It is interesting that I have become such a James Durbin fan. In some ways he's very different from who and what I'm interested in today. I'm not really a metal fan anymore. Actually, I was never a metal fan in the pure sense of the term. I was a hard rock fan. James is also hardcore into wrestling, which I am not. But I'm rooting for him because I think he's the best contestant on the show this season. He has been consistently great every week, while showing that he can easily handle a wide range of songs. His creativity is unmatched this season. No one else has created moments on the show like he has. He is exciting and dynamic. He's a risk taker, but he also goes with his gut and doesn't let others change his mind when he knows what he wants to sing or how he wants to stage his performance. "We always tell you kids, just 'do you.'" Randy said. And that's what James does. Some people view that mindset as arrogance. "Who is James Durbin to tell Jimmy Iovine that his ideas aren't good?" people complain. But James isn't saying that. He is making his own decisions and standing up for his artistic vision. It has served him well thus far.
After doing several up-tempo songs in a row, James went with the George Harrison ballad "When My Guitar Gently Weeps." The song has been a treasured favorite of James' for years, and he has performed it several times. Jimmy Iovine and will.i.am worried that the song was too slow for the AI audience. But James knew he had to change things up. Jimmy advised him to at least make sure the ending was good, and James killed it with a long, soaring held note. So far I think his best decision has been the Muse song. It was a surprising selection, and he totally nailed it, vocally and artistically. Randy and Jennifer proclaimed it the best of the night, and he was only the second performer at that point.
Will James win American Idol? Too soon to tell. Scotty McCreery, though stagnate in his country genre, is wildly popular. Casey Abrams is the biggest risk taker next James, and has been applauded for his artistry as well. Haley Reinhart has a smaller fan base and has been in the bottom three multiple times, but she is very talented and a dark horse for the finale. Lauren Alaina has never been in the bottom three, but she has also has not achieved the potential I saw in her when she auditioned. Jacob Lusk is an amazing vocalist but unfortunately also often inconsistent.
Obviously I want James to win, but I believe he will have a career either way. And I hope his first cd is not all metal. I know that's what he likes to sing the best, and I want him to make the kind of album he wants to make. I also don't want his metal fans to feel alienated. I think many of them are looking to James Durbin to resurrect the genre. But James can do so much more than just sing metal. He is so versatile. In the group performances he has sung Michael Jackson and Coldplay. He's a tall, metal dude, but he handled the Idol cheeseball choreography surprisingly well. He also looked very handsome in a suit for the Stevie Wonder / Motown medley. For his final song in Hollywood week he sang Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come," and absolutely nailed it. The boy has soul. Passion. Fire. And he's got tenderness. Jennifer told him at his audition, "You sing from where you're supposed to sing. From a place of feeling, and wanting to make others feel."
That's why I'm a James Durbin fan.
librarianintx
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