Dan's Musings..

Adam and Kris: The Idol Showdown...

2009-05-19T23:57:00.000-07:00

Well, the long-awaited final sing-off between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen has come and gone, the voting has completed, and all that waits is the revelation of the 2009 American Idol winner on Wednesday night. For all the hoopla and anticipation, the final performances weren't especially amazing, and the 'coronation song' - the song written for American Idol that will be released as the winner's first sing - was so bad that the judges deftly sidestepped even attempting to judge the singers' performances on that song, instead voicing hope that the voters would base their votes on the contributions each has made throughout the season, rather than the sour note of 'No Boundaries'.

Based on a coin toss last week, Kris elected to go last second, so the competition began by Adam reprising his 'Mad World' from earlier in the season. While it was nice to see his softer side, the performance was not nearly as powerful as the first time he sang it, partly due to the distractions of theatrics injected by Adam..swirling fog, a long black coat, strolling around the stage... While his vocals were good, the overall effect didn't really scream 'Idol winner'. Kris then took the stage, sitting at the piano and singing an earlier favorite, 'Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone'. In the intimate, personable style that has become his trademark this season, Kris easily outperformed Adam, even gaining a bit of a begrudged 'edge' to the first round by jusge Simon Cowell.

For Round two, each had to sing a song selected by the producer. Adam was given Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come', and did an excellent job, giving it a gospel-rock-r&b feel that got rave reviews from the judges. Kris had a bit of a more up-tempo but socially relevant song in Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On'. Keeping the background music somewhat minimalist, Allen poured out a powerful rendition, gaining praise from most of the judges, although Cowell wasn't especially impressed with the low-key performance. Simon awarded round two to Lambert.

Finally, each of the contestants had to sing 'No Boundaries', co-written by Idol judge Kara, along with a couple of co-writers... The song SHOULD have been called, 'No Favors', because singing the song did no favors for either contestant. 'No Boundaries' wasn't especially melodic, didn't come across as a powerful ballad, and was clearly difficult to sing..by both singers. While past idol 'Coronation songs' have generally suited one contestant better than the other, and often that singer was the one who emerged as the winner, 'No Boundaries' really didn't suit either singer well. Randy Jackson thought it might have fit Kris Allen's voice a little better, but the key was too high, and he had to strain at the notes frequently. Lambert's version, although it was in his range, just sounded shrill and 'pitchy'. Certainly the worst part of being the American Idol winner this year will be having to release 'No Boundaries' as a single.

For both singers, the judges, probably in deference to the fact that the song was writter by one of their own, chose not to say much about the final performance, instead encouraging voters to remember the contributions of the artists throughout this season as they cast their votes.

All in all, both singers, in their own unique styles, did relatively well, and the competition ended pretty much in a dead heat, with no clear winner. There was probably nothing in either contestant's performance that would sway voters from the opinions they already had about who deserved to win. Since Lambert and Allen finished last week in a virtual tie (with only about 1 million separating them out of nearly 90 million votes cast), this week's vote is likely to be an extremely close one as well.

While I wouldn't wager any large sums of money on it, I do feel Kris Allen performed slightly better than Adam Lambert, and my guess for Wednesday night is that Allen will take the American Idol crown, albeit by the smallest of margins. Both of these performers will have a post-Idol career...the advantage of NOT winning will be never having to sing 'No Boundaries' ever again.

Dan

American Idol: Beyond the Finale

2009-05-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, let's forget for a moment, all the debate about who's going to WIN American Idol. We're down to two choices. One of them WILL win, and realistically, it could be EITHER of them. Adam has gotten a lot of publicity and has an incredible voice. Kris is a much more low key, multi-talented musical artist who's not afraid to explore new sounds with familiar songs. Both have gotten a lot of support (only about 1 million votes, out of nearly 90 million votes cast, separated them last week), and if they both have a good week performance-wise, it could once again be a very tight vote..with either of them emerging victorious.

But, once the final vote is in, once Ryan Seacrest has drawn the 2 minute revelation out over at least an hour, what happens then? History has shown us that WINNING American Idol is not the key to success (Taylor Hicks, anyone?), but for an artist that is talented, driven, and knows how to make music that appeals to his/her fans, American Idol is a wonderful platform to launch a career.

So, which of the final duo, Adam Lambert or Kris Allen, is best poised and positioned for success? Well, you can find plenty of people who will champion the cause of both of them. As for me, while I believe both will find some success, it seems that Kris is more prepared for immediate success.

Let's face it..Adam Lambert has mad vocal skills. That boy can sing incredibly. In a flat out vocal competition (which American Idol is NOT), there's no doubt Adam Lambert would beat Kris Allen. But American Idol, and the music business, is not just about vocals. Madonna has had an incredibly successful career, but no one would ever pick her as the most talented vocalist out there, and that is true of many successful artists. Success in the music business, as it is on American Idol, comes from a combination of vocal ability, the ability to capture the interest and affection of your audience, and a 'sound' that people recognize and want to hear.

It's that last part that is where Kris Allen has excelled so well in this competition, and how he has quietly risen to the place where he displaced one of the 'frontrunners' (Danny Gokey) to stand toe to toe with Adam Lambert in the final 'sing off' of this year's contest. Kris Allen has a look and a musical style that has become known and loved by millions. He could made a cd now, and most people who've watched and listened to him would have some idea of what it would sound like, and whether they'd want to buy it. Kris Allen has spent this season not just competing, but defining his 'brand' in front of millions of people. As any marketing person would affirm, having a well-defined 'brand' is essential to selling anything from cosmetics, cereal..and musical careers..successfully. It's not always the 'best' products that you buy, but the ones you recognize and with which you feel most comfortable.

Adam Lambert has incredible vocal skills, and has shown himself very versatile and able to sing a variety of styles of music very well. It is his versatility and capability to sing such a wide variety of music that actually may put him in a less marketable position, at least initially. While everybody knows the kind of music Kris is likely to play and sing, it's not as clear what direction Adam will take with his music. He has talent. He is likable. But he's going to have to be 'packaged' a bit, develop the 'Adam Lambert brand' that helps define him as a musical artist. That process will begin immediately after Idol is over. By the time he releases a cd, the public relations machine will have been busy for some months telling you what kind of artist Adam Lambert is, what kind of music you are going to hear from him, preparing the public for his post-Idol debut.

Meanwhile, Kris has been doing that in front of the television cameras, watched by millions of viewers, week after week, throughout the run of the show. By the time the final curtain falls on this year's season, no matter who wins, Kris Allen will be in the enviable position of having a marketable 'brand'...and a hungry audience who already know they're going to buy his music, and that they're going to listen to it and request it on the radio. He will be ready to 'hit the ground running'. Adam will have to shift gears from being a 'competitor' to defining himself as an artist.

No matter whose name Ryan Seacrest calls next Wednesday night as the American Idol winner for 2009, Kris Allen has already won the race to becoming a marketable artist with a definable 'sound'.

Dan

Could Kris win American Idol?

2009-05-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

Well, let me start by saying, first of all, that I have been a fan of Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, and Kris Allen all season long (and Allison as well!). They are all very talented people, with unique and marketable skills as musical artists.

Adam has had the 'wow factor' most of the season. His soaring vocals, his confident strut, his different take on some of the songs he had performed, have kept people believing all season long that he was the one to beat, the heir apparent to the Idol throne.

Danny pulled at the heartstrings with the subtle references in his actions and music, to his departed wife, and his vocals were nearly always soulful and strong.

Kris has been the 'dark horse' of the competition, slowly but steadily growing in popularity as he has taken familiar songs and given them new life with his own unique arrangements. While not as strong vocally as either Adam or Danny, his artistry, and boyish good looks, have served him well. It hasn't hurt either, that he has received high praise from mentors and judges alike (Jaime Fox noting he would like to make a record with Kris, Randy telling Kris that his rendition of 'Heartless' was better than the original).

With Danny's elimination this week, the stage is set for the finale between Adam and Kris. All season long, Adam has been viewed as the Idol most likely to win... but is that still true? According to Ryan Seacrest, with nearly 90 million votes for all three contestants this past week, only about a million votes separated Adam and Kris in the voting, and that was after Simon made a very strong appeal to voters to vote for Adam...something he did not do for either Danny or Kris.

With Danny gone, and the voters left with the choice between Adam and Kris, the question may well come down to which way the majority of Danny's supporters decide to vote. If the 'buzz' on Twitter and other online media is true, there seems to be a groundswell of support among 'Danny voters' for Kris. So, while Adam may well be the one to beat, it certainly is not beyond imagination that, provided they both have good, solid performances in the finale, that as the season comes to an end, Kris' star may actually overtake Adam's.

While I think both are talented, and Adam has by far the strongest and most powerful vocal range, Kris' artistry has outshone Adam's considerably in the past few weeks, and Adam has relied somewhat excessively on singing loud and high, without showcasing nearly as much of the originality that made him such a standout earlier in the season. Kris on the other hand, has consistently shown himself to be original, and his unassuming persona has quietly charmed millions of fans.

So, could Kris actually beat Adam? Well, obviously that is yet to be seen, but this competition is not likely to be decided by who sings the loudest or the highest notes...it's going to be won by who can pull the audience in with freshness, originality and artistry...and while both have that capability, Kris has been quietly doing that week after week. With Danny's departure and the possibility of a mass migration of his fans to Kris, logistically it looks very possible that Kris Allen could be the next American Idol. Regardless of which way it goes, it should be a very interesting finale!

Dan