idol aftermath: no top 40 radio for me this summer

Well, Carrie Underwood won American Idol. Good for her, I wish her the best.

But I won’t buy her single or her album. She’s just like any other female country-crossover on the air these days, save for one key difference: she has absolutely no sense of pitch, delivery, timing or anything needed to have career longevity. Her performance that closed tonight’s results show was particularly dreadful in that regard. Granted, she was sobbing, but her glory notes were so off-key it was painful to hear. She already has problems with pitch when she’s in top form, so….

I’m glad that Bo Bice will be able to pursue a path that’s more to his own liking, even though 19 Entertainment/Jive Records/Clive Davis will own his soul for a year or two and will have some veto control over his song choices and career direction. Whatever – he still is a much better performer, and I’m actually glad that he came in second. He doesn’t need the Idol boost to make a career.