Last night’s show was another interesting one. We had it all, full-voiced jam sessions, shaky vocal tone qualities, near meltdowns, and funky syncopated arrangements. It actually turned out A LOT better than I had expected, and Andrew Lloyd Webber was an amazing mentor (and I can’t STAND Andrew Lloyd Webber). He really did an amazing job with the contestants, and I have to give him kudos for giving each contestant more insight into exactly what they needed to do to deliver their performance to the audience effectively.
Okay, I’m going to throw out a few names. See if you remember them….Tamyra Gray. Jennifer Hudson. LaToya London. Constantine Maroulis. Chris Daughtry. Melinda Doolittle. What do all of these seemingly random people have in common? A few things actually: 1. They were contestants on American Idol. 2. They all had killer voices and performance skills. 3. During their respective journeys on the show, each person listed above had at least two or three knock-out performances that seemed to solidify (at least in the eyes of the judges) their status as front-runners.
4. All 6 of these “front-runner” contestants didn’t even make it to the final 2!!!! They were inexplicably ousted from the competition well before their time!!!! Why did such travesties occur? Did they suddenly bomb on their performances? Did they not sing the right pitches? Did they forget the words? Did they choose the wrong song? Did they wear their hair the wrong way or dress themselves poorly? What factors led to their premature dismissal? The truth of the matter, folks, is that NONE of these factored into their ejections. Each one of those contestants did what he or she had to do to continue in the competition, and I’m going to be perfectly honest - even blunt -and blame it on the voting public, the fans. As the above article details, voters become rather complacent when their favored contestant performs consistently well on a weekly basis. Fans who reach the point of complacency feel as if the exertion of voting non-stop for the contestant is rather unnecessary because, as they see it, “He’s got this competition in the bag.” I cannot even begin to tell those fans how faulty is their line of thinking. I can only speak for myself here…but when I vote for my favored contestant, regardless of how well or how poorly he or she performed, my phone is in my hand, it is set to redial, I begin voting at 9:00, and I don’t stop voting until 11:00. During that time I am voting with reckless abandon - calling as many times as I can possibly connect within that two-hour time-frame. That is the expectation I set for myself. I would like to think that the rest of the voting public that votes for David Archuleta holds themselves to the same voting standards. My point is that one must NEVER assume that his or her favored contestant is safe just because that contestant was safe the week before, and the week before that, and the week before that. EVERY week is a new competition, and EVERY WEEK the fans must VOTE for their favored contestant. WE MUST VOTE EVERY WEEK FOR DAVID, people! We cannotlet what happened to Melinda, Daughtry, Constantine, LaToya, Jennifer, and Tamyra happen to David.
David will do exactly what he has to do to win this season - perform exceptionally well…but equally so, our complacency will effectively end his dream of the title if we let the He’s-Got-This-Thing-In-The-Bag attitude seep into our minds. I implore everyone to not let that happen. Enjoy the rest of this season, folks…we’re backing an amazing contestant!
This is how I see this. Since this season began, Archie has had critics. Clearly, from the beginning he was the front-runner, and, this again, bothered the critics, but, because most of them felt like a minority (which, in all honesty, they are, they just talk-it-up very well) we didn’t hear from them as much. Since Top 10 and on, when the judges decided to send out some mixed signals, specifically give kudos to David Cook, those critics suddenly became ‘ferverous’ David Cook fans. If you look at the numbers before his “Eleanor Rigby” performance, he really wasn’t that popular with the “popular vote”. He was basically on the sidelines. People were focused more on David Hernandez, Danny, Carly, Alaina and Archie. David Cook was never a consideration.
Because David Cook is so dramatically different than Archie, he’s the perfect representation of Archie’s main nemesis for the critics, thus, the proverbial ‘bandwagon’. Now, please understand, I am not saying that every single David Cook fan stays in the Cook-Camp only to detract from Archie, because, it is clear from the beginning of the competition that Cook has definitely had a fan-base, but, in recent weeks, the Cook-camp has evolved into, not only a fan-base, but, an Anti-Archuleta camp, which again, is unfortunate, because I don’t think either David would want to think of it in that way or even identify with that.
I’ve said this over and over, one rule applies to David Cook, another rule to Archie. It’s alright for Cook to sing the same type of song, it’s alright for Cook to stand in one position at his microphone, almost inhale his microphone and grumble a few words and have it relayed as “brilliant”. It’s not okay for Archie to sing a ballad, it’s not alright for Archie to breathe, it’s not alright for Archie to smile, nor is it alright for Archie to move his hands or show the slightest bit of charm or humility. It’s all an act you see.
Archuleta’s critics lack originality. They ride the coat-tails of any comment that the judges, specifically Simon Cowell, make. One week Simon asked him to be careful of not becoming “too gloomy”, so, for weeks after what did we hear? “NOT ANOTHER BALLAD…”. Funny, I didn’t realize “Ballad” and “Gloomy” were of the same descriptor in the dictionary. Then came the infamous “forget the lines of the song” issue. That was just an inferno looking to happen. Then he nailed “The Long and Winding Road”, but again…”IT’S A BALLAD!!”…which brings us to “You’re The Voice”, which, even some critics admitted that he finally proved he could do pop, but that was overshadowed by Simon’s comment about “characters coming out and dancing around…” which, became, as we all know…”Disney-esque”. So now ladies and gentlemen, Archuleta is “Disney” bound. Simon makes one comment and the critics run with it. They forget that Simon told David that he “sang it well enough”, he just didn’t like the song. As for the Walt Disney Corporation, well, Archie could do worse.
It’s interesting how other comments from the judges, and the public alike, are always dismissed by the critics. “Archuleta will win this year” as stated by Simon Cowell to Oprah Winfrey, “you’re destined for superstardom” - a gushing Paula - but, for once, her gush came at the right time. Another comment that’s been swept under the rug, just recently as a matter of a fact - actually, a few days ago - by Randy Jackson - “David Archuleta is back”. The critics didn’t recognize that statement. Gee, I wonder why?
So, to those critics out there - Archie may end up going the ‘Disney’ route, and, if so, that’s alright. If that happens though, I guess that makes David Cook a “Six Flags” contender.
-Thank you, Anonymous, for your insightful observations!!GET READY FOR TUESDAY NIGHT!!!!!
Apparently Archuleta is already being written off as an “also-ran” in this competition. The man makes some valid points, but I think it’s rather unfair to compare a potential Archuleta victory to Taylor Hicks’s Season 5 victory. Two completely different contestants whose styles could NOT be any more different.
And the statement where he says “if David Archuleta keeps getting worse each week and still wins the competition,”…….excuse me, but WHEN THE HELL did his performances start becoming “worse”???? What competition have you been watching, sir???
A bunch of BS, if you ask me.
You know what I expect of all of you Archuleta fans tomorrow…VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!
So…it seems the buzz going around lately is who the front runners are and who will win the title of American Idol Season 7. With tons of polls on the internet clearly showing both Davids to be the lead ins, who is it to win? Family, friends, and fans support David Archuleta 110% that he will continue strong throughout the rest of the competition and win this. David Archuleta has proven to be the strongest competitor earlier on in the competition, but David Cook has thrown bullets more recently showing that he is there to win. What are your thoughts Archies?
I wanted to share a post that I found on idolforums.com a little while ago, written by “Chad85“. Thank you, Chad, for this very thoughtful and informative post.
Archuleta fans, take heed:
“David will win if you continue to vote for him, and only him. Again (I find myself saying this alot) - everyone has their 2 or 3 favorites in the top 10. The thing is, once they are in the top 10, you can only have ONE favorite, because, every week they are just as much at risk to leave as anyone else. Most of the time, when your favorite is doing well - your second and third choices aren’t doing so well - you vote for them with the thought that “David must be fine - he’s way ahead in votes”. Wrong thought to have. Fact is, if you think that, everyone else is thinking that as well, so - Jason gets the votes, Carly gets the votes, David Cook gets the votes, cause everyone wants to keep them safe as well. Archie, he’ll go home so that you could boost your second and third choice Idols into the top 2, and, that is what happens all the time.
It’s time to make a decision, and all Archie’s fans have to be unanimous. Archie for the win - no one else. Your other favorites will end up going home, but seriously, only one Idol can win anyways - you decide - who’s it gonna be?
Vote for him as if he had the worst performance in Idol history - and if everyone does that - he’ll continue his movement forward to the top.
Before getting into the meat ‘n’ potatoes of this post, I would like to take this brief opportunity to congratulate David Archuleta on making it to the Top 10 of American Idol.
I really couldn’t be any happier about this. I am thrilled that he will be traveling the country this coming summer, performing for packed arenas and getting a taste of stardom as a musical performer. There is truly no one that deserves this more than him.
It’s a Monday night and the anticipation of tomorrow night’s performances is finally starting to create that annoying feeling in my gut. You know exactly what I’m talking about - that feeling where you have a sudden loss of appetite, your hands start to become sweaty, and you begin to shake from the anxiety.
This happened to me all the time in Season 5. I was an Elliott Yamin fan, and I had every reason to be nervous on Tuesday nights because it was never ever a foregone conclusion that Elliott would be safe. Now it’s Season 7, I’m a David Archuleta fan, and he’s considered by many (including Simon Cowell) to be the eventual winner. So, I should feel completely confident that David will have a powerhouse performance tomorrow night (which I predict he will)……….and yet I still feel those same damn butterflies rumbling in my stomach. I can’t stand it…and yet, it’s what makes American Idol so ridiculously addictive.
Why, oh why do I get myself into this show so much?
What Pavlovian techniques are those AI producers using upon the American public to keep their eyes riveted to the screen??
Why do some contestants repel me so completely while other contestants manage to melt my cynical nature and make me become a certifiably rabid voting maniac every Tuesday night???
All I can really say is that this is one of the most exciting season’s of AI I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing, and David Archuleta is one of the most engaging, real, and talented individuals to ever grace the AI stage.
“Why do you say this?” you ask.
Well, for one thing, the kid has a great ear, he knows what’s best for his voice, and he has keen musical instincts. He takes a song, sings the general melody of it, and then he begins improvising, throwing in melismas and arpeggios which make perfect musical sense. Listen to the end of his “Shop Around” performance. He took the last word “around” to his mid-high range and then, on the syllable “woah”, his vocal range descended using perfectly in-tune notes that were based on the blues scale. He claims that he doesn’t like jazz very much, but it’s clear that the jazz sound plays an important part in David’s note selection when he ad-libs.
Another aspect of David that makes me latch onto him is that he’s singing for the love of performing, and he wants to entertain and touch the audience on an emotional level with each of his performances……………………he’s doing this for the right reasons, folks!!!!
I love this show, and I love watching contestants like David Archuleta grow and mature in the spotlight, sharing their talents for the nation to enjoy.
A pox on those butterflies rumbling in my stomach!!!
Get ready to vote tomorrow, Archuleta fans!! VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!
Has there ever in American Idol’s history been a better contestant than David Archuleta? It’s not just that he’s the most vocally gifted of this year’s finalists; it’s also that — by nature, design, or mind-blowingly aggressive stage parenting — he embodies more winning characteristics than virtually any other hopeful in the show’s previous six seasons. Sure, his performance last night may have been less than perfect, but we think he’s still a lock for the win. Archuleta almost seems to be built from all the best spare parts of lesser Idols. Is he human? We’re not sure! Can anything stand between him and victory? Probably not. Five reasons why, after the jump.
1. He’s the cute one and the talented one.
On every season of American Idol there’s one adorable, clean-cut contestant whose prepubescent fan base and popularity among old people practically guarantees him a place in the top five, regardless of how he sings (see John Stevens, Anthony Federov, Kevin Covais, and Sanjaya). This year it’s David Archuleta. At the same time, there’s always one steely-eyed professional whose laser-precise singing ability and natural stage presence typically make him or (usually) her a lock to win, even if she’s as charismatic as a head cold (previously Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks). This contestant, too, is David Archuleta. Never before in the history of the show have these two been the same person, and with both huge blocs of fans dialing his 800 number, his spot in the finals is more or less assured.
2. He’s a guy without a gimmick.
In general, male contestants on Idol have had a problem with mass appeal — which is why almost all the recent successful ones have defined their base early, then played to it relentlessly. Chris Daughtry won over modern-rock-radio fans by singing all his songs like Live’s Ed Kowalczyk; Taylor Hicks and Bo Bice stuck to dad rock; Blake Lewis bravely added mouth percussion to songs in which mouth percussion clearly had no business (like this one), in spite of what the beat-box-hating majority might think. All four required a gimmick, while female finalists Kelly Clarkson and Jordan Sparks could coast to victory on just being the best singer.
But Archuleta has no shtick and he’s still this season’s undisputed front-runner (Paula Abdul told him as much last night, even after he forgot his lyrics). His huge talent lets him be bland (favorite drink: water) and run a national campaign. With no apparent allegiances to any particular genre, and — even more important — no apparent personality, he’s in minimal danger of turning anyone off. As more singers are eliminated, this will help him pick up more of their fans than any of his nichier competition.
3. He’s got a great sob story.
Not since the Book of Job has God been so needlessly cruel as he’s been to this year’s crop of AI finalists. Apart from the two singers afflicted with male-pattern baldness, two female contestants lost their fathers in the days before Hollywood week, and one girl was even hit by a truck (Amanda Overmeyer, and she seems to be okay).
But a few years ago, David Archuleta suffered a paralyzed vocal cord, which, for a short time, prevented him singing; eventually, he made a full recovery without surgery. Sure, it’s not as terrible as losing a parent, or as flashy as being run down by an eighteen-wheeler, but it’s got a happy ending, it’s nonexploitative, and it doesn’t make you feel bad. Most important, it gives him a story that local newspapers, network early shows, and Fox producers themselves can parrot to make him seem interesting. Really, it’s the perfect Idol sob story.
4. He’s pacing himself.
Because Archuleta is the earliest-emerging front-runner in American Idol history, a few have already accused him of peaking too soon. Still, we think his best moments are in front of him. In these early rounds, he’s been smart to offset his abilities by picking some of the worst songs of any finalist ever. During his auditions, we heard him sing John Mayer’s “Waiting on the World to Change” and Bryan Adams’s “Heaven.” Last week, he sang an undeniably excellent version of Phil Collins’s atrocious “Another Day in Paradise.” The judges didn’t love it, but that probably had less to do with Archuleta’s singing than the fact that Phil Collins writes terrible music. Last night he finally attempted a good song, the Stevie Wonder version of “We Can Work It Out,” but still hamstrung himself by not knowing all the words. Still, the ones he sang sounded terrific and suggested that when he finally cuts loose on a great song, he’ll be unstoppable.
5. He was born to do this.
At 17, Archuleta is the first-ever top-twelve finalist born in the nineties. He’s spent more of his life absorbing the phenomenon of AI than any other contestant who’s ever appeared on it. For probably as long as he can remember, it’s been the dominant star-making force behind many of pop music’s biggest success stories (plus Taylor Hicks).
The bio on his now-defunct official Website (archived here), cites the AI’s premiere as a turning point in his life. When Archuleta was 10, an appearance on The Jenny Jones Show got him a meeting with failed contestant AJ Gil, who introduced him to the rest of season one’s top ten. (In the creepy YouTube clip above, he sings “And I Am Telling You” for Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini in the lobby of their hotel.) Since he wasn’t yet old enough to audition for Idol (you have to be 16), Archuleta bided his time by winning lesser reality competition shows, like CBS’ Arsenio-hosted Star Search reboot, on which he took top honors in the Junior Vocalist category in 2003. On his own, he recorded a Christmas album and a few cover songs (including Kelly Clarkson’s single “A Moment Like This”), but apparently never had much interest in music apart from the standard Top 40 stuff performed on Idol, or any recording contract besides the one with RCA he’ll probably get after winning the show. In other words, he’s the first contestant for whom AI defines the musical universe. For him, it’s not just a means to an end … it is the end.
So…it seems the buzz going around lately is who the front runners are and who will win the title of American Idol Season 7. With tons of polls on the internet clearly showing both Davids to be the lead ins, who is it to win? Family, friends, and fans support David Archuleta 110% that he will continue strong throughout the rest of the competition and win this. David Archuleta has proven to be the strongest competitor earlier on in the competition, but David Cook has thrown bullets more recently showing that he is there to win. What are your thoughts Archies?
