American Idol songwriter contest

[fluffy]

Oh, I see, you only have to register if you have more than one download open at once.

Still, mp3 is way easier for me (and basically all non-Windows users) to deal with.

[Billy's Little Trip]

OK, try my...space La La Land or Sunflower Seed.

[fluffy]

Sunflower Seed has a nice pop sensibility to it, and it makes for a good vocal range, but I don't think the lyrics are what the Idol producers are looking for. It's hard to tell, though, since the lyrics are too low in the mix, but from what I can make out it sounds like it's a song about a girl, while Idol wants a song that the contestants would sing about themselves.

La La Land sounds a lot more like what they want (i.e. about moving to Hollywood and becoming a rock star, which is of course what the show is about) but it's still not about the singer directly. Also it's a bit longer than what they want (they're looking for 2:30-3:00 long), and also sounds (again, from what I can make out, due to the same mix problems - also too much bass, not enough midrange) not like the sort of lyrical topic they want.

Seriously, I don't think pre-existing songs that anyone in this crowd would have written would be what the producers want. They don't want just any pop hit, they want a hit single to close out the show, for the winner to sing about their journey and triumph. Think "We Are The Champions" for example.

[Billy's Little Trip]

First of all Simon Fluffy, I hate you. Second, you are right, they want to sell it to Chevy, etc. I think I'd really have to write something for today. I suck at writing about positive stuff. I need Ross D to write me a song.

[Ross]

First of all Simon Fluffy, I hate you. Second, you are right, they want to sell it to Chevy, etc. I think I'd really have to write something for today. I suck at writing about positive stuff. I need Ross D to write me a song.

scuse me?

[Billy's Little Trip]

You write such positive music. Well, maybe I should say, you put a positive upside to every situation.

[fluffy]

By the way, this is why you really shouldn't enter songs you have any attachment to:

5. If the Song is selected by 19 Entertainment as one of the Top 20 Songs, you (and all Co-Writers) will be required to enter into a further agreement with 19 Entertainment (“the Publishing Agreement”) as a condition of you continuing in the Competition. The Publishing Agreement will grant to 19 Entertainment (or its publishing designee) the exclusive right to publish the Song (but not any other music or lyrics you may have written) for a period of ten (10) years in return for an advance to you of $10,000 against a royalty to you of 75% ‘at source’ worldwide.

This really is a contest to write a song on-spec for the contest. Really. Write something new for it.

[fluffy]

Also, buried somewhere in the rules (I couldn't find it myself but <a href="http://spinme.com/2007/04/american-idol ... spinme.com claims</a>): you can only enter one song.

EDIT: Oops, never mind, that was one interpretation of the legalese, but someone else said it meant just one song per entry fee. So I guess it's vague.

EDIT2: Nope, someone found another specific clause in the legalese which specifically says one entry.

[fluffy]

So, has anyone who's entered heard back yet? If voting is going to start May 2, it seems that contracts should have gone out already.

Incidentally, here's my entry: http://beesbuzz.biz/~fluffy/only_difference.mp3

[melvin]

My entry in the current fight is about clause 5, sub-paragraph d) of the Idol contest entry contract. Although that wasn't really the clause that killed the dream for me - it was the one about having to be an American citizen.

[Lunkhead]

That's awesome. I wonder if that's the origin of the title?

[fluffy]

Did anyone from here make it in? I tried listening to the entries and the two I got at first were so terrible (and similar to each other) I couldn't keep listening.

[Niveous]

After pain heaped on in 20 small 20 second bite size chunks and can pretty safely say no.