To be honest, I have not missed an episode of this show since the first audition for Season 1. I've been involved in music all my life including bands, orchestra, and choirs too. So I definitely have a love and passion for many forms of music. In spite of the controversies through the years with the ups and down of the show, I have remained a loyal viewer of this program. Just like in life, we may not agree with everything the show has or will do, but it has piqued our interest enough to tune in on a weekly basis.

Some of my favorites through the years have included Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia, Bo Bice, Melinda Doolittle, and of course, Elliott. What continues to make this show fascinating is the idea of relatively unknown people having the chance to make their dreams a reality through reality television. If I had tuned out because of Elliott not winning Season 5, I would have missed out on hearing Melinda sing each week. And that is another joy of the show. When we find a contestant who connects with the lyrics of a song and belts out a powerful song.

So with that, I'm curious as to who will be tuning into Season 7 of AI and what are you looking for?

I'm looking for another talented vocalist who has a solid sense of their musical identity. No matter what genre of music on the schedule, I hope they can mold it to their own musical strengths and creative self. Although I tend to gravitate to Soul and R&B artists, I'm open to any genre as long as the person works diligently and has the talent. Thus, the combination of vocal prowess and conveying the emotions/message of the song through the song is vital because without technical merit and personal connection to lyrics, it can be bland.

Hopefully they will shift it back more to the contestants on Season 7. I don't mind having Celebrity mentors for specific genres on theme nights. I just hope we learn more about ALL of the final 24 so we can connect with the group better beyond their musical talent. I thought Season 5 was a perfect model for balancing between having celebs mentoring and the focus on the contestants. To this day fan discussions are still quite spirited about Season 5 finalists and that says something!

What do you all think?

Well, I have to admit I only watched it once in a while until I caught Elliott My hubby was surfing while a commercial was on whatever we were watching. We caught it just right as Elliott was opening his mouth to sing and I haven't been the same since. I don't have a background in music. All I know is what I like and don't like. I like music and can't imagine my life without it but find most of it boring. I cannot tell you what draws me to Elliott's music, but I can listen to it day after day. I have never even listened to a Taylor song all the way through. (Just using him for an example) Someone had given me a Clay Aiken cd about two years ago and about a month ago I thought maybe I should give it a try. BORING...I only got about half way through it.

When I look at the people who have won over the years I really don't see a common denominator between them aside from the fact that they all sing really well. but some of the ones voted off I considered just as good. I can't say that any of them had super duper personalities that would set them apart. Perhaps it's something as simple as the number of votes that people are able to get through. Although I don't know if it is true or not, I have heard that the Richmond phone lines couldn't handle all the calls the night E lost by a hair. True? Is that why the best singer they have ever had lost? I don't know.

I will probably tune in this year at least long enough to see what it has to offer..and I will definitely be tuning in if the "E" man is on!

I started watching Season 5, so I am fairly new to the show..I always hated reality tv, but when my stepdad moved in we started watching it with him and I got hooked, on Elliott that is!

I also like some of the former winners like Kelly Clarkson, and I think Carrie Underwood is amazing.

As for season 6 I enjoyed it some of the time..I really like Chris, Blake, and Phil, oh and Melinda..but I cant say it was the most diverse season, and not near as intense as season 5..Season 5 is the best season IMO!

Anyway at my other board people have found leaked info on season 7, and from what I see I am not thrilled with the sound ot it. There are a lot of backupsingers, and one guy has won a grammy I believe, and several of the girls are models..I hope I am wrong but it seems like its not about finding someone new, I always loved the raw talent, much like Elliott!

but I am sure I will watch, I say I won't but I am addicted!

:music: I love music. It is as simple as that and through this show I have seen some pretty exciting and talented people. Will I watch this year? OF COURSE!

I really did not get hooked on AI until the end of Season 2 when it came down to Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard. The moment Clay opened his mouth I was definitely a fan and remain one today. Since that time I am a huge fan of not only Clay but Bo Bice, Taylor Hicks and of course dear sweet Elliott. However many people have come on this show whose music I have also gotten such as Diana DeGarmo, Ruben Studdard, Kelly Clarkson, George Huff, Mandisa and I have also bought the various artist cd each year.

From Season 6 I purchased Blake Lewis's cd and hope to get music from Melinda Doolittle, Lakisha Jones, Phil Stacey and Chris Sligh. I have also respected the talents of people who did not make the top 12 and will be looking to get music from some of them in the future.

I love these reality type music shows and did re-caps of both years of Rockstar and also The Next Great American Band on 3 different websites. I will also be doing re-caps of the new season of AI. I love comparing notes on the talent we see. My only claim to fame involving music was I was a dj in a nightclub many years ago but I truly believe music is in my blood. I have also had the privilege of seeing over 100 artists in concert over the last few years.

My hope this season is to hear new music from the contestants. I am sick of several songs that the contestants are forced to sing. I do like the mentors if they give good advice. Some of my favorite mentors have been Barry Manilow, Rod Stewart and Bon Jovi. I love all genres of music however would have to say my least favorite is country. However I am not opposed to a country person winning if they are good. I think Carrie Underwood was a good example of this however I found her quite boring to watch.

I think that is why I got hooked on Taylor Hicks as not only was he an excellent singer he was a joy to watch as a performer. Not to say Elliott was boring as I had the pleasure of seeing him live during the final 3 rehearsal and got to shake hands with this truly remarkable man. I simply adore him and found him to be a really nice guy. I really like artists who give their all to the fans and let them know how much they appreciate their support.

:thoughts: In closing, I am surely looking forward to the new season and can hardly wait to see more talented people making their dreams come true. Hope to be chatting with many of you in the future!

:grouphug:

Concertcris, we must be on the same musical wavelength lol. Country is also my least favorite genre out of all of them. Although, as you stated, Carrie Underwood's undeniable vocal talent made her very deserving of the title back in Season 4. She could sing rock songs like "Alone" and "Love is a BattleField" with great conviction and tonality. If anything, this proves we can be unbiased and recognize talent whether as our favorite genre or not lol. Also, it's cool that you got to be a DJ. Music is one of those mediums that bring everyone together in spite of everything, and that is probably part of why AI has been so successful. I played clarinet, violin, and sang in a few different choirs through life and it remains a fun hobby today.

I'm sure when January arrives this part of the board will become more active. We had a lot of great discussions through last season about our favorites and the music itself. I kind of hope they do a Broadway themed show this year. That's usually when you can clearly see who has had training in musical theatre because of the acting while singing. There are so many beautiful ballads and fast tempo main numbers that have not been sung once in 6 years on the show. Speaking of, what about theme nights that have and have not been done that you would like to see?

Mine would be: Broadway Night, 80's Rock, 70's Funk/Soul, and Jazz Night (Nora Jones as a mentor?).

:grin: SoulMusicRocks, I truly envy anyone that can play an instrument. Although I am a lot older I am seriously thinking of learning how to play the piano sometime in the future. I was going to do it in the Spring but my daughter is expecting a baby and I will have to help take care of it but when the child is older, watch out!

I was thinking about your question of what themes to play. I have to say my top favorite genre is R&B and would love to see them go for music say from Ray Charles, Etta James, Big Mama Thornton and maybe a little of Janis Joplin who I think was awesome in that area. Of course there are so many other R&B stars who would interest me so maybe they could make it a Motown theme with the likes of Martha & The Vandellas, Smokey Robinson, The Temps, Marvin Gaye, etc. I also like music in this basic theme from artists such as Fats Domino for an example.

:rocker: I would love it if they did a total rock theme as well. Another theme that would be awesome is the music of INXS who had so many hits. How about Journey? Another theme that many might not agree with would be the Big Band era which had tons of hits. I did like it when they did the British Invasion which was one of my favorite shows of Season 6.

:( I sure am hoping that they do not do the same hits we have heard time and time again such as "A Natural Woman" and "Midnight Train To Georgia". Boy am I sick of hearing those two. As far as country night goes they could also do away with that one unless it was the music of some of the old greats like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, etc.

:agreed: I like your choices alot especially the showtunes or maybe doing songs from soundtracks of music. Regardless, I hope they shake it up this season with some new themes and of course some great mentors to help the contestants.


:cheers: for giving us a great topic to :discuss: !!!!

Good luck with that concertcris, I've played the piano for 9 years now and I still love it, and now I'm learning to play the guitar! It's really wonderful to listen to music, but just as much when you can play it (although in a different way, since I love doing both)

I may watch, I may not. There's not gonna be another Elliott for me, that was a onetime thing. If I do watch, it will be in an unbiased manner though :)

Oh, and country is my second-least favorite genre, but gangsta rap is my least. I like a few more traditional country artists, but there's definately not as many that I like as artists in genres such as rock, pop, R&B/soul, folk, alternative, etc. It's really a very hit-or-miss thing, and most of the time, it's a miss.

:goodpost:

I love your ideas for theme nights. Especially if it was literally just Rock night where the contestants could pick Rock from any subgenre and decade of music. I'm sure it would have potential to be an incredible show with all there is to pick from. Even Soul singers like Aretha did Rock infused material like the song appropriately titled "Rock Steady", so you could mix different genres together too. Also, I agree with your comment about repetitive song choices. Unfortunately, I think the reason that happens is because the judges/producers constantly tell them they need to pick songs that are relatable and recognizable.

Sadly, this type of thinking (IMO) has inhibited the creativity of the contestants and introduction to new songs. That's probably why "I Have Nothing" is sang at least once every season. While it and others are great songs, there is still so much material out there they have yet to showcase on the show. Ironically, this is part of why Elliott is one of my favorite contestants out of all of the seasons. He picked not only challenging songs with key changes, but they were ones not heard very often if at all on the show. I think AI could greatly benefit by guiding contestants to different and challenging material that helps them to rise to the occasion creatively.

The idea of another 50's/Big Band/American Songbook type of night would be great too. Season 5's version of that was one of my favorites of all the seasons because it seemed to fit all of the contestants well in their various genres of music. Rod Stewart coached them really well on how to present the stories of the songs vocally. Maybe he could be a mentor again? He seemed to be effective in stating constructive things.

Well, it is getting close. Half a month away!!!

I'd actually like to see an Earth, Wind and Fire night. That could be fun...too bad they didn't do that Season 5, Elliott would've OWNED that night!

:clap: Earth, Wind & Fire night would be awesome as they are one of my favorite groups and do have a lot of material to choose from. I agree Elliott would have done great with the music from this group.

SoulMusicRocks, I do think one of the reasons they do not vary the music much is because they do have to get permission to use the material. I think that is why Whitney Houston is sung so much because she is under contract to Clive Davis. I so agree with the rock theme. Would I love to hear someone singing Steppenwolf however my favorite song by them probably would not be allowed. It was called "The Pusher". I loved the rawness of the John Kay's voice in that song. However, they had a lot of great songs I truly liked.


;) If only we could pick the themes!

I swear if I hear "I Have Nothing" one more time I might just lose it! How many times has it been done yet? Rock theme, now I'd like that!

Concertcris, that is a really good point. I forgot that the contestants have to pick music that's been cleared by the show and the actual artists. I'm surprised more groups and solo artists haven't cleared their song catalogues. If anything, it is promotional and benefical for them because it brings their music to millions of people. I haven't really kept close watch on CD sales, but I'm sure it causes interest IE some additional sales for the artist just by having one of their songs sang on the show.

I remember during Season 5, I had not heard of the band Queen before they did the Queen themed show. Since then, I've bought a lot of their music......if not all of it in CD form lol. I think Freddie is the rock equivalent to Elliott's R&B tenor. Anyway, the main idea is, it can do nothing but help the artist who gets their music heard through AI. Hopefully more people will permit their material to be sang on the show. I'd like to hear them sing some of the Carpenters material too. There is a lot of great music from them.

I like Earth, Wind, and Fire too. :)

You should look on iTunes the day after they perform, its funny how some older album all the sudden is in the top 100 albums or songs etc..

I'll make sure to remember that for Season 7. I'm sure the trend will continue.

I forgot to add, they need to do a Beatles night with Paul McCartney as the mentor. That would be an unforgetable show. Maybe they are waiting to do that until the last season?

I can't believe that the show is on in less than a week. Is anybody really looking forward to it?