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'American Idol' mentor Usher slams 'American Idol'
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When Usher was a mentor on "American Idol" earlier this season, he did the usual thing of giving advice to the contestants in exchange for a chance to perform his new single "OMG" live.What he didn't do, at least in public, was say that "American Idol" is destroying the music business. He might have been thinking it, though.
In an interview with London's Guardian newspaper -- conducted the day before he appeared on "Idol" -- he slammed the show and its various imitators and competitors for perpetuating the "lie" that anyone can have a career in music.
"The true art form of music is being lost, because it seems so easy that everyone can do it, and that it can happen overnight," he tells the paper. "Television is a lie. It can't happen overnight. The artist who thinks that it can just comes and goes. The reason why great singers cannot exist in this time is maybe because they're not properly managed, and maybe they don't understand the full gamut of what being an entertainer is."
This from a guy whose own career was launched thanks to "Star Search," and who was perfectly happy to use "Idol" as a promotional vehicle for his album "Raymond vs. Raymond" (the album was released in the U.K. last week, hence the timing of the Guardian interview).
The man who also helped pave Justin Bieber's way to pop stardom also had this to say: "We're dealing with an industry that is slowly but surely dying, every day. So [a manager] finds someone with a great look, and it's, 'Wow, let's make him sound great, so we can sell some records.' Then there's the record companies that's mass-producing these versions of these people; versions of this broken art. While it works, because it sells records, it damages the business."
So which is it? If Usher believes "American Idol" is so toxic, what was he doing on the show in the first place?
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He's such a beast. Idol saved your song from flopping, STFU.
This guy is as much of a joke as Chris Brown. They deserve each other. They think their poop don't smell, when in reality, every thing ABOUT them smells.
"If Usher believes "American Idol" is so toxic, what was he doing on the show in the first place?"
You already answered this earlier: he's a greedy SOB who wanted to use the shows 20+ million viewers to promote his new album. If he thought the show was so bad for music, then he shouldn't have appeared on the show. The guy is just a hypocrite (especially since his own career was launched by a similar show).
This guy is as much of a joke as Chris Brown. They deserve each other. They think their poop don't smell, when in reality, every thing ABOUT them smells.
If Usher doesn't like the show so much, he shouldn't have been on it. I hope he's never on the show again. What a sellout!
I wish that people with talent would just do THEIR work. Usher Raymond is a decent vocalist with excellent stage presence and great dance moves. However, for him to critique any path other "artists" may take is laughable. He was in a pre-packaged R&B group formed by Darryl Wheeeler and appeared on Star Search before hooking up with L.A Reid and P. Diddy on his debut disc. He needs to see that he stands beside his fellow artists and not above them.
Just like Survivor where the right way to win the game is the way the winner plays it, the one who sells lots of records and is adored by fans is the one who practices the true art form of music.
If he really were to practice the true art of music, then he should learn to play an instrument.
American Idol is just another way to make it into the industry. Bieber made it through Youtube, and it was overnight.
Dumbass.
I'm sure Chris Daughtery, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Houston and others who have come from Idol's stages and become successful artists would disagree. They take inexperienced, unknown talented singers and strive to help tham fins themselves and become true artist and entertainers. Are they always successful no but overall they have discovered and given opportunities to people who might never have gotten the chance to even try to obtain their dreams. And how exactly does Usher think anyone who participates would ever have the idea that it happens overnight and without hours and hours of hard work. The finalists may not know all that is in front of them but I'm sure they realize it's not going to be all premieres and notoriety.
WTF USHER? SELLOUT MUCH? HOW DARE YOU COME ON A SHOW AND COMPLIMENT EVERYBODY ON IT, AND THEN INSULT IT!!! THERE'S A TIME TO SAY YOUR OPINION, AND THERE'S A TIME TO NOT...AND THE TIME TO NOT IS WHEN YOU'RE INSULTING SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST COMPLIMENTED WEEKS AGO! STFU! WE'VE GOT REAL ARTISTS HUSTLING THEIR ***** TO BECOME FAMOUS AND HERE YOU ARE PUTTING THEM DOWN? YOUR ALBUM WOULD'VE FLOOPED WITHOUT "IDOL" B/C IT CERTAINLY ISN'T BETTER THAN YOUR 2004 ALBUM AND YOUR VIDEOS ARE LAME COMPARED TO OTHER ARTISTS. SO...WHY DON'T YOU STFU AND DO YOUR JOB (SINGING) AND FOCUS ON WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.....
"The true art form of music is being lost..." This from someone who has to auto-tune his vocal??! Puhleeze.