American Idol songwriter contest

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:32 pm

It's like Song Fight, but unapologetically mainstream. Also there's a $10 entry fee.

http://songwriter.americanidol.com/

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:03 pm

I don't care for American Idlol, but what the heck, I'll enter one.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:14 pm

I want to mic my dick and then masturbate. That's my entry.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:19 pm

If that's how you want to spend $10, sure.

Ross · Post by **Ross** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:16 pm

fodroy wrote:I want to mic my dick and then masturbate. That's my entry.

fluffy' wrote: If that's how you want to spend your $10....

Hell I can do that for free (not for you, for me).

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:22 pm

Ooh, deja vu.

Leaf · Post by **Leaf** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:41 am

fodroy wrote:I want to mic my dick and then masturbate. That's my entry.

Wanna collab?

Ah couldn't resist.

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:09 pm

You could've resisted. You just didn't want to.

GlennCase · Post by **GlennCase** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 12:19 pm

This thread was handy because of it's direct link to the contest URL. I entered "Glutton", and I am not holding my breath.

The song has been faring pretty well at Noisehead, however. Check out the front page:

<a href="http://www.noisehead.com">http://www.noisehead.com</a>

By the time you read this, it is likely to look different than it does as I am typing this, so here's a screencap of what it looked like around noon today.

<a href="http://www.glenncase.com/screenshots/no ... reencap</a>

ROCK!

Glenn Case

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:03 pm

The thing about the Idol contest is that the first round is judged by a panel, and the main things they're judging it on are things like song structure and how well it reflects the "emotional journey the contestants have gone through." Since it's supposed to be what the contestant will sing at the finale.

They claim they're not judging it based on singing, performance, production, etc., and that when it goes to the top 20 for the public vote, they'll actually do a full professional studio arrangement (which of course they have a lot of highly-paid producers and performers whose job it is to pull this off, as evidenced by the show itself).

So anyway, I'm just saying that Glutton probably won't do very well, and if you want a decent chance, you basically have to write a song on-spec specifically for the contest. It's like Song Fight in reverse.

Post by jb » Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:30 pm

Your best bet is to write the most ridiculously saccharine lyrics you can think of, and set them to a midtempo beat. Start out slow and soft, and wind up with a "soaring" melody with a big glory note at the end.

Writing for the ladies:

LaKisha: Overcoming obstacles, finally discovering her place in the world

Doolittle: Breaking through, taking control, having the world recognize what she knew all along.

Jordin: Breaking out, starting on a long and sure-to-be-successful path. Youth, humility, brief acknowledgement of inexperience.

Writing for the men:

Phil: Generic uplifting "here we go" or "all together" style. Mention fallen heroes and America

Chris: Uptempo pop with urban flavor, country twinges. Downtempo introduction about struggle and "did you know i could make it this far" with Clearmountain Pause into uptempo happy "never had a doubt" stuff.

Blake: Leave room for beatboxing. Up With People dance track. Faux edgy, about how amazing it is to be where he is. hint at doubts along the way which he didn't let get to him.

Hot Legs Haley and Satan's Spawn Sanjaya are not in the running, I think.

JB

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:57 pm

Psh. You only need to bother writing a song for Melinda. Everyone else is a joke in comparison to her.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:02 pm

Sanjaya seems to be getting better lately. Hopefully his big voting fanbase has finally gotten tired of him though.

I like Blake. He's good and he's got charisma, and also I want a beatboxer from Seattle to win. Realistically I don't think he will, but I'll keep voting for him anyway.

GlennCase · Post by **GlennCase** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:11 pm

fluffy wrote:Sanjaya seems to be getting better lately. Hopefully his big voting fanbase has finally gotten tired of him though.

I believe <a href="http://www.votefortheworst.com/">that is unlikely</a>.

ROCK!

Glenn Case

Märk · Post by **Märk** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:12 pm

Re: JB assessment of what the song should be like.

You're absolutely right, and this is why I have no idea why this terrible, terrible show is so popular. Maybe for the half-retarded masses who gobble this shite up like it's nectar of the dogs, but for anyone who has a detectable amount of intelligence? The last time I tried to watch American Idol, I started getting violently angry at about the 5 minute mark. This is not about talent, it's about who can be the biggest corporate whore. "Ooh, she robotically performed that treacly, ridiculous corporate 'rock' song *perfectly*! She has TALENT!"

Give me a fucking break. This show, and any copycat spinoff of it, is everything I vehemently detest.

Post by jb » Fri Apr 06, 2007 4:43 pm

Bjam wrote:Psh. You only need to bother writing a song for Melinda. Everyone else is a joke in comparison to her.

This is true, but she's not going to win unless her song choice gets a lot younger. Basically Melinda can't win unless Jordin Sparks chokes.

But Melinda is basically set no matter what, I mean, come on. You don't sing like that week after week on national television and go back to singing backup. She's a monster.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:06 pm

On dialidol.com (which ranks the contestants by busy signals), they've been ranking Melinda as #1 ever since the second week. It's not totally accurate (this week's #2 pick ended up being in the bottom 3) but it's still pretty interesting.

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:24 pm

jb wrote:
Bjam wrote:Psh. You only need to bother writing a song for Melinda. Everyone else is a joke in comparison to her.
This is true, but she's not going to win unless her song choice gets a lot younger. Basically Melinda can't win unless Jordin Sparks chokes.

In my opinion, Jordin is way too young for this. She's what, 17? That's my age. Melinda is far more mature and actually knows what she's getting into. Jordin will be fine in a few years time, but for now she should finish high school.

That said, yeah, Melinda needs to pick younger songs.

mkilly · Post by **mkilly** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 7:03 pm

I'd like to just enter "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston to this. It's too bad they would notice.

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:19 pm

Fluffy, maybe you should be "Simon Fluffy Cowell" and have members post the songs they want to enter, and you pick the one that might have the best chance.

La La Land: About the Hollywood dream

Sunflower Seed: About a hippy rocker girl I know from Seattle that is an inspiration to living life to the fullest.

By the way, this is the "real" BLT no one here has ever heard.....and never will.

fluffy · Post by **fluffy** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:32 pm

You don't want to hear my Simon Cowell impersonation. It is absolute rubbish, thoroughly dreadful. Like a bad karaoke performance at a funeral. Absolutely terrible.

I'd give these a listen, but I don't feel like dealing with eSnips or WMA files. Do you have these in mp3 or aac or something more portable, from a site which doesn't make me register to download?

Billy's Little Trip · Post by **Billy's Little Trip** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:38 pm

I didn't know you had to register, sorry. I'll turn them into MP3's and put them on isounds.
....I suck at the interweb.