X-Factor USA |OT| Welcome back, Simon

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Oops, maybe I was thinking of Simon in his Idol prime.

In any case; the chance that Beyonce was really offered 100 million to just X Factor in my mind is approximately 0. There's no way the show could pay the talent that kind of money and stay profitable.

Even shows like this have a profit margin. It's illogical in the extreme. I don't buy it - I sincerely doubt Beyonce has anything like that kind of money even now just off her own performances. 500 million dollars is a totally insane figure.
 
It can't be 100 million. One-Hundred??? That just doesn't seem right...I mean, that would make Beyonce and Seacrest two of the most well-paid people in all of Hollywood.
 
I think Seacrest collects more than 100 million per season on Idol.


But Idol has the ratings to afford it so...
Ice burn, chap!

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Eh...

Liked her vocals on whatever she was singing, though.

I liked the vocals but the commercial was ... :|

And I wish there'd been some original music for her, really.

And the hell at rumors of $100 million. I can't even take that seriously.
 
It can't be 100 million. One-Hundred??? That just doesn't seem right...I mean, that would make Beyonce and Seacrest two of the most well-paid people in all of Hollywood.

The Seacrest one is wrong for sure - Seacrest makes about 15 million.

I'm fairly certain the Beyonce one is a shitty rumor too - Simon Cowell's total worth is like 170 million dollars. He certain didn't offer to pay her 3 times his own net worth for 5 years of working 1 day a week for 3 months at a time.

(Source for Simon's worth: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20274599,00.html)
 
You shouldn't take the rumors seriously. This is classic X-Factor press shenanigans, except they've turned on the manufactured hype machine a bit prematurely this time...


Don't you even dare.

(<3 Mumei)

<3 you, too.

I don't particularly like her voice, but she's got talent!

As an aside, that 'FAILriahOBESEarey' account in the related videos always makes me laugh when I see it.
 
Simon says...

ONTD said:
Don&#8217;t expect to see Beyoncé filling in for Paula Abdul or Nicole Scherzinger on next season&#8217;s &#8220;X Factor.&#8221; The show&#8217;s creator Simon Cowell is shutting down reports that he offered to pay the singer $100 million/year to join the singing competition.


&#8220;No, I have no idea where this rumor came from,&#8221; the feisty Brit told &#8220;Extra.&#8221; &#8220;I read it online that I had offered her $100 million/year. It&#8217;s complete nonsense. The budget of the show is $100 million. No one&#8217;s gonna pay $100 million/year for someone.&#8221;

The FOX show recently experienced a shakeup after the recent departure of Abdul and Scherzinger, leaving L.A. Reid and Cowell on the judging panel. Despite Beyoncé&#8217;s star power, Cowell would not make such an outlandish offer nor has he even discussed the opportunity with her. &#8220;It would never ever, ever happen,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s absolute nonsense and I genuinely haven&#8217;t had a conversation with her about it.&#8221;

Another person to cross off the list of potential judges is Mariah Carey. After months and months of speculation, Cowell confirmed that the pop diva will not participate on the show.

&#8220;No, she&#8217;s not on the list because I don&#8217;t think Mariah would make that commitment. I really, really don&#8217;t,&#8221; he said. &#8220;She&#8217;s just had kids. You have to work five days a week on this show and you&#8217;ve got to do all the traveling as well. Just to put it out there, she will not be on the list. I adore her, I would love her, but you can&#8217;t expect someone who&#8217;s just had two kids, who&#8217;s got a record career, to make the kind of commitment we would need on this show.&#8221;
Source


This show had a short run.

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Her voice just fills your soul, like a warm cup of jasmine green tea mixed with honey and lemon. She projects so powerfully, yet maintains a silky soft tone even when belting.

That BZBlaner video on Aretha you sent me earlier this year had a lot of comments that expressed surprise at how much Mariah sounds like Aretha at times (4:27! OOMG). Now I notice it even more strongly during performances like this.
 
Her voice just fills your soul, like a warm cup of jasmine green tea mixed with honey and lemon. She projects so powerfully, yet maintains a silky soft tone even when belting.

That BZBlaner video on Aretha you sent me earlier this year had a lot of comments that expressed surprise at how much Mariah sounds like Aretha at times (4:27! OOMG). Now I notice it even more strongly during performances like this.

Yeah, her low runs especially are eerily similar.

And look what I *just* found:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgvE9CzPyRU#t=1h4m

Her introduction starts at 1h1m55s, but this is where the song starts.
 
Yeah, her low runs especially are eerily similar.

And look what I *just* found:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgvE9CzPyRU#t=1h4m

Her introduction starts at 1h1m55s, but this is where the song starts.
I wish we had HD camcorders back when Mariah and Whitney toured prolifically and were at their prime. Nowadays there is nary a Beyonce or Gaga concert that you can't find in full on YouTube - imagine how many more videos we'd have to share if all of Mariah and Whitney's private gigs, etc. were made public. Apparently Whitney's entire early live catalog is under lock and key at Arista, which is why all we have is grainy, low-quality fan footage of stuff like this incredible, extended rendition of "I Am Changing"...such a beautifully restrained head voice.

I much prefer Mariah's interpretation of Aretha's style - her runs and low notes are flawless here.
 
I wish we had HD camcorders back when Mariah and Whitney toured prolifically and were at their prime. Nowadays there is nary a Beyonce or Gaga concert that you can't find in full on YouTube - imagine how many more videos we'd have to share if all of Mariah and Whitney's private gigs, etc. were made public. Apparently Whitney's entire early live catalog is under lock and key at Arista, which is why all we have is grainy, low-quality fan footage of stuff like this incredible, extended rendition of "I Am Changing"...such a beautifully restrained head voice.

I much prefer Mariah's interpretation of Aretha's style - her runs and low notes are flawless here.

I love love love that performance of Don't Play That Song for me. Best performance of that set for me.

And I'd never heard that performance of I Am Changing. Her head voice was so flawless.
 
I love love love that performance of Don't Play That Song for me. Best performance of that set for me.

And I'd never heard that performance of I Am Changing. Her head voice was so flawless.
Yeah, I'd just found it a couple months ago. It really made me appreciate her voice a lot more. Even just last year, I sort of boxed her in as a powerhouse belter with an amazing tone, but as having nothing else in her bag of tricks (compared to Mariah's great chest belting, but also great agility in lower notes and head voice). Then I came upon this performance of "I Am Changing" and was just gobsmacked at how effortlessly she sang some of these high notes - 4:26 is so clear and powerful, and certainly stronger than any of Mariah's non-whistle, head voice notes.

I love Leona because she combines everything I love about Mariah and Whitney. Her belting has always been strong, and since the tour when she was a little nasally from being sick the entire tour basically, her voice no longer thins out (unlike Xtina) at the higher end of her chest voice and her facility with lower notes is much better (listen to her recent Hurt EP, for example). Her head voice is unmatched by either Mariah or Whitney, and her whistle register (while nowhere near Mariah) is much more versatile than Beyonce's or Christina's.
 
Yeah, I'd just found it a couple months ago. It really made me appreciate her voice a lot more. Even just last year, I sort of boxed her in as a powerhouse belter with an amazing tone, but as having nothing else in her bag of tricks (compared to Mariah's great chest belting, but also great agility in lower notes and head voice). Then I came upon this performance of "I Am Changing" and was just gobsmacked at how effortlessly she sang some of these high notes - 4:26 is so clear and powerful, and certainly stronger than any of Mariah's non-whistle, head voice notes.

Indeed. Whitney's head voice was gorgeous. That All The Man That I Need performance that I love so much towards the end has so many wonderful notes, but the section from ~3:44 till the end has three wonderful head voice runs that are just to die for.

Whitney's head voice is usually very connected and operatic, whereas Mariah's is usually more falsetto and disconnected. For instance, compare the run at 4:02 in that video to Mariah doing the same note in Forever (Tokyo Dome).

I actually think head voice is the area where Mariah is *better* than in her belting prime. This C6 is just *dead*. Which isn't to say that her head voice was ever bad, but definitely an area where Whitney had her licked.

Low: Mariah
Mid-Range Belting (F4 - E5): Whitney
High Belting (F5 - A5): Mariah
Head Voice (F5 - B5): Whitney

For me, anyway. I sometimes feel like Eb5 - E5 is a bit fudgy and it sort of depends on the night / note. And above that, of course, it's basically a no contest. I happen to prefer Mariah at C6 / C#6 even though Whitney has hit those notes.

I love Leona because she combines everything I love about Mariah and Whitney. Her belting has always been strong, and since the tour when she was a little nasally from being sick the entire tour basically, her voice no longer thins out (unlike Xtina) at the higher end of her chest voice and her facility with lower notes is much better (listen to her recent Hurt EP, for example). Her head voice is unmatched by either Mariah or Whitney, and her whistle register (while nowhere near Mariah) is much more versatile than Beyonce's or Christina's.

Yeah, I was actually checking her vocal range and she sounded much better on the low notes. The problem I had with both Kelly and Leona's covers of Mariah's cover (phew) of Without You is that either they raised the pitch (Kelly) or they were so breathy (and without the support of the Price Sisters, Leona) that it sort of ruined the effect of the song which depends on that big contrast. But I was looking recently and her low notes seem much more full and sustained than they used to be.

And her head voice is her best quality. I can forgive her issues with low notes simply because it's so obvious that, being a soprano, her head voice really is her strongest register.

Also, I was talking to BZBlaner about some questions and I mentioned that performance of I Am Changing you just showed me, and he mentioned this:

"Oh, and BTW, I'm actually working on a Whitney video right now like my Mariah and Beyonce ones. I can't wait to showcase her voice in its entirety ... :)"

squee
 
BZBlaner x Whitney = SQUEEEE

About damn time!

By the way, on a totally unrelated note, is there a better ending credits song than "Make It Home" from Monster? I can't understand the lyrics at all, yet they speak to me somehow :-)

(I imagine I'm talking to Johan Liebert. Such casual conversations with the antichrist.)
 
BZBlaner x Whitney = SQUEEEE

About damn time!

By the way, on a totally unrelated note, is there a better ending credits song than "Make It Home" from Monster? I can't understand the lyrics at all, yet they speak to me somehow :-)

I am very much looking forward to it. I learned a lot about Mariah and Beyonce from those two videos.

And yeah, I love Make It Home. It's not the best song or anything, but it just fits perfectly. I don't know about favorite, though - the Mushishi ending themes (all of them) are probably my favorite offhand.

Edit: Hah.
 
I am very much looking forward to it. I learned a lot about Mariah and Beyonce from those two videos.

And yeah, I love Make It Home. It's not the best song or anything, but it just fits perfectly. I don't know about favorite, though - the Mushishi ending themes (all of them) are probably my favorite offhand.

Edit: Hah.
Make It Home is actually the second ED - the one you linked is the first one, which is also very fitting for the show.

I've never seen Mushishi, but I just listened to the opening theme on YT. It's really beautiful, like something you'd expect from Yoko Kanno. I'm going crazy now trying to remember whose voice the singer of this particular Mushishi song reminds me of!

EDIT: Is it possible to get married online? I don't think there's a single thing we don't have in common :-p
 
Make It Home is actually the second ED - the one you linked is the first one, which is also very fitting for the show.

I've never seen Mushishi, but I just listened to the opening theme on YT. It's really beautiful, like something you'd expect from Yoko Kanno. I'm going crazy now trying to remember whose voice the singer of this particular Mushishi song reminds me of!

EDIT: Is it possible to get married online? I don't think there's a single thing we don't have in common :-p

hahaha

And so I did... Oops.

The opening theme for Mushishi? Sore Feet Song is great, too. The ending themes are basically a bunch of little instrumental pieces, a different one for each episode. Very pretty.

Also, I just came across this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLqbf_jH_fs

2008 - 2009 is cringe inducing.
 
hahaha

And so I did... Oops.

The opening theme for Mushishi? Sore Feet Song is great, too. The ending themes are basically a bunch of little instrumental pieces, a different one for each episode. Very pretty.

Also, I just came across this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLqbf_jH_fs

2008 - 2009 is cringe inducing.
Oh my :-\

Part of me wishes she had gotten pregnant much earlier in her career so that she would've been forced to avoid the smoking, drinking, and partying that clearly damaged her vocals.

But 2010 onward, from the little I've been brave enough to watch, is pretty strong compared to the lows of her 2009 days. Because of that, I'm hopeful. I'm silently wishing that with all the rest she's gotten in 2011, she'll return with her new album this year with another 2002-2003 Charmbracelet-era vocal rebound.
 
Oh my :-\

Part of me wishes she had gotten pregnant much earlier in her career so that she would've been forced to avoid the smoking, drinking, and partying that clearly damaged her vocals.

But 2010 onward, from the little I've been brave enough to watch, is pretty strong compared to the lows of her 2009 days. Because of that, I'm hopeful. I'm silently wishing that with all the rest she's gotten in 2011, she'll return with her new album this year with another 2002-2003 Charmbracelet-era vocal rebound.

She actually had some good days even in 2009. And this is especially for you, royalan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiJlCDc3EO0

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<3
 
I still ain't gots no love for Leona, though.
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Glass Heart, world domination

Seriously though, Leona is an acquired taste. And in an "Earth Song" competition, even the likes of Melanie would smoke her.

To bring the thread somewhat back on topic, however, I submit Stacy Francis, perpetual fame whore.

Daily Mail said:
Stacy Francis has taken to Twitter to express her condolences and regrets about her run-in with Whitney Houston just two days before she died.
'This is a sad time for me. I loved Whitney Houston with all my heart,' she wrote on Sunday. 'She was such an amazing musical influence for me.
'I deeply regret the events that led to Thursday&#8217;s misunderstanding, but I respect and love her more than I can say.'

Bitch please, don't even try to get some press off Whitney's passing.
 
ibvVo0Lya0GBzJ.gif


Glass Heart, world domination

Seriously though, Leona is an acquired taste. And in an "Earth Song" competition, even the likes of Melanie would smoke her.

To bring the thread somewhat back on topic, however, I submit Stacy Francis, perpetual fame whore.



Bitch please, don't even try to get some press off Whitney's passing.

"But according to Radar, after Houston - who is said to have been drinking tequila - pointed fingers and shouted, even shoving Francis in her forehead at one point, the ex-X Factor reportedly gave in and pushed her back."

In Whitney's defense, it was the largest target.
 
I know. I just like teasing. :P

And I would shade someone else besides Christina, but who the hell even likes Rihanna?
It's never too late to shade Lana Del Rey. haha

I just watched that Mariah video one of leaked earlier, of Mariah's growls over the years. I think the best part of that video, besides Mariah's voice, was the evolution of her style. Or, let's be real, de-evolution.

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Glass Heart, world domination

Seriously though, Leona is an acquired taste. And in an "Earth Song" competition, even the likes of Melanie would smoke her.

Actually, I don't have much of a problem with Leona's voice. I actually have the same problem with her that I have with Mariah these days: great voice, shitty music.

Leona: Ballad fatigue. I really wish she would warm up to doing uptempos. That video you linked awhile back of her performing "Could it be Magic" on X-Factor convinced me she has a good tone for it.

Mariah: Everything she's done post Emancipation of Mimi has been complete garbage. And I hate that she relies so much on that damn whisper tone she developed in the early 2000s. I did like "Touch My Body" though...
 
royalan said:
Actually, I don't have much of a problem with Leona's voice. I actually have the same problem with her that I have with Mariah these days: great voice, shitty music.

Leona: Ballad fatigue. I really wish she would warm up to doing uptempos. That video you linked awhile back of her performing "Could it be Magic" on X-Factor convinced me she has a good tone for it.

Mariah: Everything she's done post Emancipation of Mimi has been complete garbage. And I hate that she relies so much on that damn whisper tone she developed in the early 2000s. I did like "Touch My Body" though...
Right on about Mariah's recent discography.

Other than the H.A.T.E. U remix (by the way, endless props to Mariah for re-recording vocals for all her official remixes), I Wish You Well, and When Christmas Comes, her output has been pretty bleak.

Oh, and Auld Lang Syne for its absurd music video
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Whitney's head voice is usually very connected and operatic, whereas Mariah's is usually more falsetto and disconnected. For instance, compare the run at 4:02 in that video to Mariah doing the same note in Forever (Tokyo Dome).

Haha, I was just talking to my mom about this; I asked her if Whitney ever sang opera before (my mom would know since she's been a Whitney stan way before I was even born, lol)

She probably could.
 
I just watched that Mariah video one of leaked earlier, of Mariah's growls over the years. I think the best part of that video, besides Mariah's voice, was the evolution of her style. Or, let's be real, de-evolution.

I still love her vocals on her new stuff (still got it), but aside from what Leona mentioned and maybe a couple others (I'd have to look), I don't like many of the songs themselves.

And yeah, I think her de-evolution in style was partly a stylistic choice and partly just that her voice was damaged from nodules since childhood, probably a naturally more fragile voice, smoking in high school, the drinking, and the fact that she wasn't exactly Celine-esque when it came to protecting her voice in general. The major shift in her voice came in 1997, and even then you could see the beginnings of the whispery style in a song like My All. Except in My All, the whispery notes sounded a lot better supported and weren't as annoying as they were in Charmbracelet, where people really took notice.

For whatever reason, she actually was sounding better live during the Charmbracelet period live, though.

Haha, I was just talking to my mom about this; I asked her if Whitney ever sang opera before (my mom would know since she's been a Whitney stan way before I was even born, lol)

She probably could.

Ahem.

Granted it was 'only' a G5, but still!
 
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