Siobhan Magnus Deserves To Win AMERICAN IDOL
|
Mar 10 2010, 11:03 AM
People love Crystal Bowersox. They're already practically crowning her the next AMERICAN IDOL. I totally understand why. She has a commanding stage presence, a powerful and extremely polished voice, she plays the guitar like she means it, and more importantly, she knows what kind of artist she is. That is her blessing, but that may also end up being her curse. Because Bowersox knows with every fiber of her DNA who she is, that in effect, loses any element of surprise to her weekly performances on IDOL. I know when she steps on stage I'm going to see that rocker chic, with a little bit of edgy folk and smoky blues thrown in. She's playing to her strengths (which she has many of) and she's playing it well (better than any other contestant so far), but how will this consistency resonant with so many weeks remaining on IDOL without seeming repetitious and one-note.
Siobhan Magnus on the other hand, is an enigma and full of surprises. Even her name is weird. In an age of plastic pop stars cannibalizing each others' styles, Siobhan's walking-to-her-own-beat demeanor is not just a breath, but a burst of fresh air. She may not be as mature of a singer or performer as Crystal Bowersox yet, but the ease of Siobhan's range indicates that with the right timing and the right choices, she could surpass Bowersox in just a matter of weeks. Siobhan is a complex paradox as a person and as a performer. She is quirky with an unconventional style. She seems to be all over the place, yet no one has criticized her for not knowing who she is. She has these big innocent eyes, an aw-shucks smile, and a bright face that attempts to mask what has to be a complicated soul. A complicated soul is the only explanation for a young girl to tackle the stage and fearlessly interpret songs ranging from Aretha Franklin's "Think" to The Animal's "House of the Rising Sun." Siobhan continues to surprise the audience, and the IDOL judges every week. Simon Cowell looks like Carrie Prejean watching a Luis Bunuel film after every Siobhan performance, and that is worth the price of admission alone. We know what we're getting with Crystal Bowersox, but we don't know what we get from week-to-week with Siobhan -- and that's what makes her fun, dangerous, and unpredictable -- qualities that I certainly want to see in my next American Idol.
Mike Le is a writer/producer living in Los Angeles. He is also the creator of the Hollywood webcomic DON'T FORGET TO VALIDATE YOUR PARKING.
You can also follow Mike Le on Twitter: @DFTVYP
People love Crystal Bowersox. They're already practically crowning her the next AMERICAN IDOL. I totally understand why. She has a commanding stage presence, a powerful and extremely polished voice, she plays the guitar like she means it, and more importantly, she knows what kind of artist she is. That is her blessing, but that may also end up being her curse. Because Bowersox knows with every fiber of her DNA who she is, that in effect, loses any element of surprise to her weekly performances on IDOL. I know when she steps on stage I'm going to see that rocker chic, with a little bit of edgy folk and smoky blues thrown in. She's playing to her strengths (which she has many of) and she's playing it well (better than any other contestant so far), but how will this consistency resonant with so many weeks remaining on IDOL without seeming repetitious and one-note.
Siobhan Magnus on the other hand, is an enigma and full of surprises. Even her name is weird. In an age of plastic pop stars cannibalizing each others' styles, Siobhan's walking-to-her-own-beat demeanor is not just a breath, but a burst of fresh air. She may not be as mature of a singer or performer as Crystal Bowersox yet, but the ease of Siobhan's range indicates that with the right timing and the right choices, she could surpass Bowersox in just a matter of weeks. Siobhan is a complex paradox as a person and as a performer. She is quirky with an unconventional style. She seems to be all over the place, yet no one has criticized her for not knowing who she is. She has these big innocent eyes, an aw-shucks smile, and a bright face that attempts to mask what has to be a complicated soul. A complicated soul is the only explanation for a young girl to tackle the stage and fearlessly interpret songs ranging from Aretha Franklin's "Think" to The Animal's "House of the Rising Sun." Siobhan continues to surprise the audience, and the IDOL judges every week. Simon Cowell looks like Carrie Prejean watching a Luis Bunuel film after every Siobhan performance, and that is worth the price of admission alone. We know what we're getting with Crystal Bowersox, but we don't know what we get from week-to-week with Siobhan -- and that's what makes her fun, dangerous, and unpredictable -- qualities that I certainly want to see in my next American Idol.
Mike Le is a writer/producer living in Los Angeles. He is also the creator of the Hollywood webcomic DON'T FORGET TO VALIDATE YOUR PARKING.
You can also follow Mike Le on Twitter: @DFTVYP
Comments
Sign in to comment with your TypePad, Twitter, Facebook, Google, Yahoo or OpenID.