Why American Idol Still Works
May 20, 2010 by Cherie
Filed under TV, Movies, Books
You know, there are tons of people that make fun of American Idol, and I can understand why. They think it’s a cheesy show, they think it’s bad reality TV, and they point to ratings and say see they are slipping! Well, they’ve been on ten seasons now, and they’ve dominated the entire time. So if they slip now?
What was Idol meant to do? Find talent that normally would not have been discovered. Last night my favorite guy, Lee DeWyze, made it into the top two. The reason I love this guy is not just that his voice is amazing, or that he’s humble and talented, but that before Idol he worked at a paint store! He wasn’t like Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson before him, who had shopped their voices around trying to get a record deal. It was refreshing to see this guy, who couldn’t seem to believe that he was really good enough to be a recording artist, progress each week.
DeWyze’s voice is really amazing, and every song he sang this year felt like something I could hear on the radio. He’s got a very distinct voice and I personally can’t wait to buy his record. It doesn’t even matter if he wins next week, I know that dude is going to get a record deal. How can he not?
Here’s an example of what I mean. He sang “Treat Her Like a Lady” which is a 40-year old song and yet it sounds like it could be on the radio today:
Here he is singing one of my favorites, “The Boxer“:
And finally, one of my favorite songs of all time, the one that can make me cry and stand up and cheer all at the same time, “Hallelujah“:
I didn’t think I’d find a version I liked better than Jeff Buckley’s, but this one comes very close. I also think it’s fitting that Simon Cowell chose this song for judge’s week for Lee, because it could very well launch his career.
