An All-Time Idol Moment

I was a few hundred words into an earlier version of my musings on the Premiere of Idol’s 20^th season, waiting for all the auditions to end so I could finish it up. It began with me making my usual snarky comment that what I use the auditions for is to see if I can pick the right white male country singer who will win.

And then Taylor Fagins sang last. It was one of the most powerful moments I have ever experienced in watching this show.

Little black boys don’t run outside

Or play with water guns at night

They run away from red and white, blue lights

Little black boys don’t go to stores

Or use their pockets anymore

Can someone tell them what they’re living for

They want more

How talented he is as a singer-songwriter remains to be seen. At a minimum, somebody – John Legend, are you available? – needs to record and release this song. That would be a victory for Taylor and all of us.

It feels awkward to follow with comments on the other auditions. Even I, as The Missing Mean Judge, want to give Taylor his proper respect. But here are the two people from the first audition that I’m keeping my ears on for now[1]:

Noah Thompson, the construction worker from Kentucky who led off the show. He has a natural soul that can’t be taught. He needs to have a more sensitive feel for lyrics. And while I hear Luke Bryan saying that nobody should mess with Noah’s style, I still think he’ll sound even more soulful if someone teaches him to be a bit less nasal in his voice.

Huntergirl. Uh, the judges declaring her Top 10 already is a thing. But showing her performing at Luke Bryan’s bar AND the judges coming to give her one of them newfangled Platinum tickets to Hollywood? How does she not make the voting rounds at a minimum? And she’s good, too. Keep an eye on this one.

One final musing – thank you, Lionel, for holding your ground against Katy and NOT sending Aretha’s 15-year-old grandchild Grace Franklin to Hollywood. What was Katy thinking? Was this just made-up-for-TV fake drama? Grace isn’t good enough, yet

That’s a wrap. I’m about to turn off the light, close my eyes, and maybe shed a tear or two while listening to we need more.

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[1] We have a lot of auditions seen and unseen to get through, plus the usual reminder that Hollywood is where dreams often die.