I've been thinking lately about the path Elliott has taken thru the past year and how he shapes what his future goals are. Bear with me - these are just my musings.

Elliott had an amazing year - his first single went farther than he ever thought it would - still hanging on - he went the unconventional route and secured a Gold record. He's rightfully proud of all he's accomplished - especially as an independent artist who had been sort of written off as an "also ran" by many.

I'll admit that I was surprised Elliott took the Top40 Pop route for the first single - I sort of thought he would go for the more traditional R&B/Soul/Blues sound. I like them both - I was just surprised.

Why did Wait for You take off and One Word not? We'll never know of course, but I'm wondering if it was in the politics and promotion? Of course no one could have promoted his own music harder than Elliott - radio stops galore and awesome live performances. But why does it seem like they cut him off at one hit - if only temporarily?

I think maybe the first year was all about learning the business, making the record and making connections - promoting and getting a name out there. I'm sort of thinking that going forward Elliott might have to make a choice about whether he really wants to be a pop star with Top 10 songs on Top 40 or whether he wants to build a respected following, but maybe not get radio play. Either would be awesome, but I'm thinking that promotion for one is different from promotion for the other.

I don't know all that much about how the Top 40 radio play works, but it seems to me that it is very political and image driven. It's a "slicker" animal than just the hard working musicians that we all love, but never hear on Top 40 radio. For that - you just have to be good and have a following. To get Top 40 play, seems you have to play the political "game" whatever that is and market an "image". Elliott started out with a contrived "image" in his hair and wardrobe - he didn't seem too comfortable in it - and reverted back to the image of most young musicians - jeans and t-shirt, shaggy and scruffy, and the ever present baseball cap. I think as far as politics are concerned, Elliott just is who he is - a good person - and doesn't play games. Seems like in the Top 40 Market - you probably have to play the game.

Does he need to decide - one or the other - and if it's Top 40 that's really what he wants, does he have to cultivate the image and politics that will get him there going forward as a next step?

Just food for thought and discussion.

There's no doubt in my mind, no matter what Elliott does in the future, he'll be successful .

I absolutely agree with you - he will be. I guess I am wondering how much he WANTS future Top 10 hits. Is it important to him and if it's really a primary focus, what will he need to do differently, to make that happen. I think that it might be such a specific goal - it might take a special focus to make it happen.

If that is not a primary goal for him to spell success - then he only needs keep doing what he's doing and he'll be a successful, respected artist anyway.

I don't think E and his team view Top 10 Hits as the most important thing, but I do think they think that these hits are vital. Which is why I believe that the second album will be much more "pop" than the first one - think soulful Pop/RnB.

For the second album to sell platinum, he needs a strong presence on radio (which he did with his debut album) and buzz created by national appearances (which he unfortunately did not get). Hopefully, he will haveboth this time around.

I hope that Elliott is able to tap into the types of singing that are his strengths while making catchy singles for pop/HAC/AC radio. Ever since I heard "In Her Kiss" have been thinking he could do something with a retro Motown background. A really catchy song could get picked up by radio and be very current. It seems like the retro jazz sound is kindof "in" right now (Amy Winehouse, Ingrid Michaelson, Sean Kingston and others have made it big by sounding like pop songs of the past, not the future). The heavy thudding drum machines ala hiphop are going out a bit and the music itself is lighter, sweeter, happier. Jazz seems to be more in than blues but we know E is great at both....the last cd showcased blues but didn't give us his jazz side at all. Thinking back to Moody's Mood...for all we know that could be his best style if he took it more upbeat. His jazz timing is something to behold. Also would like to see him branch out and invent a futuristic sound as well--take "Movin' On" to the next level if you will with funkier electronic backgrounds to offset his voice and hopefully have a danceable hit. His voice is just awesome for dance music--perfect for riding that fast beat. As far as ballads, hope to just have some better songwriting and production, dynamics to bring out the richness of his voice and more use of background vocals, harmonies, orchestrations. Hope he is able to somehow capture his "live" sound on some of the recordings so his voice doesn't sound canned. Would like to see him throw down at least one rock, blues rock or country rock type ballad or song.

Listening to Elliott's interviews, I think he is still trying to figure the whole thing out. When you have his talent it would be easy to be all over the place, which of course could lead to identity problems with the public at large. Elliott is very smart and knows when he doesn't know. Music is a business and many artists have talent, but no business sense. That will not happen to Elliott. I think he does need a Pop Hit to keep up his name recognition, but he can still be free to explore other avenues. As hard as touring is, he should continue to do lots of it. Elliott is one of the few artists who actually sounds better live than on a CD. What a voice!*sigh* AI can continue to help him with exposure. As we all know R,P & S all think very highly of Elliott's ability. I want to hear more Jazz from him. Everytime I play MMFL for anyone they are just blown away. To sum it up, continue to put out Top 40 Pop hits once in a while, stay on the R&B path and add in a healthy shot of Jazz with plenty of live performances. I'm always going to love his music, no matter what style it is. JMO.

I hope Elliott always keeps doing what is best for him in the long term, and not worry about being a star (or an idol!) On one hand, it seems like it would be fantastic for him to become a superstar, but that can be a very difficult life, and it must be isolating enough for him as it is, having gained the notoriety that he has from the show. I love that he's in a relationship to help him feel grounded and real. One thing for sure, his talent will keep him in the business after all the other so-called "stars" are long gone.

For me, the genre isn't important so much as making the music & getting it heard. Obviously, Elliott loves R&B, yet he also appreciates many genres of music. Seems to me, he just wants to make his music & not be put in a specific 'category', which I think is awesome. It allows him the freedom to make his music his way & not be pigeonholed. Elliott has achieved more with his one Indie album than many artists do in their entire career. That is simply phenomenal. TOP 40 garners a larger audience & more opportunites with producers (I presume this) yet it makes the music itself no less meaningful or appreciated by us fans. All of us KNOW that Elliott has only begun to make his mark in the music industry & I am thrilled to be able to ride along & watch the rest of the world become as enlightened as we all are!

I guess when I started this topic, I wasn't too concerned about what type of music Elliott would record or if he would be successful. There will ALWAYS be people who appreciate his talent, and would buy his music and listen to him perform live.

I just got some impressions in some of his late interviews that he actually REALLY LIKED having the Top40 smash, not just "tolerated" it - and that he wanted more and was disappointed that One Word didn't catch on the way Wait for You did. My thought process was - What does it really take to become a regular on the Top 40 circuit? Will it take a goal focused just on that? Will he have to do things that are not natural to him like "slick up" the image a bit, give up the baseball caps, play the politics? Would he be willing to do that - if that's the way it works? These questions of course don't really have solid answers I know - just things that I thought about. I think what has really gotten me over the past few months is that - even with a record that was on AT40 for 39 (or 40) weeks - and he STILL gets no buzz as a bright new artist - Why is that?When people on the "news magazine" shows like Access Hollywood and Extra talk about the successful Idols from Season 5 - they don't mention him most of the time - HE HAS A GOLD RECORD for heavens sake! He's not getting the respect he deserves for what he's accomplished. Bugs the heck out of me...what would it take to get him that kind of buzz?

Have you noticed how many different radio/television stations have picked up the press release about Elliott's USO Tour?

That is a really new and important development.

Of course these services cost money, and perhaps it wasn't in the budget before. But I'm looking forward to a p-r machine that churns out Elliott news with the correct spelling of his name, with fresh new pictures and catchy stories that can be added to DJ blogs and a host of on-line web sites.

It's just one component of the publicity operation. But one I hope to see come into play a lot more this year.

Totally just my opinion, I certainly don't know how Elliott feels, but I just get the feeling he will never be totally willing to play the game. I think he is what he is. I don't know too many people who will admit to biting their toenails when they were young. This does not seem like a person who is making calculated decisions about his image, to fit in. Personally, it is one of the things I adore about him. I've had my fill of people (celebrities or not) who say what they think you want to hear and are so full of themselves.

I never got the feeling that he was MAJORLY disappointed that One Word was not a hit. I'm sure he hoped it would be, but he seemed to move on and hardly mention it at all unless there are some interviews that I missed.

All I have ever hoped for was that he would be happy and fulfilled. make music that he is proud of, and be able to make a good living doing that. The SMASH hit song was a huge bonus. I'm just as proud as a peacock!

These are all good questions and thoughts. I know Elliott has said in interviews that he would also like to do Broadway, voice work in films, and maybe even acting. As long as he stays busy and makes a living using his talents, I think he'll be happy. He may need a few more hits to keep the doors open though. I truly hope he gets the attention he deserves and is able to keep reaching his goals.

Totally with you on that one. Why is it Elliott's acomplishments are largely ignored by media? It drives me crazy!!! I just don't understand it. Would he get more attention for behaving badly? Probably, but I know he wouldn't do that.
I think he is doing a lot of the right things and he seems really happy. I'm just happy for every day I get to hear a little E. The rest just don't know what they're missing. Poor souls!

I think Elliott is still dealing with the AI stigma in the pop biz and who knows what kind of chokehold the big labels have on radio play? While the people in the industry are generally acknowledging his level of talent I don't think the public knows much about him other than WFY and he was on AI so it may take awhile until he gets his due but it will come. He is getting some pretty amazing buzz already and is probably one of the biggest catches for the USO this year. I wish the service members could know I think they are getting the opportunity to hear one of America's finest singers at this moment. He may not be all gorgeous and flashily dressed like some at the grammys but he has about the best sounding voice of them all. I'd as soon listen to SpongeBob singing than some of those pop stars. They need all the accoutrements they can get to make up for less voice talent. On the other hand, as talented and charming as Elliott is if he got better at playing up his style and showmanship who knows how big a star he could become? He may sing pop/r&b but he doesn't have the look, vibe, attitude or dancing that is expected to go along with it. His performance style is more like a country or rock style singer. This might be a really good thing in the long run as his personality appeals to more than pop listeners and he could cross over and sing other genres.

Hopefully he will have many more opportunities for televised and radio performances when the next cd comes out. I'm really getting excited to hear more new songs!

I agree! and neo-soul too.

Well thought out.. You have given me food for thought. It will be interesting to see what ELliott decides to do. It is very quiet right now with little on his myspace about future plans.

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I think that Elliott's involvement in upcoming Disney projects is a plus for him. But maybe it won't be seen that way be the 20-something crowd. Any thoughts?

He really provided some insight in his JCC interview, I thought. I'm not 20-something but I remember him saying he'd love to do voice work in animated films and his continued association and good relationship with Disney may help set him up for future work.

In the JCC interview he did say something to the tune of he'd like more commercially successful hits and it sounded like his second cd would be similar in style to his first.

Well, I dont know for sure either... but what I can say is that radio had a number of songs with (pretty much) the same stargate track coming out at the same time....

Irreplaceable - Beyonce (I inculded this one for reference because this was the first song made with the track..can't be mad about that =) .. ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNzLAGvzYKs


One Word http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2Wj0POv8FI

Tatoo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyfY98PZkSQ

and now

With You - Chris Brown (currently #2 and climbing on Top 40) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqumjziPTzk


I would venture to say that if radio had the last 3 songs coming down the pike at the same time Elliott was up against an AI finalist (radio debut) and a Pop & RnB sensation.. OW didn't have a chance =/.... Just an observation

Not to mention the Rihanna/Ne-Yo duet Hate That I Love You (very Stargate-esque sound) and Ne-Yo Go On Girl. lol

I have a theory to add to that.

WFY seems like a break-up song, even though it sounds hopeful, while OW is just the opposite.

If you ever have time to scroll through the comments over at the WFY video on YouTube, there are both male and females commenting about how this song reminds them of their "ex," and how it makes them cry, etc., etc.

I dont' know about any of you, but break-up songs get played over and over and over and over......and I bet each one of us can remember a break-up song of our own.

How funny that as these teens get older, get married, have children or whatever, that they'll always remember WFY as their break-up song. :bawl:

You may have a point there. I identify more with WFY. I love OW and support it because it is from Elliott. Let's face it, I'm single and OW kind of reminds me of what I don't have. Others could feel the same way. Does this make sense?

ETA: The first time I heard WFY it tore me up because it took right to that place and time when my marriage ended.

I would agree with both of you if OW had actually been PLAYED on the radio so that people could decide one way or the other. Unfortunately, it didn't get much of a chance, because most Top 40 stations made a decision not to play it, or to play it once or twice overnight. The fact that KIIS in LA didn't play it at all - seems a lot of stations followed their lead.

You are right though, most younger demographic seem to be into angst more than joy right - LOL! And it is usually easier to identify with a break up song. On a positive note, I was driving this morning and One Word was played on Q94. I thought they had stopped playing it, but it was good to hear on the radio.

It did seem from Elliott's comments Saturday night that he did want commercially successful songs, so we will see what it takes in the future to get them on the radio. Can he do it just being "himself" or will he have to "play the game" to get songs on Top 40? Was the first one better to the public because it was a better song, or because it was the one that got played? I'm happy for him whichever way it goes, it just makes me curious.

I'm a huge WFY fan... a much bigger fan of that song than OW. It was more singalbe - except for the guy on idol auditions - lol.

I for one was really excited to hear that he was looking to record more commercially friendly songs. I may be in the minority with that opinion but by being more commercially friendly the whole world can know what we already know - Elliott Yamin is amazing.

While driving in to work this morning, I heard one of ,my favorite singers of all time on the radio - Billy Joel. I think he had two albums out before he ever released The Stranger and then he took off like gang busters. I'd much rather see Elliott have a sloe and steady climb to the top than take off fast and just be a flash in the pan.

BTW, I've googled every thing I could think of to google to try and find an audio clip of that duet with Elliott and still no luck!!!

Lu, I totally agree - almost no one who sticks around for a long, long time has a huge first album. Most build over time, and finally get the album that has two or three hits from it, which makes them an institution.

There's absolutely no doubt that Elliott is going to record better and better songs over the years. If radio play is what he wants - I hope radio will oblige by giving the songs a fair chance. I'm really looking forward to this next CD!