Alicia Keys has slammed contestants on the hugely successful show American Idol - accusing them of only being interested in music to get famous.

The "Fallin'" singer, 22, has little time for those who choose to launch their singing careers off the back of the Simon Cowell-starring show.

Keys says, "There are two sides to look at with the Pop Idol thing. On the one hand, it's an incredible experience for anyone who takes part. On the other, I think a true artist is someone who would do what they do - with or without the show.

"They would do it even if they were only being paid a dollar an hour, or they would perform in a run down, smoky bar in the middle of nowhere if it meant they were able to sing.

"The essence of shows like that is that they take away from the heart and soul of music and it just becomes like, 'Well, I'm just doing it to be on TV'. Simon Cowell's really famous in the States and I can tell you if he ran into me I would definitely give him a piece of my mind."

Yeah, but tell me an unrecognised Alicia Keys wouldn't take any break she could get?

Oh, brother. Is she jealous because you actually have to be able to sing to be on the show?

Harlepolis said:

Was this interview done after she was displaced from the top of the charts by Ruben Studdard? BTW, while she doesn't sound that bad I'm sure that Clive Davis really appericates her bitter soundbite. At least she gave a peice of her mind!

alicia keys?


PEACE N B WiLD

unfortunately, she's just talking out of the side of her neck. playah hatin' is all. Kelly Clarkson for example, has been singing for a long time. she even went to Cali to try and get her demo out there. she went mega broke and went back to Texas when her friend told her about the show. she wasn't just "trying to get on TV" - maybe Alicia should just stick to the Keys!!

Lenae said:

Plus, as much as I hate American Idol, Kelly Clarkson has a really nice voice.

sabaisabai said:

I agree completely.

Plus, Alicia Keys has no idea why any of the contestants are on the show. Who the hell is she to say that they're just trying to become famous? Most of them have great voices, are great performers, and have been trying to get a break for most of their lives.

Yeah, and why is she upset with Simon?? That man is runnin' a successful BIDNESS.

theVelvetRoper said:

Most of them?

Alicia's ego gets too big for her body to contain in 5,4,3,2,1...

American Idol is possibly the worst show ever on television. Music should be about art, not just getting a record put out. Prince would agree.

I think Alicia Keys is a snobby bitch, so that doesn't surprise me.

Though I can see some of her viewpoints...it's pretty easy for her to bash "American Idol" and it's contestants when Clive Davis uses "The Oprah Winfrey" show to break her career! If that's not a silver platter I dont know what is.

On the other hand..Alicia did struggle for a few years before Clive signed her...she was in limbo hell at Columbia for years and she saw the ugly side of the business early on.

I still think she has no room to talk though...in the end...she was given the silver platter.

Alicia Keys is writing alot of her own stuff, playing instruments, overall just more involved in her music.

These American Idol winners go into a studio, pick up a bunch of prewritten painfully generic and impersonal songs, go through the motions with them, and release an album a few months later.

Alicia wouldn't have been in the top 10 if she was on that show

There are a lot of singers who are not songwriters. It doesn't mean they are less of an artist. 40 years ago, you were either a singer or a songwriter, not both. Songwriters were assigned to people to write personal songs for them about what that singer told them about their life. If you have vocals skills and a stage presence what's the beef about? It was an audition, a big one. Lot's of people audition

TLC audtioned
En Vogue auditioned
Spice Girls auditioned

That's all I can think of from the top of my head, but I'm sure there are many others

Alicia is just bitter that she didn't have that opportunity. Ruben, Clay , and Kelly have great voices and we probably would have never heard of them if is wasn't for this show. What's the beef?

Janfriend said:

Hey, having a great voice is one thing, having musical talent is another. Alicia Keys has both in spades.

The Frankensingers who come out of shows like "American Idol" may have great voices but what they sing is the most boring, derivative, predictable noise-to-clean-your-house-to. In short, they don't MATTER. And in two years time it will be as if they never existed.

Maybe if she actually did her research she'd know that Kelly Clarkson worked her ass off to get a contract before she went on the show.

I'm not crazy about American Idol but at least they promote and sign people who have talent.

If they have a great voice what's the problem?
Just because they can't write a song doesn't mean they suck, not everyone can be like *coughprincecough*. I think it's incredibily small-minded of someone to just write someone off if they don't produce their own music, not everyone has that ability, in fact, that's a form of musical snobbery, which I hate.

And if Miss Keys was broke, her house/apartment burned down, and had shopped her demo around for more than a year without any success she'd bring her snobby frontin' ass there too.

Man, I cannot stand that girl.
[This message was edited Sat Dec 20 1:43:43 PST 2003 by lovebizzare]

please Alicia Keys *IS* "American Idol"... the entrenched, institutionalized version of it that preceded the television show by about 40 years.



don't get me wrong, i can appreciate Alicia and her music from time to time, but she's the product of the same sort of machine that's churning out the Kelly Clarkstons, Clay Aikens and Ruben Studdards... she just didn't get hers through a tv show.

yeah alicia, we all cant sample a whole damn song and sing over it.

frankjotzo said:

What musical talent does Alicia have that Clay, Ruben, and Kelly don't?

Janfriend, your avatar makes me horney.

Janfriend said:

CORNROWS!!

Do Clay, Ruben, or Kelly play an instrument or write any of their own songs?

That should tell you how much talent Alicia has over the American Idol crowd.

Although, I have to admit a fondness for Ruben, and as for Kelly- she's easy on the eyes.

I dont really get what Alicia is saying, she's trippin
but the girl is talented, this is the same message board that gives props to Madonna and Janet but turns around says Alicia is overrated and can't sing?? seriously guys

I'm sick of that damn show anyway.I hope it goes off soon.Simon Cowell is an annoying bitch.

jtgillia said:

You know for a fact that Ruben, Clay, and Kelly don't play any instuments?

It really doesn't matter if someone writes their own songs or not. It doesn't prove more or less talent

>It really doesn't matter if someone writes their own songs or not. It doesn't prove more or less talent<

Get real. Songwriting is not something just anyone can do.

jtgillia said:

neither is singing. i'm glad things have shifted back a bit, so there aren't so many good singers writing crap songs and good songwriters torturing us with their crap voices.