I didn’t watch a lick of it, but it’s pretty common knowledge that the most recent season of “American Idol” wasn’t exactly it’s best. Everything from shoehorning Ellen DeGeneres in as a fourth judge to extreme apathy on the part of Simon Cowell has been blamed. Personally, I think it’s a mix of general wear and tear, some viewer burnout, and most importantly, a lack of compelling contestants.
While “Idol” has made it’s fair share of changes for the show’s upcoming 10th season, the problem of what to do with the show’s 9th season winner still exists-and boy, is it a problem. Show of hands-how many of you know that this year’s champ Lee DeWyze, released an album this past week? Do any of you care? Judging from early estimations, it sure doesn’t seem that way. DeWyze’s self titled debut is scheduled to finish with about 40-50,000 units sold in it’s first week, barely scratching the Top Ten. Are DeWyze’s weak sales a function of a dying industry? To a certain extent, yeah. But consider this-last year’s winner, Kris Allen, scored a debut with double that amount, and last year’s runner-up, Adam Lambert, debuted with quadruple that amount. I think DeWyze’s problem runs a little deeper than just music industry issues. First off, his album is the last on 19 Management (the company run by “Idol” founder Simon Fuller)’s deal with Sony Music. Future “Idol”-related released will be released on Interscope, which is owned by Universal Music (Interscope president Jimmy Iovine will also have a “mentorship” role on the show). So who knows how much incentive there is to make the album a success.
A bigger-perhaps the biggest-problem is that DeWyze is completely fucking anonymous (in talent and in image), and his first single, “Sweet Serendipity” doesn’t do him any favors. Initially, it sounds like Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister” and then morphs into a song reminiscent of The Script’s “Breakeven” or Kris Allen’s “Live Like We’re Dying” (which was originally performed by…The Script). Yeah, when you’re trying to make a radio hit, one way to go is to try to sound like everything else on the radio. But this is a bit much.
I’m not sure how many “Idol” performers are still under major label contract, but I wouldn’t be surprised if DeWyze, Kris Allen (whose album didn’t even go Gold) and Season 7 runner-up David Archuleta (whose recent album nosedived off the Billboard chart in a month) find themselves scurrying for a new deal soon.
10 comments
GG says:
Nov 20, 2010
This should tell you something. I watch every Idol show and I follow music closely. I only knew this album was coming out because I saw one review.
There wasn’t much marketing and also, like you said, he’s no different than the two previous winners (and probably the worst of the three from a pop perspective). This is my main issue with the entire TV show if they continue to say that they’re interested in stars.
You give the kid 12 weeks of marketing, which is more marketing than anyone on earth receives and when the show is over, the marketing stops completely. It doesn’t make any sense to me.
blerd says:
Nov 20, 2010
I wouldn’t say the marketing stops. I think the apathy really came through on this one. There were no magazine covers (Lambert got the Rolling Stone cover before his album even came out, Hicks got People Magazine)…then they had the tour. I just don’t think people were interested. Can’t say why folks voted for him (because I didn’t watch), but it seems like even the people that voted did so with no intention of ever buying music from the guy.
GG says:
Nov 20, 2010
What also hurts is that after every week, everyone gets a single on iTunes. If you want Lee’s version of Beautiful Day, you can have it the next day. Anyone who wants his music has it 12 hours later. Why wait 6 months later? Or better yet, how can you remember 6 months later.
blerd says:
Nov 20, 2010
Well…it takes time to record an album.
GG says:
Nov 21, 2010
No, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is that you’re already giving his possible record buying audience everything they want with the American Idol singles that come out the day later. In the day and age of everything at the tip of our fingers, why would anyone wait to buy his album if they were a fan of his work on the show? There’s no need. They can just buy it the next day.
To them, they already have the CD singles they want. By the time his new album comes out, there’s no TV show to tell them they can purchase his stuff weekly. How does that TV Idol viewer know that DeWyze has an album out, if me, someone who follows this stuff semi-closely barely knows?
I don’t blame that Idol audience one bit. They’ve been trained to be way lazy.
blerd says:
Nov 21, 2010
We as Americans have been trained to be lazy. However, the gap between releases hasn’t hurt previous contestants in the past-particularly when you consider the singles aren’t gonna even appear on the album in most cases.
This dude was badly promoted, and I think from a management standpoint, if I knew I was gonna get this dude, I would be like “what the hell can I even do with this cat?”
Diane J. Pontarelli says:
Feb 11, 2012
I believe that if Lee Dewyze would have incorporated the songs he sang on American Idol,Just The Way He Sang Them On The Show, with songs from his first Album, he would have had a hit on this hands. The problem is that his new music is not him and the fact that he sings a song differently each time he performs is a mistake. I was a fan of his when I heard his first album and loved all the songs he sang on American Idol. Bad advice, management, and haste to produce an album (CD) is the problem.. Lee, You have a great voice. Find it again and you will be on top of the world. That raspy, soleful sound you use to make is missing. Even the power we heard when you sang That’s Life is missing. SORRY, BUT I AM A DISAPPOINTED FAN. YOU MUST SING SONGS YOUR WAY AND THE HECK WITH ANYONE ELSES OPINION. YOU HAVE FANS THAT ARE WAITING FOR LEE DEWYZE. DON’T DISAPPOINT THEM. YOU ARE A GREAT SINGER.
mshelaineous says:
May 10, 2012
I know this is a bit on the late news side, but here is my 2 cents’ worth anyway. Not since Adam Lambert has there been anyone as compelling in the competition. If nothing else, Adam infused life in a dying television show. His singing was fresh and new, his look was very cool and if nothing else, the surrounding controversy over his sexuality kept people tuning in if nothing else. What have we had since then? Pretty much carbon copies of Kris What’s-His-Name, who sing well enough, but aren’t really interesting beyond that. If they ever find another Adam (I don’t think that will be happening too soon as I believe he broke the mold!), maybe the show will be interesting again. Maybe not….
blerd says:
May 11, 2012
Interesting point. I haven’t watched since the season in which Lambert placed, so I really couldn’t tell you any different.
GG says:
May 11, 2012
Lambert is special though. Clarkson, Underwood, and Daughtry too. We shouldn’t expect a mega-star to come along every season, just like the top pick in sports drafts don’t always pan out.
And I very much agree about the carbon copies. That’s why this season is fun.