Unearthing fresh talent
Posted by sully86 on January 12, 2007
Unearthing fresh talent
By JASON CHEAH
“I think this is the greatest music talent show ever … I think there’s an abundance of talent in America and there will never be not a lot of talent out there,” veteran music producer Randy Jackson says.
So much so that the wily judge for the American Idol talent show isn’t too worried about the status of TV ratings for it.
We’re just about catching the beginning of the international phone interview call with judge Jackson from Los Angeles, on early Tuesday morning Malaysian time (late morning Monday in Los Angeles), and Jackson is in a good mood, indeed.
Randy Jackson: ‘There definitely is an abundance of talents. There are a bunch of standouts.’
He’s pretty direct too. Early on during the proceedings he’s already commenting on having guest judges on the show. Along with him, fellow veterans in the music industry Paula Abdul and the nasty man himself Simon Cowell form the triumvirate of permanent judges for American Idol since its beginnings in 2002.
“I could definitely live without the guest judges,” he quips. “I mean the show works because it’s the three of us on the panel and what we do and how we interact.”
In between numerous questions about Season 3 finalist Jennifer Hudson’s recent breakthrough into the realms of stardom (more than a quarter of the questions were about her), we get to find out vaguely what is in store for the new season.
To be sure, there are the predictable answers to predictable questions from a horde of US journalists, broadcasters and radio jocks, all battling the dial-a-question madness to get a word in. No questions could even be fielded from outside of the North American continent even though there was supposed to be a healthy presence of Asian journalists from the likes of Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.
“There definitely is an abundance of talents. There are a bunch of standouts, but what we’ve seen over the years is that you see these people audition in their audition city and they’re great.
“When they come to Hollywood week, they’re not so great. The tension just gets worse and worse and worse as the season goes on,” Jackson says about the level of talent this year.
At this point, one has to remember that we are barely a few days from the beginning of the screening of this season’s American Idol, and Jackson is commenting on the season’s auditions that have already been held over seven cities across the United States.
In fact, 173 of the tens of thousands had already been selected to go through to the Hollywood round where they will be further whittled down to 24 for the semi-finals.
Another topic emphasised by Jackson repeatedly was the challenge that arose on song selection by the contestants.
“It’s about the songs while you’re on the show, because if you sing a song that’s too hard for you, you’re not going to sing it very well. After you get off the show what’s it about for your career? Songs, again, that song word comes up a lot.”
As for what brings out a real good contestant, he mentions standouts, “somebody that grows”. Elliott Yamin, from last season for instance, immediately gets a mention, even though he didn’t win.
“Yamin’s the heart of what the competition is about,” Jackson says.
He even mentions season three when there were the three divas Latoya, Fantasia and Jennifer.
“Fantasia’s (rendition) of Summertime, she blew that out the window.”
Jackson looks to three qualities towards success in this contest of all contests.
“Unbelievable, unique talent, some sense of star potential and confidence – an eye of the tiger persistence,” he said.
And as a judge, he has some advice to budding contestants. “You’re learning the lessons of life from three industry specialists and guest judges.”
Indeed, perhaps the contestants can take heed from the judges as in answer to a question on what advice they always ignore, he returns to that topic again, “song choice, song choice, song choice”.
As for how successful the contestants have been after the competition, Jackson is full of praise for many of them, but his favourites are Kelly Clarkson and Fantasia.
And to him, Clarkson’s done the best hands down. “I think that song Breakaway is a career record – the best song ever recorded by any Idol to date on any record.”
Article is taken from thestar.com.my
