When Dr. Luke’s name hit the radar as a potential “American Idol” judge, the idea sounded genius. This was clearly the missing piece — a producer with a sense of what goes into a contemporary pop hit and what type of artist can be molded to fit contemporary tastes. Not surprisingly, his deal with Sony and the show’s deal with Universal kept them from becoming bedfellows.
Let’s be honest: The idea that a TV show can introduce the world to an unknown singer whose voice alone is enough to get the public to buy singles and albums is long gone. There will not be another Kelly Clarkson or Clay Aiken, and if recent history is any indication, the only way to become a competition show success is to form a group or perform country.
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“Idol,” as of this writing, has a chance to once again differentiate itself from the competition by having a keenly tuned judges table that includes behind-the-scenes experts. Established stars on the judges’ table didn’t boost the show’s intensity as much as Jimmy Iovine did in his role as recording mentor. Now that he’s departing, will his replacement provide equally direct and accurate analysis of the singers as recording artists?
Yes, “The Voice” takes advantage of the immediacy of iTunes and ensuing chart positions, but ultimately there isn’t any discussion of those recordings nor even how the singers evolve in the studio. It’s all about the live show. Well, that, and the coaches, all of which create hurdles for finding a bright young recording artist.
Things aren’t better on “Idol,” where Jennifer Lopez will return as a conquering hero. When she came in for her first run, her music career was in the dumpster on the heels of a love song referencing shoes. The show’s narrative may insist otherwise, but the last thing she needs are younger artists with better voices filling the space she occupies. The same could be said for new “X Factor” judges Paulina Rubio and Kelly Rowland. At least the four coaches on “The Voice” are genre-specific, secure in their place as stars and creatively active.
Still, not one of these show in recent seasons has figured out how to draw the distinction between a great voice and a great record, which is why nothing has ever been heard from recent winners Melanie Amaro (“The X Factor”) and Jermaine Paul (“The Voice”), and scant smart money is being bet on the latest “Idol” victor, Candice Glover. It makes more and more sense that a soft, middle-of-the-road crowd-pleaser like Phillip Phillips would succeed where others have crashed. He makes pleasant music that goes against the grain of pop radio, but still retains an attachment to classic songwriting and production techniques.
When it comes to success stories, though, it’s amazing how well one group from a discarded show has done since its victory. A cappella act Pentatonix won “The Sing-Off,” a Sony-produced show for NBC, and after its finale, the program was canceled and Sony’s music division passed on the group’s record. In stepped Sony Pictures’ music-releasing arm, Madison Gate, and Pentatonix was able to capitalize on a growing a cappella movement among young audiences. The act now tours the world, works with other DIY successes like Lindsey Stirling and has a second album in the works.
Better yet, the highly entertaining “Sing-Off” returns after Thanksgiving for a quick holiday run. More than any of the other shows, it celebrates the human voice over potential stardom and, in the long run, if they’re not producing stars of the future, is that not what these shows should be?