The sad story of Melanie Amaro is why I prefer singer-songwriters to singers.

Songwriters have something to say, they have a perspective and they create unified creations from that ... the end product is strengthened by their personal emotions and attachment.

Singers have songs handed to them and more often than not there is a disconnect between them and the material that renders the work medicre, soulless or hollow -- such is the case with all the songs Melanie has released since winning X Factor.

First she re-did Aretha Franklin's R.E.S.P.E.C.T (fail) and now she's got two throwaway songs that have been out a month and have no attention. I'm not holding my breath for this album that's about to drop.

These songs just don't fit Melanie and her voice does nothing to make the songs come alive.

Now, obviously there are singers so superlative that their souls can permeate someone else's songs and bring them vividly to life.

Those singers --- Whitney Houston being one -- are rare, rare, rare, rare. Melanie is not one of them.

Now, the record company has to spend years trying to "find" her "identity" and create material that synchronizes with it. Or, I guess they can strip her naked and sell that with some bubblegum songs.

[Edited 9/25/12 19:30pm]

SynthiaRose said:

The sad story of Melanie Amaro is why I prefer singer-songwriters to singers.

Songwriters have something to say, they have a perspective and they create unified creations from that ... the end product is strengthened by their personal emotions and attachment.

Singers have songs handed to them and more often than not there is a disconnect between them and the material that renders the work medicre, soulless or hollow -- such is the case with all the songs Melanie has released since winning X Factor.

First she re-did Aretha Franklin's R.E.S.P.E.C.T (fail) and now she's got two throwaway songs that have been out a month and have no attention. I'm not holding my breath for this album that's about to drop.

These songs just don't fit Melanie and her voice does nothing to make the songs come alive.

Now, obviously there are singers so superlative that their souls can permeate someone else's songs and bring them vividly to life.

Those singers --- Whitney Houston being one -- are rare, rare, rare, rare. Melanie is not one of them.

Now, the record company has to spend years trying to "find" her "identity" and create material that synchronizes with it. Or, I guess they can strip her naked and sell that with some bubblegum songs.

[Edited 9/25/12 19:30pm]

none of them should get deals period. im tired of people talking about selling a BRAND, are u a fucking artist or a fucking box of cereal, this is why we get BS acts today

SynthiaRose said:

First she re-did Aretha Franklin's R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Aretha's version is a remake. The original version is by Otis Redding.

MickyDolenz said:

SynthiaRose said:

First she re-did Aretha Franklin's R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Aretha's version is a remake. The original version is by Otis Redding.

Of course. Thanks for the reminder. Much respect to the originator and the singer-songwriter always.

ARetha, a transcendent rare voice, made it her own, adding that famous spelling chant, and makiing it mean something completely different when she, a woman, did it since people were linking it to the expansion of women's rights and women's equality.

Melanie did a spin of ARetha's version, IMHO, not Otis, since she had Re-re's "R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me" part which wasn't in the original.

lastdecember said:

none of them should get deals period. im tired of people talking about selling a BRAND, are u a fucking artist or a fucking box of cereal, this is why we get BS acts today

Well, most of these "winners" aren't artists for sure.

Entertainers, maybe. But that's an overstatement.

Many are simply glorified mimics and karaoke masters?

And who in the hell is Melanie Amaro?!?