With all the hullabaloo going on around the judges that will be pulling up a chair at the table next beginning at auditions this month, many have been overlooking the developments on the music release and distribution front, which for Sony Music Group ended abruptly following an eight-year relationship.
After letting Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment do most of the talking on the issue, Sony had the following to say:
"After enjoying a successful relationship, Sony Music Entertainment wishes Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment well in this transitional period for the 'American Idol' franchise. We look forward to continuing our relationships with the many artists on the Sony Music roster who have graduated from the 'American Idol' system, including Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia, David Cook, Adam Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Jordin Sparks and David Archuleta among others and we are excited for the upcoming albums later this fall from Season 9's winner and runner-up Lee DeWyze and Crystal Bowersox."
I guess Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta were either dropped or they're covered under "among others." It's not surprising the quote didn't name Blake Lewis, Bo Bice, Clay Aiken, Diana DeGarmo, Justin Guarini and Katharine McPhee and Taylor Hicks.
As for the beneficiary of SMG's demise, Universal Music Group, they understandably seem to be singing a happier tune at the moment:
"We like delivering hits and new artists...UMG and 'American Idol' is the right combination at the right time. Pairing the renowned expertise of Simon [Fuller] and Jimmy in developing and marketing musical talent creates a truly winning combination that will allow 'Idol's' artists to realize their fullest potential."
But is this a good bet on Fuller/19E's part? True, it's probably a cheaper deal for them in the long run, but Geffen, Interscope and A&M, while each having their own heavyweights, haven't always been at the forefront of major releases. Time will tell if this deal works in favor of next year's Lee or Crystal.
Showing posts with label simon fuller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simon fuller. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sony Music Group responds to the end of its relationship with 'Idol'
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
IDOL LIVE Blog - Top 2 Perform (5/25/10)
Can't you just feel the excitement? Tonight marks the final performance episode of the ninth season of Idol, quite a feat for the music competition reality series. Although this season has been the biggest letdown to date in terms of contestant quality, Crystal and Lee are the best of the worst and will duke it out to earn the crown by performing two personal choices and one selected by the almighty Simon Fuller (the coronation single will be held until the winner is announced)
Will Crystal and Lee opt for repeat performances or new choices? Don't be surprised if Crystal sings some original tunes based on her reaction to last week's hometown concert.
As usual, please feel free to add your two cents throughout the one-hour blogcast. Coverage starts just prior to 8 p.m. ET.
Tonight's blogcast features the music of who else but Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Message to FOX: No fourth judge
Now that word has been circulating that FOX is interested in permanently replacing Paula Abdul for the ninth season of Idol, it should be expressed that there is absolutely no need for another fourth judge.
The laundry list of reasons why this would be unnecessary and even downright irresponsible is lengthy, but there are a few major reasons that stick out above the rest. First of all, do the producers not recall how many times performance episodes ran over thanks to the extra set of critiques that were needed after each performance? Whose fault was that again? Yeah, it was your fault by the extension of Kara DioGuardi and her babbling. Remember the time Adam Lambert's performance of "Mad World" went over the broadcast's allotted time during Top 8 week? And then the next week, only two judges were allowed to critique each performance, and the overtime still amounted to two minutes? That is not a professional way to run a show.
And then of course there's the whole notion that hearing an extra critique per contestant does not affect much in terms of swaying voters to vote one way or another, it usually only reinforces one of the other judges' opinions. Plus, during auditions and in Hollywood it is Simon who gets to make the final decision when the four of them reach a stalemate. Even though he probably merits this power thanks to his role in the show's production and his stature, it is still annoying that he not only has a contract worth millions upon millions more than his fellow judges and this additional perk is solely at his discretion and he could potentially (and probably already has) denied someone a ticket to Hollywood because he just "didn't like them."
So unless the plan is to fire Kara and replace her with someone who doesn't care so much about "artistry" or to do away with Randy's role after the next "dude" or "dawg" he drops, there should be no new faces appearing on this show come Season 9. None.
Hopefully Simon Fuller & co. take note.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
About tonight: Kara's song the sabotager!
Tonight's finale was set to be a one-sided wipe-out, and although it may not have been as clear cut as expectations had us all believe, it was still a wipe-out based on the judges' comments. The three songs per finalists thing must have not really been a big hit with Adam and Kris, as it seemed like the two of them ran out of gas near the end of the show.
But who can be blamed for that? No one but Ms. Kara DioGuardi. Her co-penned coronation cheese-fest "No Boundaries" was set in a key so foreign to the two contenders that each of their takes on it came off sounding like two amateurs were attempting to sing something they just overheard someone playing in a cheap bar.
Adam took on the song first, which would have showed he was pretty brave had he not been required to do the duty before Kris. The result was something that was not very pretty. Adam was off pitch a couple of times, just as Randy noted, and his theatrical style just sounded all wrong on the poppy track about mountains and hurricanes and whatnot. In fact, it would probably be best for him not to win if only for the sake of his credibility not being damaged. But on the other hand, David Cook survived the blunderful "magic rainbow" line in "The Time of My Life," so anything can happen.
Kris took the same approach, as they were barred from playing instruments during the final performance. This left him virtually naked and a little uncomfortable, as he had to grapple with the high key and used the mic as his crutch to prevent any nervousness from seeping out. That did not really work, though, and in addition to slipping up on the lyrics for a half-second, his voice just sounded like it was giving out at times. Still, this faltering was nothing compared to Blake Lewis' surrendering back on Season 6 when he was given "This Is My Now" as his final song. As the judges noted, "No Boundaries" was probably fit more for Kris' vocal style, but he may or may not be able to call the song his own depending on how tomorrow's results go.
The judges were easy on the song itself, with even Simon stating that he would ignore the song and focus just on the individuals as vocalists during the show. This was all to spare Kara any embarrassment that is usually directed toward the writer(s) of the coronation tracks. But even Kara said something in a "yea yeah" sarcastic tone when Simon mentioned the "mountains" part of the lyrics, so she must agree that it did not work all that well on the two of them.
I will go into detail with my thoughts on the song following this post, so be sure to look for it (I promise I won't disappoint).
As for the two thirds of the show that didn't suck, it was pretty evenly split. Adam opened the show with a bang when he re-did "Mad World" in Broadway garb that would make any character from the Great White Way proud. The fog machine (or dry ice? as Adam said following his performance) was probably the thing that sent the performance over the edge into the category of ridiculousness, as Simon made sure he got in a word about. Vocally, it was strong, perhaps on par with his version back on Top 8 night but must likely not equally matched.
Simon Fuller's choice, on the other hand, was the most awkward, unfit song for Adam to sing that it sucked out any momentum that he gained from the first round, no matter what Simon said about him being "a million times better" than Kris in the second round. Although Adam sang the song well, the fact that he was tasked with finding a more soulful sound deep within the layers of his signature style kind of resulted in an odd final product. Still, the judges loved what he came up with, as Kara applauded him for finding his own interpretation of the song and Paula went as far to say that it was the best she had ever heard him sing on the show.
Kris, on the other hand, had the best performance of the night with his reprise of "Ain't No Sunshine." It's just too bad, as Simon pointed out at the end of the show, that Kris had to waste his best showing at the beginning of the night. The fact that he tried it out on the piano showed that he really is a true artist and is very versatile with playing instruments while performing. He was able to show his softest side on "Sunshine" and won praise from the judges,hearing everything from "awakening spirits in all of us" courtesy of Paula to "creating an intimate bond with the audience" from Kara. Simon was more effective in his turnaround in which he said Kris deserved to be in the finals after the performance.
On the Fuller choice of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," however, he lost a little bit of his luster. The vocal was raw and very Jason Mraz-y, which was good, but Randy and Simon had a point when they said it was a little "light" for the finale. Acoustic is great, and works extremely well on the much smaller Idol studio stage, but in the Nokia Theatre it gets a little lost in the air. And once again, Simon was right on the money when he compared it to something that could be heard in a bedroom with three friends just playing around on the guitar (where does he come up with these comparisons?).
Fortunately for us, Carrie Underwood was there to sing us out in what was probably the most exciting (and best) performance of the night when she took on this season's goodbye song "Home Sweet Home." She looked as good as ever and sounded pretty strong.
And for a few bragging rights, Adam and Kris did take my advice into consideration by picking "Mad World" and "Ain't No Sunshine" for their encores, respectively, so that was good to know.
So when all was said and done, this finale performance episode definitely ranks among the lower rungs of the finales when compared with the past seven seasons, as the excitement factor just did not live up to expectations. Still, whoever wins tomorrow night will have a lot to live up to and he better get to making "No Boundaries" work with his voice, because the song is not going away.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
What they should sing: Finale week
In the usual tradition, the Top 2 finalists will sing three songs each, only one of the songs will be chosen by Simon Fuller instead of music mogul Clive Davis. The actual formula for Tuesday's performance set list includes one song chosen by Fuller, a reprise of an earlier performance picked by Adam and Kris, and the coronation song as written by Kara. Although things have been switched up in the finales over the course of the series' lifespan, both finalists will perform the same coronation song this time around, as they did in Seasons 1, 3, 4 and 6.
Since Adam and Kris have even less control over what they will be singing, their personal reprisal choices will be all the more important. They will have to be strategic in what they choose, and even if they feel their best showings were on certain songs, they might have to resist giving them another go and take on a song that was not as great instead. That leaves me with the following suggestions for both the personal and Fuller picks:
Adam Lambert: "Mad World" (reprise), "Don't Stop Believin'" (Fuller)
Adam has a ton of options for his reprise on Tuesday. Too many options. In fact, if he goes with something like "Ring of Fire" or "Born to Be Wild," that could be the downfall of his chances. Therefore, he has to pick something on the slow side, preferably not "Tracks of My Tears." "Mad World," which closed the Top 8 show, would be a great decision because it was one of his stronger moments and would not sound out of place amid the rest of the night's performances like "Tears" or "If I Can't Have You" would.
As for Fuller's song choice, everyone is predicting and hoping for something by Queen. That would be predictable, over the top, yet it could work. But for an up-tempo selection, Adam would easily be able to rock out Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and make it sound theatrical without it being as predictable. It's true that the song was used in a group performance during Top 9 week, but it would sound much different coming just from Adam. Plus, it would be an automatic crowd-pleaser and the the Nokia Theatre would be on its feet for the whole performance.
If these two well-balanced songs are on Adam's set list come Tuesday, the cheesy coronation tune would bot be nearly as disappointing as it should sound. Unless, of course, she pulls off a miracle and doesn't offer up something like Paris Hilton's "Screwed."
Kris Allen: "Ain't No Sunshine" (reprise), "The Remedy" (Fuller)
For a revisit to one of his highlights, Kris would best be served by avoiding "Heartless," which he nailed last week (see Diana DeGarmo's "Don't Cry Out Loud"), and "Falling Slowly," which people were reminded of when they saw him sing it twice while back home in Arkansas for his hometown visit. This leaves him with a few good options, but "Ain't No Sunshine" is best because it's been weeks since viewers heard him perform it and at the time it was considered his best showing.
For Fuller's pick, he should go with something relatively current and fits with the style that would be a perfect match for him. Therefore, since everyone usually compares Kris' style to that of Jason Mraz, a song from his catalog would be ideal. Now, "I'm Yours" would be a logical choice, but it's too current and Kris has performed too many current songs of late. "You and I Both" is another good pick, but I think "The Remedy" would be the song. It's easily recognizable, catchy, and allows for one's vocal range to be shown off.
This might not be the most exciting finale, but there's definitely enough potential for the results to be close if the show is solid. These song choices would be a surefire way to liven things up and present as level a playing field as possible.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Nigel out of the driver's seat
TMZ.com is reporting producer Nigel Lythgoe is no longer associated with American Idol. The reason? Boredom, apparently:
We're told Lythgoe felt it was time for someone else to step in. Sources say he's said privately he is "not passionate about it anymore." "A.I.'s" ratings slipped last season, and the show was getting a little boring.TMZ goes on to say he is focusing on a joint venture with Idol creator/manager Simon Fuller and wants to focus on his other hit show, So You Think You Can Dance. Although Nigel has also been a punching bag for when things have gone wrong with the show (and he often brought it upon himself), this does not bode very well for the show itself. It's not like Simon Cowell is leaving, but noteworthy nonetheless.
No word on a possible replacement, or whether TMZ is even telling the truth.
ETA: looks like this is 100% true. Per a statement made by Nigel himself:
"Due to the huge success of 'So You Think You Can Dance,' my summer will be taken up by travels to South Africa, Australia and Canada to work on local versions of the show. I will step back from my day-to-day producing work on 'American Idol' and will be devoting my time to a new venture with Simon Fuller. I have very much enjoyed my personal and professional relationship with Simon. He is without doubt, a man of vision, and I look forward to partnering with him on new and exciting challenges in all forms of entertainment."This is definitely a blow to the Idol franchise. It is still a little baffling that he would ditch the most-watched show on all television to promote SYTYCD of all things, but if it's his decision, it's his decision.
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