Alex Lambert – Ellen Degeneres – VIDEO

This season of Idol is so effed up to me, and this is one big reason why. This guy goes and…(insert name any contestant this year)gets to stay?
I count this as one of the worst seasons ever.

Awww, I miss this guy. He would’ve done much better with this song.

I felt for Alex due to the way he reacted to being eliminated but he was the one who was improving while others were going backwards or staying the same.

I actually really, really liked Trouble.

Thanks for posting this MJ. I liked this song better than Trouble. I really missed Alex not being on AI this week. I hope he gets signed.

The interview was a little uncomfortable…too many ‘likes’, but so cute in some parts: cell phone part and banana part. He is so much better at singing and performing than Tim, Andrew and Aaron. I do think he feels the song but has trouble SHOWING that he is feeling the song…Lee is going through this too. But Alex and Lee were/are my favorites of the guys.

Oh and I am surprised Ellen didn’t ask him about the petition.

Can’t you tell by all my posts that I really, really like him? lol

His Trouble performance wasn’t good, but neither was this.

His Trouble performance wasn’t good, but neither was this.

Respectfully disagree.

He just needs a little more training & experience=) I hope he gets it and be really persistent

Love him, but somebody needs to take the word “like” out of his vocabulary. LOL.

It’s not that I think the judges would have been jumping up and down over this song choice or that I think Trouble was bad, but I do think the tweenie/teen girls would have eaten this up. Flash a shy smile, the dimples, sing about love and etc.

Sigh, I miss him. Curious what he would have done with 19th Nervous Breakdown.

Watching this kinda depresses me. I had liked him on the show and was looking forward to watching him mature as a performer. Its really too bad that he was voted off. I was sure he would make top 10.

Well, the good news is he gets his cell phone back. This kid is too cute; very likeable. I love that Ellen’s audience gives the cast-offs a standing O. They need that kind of support, not constant criticism. I didn’t think the song was Alex’s best, but I sure hope he continues singing; such a nice tone to his voice.

Hey, Alex, I will buy your cd. Lilly’s too. And I *never* cut loose and drop a nickel.

I was sure he would make top 10.

That’s what I was hoping for him…he would have so benefited from the experience.

Curious what he would have done with 19th Nervous Breakdown

Probably not reggae!

I absolutely think that this song would have bought him another week at least. The arrangement of Trouble was meh and it was a little too big for his voice (I still think he could have stayed over Aaron’s horrible Lonestar song or Andrew’s creepy Genie in a Bottle)

There’s an unconfirmed twitter report that Ellen let him sing a couple of his original songs to put on her website. Not sure if that actually happened, but it’s something to be on the lookout for if you like him.

I absolutely love this kid! I think with some experience and time, he can really be something. It would have redeemed this wretched season if we had gotten to watch him blossom on AI.

Fortunately for me, he’s from my area. So hopefully he’ll continue to play the local coffeehouses and clubs, and I’ll get a chance to catch him at a live gig now and then.

The interview was a little uncomfortable…too many ‘likes’

Alex is a kid, it shows all over. But I’ve heard “stahs” ten years older who do the same thing.

The interview was a little uncomfortable…too many ‘likes’

Alex is a kid, it shows all over. But I’ve heard “stahs” ten years older who do the same thing.

Oh, I know. I work with teenagers and have one…I understand they all do it…but I can’t help noticing it.

Awwwww. I love this guy. He was my favourite along with Siobhan. I think he is sooooo talented (and so much better than Andrew, Aaron). I thought Lily’s vocals was a bit trainwrecky, but he was definitely robbed.

I’m kind of hoping Ellen keeps in touch with him. She might not be the best Idol judge sometimes, but I think she really cares about these kids doing well and obviously has the industry clout to give them some opportunities should they arise.

I think this interview shows him to be who he really is….a charming kid….a bit naivete….with an “aw-shucks” demeanor….he has great, natural vocal tone….but I wish the judges/producers hadn’t let him in but instead advised him to get some experience singing in public….because I think a year or two of experience would have made him into a serious contender…

Having said that….I don’t like his version of this song(and I LOVE this song)….it’s like he didn’t connect….he’s just singing the wordws w/o feeling…check out Anoop’s version of that song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S37_Aehu-4

Well, that was better than just about everything on last night’s show.

This was better than “Trouble,” what’s with the producers talking contestants into other songs? That rarely works out. If he’d done this song he might’ve survived another week. Better him than Andrew.

Maybe it’s the songs he’s played but he doesn’t seem to have any real range or power, just a voice that sounds like it needs a throat clearing.

Aw. I really hope this isn’t the last we hear about Alex. He has a very nice voice. He wasn’t my favorite, but he was definitely one I was watching for. And Alex keeps growing on me more and more.

He seems like such a sweet guy too.

I like this song a lot better than Trouble for him. At least, it’s more current sounding and I like how he changed it up to work with his voice.
I guess I’m really glad he took his opportunity on Ellen to sing this song.

Maybe it’s the songs he’s played but he doesn’t seem to have any real range or power, just a voice that sounds like it needs a throat clearing.

I don’t think saying Alex has no range or power is what I’d call a valid criticism. That doesn’t make him a bad singer. Many great singers don’t have those particular attributes. (Off the top of my head, the late Peggy Lee was one. Billie Holiday was another.) You don’t like the quality of his voice, which is fine. I do, though, a lot. When I hear him, I want to hear more of him. The quality of his voice, his phrasing, the lightness and simplicity of his approach — all awesome, to me. I think he’s a natural. And he has the it factor, he’s really likeable.

And I say “like” as much as he does, so, I’m, like, okay with that, too.

I liked Trouble but this would have been a better song choice. I was really disappointed to learn how much input the producers have in song choice. I would understand it if the vocal coach or the musicians were offering input but the producers?

He should get together with a good vocal coach. They would teach him about phrasing and getting a “ring” in his tone. Sometimes it flat and sounds dull.

But that said, I LOVE him and hope he gets more opportunities. His voice sounds like a mix of Brett Dennen and Jason Mraz. Brett Dennen is one of my absolute favorites.

When is it going to be available on iTunes?

He should get together with a good vocal coach. They would teach him about phrasing and getting a “ring” in his tone. Sometimes it flat and sounds dull.

But that said, I LOVE him and hope he gets more opportunities. His voice sounds like a mix of Brett Dennen and Jason Mraz. Brett Dennen is one of my absolute favorites.

I think that we should probably remember that the vast vast majority of the world’s singers have never been on an idol show…. Music is a hard road but if you’ve got the talent and work ethic, you do have a shot. And having been on idol, however briefly, gives people like Alex at least a few connections that they can try to leverage down the line. So even being kicked off makes him better off than most of the other struggling musicians out there.

If he keeps working really hard, I’m sure he can make something happen for himself in music, over time.

I loved seeing Alex on Ellen. After the dejected posture and puffy eyes of Thursday, it’s wonderful to see him happy.

He’s not articulate but he is naturally endearing and rather funny. His interview made me smile.

How cool that instead of singing his best song from the show, “Everybody Knows”, he decided to sing what could have been last week. Kinda gutsy and a great way to bring some closure.

Can’t help but wonder if this would have brought him through another week. It’s younger and trendier than ‘Trouble’, set him up more as a sensitive romantic lead – could he have picked up more Urban voters? And yes, I mean that in both senses of the word. It probably wouldn’t have hurt if he had rocked the t-shirt & jeans.

Oh, I adore him! His premature ouster makes the whole season less interesting for me.

Watching his interview, it is hard to believe he is 19. He seems like he is 13. He auditioned because his mom was going to take away his phone?!?

He should cover the Robert Pattinson/Bobby Long song called “Let Me Sign”. He is soulful and gifted enough to pull it off even though it’s not a huge rangey song. I like him in that Bluesy/Jazzy/Soulful vibe.

I really enjoyed that and wish he had done it on the show. I do not understand why they talked him out of it and into doing ‘Trouble’. Much as I like ‘Trouble’ it’s been done too many times and I think at least twice this season.

I love Alex’s voice and it’s a shame he had such a bad case of stage fright. I would have liked to watch him progress on the show. I wish him well.

When is it going to be available on iTunes?

Oh october, how I wish. That’s a major problem — no official studio recordings. He sounds quite excellent on the performances without any tinkering or multiple takes. His voice is naturally expressive, even if his face & body haven’t figured out how to follow along yet.

Tim Urban couldn’t emit that much natural soul if he vomited James Brown.

He auditioned because his mom was going to take away his phone?!?

He’s still in high school, so yeah, he’s a very young 19. I think it’s refreshing that he’s such a kid. So many of the teens on Idol are so precocious and probably more put together than most 30 year olds. They kind of creep me out, to be honest.

He sounds like a typical somewhat shy 19 year old to me in the interview. I have two sons around his age. It was great that he didn’t let his stage fright prevent him for going out for Idol.

Alex’s performance on Ellen is featured on Entertainment Weekly’s Pop Watch blog:

American Idol’ alum Alex Lambert sings ‘Let Me Love You’ on Ellen: What could have been!
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/03/17/ellen-american-idol-alex-lambert/

Sigh.

He’s still in high school, so yeah, he’s a very young 19. I think it’s refreshing that he’s such a kid. So many of the teens on Idol are so precocious and probably more put together than most 30 year olds. They kind of creep me out, to be honest.

This. His reactions are wonderfully honest – he’s easy to empathize with and like. The babble about throwing up, his obvious nerves, the sweet nod & smiles when he received praise, the dejection in his downturned head and slumped shoulders. No, a polished shiny-smiling pageant bot he is not. He’s not mugging at the camera every time it comes within five feet. Thank you. Thank you for that, Alex.

If he could translate just some of those authentic reactions into his performances, he’d be golden. Someday.

Cheese, if that Ellen rumor comes true – please report!

I adore his voice even though it’s not really developed yet as a singer. With some lessons, he could be fantastic. His range is limited right now, but it would only improve with practice. There are plenty of great singer-songwriter types with not much more range than Alex. When (if, I guess, but I’m really hoping) he puts out an album, I’ll buy it.

I just figured out who he looks like to me, a young James Spader.

What happened to Alex?
a. He is tired
b. He didn’t sleep last night
c. Ate fish and had a bone stuck in his throat
d. All of the above

Answer
D. that was awful. He is tring to be Elliot yamin but has no range, power, or soul to come near Elliot. I bet even the beat-up Andrew would sound 10 times better in that song.

Trying to be Elliott Yamin? That’s ridiculous. Nothing about his style or voice suggests Elliott.

Nice. He sounds so much better when he’s relaxed. I hope he can make it in the music world.

He sounds like a young Paolo Nutini.

weese:
03/17/2010 at 1:17 pm
Trying to be Elliott Yamin? That’s ridiculous. Nothing about his style or voice suggests Elliott.

let’s see : he covered James Morrison (soul), John legend (r&b) and Mario (r&b). he is a white boy trying to sing r&b. The reason he doesn’t sound like Elliott is he doesn’t have soul.

I like (yeah like like) his voice. I could hear his sound on the radio. Hope something works out for him – he just needs some training.

No, he is not trying to sound like Elliott Yamin. They are totally seperate and different artists

If only he had done this song instead of what the producers said to do! This song has so much more oomph! ah well. what could’ve been… >sigh<

OMG he in no way is trying to be Elliot. Just because there may be some similarities of their voices does not mean he is being anyone but himself. First the guy was too scared to try to be anyone all he could do was sing. I really liked his voice and hope he has success in a recording career. In the mean time he can work on his stage presence. He definitely did much better on Ellen. I still think even with his stage fright he was better then most of the guys left. Lastly I think he has soul just not the confidence. One would have to believe he fakes the raspy voice and the feeling behind the singing I personally don’t think he is that calculating or devious to pretend anything.

Is there a rule that every Idol must be compared to a past Idol? I don’t get anything Elliot like about this kid. Because he covered Legend, Mario and Morrison? Okay then. I also don’t think this kid has the guile or is nearly as “calcuating” as dhunken put it to pretend anything.

I don’t even think it’s that Alex lacks soul, but if he is still working on the performance aspect in regards to singing, he probably still hasn’t let himself go completely when performing on stage in front of people. He hasn’t allowed himself to get lost in a song and trust that the performance will be there. That is only something he will get with experience, which hopefully he will work on while he’s home and finishing up school.

The reason he doesn’t sound like Elliott is he doesn’t have soul.

So any white male who sings an R&B song is trying to be Elliott Yamin and if they fail to sound like Elliott Yamin, they have no soul? Gotcha! To me, Alex is coming from a different place, musically, compared to Elliott, despite having a superficially similar raspy tone. Alex is also about 8 years younger than Elliott was when he was on Idol and admits to not being able to sing his best in front of cameras/crowds.

Not everyone is going to like his voice or his lack of experience but I think the judges were very genuine in their enthusiasm over his voice, its recognizability and the likelihood that he will sound great recorded. (Sigh, still sad that there’s no Alex studio recording this week.)

Having said that….I don’t like his version of this song(and I LOVE this song)….it’s like he didn’t connect….he’s just singing the wordws w/o feeling…check out Anoop’s version of that song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S37_Aehu-4

I agree, there’s no emotional connection. Anoop’s version was very SEXY and emotional.

oh man, i’m just getting so teary eyed listening to alex singing. i guess i become sentimental when it comes to young people’s dreams being shattered on national tv booo hooo.

his voice is really gorgeous and distinct and i hope he starts doing something now, without losing the Idol momentum. set up a twitter account, or a myspace and upload vids of his performances while the Idol audience and his fans still remember him. and in the meantime, get a vocal coach and start gigging. sincerely wish this kid the best of luck.

So any white male who sings an R&B song is trying to be Elliott Yamin and if they fail to sound like Elliott Yamin, they have no soul? Gotcha!

ha yeah, because every young singer’s dream is to sound like a guy who finished 3rd on american idol and had one semi decent single. sorry alex, you’re just setting your goals up too high.

plus, elliot (like many of the contestants) wasnt all that in the semis, he grew as a performer but unfortunately alex didnt have enough time to develop his skills.

This is just my opinion, but I thought that Alex had the best voice of all the contestants on AI9. There is also an innocent and sincere quality to him that lets him sing some songs from the heart that others can’t. This is also why it hurts so bad that he was booted off before the top 12, let alone the top 10. It’s the injustice of American Idol. We’ve seen it many times before: Daughtry, JHud, Melinda, and on and on.

What did Alex in was a combination of things: stage fright, lack of experience singing in front of the public, and robotexting tweens who went for Aaron or Tim.

I hope Alex continues on, because there is so much untapped talent there, and such a beautiful and soulful voice. He plays the guitar, so he’s almost custom-made for Country, even Traditional Country, but he could cross over into Adult Contemporary. And he’s from the South, so he’s got the cred to make it in Country.

What do you think?

Here’s Alex singing backstage at Ellen (a song about Ellen he wrote in his hotel room)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUquMg2-EAQ

Here’s Alex singing backstage at Ellen (a song about Ellen he wrote in his hotel room)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUquMg2-EAQ

He is soooo adorable! I can’t believe the tweenies are picking Aaron and Tim over Alex.

Alex is so adorable. He has so much potential, he just needs some extra “seasoning”. I really hope someone takes him under their wing. I don’t want all that talent to fade into obscurity. Finish school and keep pluggin’ away, Alex!

Oh, Alex, I’m going to miss you!

Elliott Yamin never even crossed my mind when I heard Alex. He reminds me much more of James Blunt, James Morrison and Paolo Nutini. He’s more folkie than Elliott. More like Kristian Leontiou, whom I adore. Come to think of it, they’re all from the UK. Maybe Alex should go to Europe and try his luck there!

Wow. I love Alex. I love THIS song. I liked “Trouble” but sooo wish he would have done THIS one! Stupid producers talking him out of it! I would download this song in a heartbeat! I hope he continues with music and there is some music to buy soon. I haven’t searched the ‘net for old stuff…yet.

Alex is the only one I voted for last week and I didn’t vote for anyone this week. He is so endearing! Yah, he’s a little rough, but it’s there. It’s there.

I hate that producers would advise anyone to repeat a song that’s been done before. I give a lot of points for originality and hate hearing the same Bryan Adams songs repeated ad nauseum. Doing something new shows creativity and imagination. Plus nobody’s going to have a Mad World/Falling Slowly “moment” with a rethread.

I really want to hear more from Alex. I wish he could put out an album now.

Here’s Alex singing backstage at Ellen (a song about Ellen he wrote in his hotel room)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUquMg2-EAQ

That is likely the only time we’ll ever hear a guy say that he wrote this song “thinking about Ellen Degeneres in my hotel room”. Heh.

Having said that….I don’t like his version of this song(and I LOVE this song)….it’s like he didn’t connect….he’s just singing the wordws w/o feeling…check out Anoop’s version of that song…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3S37_Aehu-4

I agree, there’s no emotional connection. Anoop’s version was very SEXY and emotional.

It’s an interesting comparison, but Anoop sang this song AFTER the benefit of making it to 6th place on the show and participating in a major 50 city tour. Even before Idol, I suspect Anoop had considerably more experience than Alex vocally and performancewise. There’s no other contestant this season with the same potential for a growth arc vocally, emotionally, and as a performer. I’m still in mourning as you can tell. Perhaps I’ll shut up about it soon. (but…perhaps not)

And, yeah, I still prefer Alex’s voice to Anoop’s for straight listening – gotta be the texture – it’s naturally dirtier. I dig it!

I agree that this version isn’t that amazing from Alex. But my God, it has so much potential and he does have a great voice, so I did still enjoy it. I love R&B and I like the original song, but I do like Alex’s take on it.

Alex’s voice is more pleasing to the ears than Anoop, IMO.

Reminder:

So… We’re dragging other Idols into this discussion because? Let’s keep it focused on Alex, OK?

I wish Alex had made it to top 10. I like his voice a lot!

His voice reminds me a lot of James Morrison, who I really liked a lot at first, but then bored me after a while. He seems like a nice kid. Think Ellen has summed him up pretty well.

Also keep in mind that if Alex had done this for Idol, he probably would have had a bit more guidance so to speak in his preperation. I assume he did this on his own, arrangement and etc. Whereas if he had officially done it on Idol he would have gotten to work with the vocal coaches and the band and etc., so perhaps it would have also had a bit more polish.

…and this is why I won’t watch AI. It is a crime that that Alex didn’t even make it to Top 12. Their loss.

OMG, I just noticed this. He gave me goosebumps, the kid has something, I can’t put my finger on it, but, shit, I am speechless, and sorta teary eyed dammit…..I am feeling like Kara last week after Michael sang, but at least I feel like there’s an explanation for it. He has potential you wouldn’t believe. Going to listen to the song he wrong, then gonna listen to Let Me Love You again, and again….

He should get together with a good vocal coach. They would teach him about phrasing and getting a “ring” in his tone. Sometimes it flat and sounds dull.

While I agree with a good vocal coach for any professional singer, I have to disagree with the “ring” suggestion. His voice is dry and his tone is perfect just the way it is. Totally disagree with the flat and dull comment. I can’t really think of a good analogy, but it would be like trying to add more sugar to gingerale to try to get rid of the dry kick of gingerale, whereas some of us like the taste of a dry kick. Alex has a dry kick to his voice. It is like complaining that gingerale is dull and flat, well that varies with taste.

His voice sound like recording quality on just plain audio. Amazing. I am still knocked over by how gorgeous his tone is when just listening to him. I always listen to all of the contestants after their performances on just audio mp3s only with my hiqh quality speakers, and that is when Alex just blew me away compared to everyone else. While I don’t think Alex is hard to look at (LOL), I think Alex may be best appreciated when just listening to him only.

I also have to disagree with any comment that says Alex lacks connection with the song. I understand that his phrasing is a little awkward and off in moments, but I feel very strongly his emotions when he is singing, and his emotions fit the overall meaning of the songs. Alex just needs to be more comfortable with phrasing and more comfortable in general, but Alex has got the emotional connection.

As for who Alex reminds me of, I think of a young Rod Stewart when Rod is singing in a more laid-back sweet style like Handbags and Gladrags.

I definitely feel he is emotionally connected to the song when singing and has a great tone to his voice. I think his only issue on AI was his nerves, he looks like he is improving alot though in that area.