From Nashville Scene:
Oh, Taylor Hicks—the unlikely hero, the gray-haired warrior, the man who brought Ray LaMontagne’s soulful love tune “Trouble” to the masses (albeit in watered-down form)—I’ve decided to love you, goofy dance moves and all. Because in a strange way, there’s nothing more American than this Alabama boy’s journey from the barren barroom to the American Idol stage to the historic Ryman Auditorium. He wasn’t the best singer in the field—not even close—but up against porcelain prima donna Katherine McPhee, you couldn’t help but root for him. Hicks’ self-titled debut is a sprawling, big-budget, easy-listening interpretation of soul, but it doesn’t matter, because just like he did every Tuesday night in front of millions, Hicks is singing his guts out with a refreshing and entertaining lack of self-awareness.
Not even close to being the best singer? If your arm hair didn’t stand on end during his audition you need to clean the wax out of your ears. Even Simon had a hard time hiding his surprise, after all his LOOK wasn’t right for tweenie sales. But thankfully those that knew talent were voting that year. Taylor’s voice is powerful, in tune, (something VERY rare on Idol), with raw depth and shine. Clearly one of the best singers ever to grace the show. But then I’m one of those that ONLY pays mind to the singing, isn’t that the point?
Talk about your backhanded compliments. They throw him to the ground, help him get up, then knock him right down again.
WTF?
I was also one of the ones who thought that he had the best voice in the competition, but I realize that different people have different definitions of “best.” For some (like me), it’s that growly tone, laced with expressive emotion; for others, it’s automatically going to be that clear-as-a-bell tone. When people say Taylor wasn’t the “best” singer, I usually chalk it up to the latter preference, so it doesn’t piss me off.
I wasn’t thrilled about the comment either but we take the good with the bad. For the most part, the article was great!