Why David Cook’s Win Is Good for ‘American Idol’
by Donna Reynolds — 05/27/2008 – Source

American Idol is over for another season, but the media is still buzzing over the season finale. It seems that every journalist and blogger in the known universe has weighed in on the outcome of the over-hyped David vs. David showdown, and Donna has decided it’s time for her to put together some thoughts on the issue.

Let me start out by saying that I was completely satisfied not only with the outcome of the competition, but also by the Idol finale itself. Other than the ridiculous plug for Mike Myers’ upcoming movie and the totally irrelevant performance by the Jonas Brothers, the producers wisely put the focus on the Idols and gave viewers some tasty moments to savor. I particularly loved Jason Castro’s performance of “Hallelujah” and David Cook’s jam with ZZ Top. It was certainly better than last season’s finale, which wandered so far adrift it nearly got lost.

While I expected David Cook to win, I was stunned by his margin of victory. I was also surprised that these numbers were released during the show. I don’t recall this happening since the Ruben/Clay finale. I couldn’t help feeling just a little bit embarrassed for David Archuleta, who was ultimately so severely trounced.
As for Cook’s victory, I think the broad smile on Simon Cowell’s face as the Davids’ victory celebration ensued was very revealing. I imagine Nigel Lythgoe and Simon Fuller were also breathing sighs of relief as they watched, realizing exactly what this win could mean for the future of the show. The bottom line is that Idol desperately needs a successful winner in order to remain at the top of the ratings heap. Another year with so-so album sales from the ultimate victor would further damage the show’s credibility, and result in a continued decline in the ratings and ultimately decreased ad revenues. In my opinion, David Cook has the potential to be the most successful Idol winner to date.

Now that got your attention, didn’t it? What about Carrie and Kelly, you ask. My answer to that… Daughtry. Sure, these comparisons are getting old, and David Cook’s style is totally different from Daughtry’s. Even Cook seems to bristle at the comparison. But the reality is, rock sells, and David Cook’s brand of indie-inspired melodies with solid, meaningful lyrics is what’s hot right now. Cook’s sound is a nice mix of pop and rock that could well appeal to fans from both sides of the musical fence. Given the right material and some creative license, I’m convinced David Cook can produce an album that will rival Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway in terms of chart success.

The trick for any Idol winner is to create a debut album that will appeal not only to his or her fans on the show, but also to music fans in general. The album must include tracks that will ensure radio airplay and chart placement along with some more introspective pieces. It cannot stray too far from the public’s perception of the Idol as an artist, but must not be a total whitewash. It’s truly a delicate balance, but certainly not impossible.

Carrie Underwood’s success can be attributed to several factors. She trusted her producers and took risks with track selection. She included her coronation single, “Inside Your Heaven,” to appease Idol fans, but also included some edgier material – who would have imagined Carrie singing a song like “Before He Cheats”? The album was marketed as country, but had enough of a pop flavor to cross genres. The results – over six million copies sold, and after 131 weeks, the album is still on the Billboard 200 (#88 this week).

On the flip side, Taylor Hicks’ debut missed the mark on several levels. Not all of this was Taylor’s fault or even the fault of the production team – his musical style, while entertaining on the show, was not easily pigeonholed into any one particular genre. The record’s producers tried to homogenize his sound in an

attempt to appeal to a broader base, but this antagonized Taylor’s fans who had expected something totally different. It was a lose-lose situation all around, and certainly an embarrassment for the show. While Idol continues to embrace all the other previous winners, Taylor seems to have been sent into Idol exile.

David Cook is not your run-of-the-mill Idol winner. He’s well aware of the challenges he faces and has said that although the show is a great platform from which to launch a career, it’s a crapshoot from here on in.

All he wants to do is to produce a solid album that will be reflective of his musical roots and personal style. Of course, most of the former winners have said pretty much the same thing. No one wants to totally sell out, after all. The difference between David Cook and someone like Taylor Hicks, for instance, is that Cook has the benefit of hindsight. I don’t think Taylor picked the right battles to fight, and Cook will be the beneficiary of this hard lesson.

A newly hatched Idol winner quickly learns that he or she is going to have to compromise. It’s a give-and-take situation. No brand-new artist is going to get his or her way on every track, and fighting too hard antagonizes the powers that be and earns one the reputation of being difficult. Being cooperative and trusting the judgment of those responsible for creating the tone of one’s debut album can pay off in spades, as it has for Carrie Underwood. The trick is to find a balance.

David Cook is fortunate in that he can learn from previous winners’ missteps. He knows who he is as an artist, but seems flexible enough to know which battles to pick. I chuckled over his “I’m going to Disney World” declaration, for example, and recognized that his days as a shill for all things Idol had truly begun. But why fight the small stuff? Play the game, and you won’t get played!

All of this is pure speculation, of course. The record business really is a crapshoot, and today’s hot thing can quickly become tomorrow’s bargain-bin castoff. Still, based on what I’ve heard of pre-Idol David Cook’s music, I really believe he’s going to be very, very successful. And his success will certainly bring viewers back to American Idol, the ultimate win-win for all concerned.