Scottish lass seeks…

Listening to all the gushing predictions about Leona being the one who’ll ‘crack’ America and the global market, I can’t help thinking back to last year. Remember? Shayne Ward? He was going to be “The British answer to Justin Timberlake”, he burned brightly briefly then got throat problems and has been well out of the spotlight, in recent months though they are talking of a second album. If a week is a long time in politics then a year is an eternity in pop land, will he manage to get back into the market?

One of the guest boybands on the show had some sagely advice for Simon Cowell to say that he had a big responsibility to produce a good first album for Leona. Too true. Previous form has been to quickly punt out a CD to cash in on the first wave of publicity but the songs are usually largely bland and generic and not moulded to the talents of the winner. Will Young of Pop Idol fame went through the same curve but it was only by the second/third CDs that he really hit his stride.

It was a shame that in earlier rounds the Glaswegian Nikkita never really got given a meaty song that suited her soulful voice don’t think we ever got a chance to really see what she was capable of. Also think from a telly point of view it would have been a more interesting show if the group the Unconventionals hadn’t been booted out first week, they were certainly different.
I watched Leona’s progression it has to be said with a degree of sadness. She clearly has a natural talent but as the weeks went by you could see more and more vocal gymnastics being thrown into the mix, she has such a beautiful voice and really doesn’t need these gimmics. I hate the ghastly Americanisation going on where the audience will clap and cheer just because a singer sings a high note, is this competition now “Note Idol”. Low notes, soft notes count too not just the belters but these don’t seem to generate applause or appreciation. Whatever happened to lyrics, you know, communicating the emotion and meaning of the song, not just the notes? The more she went into this territory the less and less of the song was communicated. One of the strangest experiences was in a previous show watching her sing “Lady Marmalade”, pretty woman, cute as a button, note perfect but almost completely devoid of any sexiness, there seemed to be no connection between what was being sung and how it was performed, very strange. Ray her opponent was just about the polar opposite, he probably had one of the weakest singing voices but by Christ when he sang “My Way” you felt it was coming from the heart he meant every word and made you believe it. I’m sure Leona will win her share of fame and fortune and wish her well but to be a true diva takes more than good singing.

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