety would that be. R and B is quite popular on the charts and it is up to each contestant to choose a variety of songs to show their versatility and range. No one who has won Idol that I know of has stuck to one genre.
…and who do we blame for the whole Idol show
They are given a list of songs they can choose from, so these are obviously cleared beforehand by the porducers of the show.
I rememeber Simon Cowell had to personally clear U2’s ‘One’ for Adam Lambert in the last season of American Idol, although he may have just said that because he loves name-dropping.
Either way, the show – like all reality shows – are rigged as much as possible for specific contestants to win.
Who gets the blame for clothing choices??
no suprises there…. we knew that all along.. its time the powers of be at idol are accountable for this instead of having these kids face up to the huge ego of judges who tell them otherwise and in the process ridiculing them.
I agree the songs these “kids” choose to sing are inappropriate for the audience their aiming at.At 16 it is impossble to sing about The Power Of Love,the power of lust maybe.Is it me or do the contestants sing the same songs year in year out.What is this obsession with American r&b,souless crap (especially the girls).I would love a series where only Australian music was allowed.It might show all those kids what great music we have here.
One thing is for sure….The Prayer will never be bettered.Now that’s what i’m talkin’ bout!