Crystal Bowersox Wants to Delay Her Album To Get it Right

I don’t care if it’s Spring or Fall, just so long as it’s stripped down Crystal.

Her story about the St. Louis performer is awesome :).

And yes, I think Jive will win this tug-of-war. I hope it doesn’t hit Crystal too hard if they do.

Crystal’s sound bites about her album remind me so much of Taylor Hicks back in the day. He also refused to record while on the road. He talked about delaying his album to get it right (He didn’t get his way on that), and seemed very intent on having control. Good luck to Crystal. I hope she learns to choose her battles carefully.

I love the story about the street performer. Go Crystal. I, too, think Jive will win the album release war, but I do think it is hard to put out a quality CD while on the road and I hope she can hold out for quality.

While Idol winner, Lee DeWyze has been recording on the road, Crystal is waiting until the tour is over to begin studio work on her upcoming debut album. We’ll see who wins that tug of war. My money is on Jive

My money is on her. She seems to be remarkably stubborn. If she hasn’t recorded anything yet, she’ll be hard-pressed to have something out by this year anyway. If she doesn’t work all hours, it won’t get done.

We saw what happened when Taylor pissed of his label during recording. I doubt Crystal will fair much better. She’d better be able to produce a highly commercial/acclaimed album all on her own.

Isn´t it in the labels interest that the album is “right”? If that´s how it will sell better and gain more interest and recognition, the more $$$ for Jive

My money is on her. She seems to be remarkably stubborn. If she hasn’t recorded anything yet, she’ll be hard-pressed to have something out by this year anyway. If she doesn’t work all hours, it won’t get done.

I dunno…Taylor came off the road at the end of September with nothing in the can, and still managed to release something in December. But, Arista managed to convince Taylor it would be in his best interest to release sooner rather than later.

We’ll see. Maybe since Crystal is the runner-up rather than the winner, Jive won’t work hard to convince her.

Personally, I think she should strike while the iron is semi-hot, and I’ll bet Jive is thinking the same thing.

We’ll see. Maybe since Crystal is the runner-up rather than the winner, Jive won’t work hard to convince her to wait.

Did you mean hurry up, or did I misunderstand

My money is on her. She seems to be remarkably stubborn.

Maybe if every recording artist would be more stubborn, we would have better music out there :)

I dunno…Taylor came off the road at the end of September with nothing in the can, and still managed to release something in December. But, Arista managed to convince Taylor it would be in his best interest to release sooner rather than later.

I know, but they kept pushing back his release date until he ended up releasing Dec 12th. Barely before Christmas. I think he worked pretty long hours to do that.

We saw during the show that her illness tends to prevent long hours of work. She had to beg off of many post Idol events. Can she/will she put in 20 hours at the studio every day? Granted Taylor’s tour ended three weeks later than Crystal’s, so she does have more time to get it done.

I guess it just depends how much got done during the tour. Generally, many potential songs are selected by the time the Idols finish the tour.

She is stubborn but she may have to bend or break. If she likes where she’s at with Jive she’ll give in if not then in a years time she may be looking for another label or going independent. I say jive wins.

That’s a sweet story about her helping the street singer.

Crystal is 1,000x more talented of an artist than Taylor. Even though both may have made some similar comments about delaying their debut albums, the comparison pretty much ends there.

Taylor was popular during his Idol run for crazy stage antics, hooting and hollering, and clowning about as the happy hick. For him to demand delays for artistic integrity didn’t make sense. Crystal is a serious singer/songwriter, and understandably doesn’t want to put out a rushed album that’s filled with studio formula crap.

Hard to say how this will pan out. This IS the girl who managed to get her original music played on Idol, as well as the chance to perform it on tour (I think that happened last night; correct me if I’m wrong). I still think it’s time for Idol to open up a bit and let these signees inject more of themselves into the music. Evidently America likes singer-songwriters, so why not them BE what they are, rather than hold fast to the staid formulas that don’t always work out?

Maybe if every recording artist would be more stubborn, we would have better music out there

Yes, but you have to balance things with the business needs. If she waits until spring, many people will have forgotten her or moved onto new Idols.

One of the benefits of Idols is that they come off the show with a lot of buzz so that the label doesn’t have to start from the ground up. If you lose most of that buzz, the label has to invest a lot more to build you up again. It changes the equations. They have to decide if you are worth the investment of breaking a new artist.

Also, Q4 is the biggest quarter for music sales. Many a person ends up with an Idol CD in their Christmas stocking because somebody needed just one more gift and they know the person watches Idol. Or people pick up the album as a gift to themselves while they are in the store buying for others.

Sure, labels are the “bad guys” and often screw up, but I’ve seen far too many Idols try to make it as Indies to realize that the labels can do a lot to help you. You’ve got to understand their priorities and work within the framework.

Crystal may make a much better album by being remarkably stubborn, but fewer people will likely ever hear it.

Isn´t it in the labels interest that the album is “right”? If that´s how it will sell better and gain more interest and recognition, the more $$$ for Jive

Eriko, AI contestants need that AI recognition for PR. Waiting too long can be detrimental, especially in a low buzz year. And sales are lower in the Spring than the fall/Christmas season.

We saw during the show that her illness tends to prevent long hours of work. She had to beg off of many post Idol events.

My theory is that she just didn’t want to attend those events. Type I diabetes should not keep anyone from doing what they want (unless she is completely neglecting her health needs). They don’t need any more rest than anyone else. There are professional athletes with Type I diabetes. My daughter has Type I and she was a Varsity swimmer as a Freshman in High School, among many other things.
She can’t legitimately use that as any explanation/excuse.

I wonder if Jive is planning on going along with her plan since she hasn’t even started?

Nice story about Crystal helping the street performer get $1,000.

…and to think that Matt G. and Kris could only earn $7 for Taco Bell when they took to the streets. Ah, good memories.

Leave it to negativo to cut through the bull and bring us to the nuts and bolts of the situation….LOL

My theory is that she just didn’t want to attend those events. Type I diabetes should not keep anyone from doing what they want (unless she is completely neglecting her health needs). They don’t need any more rest than anyone else. There are professional athletes with Type I diabetes. My daughter has Type I and she was a Varsity swimmer as a Freshman in High School, among many other things.
She can’t legitimately use that as any explanation/excuse.

Thank you for putting my thoughts on this into words. I have a very close childhood friend who has Type I diabetes and she was on the school basketball team when we were in high school. And someone else I know has never let his diabetes hold him back. I think Crystal is milking the situation a bit much if she’s using this as an excuse to not attend Idol type events – I don’t recall Elliot Yamin not showing up to events for finalists during the Season 5 tour and he has the same illness.

Question: Will it make any difference at all that Simon (who I know is currently an AI vilain, heh) liked Crystal, but didn’t like Taylor? I mean for the positive for Crystal. I know I’m really rooting for something good from her! Ugh, to labels and their power. :(

Also, the street vendor story is awesome! Very nice Crystal!

ETA: Thank you for the video of “Holy Toledo” mj! I got chills and tears, and wow, the band sounded great!

My theory is that she just didn’t want to attend those events. Type I diabetes should not keep anyone from doing what they want (unless she is completely neglecting her health needs). They don’t need any more rest than anyone else.

Crystal has NEVER used her diabetes as an excuse! To the contrary, she´s been spreading the word to diabetics, nothing can hold you back but yourself.

One of the benefits of Idols is that they come off the show with a lot of buzz so that the label doesn’t have to start from the ground up. If you lose most of that buzz, the label has to invest a lot more to build you up again. It changes the equations. They have to decide if you are worth the investment of breaking a new artist.

ITA. It comes down to my comment the other day. I like to see idols come off with at least 2 really good commercially viable songs on their albums. If they bypass the buzz of AI for the holidays.. who knows or cares about their music? Yeah.. I know the ‘true’ fans. ;) but what about moderate or somewhat interested fans? Idol is the perfect stocking stuffer.

One would probably use the argument that not all idols need to be famous. I agree wholeheartedly, but they do need a label, otherwise they could continue on in their garages making music and working as a Walmart greeter (honest job, but takes little skill). Idols need some fame and commercial appeal to keep people buying music and allow them to make a living in music.

Whether Crystal is more talented than Taylor or not really means nothing. Not only IMO is it important to strike while the iron is hot due to AI fans have a short term memory but also its in Crystal’s best interest not to get into a pissing match with TPTB and make them angry. Talented or not Jive/19 can really screw her over if they want when it comes to how much they promote her. She could put out the greatest album any Idol ever created but will that matter to the label if sales suffer? I dont think shes in any position to not compromise even a little bit. Plenty of talented people came off Idol and didnt do as well as they should have due to timing issues.

Why couldn’t she put out a 5 song EP or something if she doesn’t have time for a full album?

Kirsten, thanks for your explanations, what you said is very logical and hard to disagree with. No matter how stubborn she may be regarding her music, she´s got a good head on her shoulder and will understand and comply with good reason and logic presented to her, so I´m not really worried

Correct me if I am wrong but waiting until spring would also mean that Crystal will miss out on all the tv appearances going into the holidays. No one is going to want her on their show playing cover songs and nothing new to offer. As the runner-up her options may be more limited. It will be a lot harder to get her on those shows in the spring once idol starts up again.

Maybe Crystal diabetes gives her some big problems sometimes? I don’t really follow her that closely, so I’m just guessing about that. She was ill enough earlier on in the competition, where people thought she might have to leave it.

I have some family members with diabetes (Type II) and most of them are doing doing pretty fine living their lives with the disease. . But another family member of mine had Type II diabetes and it was very hard on her physically.

Maybe Crystal has a difficult times controlling her diabetes at times and that’s why she missed out on some of those events. The illness whether it’s Type 1 or Type II can be hard on people sometimes, even though some people can manage to live pretty active, happy lives with the disease.

Crystal is 1,000x more talented of an artist than Taylor. Even though both may have made some similar comments about delaying their debut albums, the comparison pretty much ends there.

Taylor was popular during his Idol run for crazy stage antics, hooting and hollering, and clowning about as the happy hick. For him to demand delays for artistic integrity didn’t make sense. Crystal is a serious singer/songwriter, and understandably doesn’t want to put out a rushed album that’s filled with studio formula crap.

Neither idol were of my taste and IMO are retreads of previous eras, but both talented in what they do. Hopefully Crystal will do produce something more current than Taylor did. *shrug*

Why couldn’t she put out a 5 song EP or something if she doesn’t have time for a full album?

I thought about this too. I’d actually like for the idol to put out EP then produce a larger album. I think it comes down to being able to give a physical CD as a gift. If you are going to the expense of packaging, promotion & distribution, you might as well complete the album and charge more.

Taylor was popular during his Idol run for crazy stage antics, hooting and hollering, and clowning about as the happy hick. For him to demand delays for artistic integrity didn’t make sense. Crystal is a serious singer/songwriter, and understandably doesn’t want to put out a rushed album that’s filled with studio formula crap.

Well, I’m no Taylor Hicks fan, but from reading around, I’m pretty sure he’d put out material – or at least had material – from before Idol. Wasn’t that a large part of the friction between him and the label? He wanted to stay truer to his roots?

So, I don’t think the image of him as some musical clown is quite fair…

As a music lover, of course I’d rather Crystal stayed true to herself as a musician and put out her own music. I’d rather David Cook did the same.

But it truely is a Faustian deal here. These people made a commerical compromise the moment they decided to use Idol to break into a bigger market. Bigger market means record label means compromise with commerical requirements. If they play things right, they might get to retain the essence of who they are, whilst also satifying the demands/opinions of the label and gain increasing room for manouever in future releases.

The only acts who don’t face these problems become huge under their own steam, often sticking to independent labels until they’ve established themselves. (ETA: or they have an incredibly strong and indiviudal sound). And even then, as I understand it, if they bite the bullet and go for a major label contract, compromises with the label’s vision and expectations will be required.

If Crystal goes for it in the short term and sticks to her guns – and it takes balls to do that which I respect – then she runs the risk of totally forfeiting all label support if they don’t like the result: especially if she’s pissed them off by an unwillingness to listen to what they have to say.

And that is where then link to what happened with Taylor Hicks comes in, IMO.

Neither idol were of my taste and IMO are retreads of previous eras, but both talented in what they do. Hopefully Crystal will do produce something more current than Taylor did. *shrug*

God willing, Crystal will put out an album that someone with your musical taste will hate. I don’t want her to appeal to the teen masses who are looking for the “hottest, newest, most current sound.”

Trying to change your styles so that you appeal to those who don’t like your music is called selling out, and is the quickest, easiest way to alienate your real fans and destroy your career.

As far as delaying her album, I don’t know if that will be the best thing for Crystal to do. She already has coming off a very lacklukster season working against her. And if Season 10 ends up rebounding and being a good season, even less people might be interested in her.

I think it might be best for her to release an album before season 10 comes. Especially if she’s putting some of her pre-idol stuff up there, she doesn’t have to come up with as much new material for the album.

Correct me if I am wrong but waiting until spring would also mean that Crystal will miss out on all the tv appearances going into the holidays. No one is going to want her on their show playing cover songs and nothing new to offer. As the runner-up her options more limited. It will be a lot harder to get her on those shows in the spring once idol starts up again.

I know when Danny released his album in the spring, he hardly gotten any national promotion except his appearance on AI, and then later on around the summer QVC. He hasn’t gotten any national promotion since those two things.

It is possible that Crystal might have a more difficult time getting national promotion around spring. Though she might could at least get booked on Idol and she might get more than Danny got because she’s the runner-up instead of the third place finisher.

What Crystal and many others need to realize is that this isn’t just about music–it’s a BUSINESS, one that’s struggling to stay relevant as it goes through a myriad of changes. No Idol champion or runner-up has had the luxury of delaying their fist album so they can put out a product that’s supposedly not full of ‘studio formula crap.’ Katharine McPhee’s debut was in Janurary, but that wasn’t of her choosing.

With S9 already forgotten by most of the mainstream media, Crystal and the others need to hold on to as much forward motion as possible, as it could help them with sales and securing gigs.

A firmer grasp of her situation has to come into play for Crystal. It’s not about just her anymore. It’s about Crystal AND her relationship with Jive, that they want to strike while the iron is still warm. That’s the tradeoff of being on Idol–you’ve got to play by their rules. I’m sure Crystal knows this to some degree. But when I read articles like this, it makes me wonder how much of the message is Crystal receiving.

Trying to change your styles so that you appeal to those who don’t like your music is called selling out, and is the quickest, easiest way to alienate your real fans and destroy your career.

Some would aruge that going on Idol in the first place is tantamount to ‘selling out.’

Crystal is a serious singer/songwriter, and understandably doesn’t want to put out a rushed album that’s filled with studio formula crap.

There were 16 Idol winners and runner-ups before Crystal. Not all of them were songwriters but I certainly think each and ever one of them was serious about their singing and a few of them are pretty darn good songwriters. The only way she’ll win this battle is if Jive just let’s her have her way then does little to promote her. Others before her have succeeded, even if their first albums contained lots of ‘studio formula crap’. If Crystal is as great as her fans say, she shouldn’t be too stubborn on the first album and her talent will still be obvious. I do think she will be allowed to include some of her own stuff. Later on is when she should fight her battles, ala K. Clarkson.

Music is subjective and I would respectively disagree that Crystal is more talented than Taylor. Taylor’s schtick on the show was just that. It made him entertaining and people voted for him, whether he was their taste musically or not.

That said, for Taylor, I think, it was all about winning so he could put out the record he wanted. His attitude was very similar to Crystal’s in that regard. Arista wound up on the winning side of that battle, even though Taylor refused to work on the cd during the tour. I like Crystal, but I think she should chose her battles wisely and tread lightly here.

ETA: There has to be some compromise on Crystal’s album for it to be commercially viable or else a major label isn’t where she belongs.

These people made a commercial compromise the moment they decided to use Idol to break into a bigger market.

Crystal NEVER compromised on her desire to remain a busking, starving artist because she NEVER wanted to remain a starving, busking artist in the first place. She wanted the big stage, she wanted to have commercial success, she wanted to be able to provide for her son and her family…it was no accident she auditioned for Idol. She didn’t get lost and stumble into an Idol try out by shere happenstance.

If Crystal can’t see how small the window of opportunity she has is, Jive needs to convince her. The votes for this year were already WAY down which means she has even less time than last year’s contestants. Wait too long and people forget – and that’s not aimed at Crystal, that applies to everyone. She cannot afford to miss those Christmas sales, no one can. I hope Jive can convince her that yes, she’s the runner up and yes she has an amazing opportunity here but that opportunity has a shelf life. She is still very, very new to this business, she doesn’t get to call the shots yet, not if she wants Jive to pay for it. If she decides to go the independent route – like Megan last season – then she can take all the time she wants. But she signed a contract. I hope she read it.

Well, I’m no Taylor Hicks fan, but from reading around, I’m pretty sure he’d put out material – or at least had material – from before Idol. Wasn’t that a large part of the friction between him and the label? He wanted to stay truer to his roots?

He did. He had two albums out prior to going on Idol (one was still in print and sold extremely well out of a little store in Alabama that did mail order). His hardcore fans all knew of this music and it drove them to vote with abandon. They were convinced of his talent.

If Crystal goes for it in the short term and sticks to her guns – and it takes balls to do that which I respect – then she runs the risk of totally fofeiting all label support if they don’t like the result: especially if she’s pissed them off by an unwillingness to listen to what they have to say.

I know that Taylor is the great bogeyman of Idol and to even mention him name with another Idol is considered an instant insult, but we can learn from what happened to him.

A classic example of this is his single. He disagreed with his label as to what the debut single should be. They wanted “Just to Feel That Way” and he wanted something else. Well, labels can be remarkably stubborn too. Taylor finally blinked 3 months after his album had been released. By that time, with no single to support it, his album had sunk off the chart. The label got the single they wanted, but it was too late (and they weren’t inclined to do much to support it) and the rest is history. He was dropped by his label before the end of that year.

The other classic example of pissing off the labels is what the label did to Kelly when she wouldn’t listen to them. And the next album she made was exactly what they wanted. Even the title seems to rub her nose in it.

I like Crystal and I like Taylor. Both are on pitch singers,play guitar and harmonica. Taylor is more the jam band type and Crystal is the singer song writer. Taylor said in a recent interview that dispite what you read, that he and Simon are on friendly terms and always have been behind the scenes. Katherine Mcphee was with Jive and her album didn’t come out till after the first of the year and didn’t sell very well so I hope Crystal does the smart thing.

Actually, I think Kat was on RCA. Wasn’t she?

Yeah, I’m of the opinion that Crystal should most definitely try to release something in November, rather than wait till the Spring. Lower buzz for this year means the sooner the better for all these idols – and definitely before the new season, so that at least they’re still familiar with the public. Plus, she’ll likely get more prominent press during November sweeps on the talk shows, etc. Plus, of course, as others mentioned, the sales are highest then – so even having lower sales compared to other idols, she’s still likely to get a bigger boost from the Christmas buying season.

And finally, I don’t know how her illness is effecting her time to work, but especially with this tour being shorter and ending sooner than other seasons’ tours, that gives her a little more time to work on stuff now and have it ready for November. I think she would be better served to release in November.

Calling her a “sell out” to some imaginary vow of artistic poverty is simply projecting your own ideas of who she is and who you want her to be. Commercial success while staying true to yourself as an artist doesn’t need to be mutually exclusive, and she’s determined for both to happen. It’s not that hard to understand.

It’s also not hard to understand that Crystal and all other Idols are playing by industry rules once they sign contracts with RCA, Jive, and soon Universal.

No one expects Crystal to come out with music akin to Katy Perry. But I imagine Katy has to deal with her share of corporate headaches. Crystal will be no different in that regard. Every mainstream artist has to deal with it.

I suspect Crystal is not naive to the business/ marketing aspects to this industry. I think she’ll know how to compromise to get what she wants when the time comes.

These people made a commercial compromise the moment they decided to use Idol to break into a bigger market.

Crystal NEVER compromised on her desire to remain a busking, starving artist because she NEVER wanted to remain a starving, busking artist in the first place. She wanted the big stage, she wanted to have commercial success, she wanted to be able to provide for her son and her family…it was no accident she auditioned for Idol. She didn’t get lost and stumble into an Idol try out by shere happenstance.

Actually, what I said agrees exactly with the first part of your post. Yes, Crystal chose to go on AI to gain a larger audience and greater success. She wanted a mainstream, big label contract – or, at the least, some sort of label/contract support.

However, following the experience of all sorts of acts, both from Idol and beyond it, suggests that a new artist usually has to compromise with the label in order to receive adequate support from them, unless what they produce is just so astonishingly brilliant that it overcomes any problems.

Now, I think Crystal is talented and I wish her every success, but she isn’t that astonishingly new or brilliant, IMO.

Hopefully everything will work out for the best.

There just might be potential difficulties ahead, based on what she has been saying, when compared to previous artists off AI.

Edited: because the post I was responding to was edited.

Edited again in response to MJ’s post…

Reminder:

Dial back the anger, and please don’t question the motives of your fellow posters or put words in their mouths. It is rude and starts arguments. I’ll be editing and deleting where necessary.

God willing, Crystal will put out an album that someone with your musical taste will hate. I don’t want her to appeal to the teen masses who are looking for the “hottest, newest, most current sound.”

LOL you’ve made a lot of assumptions about my tastes. Never said the hottest, newest and most current sounds. You can skate on the edge of a throwback sound and still sound current. Its happening right now with music from the 80′s. I hear it in alternative music everyday.

Trying to change your styles so that you appeal to those who don’t like your music is called selling out, and is the quickest, easiest way to alienate your real fans and destroy your career.

The only ‘real’ fans there are, are the ones that spend money to buy your product.

08/30/2010 at 11:13 am
There were 16 Idol winners and runner-ups before Crystal. Not all of them were songwriters but I certainly think each and ever one of them was serious about their singing and a few of them are pretty darn good songwriters. The only way she’ll win this battle is if Jive just let’s her have her way then does little to promote her. Others before her have succeeded, even if their first albums contained lots of ’studio formula crap’. If Crystal is as great as her fans say, she shouldn’t be too stubborn on the first album and her talent will still be obvious. I do think she will be allowed to include some of her own stuff. Later on is when she should fight her battles, ala K. Clarkson.u

What Crystal needs to do is get her butt in gear and get that album out by the Christmas holidays. If she’s the great songwriter that some of her fans think she is, she should have oodles of material to choose from. JIVE is giving her this opportunity and if she wants to waste it by waiting too long, that’s her lost. JIVE can easily find another artist to take her place. She needs JIVE to help provide a good life for her and her child, JIVE don’t need her, because they have quite a few artist who are already successful and making them a profit. There might be a possibility that JIVE and RCA really don’t have any confidence in either Lee or Crystal, to be able to make a album that sales, and simply want them to get the album out and hope for the best.

It’s also not hard to understand that Crystal and all other Idols are playing by industry rules once they sign contracts with RCA, Jive, and soon Universal.

Dealing with authority is part of life. Every music performer, no matter how “indie”, who has ever put out an album has had to deal with executives and lawyers tugging at them along the way to do what they say. Crystal is no different, and will face the same challenges. Such is life. You pick your battles, compromise on what’s not that important and stand your ground on what really matters. It’s called having wisdom, and lacking it is as much a career killer as lacking talent.

Crystal has NEVER used her diabetes as an excuse!

Someone just theorized that she was ill from diabetes and that is why she may have missed events; whereas IMO, she just didn’t want to go. I’m sure they all don’t want to go at times. I have never heard Crystal use her diabetes as an excuse, and I admire her forthrightness about it – she is a good advocate.

Maybe Crystal has a difficult times controlling her diabetes at times and that’s why she missed out on some of those events. The illness whether it’s Type 1 or Type II can be hard on people sometimes, even though some people can manage to live pretty active, happy lives with the disease.

Type II diabetes is really a whole different condition than Type I, in cause and effect. Type II diabetics do have more complications in general than Type I, partly because often poor health can bring on Type II.

Crystal was ill at the beginning; it sounds like from ketoacidosis from not controlling well-or from another illness putting her into ketoacidosis. She could be a “brittle” diabetic who has no rhyme or reason to blood sugar ups & downs. But those are rare.
The vast majority of Type I diabetics should have no trouble keeping up with day to day demands and recording long hours in the studio. Yes, their blood glucose may get high at times and make them tired, but they can adjust that. Everyone gets tired at times from something or other.

Crystal was my second favorite from season 9 after Casey. I don’t think she uses diabetes as an excuse. My point was that I don’t think she sees it as a disability and we shouldn’t use that excuse for her when she doesn’t.

I think, being the mother of an independent artist, that it is totally different being on a major label! Being “indie” means you don’t have executives and lawyers tugging at you. You do it all on your own. My son and his band mate have produced three independent albums. All available for sale on itunes. There was no one to deal with but themselves. They obviously don’t expect to have the sales that a major label artist does! All costs and profits, however, belong to them. They can put on their cd’s anything they want, their income is the only thing affected by bad decisions.

from reading around, I’m pretty sure [Taylor had] put out material – or at least had material – from before Idol. Wasn’t that a large part of the friction between him and the label? He wanted to stay truer to his roots?

Exactly. I first heard Taylor singing in his audition and liked his voice then I Googled his name. I found some of his original music streaming at a Birmingham NPR station where he’d given an interview before he tried out for Idol. Most of the time I found Taylor’s Idol performances entertaining – but definitely “Your Milage May Vary”. I think Taylor’s original music is quite good, good enough for me to want to power-vote for him on the show, sometimes in spite of his goofiness on the show. When he’s in his element, Taylor puts on a great live show.

Taylor basically got Biced. His own artistic sensibilities were better for him than what Arista tried to put together as a post-Idol release. If they’d let him do something closer to his roots, I think he would have sold about as many units but his album would have been a better reflection of who his is as an artist.

Where this applies to Crystal, in my opinion, is that they’ve been there, done that. The strategy they used for Taylor was not successful to the extent that they wanted from an Idol winner, but then Crystal’s a runner up. If the 19/Sony PTB has wised up maybe they’ve learned that neutralizing an artists musical identity to fit into a predetermined box doesn’t necessarily mean commercial success, anymore than letting an artist do what comes naturally.

Look at the difference between Carrie and Bo, Kat, Kellie and Daughtry. Apparently, Carrie pushed to a make a country album when her label wanted her to sing pop, because it was a reflection of who she was as an artist. It was a commercial success. Bo was a southern rocker who they tried to force into an uncomfortable pop rock box, and it wasn’t as successful. Daughtry was a comfortable fit for pop rock and it was a success. Kellie has been successful as a country singer. Kat was most comfortable singing pop ballads but the tried to make her something else and it wasn’t a success.

I know the labels care, but I personally don’t care how many units the artists sell or if Crystal makes her record this Fall or next Spring. More important is what kind of music is on the album. I loved her live version of Holy Toledo from last night’s tour show and I would love to have a recorded version of that, and not some cast off from another artist or songwriter.

A classic example of this is his single. He disagreed with his label as to what the debut single should be. They wanted “Just to Feel That Way” and he wanted something else. Well, labels can be remarkably stubborn too. Taylor finally blinked 3 months after his album had been released. By that time, with no single to support it, his album had sunk off the chart. The label got the single they wanted, but it was too late (and they weren’t inclined to do much to support it) and the rest is history. He was dropped by his label before the end of that year.

And Taylor is now making the music he wants to make on an independent label, and according to all those lists about what idols make is still raking in way more money than me or most people on this board lol! So yes, I guess in a way Taylor is a good example to look at.

I feel a bit vindicated in my comments from the other day haha! I think it’s clear that Crystal’s first concern is to put out the best album she could possibly make right now, and so striking while the iron is hot just to make more sales probably doesn’t fit into her thought process. I know that seems to go against everything were taught about in this greedy capitalistic society lol but I think it is admirable. Also, to suggest she will now have to work as a walmart greeter is a bit ridiculous in my opinion! Not everyone who isn’t on a major label is a music failure lol! Even George Huff made 6 figures for years after the show from touring and appearances.

The other classic example of pissing off the labels is what the label did to Kelly when she wouldn’t listen to them. And the next album she made was exactly what they wanted. Even the title seems to rub her nose in it.

And My December is in my opinion Kelly’s best album, and All I ever Wanted is her worst, so what is the advantage of bending to the label again besides money? Should the almighty dollar always win out?

Crystal was my second favorite from season 9 after Casey. I don’t think she uses diabetes as an excuse. My point was that I don’t think she sees it as a disability and we shouldn’t use that excuse for her when she doesn’t.

I’m in no position to argue whether she’s having actual problems with diabetes or using it as an excuse. I just remember that there were some functions post Idol (such as the visit to the I Can Dream House) which she didn’t attend because she was sick. It’s immaterial what the real reason is if the results are the same.

Even if the vast majority of Type I diabetics can handle all the pressure/stress/work without batting an eye, it doesn’t mean that they all can.

This has been an interesting discussion, but what does Crystal want? I’ve read a lot of assumptions, but we have absolutely no idea what she is willing to compromise on or how that plays against her priorities.

I’m not going to debate the Jive vs. Crystal conflict on the timeline of release because there are certainly pros/cons to both sides; however, I find it strange that Crystal is now saying she wants to wait until spring to make sure her album is done the right way when she has a plethora of high quality, pre-IDOL material that she should be able to record as soon as the tour is over. I understand she has been working with a few people on some material, but prior reports suggest a substantial portion of her album will be her own, pre-IDOL music. If that is the case, what could possibly cause a delay until the spring?

Should the almighty dollar always win out?

Well it certainly makes a huge impact when you have health issues and a son to raise. Everything in life is balance. Compromises will be made, especially when you have a whole other little person depending on your decisions.

If Taylor Hicks is raking in money I guess it must be from something other than touring, considering a recently published boxscore had 158 people showing up at a 500 capacity venue for his concert, with a total gross of less than $6,000.

Sure, artists are free to make whatever choices they wish (if they can win that battle with the label), but there is always a consequence. If Crystal chooses to delay the album release in order to exercise more control over it and “get it right” in her view, it may result in a finished product she (and some fans) are more pleased with, but the business reality is that she will have missed the Christmas shopping season, forfeited a lot of the built-in buzz that accompanies the usual November releases of recent Idol alums, and will likely take a sales hit as a result. With the general lack of buzz, low voting totals and lower ratings during AI9, the alums from that season are probably on thin ice commercially to start with, and delaying a debut album certainly won’t help.

I know the labels care, but I personally don’t care how many units the artists sell or if Crystal makes her record this Fall or next Spring. More important is what kind of music is on the album. I loved her live version of Holy Toledo from last night’s tour show and I would love to have a recorded version of that, and not some cast off from another artist or songwriter.

Even if Crystal doesn’t write every single song on her album, that doesn’t mean what she records is necessarily a cast-off from someone else. Previous Idols and runners-up have mentioned in the past that the labels were getting music/songs sent to them for that Idol to consider using. That doesn’t mean it was a song that was cast-off by someone else.

Awww that’s sweet (the street performer part not the other part lol)

It’s called having wisdom, and lacking it is as much a career killer as lacking talent.

On this we can agree, though likely on different levels.

When it comes to the Idols, so much is already going against them. There are many who still look down on them for using the show to get a better footing into the music business, that they’re less than everyone else for doing so. I don’t believe it and I don’t anyone else here does, either. But a lot of folks do. So having that burden put on their shoulders before they even record a single note, Idols need to utilize all the resources available to them. The biggest tool in their box is that they get access to major record labels who have the resources to get their music out to the masses.

Idols have to play three sides of the fence: staying true to their musical identity, cooperating with their label/management, and having to deal with too many naysayers and pearl-clutching fans who obsess over every little thing. I think almost all Idol fans have been guilty of that, LOL! It’s a lot to handle, let alone handle with ease.

At the end of the day, we’ve all gotta eat. So what if a singer goes on Idol to find a better path to making money? As long as their music is good, I’m going to listen.

I find it strange that Crystal is now saying she wants to wait until spring to make sure her album is done the right way when she has a plethora of high quality, pre-IDOL material that she should be able to record as soon as the tour is over. I understand she has been working with a few people on some material, but prior reports suggest a substantial portion of her album will be her own, pre-IDOL music. If that is the case, what could possibly cause a delay until the spring?

Good question. I thought the idea of Crystal using so much of her previous material sounded too good to be true. Who really knows, other than Crystal and Jive. But if we’re using previous Idols as a template, Crystal MIGHT get 1-2 of her pre-Idol songs on her album.

Idols have to play three sides of the fence: staying true to their musical identity, cooperating with their label/management, and having to deal with too many naysayers and pearl-clutching fans who obsess over every little thing. I think almost all Idol fans have been guilty of that, LOL! It’s a lot to handle, let alone handle with ease.

At the end of the day, we’ve all gotta eat. So what if a singer goes on Idol to find a better path to making money? As long as their music is good, I’m going to listen.

well said.

Crystal’s fans voted for her so she could win and get signed by a major label. Now some want her to be able to function as an ‘indie’. It is going to be interesting to see how this turns out. I think the future for the season 9 top 10 is more difficult to predict than any other season with a few surprises in store. And a major disappointment wouldn’t surprise me.

And since Taylor Hicks keeps getting mentioned, he may have wanted to be a successful recording artist but it didn’t happen. I’m not really a fan of his but I think he was always meant to be a stage performer and he is doing quite well at it. I imagine Taylor is pretty happy at this point. Even the latest issue of EW takes a dig at Taylor…..it really is getting old.

I know Crystal is signed by 19R, is she also managed by 19M?

Idols have to play three sides of the fence: staying true to their musical identity, cooperating with their label/management, and having to deal with too many naysayers and pearl-clutching fans who obsess over every little thing. I think almost all Idol fans have been guilty of that, LOL! It’s a lot to handle, let alone handle with ease.

Yup! A lot of them handle it amazingly well. Whether they actually follow that path to the heights, to a solid, but middling career or to a smaller, indie level success seems also to be so much down to chance and fashion. Because, in their own ways, most of the Idol contestants have the goods to make it in the industry.

The fact that they have to contend with a press which refuses to allow that market conditions apply to their sales, just as much as it applies to sales for every other artist, is also a problem that they have to skate round.

But at the end of the day, they have a level of publicity that must always stand them in good stead.

One of the great things about Fantasia’s current album is that it shows that, even though she’s been through some down times (in terms of her career) post-Idol, there is always the chance to make good on the platform it provides, even if it’s several years down the road and whatever level it ends up being on.

I’m all for Crystal putting out the best album she can that reflects her identity as a musician. But hopefully she knows that the longer she waits to release her music, the more likely it will be that people will forget about her. Artistic integrity is a wonderful thing, but Crystal still wants to make a good living for herself and her son — something that will be a lot harder to do if she doesn’t have any music out there for the public to hear and to (hopefully) buy.

I believe Crystal understands that she is not going to win every battle and that she is going to have to compromise on some stuff. Hopefully Jive has learned from their battles with other artists and also will be willing to compromise on some things. If Crystal has the support of her management, that will help — but if they side with the label, well…

If they think they have a strong single that they can release in the fall, something that might be able to get strong radio play and keep Crystal’s name out there, maybe they could get away with a spring release.

I like Crystal’s music and admire her determination/stubbornness to stay true to who she is. So I hope this will work out for Crystal — that she will be able to put out the album she (at least mainly) wants to, and that it will do well enough commercially to satisfy 19 and Jive.

At the St. Louis stop of the “Idol” tour, Bowersox said, there was a street performer outside the venue who broke down in tears of joy after she sang along with him and helped earn him $1,000 in tips.

“He cried, and said ‘You don’t know how much I needed this today,’” she said. “He had no idea who I was. I mean, I was in his place just a little over a year ago.”

NGL, that made me tear up a bit.

I hope the Power of Crystal is big enough to win this battle with the bigwigs, but I’m not optimistic. Has she ever had a conversation with Taylor Hicks? Sure hope so.

I get the feeling that another point of commonality between Crystal and Taylor is that they are niche artists, another thing that could hurt their sales. Even if she only cares about artistic cred, she needs to be able to compromise enough to keep Jive from losing their shirts on her (or perceiving that they will), which won’t help anyone.

I kind of wonder if Crystal pushed for a bunch of her pre-Idol music to be used, which might have allowed a fall release without recording during the tour, and when they didn’t bite, said that otherwise it would take her into spring to make a record with all new stuff. Now they are in a standoff.

SPRING? Well, good luck with that, Crystal.

Also, great story about her hook-up with a street performer outside of the show venue. Very nice.

Well it certainly makes a huge impact when you have health issues and a son to raise. Everything in life is balance. Compromises will be made, especially when you have a whole other little person depending on your decisions.

Yeah, and I would think that another complicating factor will be the fact that what “success” and “enough money” look like to hippieish down-to-earth, indie songwriter Crystal and what they look like to the record labels and management that take on the Idols are two way way way different things. …

I have no doubt that, with this start, Crystal could make enough money in the music industry to take care of her and her son very well, by her standards, working on a strong, indie-type level or the like.

But the trick will be to get the kind of career that will give her a solid lifestyle at the same time as her label/management are driving toward something a monetary result on a completely different scale, as players in the “major” part of the industry, and the part that’s involved with people who have already been seen by 10s of millions of people, no less. … The expectations of Crystal and the corporate expectations are inevitably going to clash here, I think, so I hope that Crystal can somehow come out the other end with the kind of low-key career that can sustain her without getting too chopped up in the process. It’s the Idol/19/Sony expectations that they’ll only back superstars that clashes big time with the more down-to-earth prospects and expectations of some of the Idols and causes a lot of the problems people face coming off the show, I think. And that’s especially true as they cast some of these more “indie” types for the contest in recent years, I think.

Here’s another ‘out of left field’ idea: Maybe JIVE wants her to release in the spring, and Crystal is now altering expectations about her album’s release date to communicate that fact to both her fans and the press?

Casey won’t be releasing until spring, and if I had to hazard a guess at this point, I think David Cook’s sophomore big label release won’t come out until spring either.

There’s an upside and a downside to releasing at either time of the year. Perhaps the folks at Jive believe Crystal’s talented enough to market her more like a brand new artist rather than a former Idol. I know that strategy hasn’t really panned out for Allison Iraheta, but it doesn’t mean they, in discussion with Crystal herself, don’t believe that to be the best option out there.

I think Crystal has more to lose in the end if she doesn’t fight the label now. If she goes along with them she’ll likely end up with a cd that doesn’t represent her. It’s not like she’s destined for Top 40 mainstream success. She’s got to protect herself for the longterm.

Crystal is going to be a touring act with a loyal cult following. She’ll make a wonderful living as an indie artist performing at clubs and festivals like Bonnaroo, but there’s no way she’ll thrive in a corporate environment with Jive.

very nice the story with hte street performer.
As for her coming up album, I would so aim for the Christmas time window if I was her

Kelly Clarkson also fought and successfully delayed the release of her debut album from fall 2002 to April 2003 because she didn’t just want to release an album of other people’s reject songs. I know it was a different time for AI and the music industry though.

The idea of putting out an EP for the holidays seemed awesome to get Jive some holiday sales while buying Crystal some time. But I wonder if the math would work out as well. I have a feeling Jive would rather all the sales be concentrated in on just 1 album/EP release but maybe I’m wrong.

What worries me is I think fighting your battles in the press can make it harder to arrive at a cooperative solution with the label. The “fighting the man” identity only works to a certain extent when you come off AI because inevitably the fact that you went on AI in the 1st place gets thrown back in your face. I don’t think any of these labels are looking to throw out ill fitting AI albums out onto the market anymore though singles are another story. Point being Jive would probably work with Crystal on making an album that’s her style but they’d expect her to give back by working on their timeline.

Perhaps the folks at Jive believe Crystal’s talented enough to market her more like a brand new artist rather than a former Idol.

She very well be talented enough to be marketed as a brand new artist, but coming off AI is like icing on the cake. That is extra cash for the taking. I doubt they care much about her ‘artistry’ if it means bypassing cash on the table.. which is exactly what would happen if she waits until spring.

I get what you are saying, although I don’t believe anyone off AI is bigger or has proportionally more talent than could be helped by the show. Does that make sense? I’m not sure I’m explaining myself well.

Niall:
08/30/2010 at 2:00 pm
I think Crystal has more to lose in the end if she doesn’t fight the label now. If she goes along with them she’ll likely end up with a cd that doesn’t represent her. It’s not like she’s destined for Top 40 mainstream success. She’s got to protect herself for the longterm.

Crystal is going to be a touring act with a loyal cult following. She’ll make a wonderful living as an indie artist performing at clubs and festivals like Bonnaroo, but there’s no way she’ll thrive in a corporate environment with Jive.

Fight the label, she’s not in any postition to fight the label. If she had been this big shiny star on season 9 of Idol and people were buying her music by the boatloads, plus have a big fanbase, then maybe she would have a little pull to dictate to a major label about her album. But she wasn’t and unless she’s put down some of the greatest music ever recorded, she needs to prepare herself for a fall release of her music. A cult following to follow you around a tour is great, but what about people actually buying your album. JIVE is going to want their artist to turn a profit.

Crystal may make a much better album by being remarkably stubborn, but fewer people will likely ever hear it.

Yeah, that’s the problem, isn’t it? Rush it, and it might not be up to par artistically. Delay things, and she might sell next to nothing. I actually think this is a tough spot to be in. If she’s going to be commercially viable at all doing the type of music she does, she has to 1. write most of the material and 2. make sure it is good. That does not jibe well with the post-Idol machine. Good luck Crystal.

Crystal with the street performer is a great story, synergy and all that jazz. Love her.

I don’t know how I feel about putting off her effort until spring. On the one hand it would be great to give her enough time to flesh it out. On the other hand I know that it’s all about the units sold, bottom line, and I know that although idols haven’t been selling the way they have in the past, they need the opportunity to do so, and Q4 is indeed the time to do it. I think many idols have managed to put out decent cds in a short timeframe. People always talk about Taylor as this failure, but so many things went into that that were out of his control. Also if anyone can tell me that his first cd was any worse than Clay’s or Kelly’s debut, the only difference is that they had lead singles that took off and they struck while the iron was hot. If they had chosen the correct single for Taylor and he had dropped three weeks earlier, it would have been a different ballgame.

Also, sick of hearing about ‘niche’ performers. Guess what? Every performer is a ‘niche’ performer. No genre is selling to a huge pool anymore, just ain’t happening. We are not talking Polka or Jazz fusion. If Lady Antebellum can score a pop success, I think Taylor could have, and certainly Crystal. It’s all about the planets aligning, lol.

Anyway, I can’t wait to see what Crystal comes up with, whenever it drops. I will wait. I am just not sure everyone will, and therein lies the rub.

Can someone pass the popcorn?

There’s plenty of good music out there that doesn’t sell. There’s plenty of crap that does. And one person’s crap music is another one’s art.

So Jive wants fall, Crystal wants spring. Jive must know there is not a huge fanbase out there waiting to pounce on anything Crystal. They have an expectation of making some profit and want the holiday sales. I can’t say I blame them.

As someone who isn’t invested in S9, this will be interesting to follow.

LOL so true.

Does anyone have kettle corn?

The funny thing is that I’m actually very much in favour of the new Idols delaying their first album releases. Delaying until the Spring allows time to develop a better quality product and also, potentially, could tie into the next season of Idol and be good for promotion.

Whatever people think about the UK X factor, this is something that they do very well and it really works in terms of giving a push to the music, so long as the management are truely behind the artist. I’ve also seen one X Factor ex-winner flop horribly on the show the next year, receive zero publicity and quickly disappear.

So, the question is not whether Crystal can put a better product together with more time – I’m sure she can. It might not, given the Idol ties and the new season, be about whether her album can be profitable if delayed to the Spring. Arguably the tactic of releasing in the late autumn has been producing diminishing returns in recent years: maybe an Idol tie in would have helped.

The question is whether this is Jive’s idea or Crystal’s and, if it is Crystals, whether she has the backing of Jive in making it. From what she says she hasn’t and that could spell difficulties.

ETA: it has to be said that the X Factor does air in the autumn, however: prime time for music sales!

I wouldn’t go as far as to say that during the season Crystal seemed like a loose cannon, but she did seem to maybe say a bit more than she should have at times. My question is…would she be making all of these comments about her album if she hasn’t really discussed these things with them? The girl seems pretty savvy to me – granted she’s never worked with a label before but I don’t think she’s naive enough to think that whatever she says or wants, she’ll get just because she said it. In other words, what’s to say that Jive and Crystal aren’t on the same page here after all?

I had said a while back, I really think perhaps it’d be best for them to basically let her do what she wants and see what happens (more or less…I know there’s gotta be some limits). I mean, it’ll be hard to even accurately categorize her album in a store to begin with – what formula do they have to determine the best path to success for her? She’s not country, she’s not rock, she’s not pop, she’s not soul, and she’s not really just folk either…she’s like all of the above combined.

And as far as the release date – it wouldn’t be “spring,” but why not delay for a release like the week of Christmas itself? Or even the week after – there’s always big after-Christmas sales too. People always say “November” but if you’re like me, it’s not unusual to not start shopping until oh, December 20th anyways. Three solid months to work on the album really isn’t rushed by most standards – as I recall many bands at least put together an album in a couple weeks. They might even figure they could do a late winter-early spring release and get her on Idol to sing her first single and maybe make the late night/talk show rounds then too. I don’t think she’ll really fade away totally just because she broke the mold like she did.

And to whoever said earlier that she wasn’t a standout star of the season or anything – she was only considered the odds on favorite to win from the first weeks until about 2 weeks from the end. All the mainstream press this season about the show pretty much was about her and how far above everyone else she was. I don’t think everyone will forget. And those who do forget probably weren’t going to buy in the first place.

Fight the label, she’s not in any postition to fight the label. If she had been this big shiny star on season 9 of Idol and people were buying her music by the boatloads, plus have a big fanbase, then maybe she would have a little pull to dictate to a major label about her album. But she wasn’t and unless she’s put down some of the greatest music ever recorded, she needs to prepare herself for a fall release of her music. A cult following to follow you around a tour is great, but what about people actually buying your album. JIVE is going to want their artist to turn a profit.

She should fight the label (and be willing to accept the fallout) if she truly believes in going a different direction than the label. I don’t expect Crystal to last more than one cd with Jive and I’d rather see her go down fighting than do whatever they tell her and then end up not only without a label but with a debut cd she hates.

A blurb in a local rag about how “Crystal’s looking at the Spring” shouldn’t be taken as complete gospel. Listen, it’s entirely possible that this was how the conversation went.

Rag: “Crystal, are you going to have an album out this fall as reports have indicated?”

Crystal: “That would be nice, but I want to make sure it’s up to my artistic standards and not a rushed product. Hell, I’ll wait until spring if that’s what it takes to get it right.”

HEADLINE: Crystal to fight label execs! Delaying album until Spring!

Always be skeptical, my friends. Oh, and stay thirsty, too.

That seems like a really good strategy!

Only ya know, not. Q4 is when the most music sales take place, spring is pretty awful. Not to mention that she is coming in with what has to be a pretty weak fanbase. I mean voting and viewership was down; her fanbase wasn’t even strong enough to get her to win; her singles didn’t sell all that well; she didn’t get radio play like other AIers have been able to in the past; has little buzz now (and what buzz there was about what a weak/bad year it was) and the musical sound she probably wants to make, isn’t anywhere on the charts that sell the most singles, or even albums.

Yes yes, she could stay true to her “musical integrity” and be bounced from her label sooner than later. Which coolio, guess she can really go indie and there are tons of AI artists that only do so well with that. I guess, again, if she’s only looking for a certain amount of money? great! I would just think that with a kid and being their sole breadwinner, I’d want to make more money for their future, even if it meant making just a few more compromises in the beginning. Like the story with that busker shows, it’s a hard life to make a living being a musican, and so I personally think she should strike while the iron is as hot as it’s going to be. Maybe because as much as I thought Crystal should have won her season, I don’t think she is THAT amazing a talent that she will be able to really to just set the world on fire with what she produces, even if it’s true to her.

I just don’t get her stubborness about this. Maybe because I’ve seen how this played out with Taylor Hicks (and no, I don’t think she’s actually that much talented or relevant than him), so I just don’t get her thinking here. She went on a fracking karaoke show, did pointy poses and effing Ford commericals that were as cheesy and selling out as anything, so please with the overwhelming artistic integrity. I think she should fight for as much as she can, choose her battles and move on.

But MMV and all that.

I just don’t get her stubborness about this.

What is she stubborn about? Everything said here is speculation and/or assumptions. No one knows if, what or how Jive wants something different than Crystal does.

Perhaps if she legally changed her name to Cri$tal, recorded a club remix album of her pre-Idol material, donned a pointed bra, stripper shoes and a platinum wig, hired a dance ensemble of gay, shirtless, hairless men, and began fueling rumors about her son being the product of a swingers club orgy, she could totally kick some ass and, like, sell, like, mega, wicked, major albums!!

Perhaps if she legally changed her name to Cri$tal, recorded a club remix album of her pre-Idol material, donned a pointed bra, stripper shoes and a platinum wig, hired a dance ensemble of gay, shirtless, hairless men, and began fueling rumors about her son being the product of a swingers club orgy, she could totally kick some ass and, like, sell, like, mega, wicked, major albums!!

Crystal should hire you as her manager! LOL

Perhaps if she legally changed her name to Cri$tal, recorded a club remix album of her pre-Idol material, donned a pointed bra, stripper shoes and a platinum wig, hired a dance ensemble of gay, shirtless, hairless men, and began fueling rumors about her son being the product of a swingers club orgy, she could totally kick some ass and, like, sell, like, mega, wicked, major albums!!

Because yes, that’s totally what advocating make a compromise is, totally giving up everything. It’s called a compromise because you hopefully find some middle ground. Where the artist can still do most of what they want, maybe just not all, and in return they get a wider audience for their music (and possibly more money for themselves and their family, and the opportunity to make more albums in the future). She could just have a song or two that were maybe some degree of *gasp* commerically viable, like at all, and on the rest of her album have songs that aren’t as commerically viable. It’s not an all or nothing situation, and if Crystal wants to think and play that it is, I think she’s being naive and that it won’t stand her in good stead for any real success in the future.

Because all this talk about her having some great loyal fanbase to support her on some indie label and/or touring is cool, but that fanbase wasn’t enough to get her that win, nor buy a lot of downloads, or attend the AI concerts for her, etc., so yeah, we’ll see how that pays off for her.

And again, it’s not as if she was unwilling to compromise herself enough to be on a show as cheesy as AI and make all the necessary artistic sacrifices for that, so not seeing that she can’t just compromise somewhat with her album. Look at that story of the busker, and how she was saying that was her just a year ago. She decided to compromise to not have that situation anymore. So not like it’s completely out of her vocabulary and experience. Oh, and that story with the busker was cute. Awww Crystal.

Niall:
08/30/2010 at 3:48 pm

Fight the label, she’s not in any postition to fight the label. If she had been this big shiny star on season 9 of Idol and people were buying her music by the boatloads, plus have a big fanbase, then maybe she would have a little pull to dictate to a major label about her album. But she wasn’t and unless she’s put down some of the greatest music ever recorded, she needs to prepare herself for a fall release of her music. A cult following to follow you around a tour is great, but what about people actually buying your album. JIVE is going to want their artist

to turn a profit.

She should fight the label (and be willing to accept the fallout) if she truly believes in going a different direction than the label. I don’t expect Crystal to last more than one cd with Jive and I’d rather see her go down fighting than do whatever they tell her and then end up not only without a label but with a debut cd she hates.

The chances are pretty good JIVE is not going to fight with her, they are just going to ignore her, which means unless she can come up with something to do, they will let her sit there and stew in her own misery. Look at last year’s runner up Adam. He had an idea of what he wanted to do, just like Crystal does. He said they asked him what he wanted to do and what type of album he wanted to ask, so that he and the RCA could make it happen. Adam was certainly in a better position than Crystal’s coming off the season and tour. Adam said he gave his opinion, but that didn’t mean he got everything his way. I don’t doubt JIVE has done surveys, kept up with what people are saying about her and seeing what interest and offers they are receiving. They think that fall would be better, by Spring who’s going to remember her without some new music, especially with the new Idol season beginning.

Because all this talk about her having some great loyal fanbase to support her on some indie label and/or touring is cool…

Have you been conversing with yourself? I have read nobody else here suggesting she void her contract, leave her label and release an indie album.

However, you’ve inspired me with yet another idea to make Lady Cry$tal successful. A gangsta duet with 50 Cent, accompanied by an MTV Video of her busting a cap in some dude’s ass for dealing her kid crack while she was booty dancing with her baby-daddy home boy?

True dat.

I think the notion that Crystal can’t support herself without a major label is very very misguided. So you all do realize that dozens of idols have supported themselves pretty lucratively without big album sales, right?

Normally a late album for an Idol is the kiss of death. But S9 has almost no buzz so maybe in Crystal’s case delaying the album isn’t so bad. Her fanbase sees her as a rebel so that works for her.

I don’t think Crystal will blow up but she could have a modest career playing her style of music. However, ultimately like all the 19 artists she works for them. They decide when the album comes out. If she turns into a huge pain, she’ll suffer in the end.

Have you been conversing with yourself? I have read nobody else here suggesting she void her contract, leave her label and release an indie album.

Hmmm. Maybe you should start reading what others have actually written? No one, least of all me, is saying she will void her contract. Being dropped by her label after one CD isn’t voiding her contract. And if she’s dropped by her label, I find it doubtful another major label would want her. Why would they? So indie route would be what she would do. And looking at some posts, that’s what people want for her. Which is fine. I happen to prefer indie artists, but than those indie faves of mine also haven’t been contestants on cheesy karaoke shows with pointy poses and Ford commericals.

I’ve confused by the idea that if Crystal makes anything commercially successful, it automatically makes it an artistic failure. I don’t think they are mutually exclusive. I would think her fans might want some success for her? It doesn’t mean she needs Kelly level sales, but one radio hit wouldn’t be the end all be all. She did do the pointy pose, I don’t see AAA radio jumping on board automatically even if she puts out the folk/country/rock/soul/lilith fair album of her dreams.

However, you’ve inspired me with yet another idea to make Lady Cry$tal successful. A gangsta duet with 50 Cent, accompanied by an MTV Video of her busting a cap in some dude’s ass for dealing her kid crack while she was booty dancing with her baby-daddy home boy?

All while downing aspirin?

I happen to prefer indie artists, but than those indie faves of mine also haven’t been contestants on cheesy karaoke shows with pointy poses and Ford commericals

So Chris Sligh, Brooke White, and Elliot Yamin’s careers mean nothing? Why are Blake Lewis, Bo Bice, and Taylor Hicks even trying to make music if idols can’t succeed without a major label?

I’ve confused by the idea that if Crystal makes anything commercially successful, it automatically makes it an artistic failure.

No one is saying that. I would love if a Crystal song was a big hit. As long as her music is good though I don’t care if she does or doesn’t have hits. The idea that she should change her music to something that isn’t a natural fit just so it sells more, or that she should rush out a subpar cd just so she can make a few extra bucks are the ideas I have problems with.

So Chris Sligh, Brooke White, and Elliot Yamin’s careers mean nothing? Why are Blake Lewis, Bo Bice, and Taylor Hicks even trying to make music if idols can’t succeed without a major label?

It’s not that their careers mean nothing, but look at the struggles they have getting radio play without major label support. Hell, look at how hard it is for idols even with big label support. Why would her fans want to see her fighting with her label already so she can go indie later? If that is in fact the case, which we don’t really know at all (that there is a fight).

My guess my expectations for Idol debut albums is not that lofty, given 8 years of history.

It’s not that their careers mean nothing, but look at the struggles they have getting radio play without major label support.

But the point is does it really matter if they have radio support? So what if they don’t make millions or have #1 hits, they are making the music they want and are in much better financial shape than they were before idol. Someone upthread mentioned Taylor doing a tour date and only brining in $6,000. Lets say he makes $1,500 from that, and does 60 tour dates over the year. That’s $90,000 a year in touring, and that doesn’t include any appearance fees or cd sales or merchandise, along with the hundreds of thousands he made for winning idol. A decent living can be made without being a pop artist.

Only ya know, not. Q4 is when the most music sales take place, spring is pretty awful. Not to mention that she is coming in with what has to be a pretty weak fanbase. I mean voting and viewership was down; her fanbase wasn’t even strong enough to get her to win; her singles didn’t sell all that well; she didn’t get radio play like other AIers have been able to in the past; has little buzz now (and what buzz there was about what a weak/bad year it was) and the musical sound she probably wants to make, isn’t anywhere on the charts that sell the most singles, or even albums.

Yes yes, she could stay true to her “musical integrity” and be bounced from her label sooner than later. Which coolio, guess she can really go indie and there are tons of AI artists that only do so well with that. I guess, again, if she’s only looking for a certain amount of money? great! I would just think that with a kid and being their sole breadwinner, I’d want to make more money for their future, even if it meant making just a few more compromises in the beginning. Like the story with that busker shows, it’s a hard life to make a living being a musican, and so I personally think she should strike while the iron is as hot as it’s going to be. Maybe because as much as I thought Crystal should have won her season, I don’t think she is THAT amazing a talent that she will be able to really to just set the world on fire with what she produces, even if it’s true to her.

I agree with these points. While some people have released in the spring and done fine, I think it would be better if Crystal released in the fall, before the start of Season 10.

I would think her fans might want some success for her? It doesn’t mean she needs Kelly level sales, but one radio hit wouldn’t be the end all be all

If she does get dropped by Jive and goes independent it would be harder for her to get radio airplay/radio hits. Her music wouldn’t reach as many people/potential fans. Some of it might not end up getting played on radio at all.

I’ve seen comparisons made regarding Crystal/Taylor Hicks about their albums. There are similarities between the two artists. Though it’s possible that Crystal might not end up doing as well as Taylor (who at least ended up selling over 700,000 copies of his CD.) IMO, if things don’t go well, she might could end up with a fate similar to Allison’s right now. With low album sales, no radio hits,and barely getting played on radio.

There’s nothing wrong with putting out commercially successful music, IMO. And an artist doesn’t have to necessarily compromise their artistic integrity to do that.

I hope Crystal and Jive come up with a solid plan on how to launch and market her album. I think that her releasing her album before spring might end up being best for her.

I’d say let her delay the album. Wasn’t she some sort of real estate secretary or something, and quit because she couldn’t stand the job? It would kind of go against her personality to try and follow through with what TPTB want her to do, and probably end up with more than just a few emotional breakdowns. Sure, she’ll lose sales from the more casual AI viewers, but her diehard fans will probably be able to keep her trucking well enough. She doesn’t seem very needy or greedy in the financial area, so even a small income would suffice. And she gets to continue her music the way she wants to. Seems like a win-win.

So Chris Sligh, Brooke White, and Elliot Yamin’s careers mean nothing? Why are Blake Lewis, Bo Bice, and Taylor Hicks even trying to make music if idols can’t succeed without a major label?

And who is to say she’ll even do as well as them. For all the ones you named, there are ones that don’t get lucky enough to get a Rascal Flatts recorded song, or do well with their first indie (though not so much their second) album.

And Brooke, Chris and Elliot weren’t given the chance to be on a major label, so they were doing what most artists do, which is maximizing what they can to varying degress of sucess.

Again, this may come down to how much success is enough? But I just don’t get again, why this has to be an either or situation. She could try making the most out of being on her major label debut. Why not deal with the realities of the situation, more sales in Q4, she doesn’t have a lot of buzz/cachet, this is probably her one big-time shot, and make a little compromise with some stuff, and try and get some other songs more her. Pick your battles, is all I’m saying.

But it seems she’s being all or nothing, si I think she better start working on how well she can do on that indie lable when she’s there. Which will be sooner, than later.

Oh and to Taylor Hicks’s success, financially speaking, isn’t that mostly due to his “Grease” touring at this point? Blake? Well where is he with that house and being financially in the black, again? Bo, hmmmm. Well I guess he saved a lot of money, because his album sales suck, so not seeing how he is making a living from that. And not like he is some touring revenue generator. I say this as someone who likes Bo, and Blake (well until recently) and yeah, no.

Espcially if Crystal might have to look at supplementing her post AI career with things like *gasp* commmericals, the way we saw both Brooke and Blake do for AT&T. Or maybe doing some talent contest in South America, the way we saw Elliot recently do. Or doing Broadway stuff like Taylor, Sycedo and countless others have done. Which, not seeing Crystal on Broadway.

I actually prefer indie music, Crystal was the person I thought should have won last year, but yeah, I am offically amused. Really, good luck with that Crystal.

Espcially if Crystal might have to look at supplementing her post AI career with things like *gasp* commmericals, the way we saw both Brooke and Blake do for AT&T. Or maybe doing some talent contest in South America, the way we saw Elliot recently do. Or doing Broadway stuff like Taylor, Sycedo and countless others have done. Which, not seeing Crystal on Broadway.

And you saw Ace Young and Taylor on broadway? I’m sure Crystal would have no problem doing a commercial or judging a talent show, because it doesn’t effect the quality of her music. Rushing her cd out in the fall to make a few extra bucks does.

Bo, hmmmm. Well I guess he saved a lot of money, because his album sales suck, so not seeing how he is making a living from that. And not like he is some touring revenue generator.

Look at Bo’s website, he is doing 5-6 tour dates a month. He is touring some of the same sites that major label Jordin Sparks is touring. It might not be up to your standards but most singers in this country would kill do tour like Bo is.

And you saw Ace Young and Taylor on broadway? I’m sure Crystal would have no problem doing a commercial of judging a talent show, because it doesn’t effect the quality of her music. Rushing it out in the fall to make a few extra bucks does.

Well first off, I don’t think Crystal would be asked to do Broadway. What musical could she be asked to? And Elliot wasn’t juding some talent show, he was taking part in it. And well if she’s willing to do commericals, than the whole idea of being selling out, or doing things that are commerically viable, should be a part of her music. I mean, if she’s willing to, once again, cormpromise herself to that degree. Than some degree of compromising some a few songs on her album, shouldn’t be beyond her. Or below her vaunted integrity. Which yeah, an AI contestant, so yeah.

And no, none of this impacts the quality of music she can create, well beyond that some indie artists can’t afford to have great musical equipment, mixing, sound, etc., on their stuff, but I don’t see that Crystal will be at that level. So again, good luck with her indie career. I hope her fans enjoy it, however many of them, she has or can get.

Look, I liked tons of punk, indie music growing up and now. I loved the grunge scene, for example, or NIN, or all the British trip-hop groups I adored, or rave/electronic music (that even that found some of it’s way to the mainstream through groups like Prodigy and Chemical Brothers) growing up. So yeah, I get what is finacially successful musically can change, and as I’ve said, I’ve had to reconcile myself to whenever some group or sound I liked that wasn’t popular, got popular. Even without them ‘selling out,’ or compromising at all, it’s just that others happened to like my underground faves making music I liked. So get that all.

But on the other hand, none of them were AIers, so they had actual underground cred with me. At least at some point. And the music industry is as sick as it’s ever been, so it’s even harder for artists to make a living doing their music. Not to mention that I don’t happen to see Crystal as being talented enough to start a new trend on radio, or get enough people to start paying attention to her on the scene. Not to mention again, she has no cred there as a former AIer.

So like all AIers, well the ones that aren’t actively pissing me off in things like gloating over killing animals, I wish her well. I just don’t see this as being a great recipe for success. But genuinely, good luck with that.

Than some degree of compromising some a few songs on her album, shouldn’t be beyond her.

I’m sorry, but there is a huge difference between making a sprint commercial or doing the ford videos on idol and slapping together a quick album with a bunch of filler songs so you can sell more albums. This isn’t about some adolescent notion of “selling out” like you seem to think it is. It is about putting out the best quality product that Crystal really believes in, which to Crystal means taking the time to get it right.

I totally think Crystal would be better served by taking advantage of the holiday release season, even if its just for a single. I do think she would do well to strike while the iron is hot.

That said, I do have to stick up for the indie Idols. I’m with gangreen on that part… those people make a good living. Personal appearances, shows, overseas opportunities, licensing, etc.. its not all about radio and BB200 chart positions. That matters more if you are playing the major label recording artist game, not as much if you are not going that route. Crystal can make enough this year to buy a house outright, build a home studio and get herself some decent gear. Put a bit away for her son and the amount she has to make to pay her bills and live decently is not as much as you may think. That girl will be fine if things don’t work out with Jive IMO. There is no reason to ring the death bell for her.

When did “commercial success” become a dirty word in the Artistic community. It’s a proven fact that many, many “true” actors who light up Broadway plays or independent movies with their acting chops will take on a “big budget” blockbuster with no “acting skills” required to help keep the coffers filled so that they can do the next “little” project. I could rattle off several dozen names of Academy, Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, Tony award winners and for each of them could probably name some horrible but financial successful movie they have acted in. This is what keeps them afloat as Actors.

Why do we expect more from our Singers than from our Actors. If an album has 6 great songs and 6 throw-aways that is still superb and will probably get the album some great sales. No one expects an artist to to “hit” on every single song…hell even some of the greatest albums ever had their one or two filler songs that didn’t quite meld with the rest of the material. And, historically, an Artist builds their reputations on the “several” songs that make up their Greatest HIts albums not on an entire body of work.

In today’s market an Artist can be quite successful if one or two songs from every album release become hits. Artists that feel the need to “Pink Floyd” their albums will only end up overworking and over-thinking every song to the point they end up putting out complete “nothing” like Xtina did this last go round. And, I am afraid that Crystal is setting her goals so high that she will loose sight that the little successes are just as meaningful.

And, Crystal has been the one who has been very outspoken about producing, writing for, playing for and controlling her own album. Her soundbites, all summer, have been about her ability to KNOW what is best for her and most viable for her. Sometimes that kind of egotism has a way of backfiring. Hope it doesn’t happen to her.

slapping together a quick album with a bunch of filler songs so you can sell more albums. This isn’t about some adolescent notion of “selling out” like you seem to think it is. It is about putting out the best quality product that Crystal really believes in, which to Crystal means taking the time to get it right.

And who says she has to do only filler on her album? No on is saying she can’t, and shouldn’t do some some songs she fights for and are maybe more ‘her’ than might be common wisdom says might be more commerically available. Like Carrie Underwood, for example, fought to be country in her sound for her first album, but not like some of the songs she produced didn’t still have some pop influences. Some of which allowed her to get some crossover success and were huge crossover hits.

It’s not all or nothing. Carrie got that, among many, many, other AI before and since.

But whatevahs. Crystal doesn’t need this bullshyte major label headache. So sure, take her time to produce some album not a lot of people will hear or care about, get dropped, go on some indie label and start the hustle from there. Hey, maybe she’ll show up shooting deers with Kristy Lee soon?

Quote of the day:

“Wise men never argue with fools, because people from a distance can’t tell who is who.”

Quote of the day:

“Wise men never argue with fools, because people from a distance can’t tell who is who.”

Wow, and to think, my recent fortune cookie just told me I could succeed at anything I wanted and gave me some lucky numbers.

Back in the day when Idol produced platinum album sellers like clockwork, Crystal’s attitude would be suicide. But with music sales down the drain and the show no longer able to produce superstars, I don’t really think Crystal delaying her album is a big deal. There is no huge S9 buzz that’s going to generate massive album sales and might wear off by the Spring.

I don’t think her fan base which is probably small but passionate would mind waiting a few months for her album. Crystal obviously wants to do things her way (which to be honest almost never works out for folks off this show) but I wish her good luck.

Important thing to remember is that Jive didn’t seek out Crystal she was thrust upon them by virtue of her second place finish. They also don’t have to release her after one album. they can hold her in limbo where she gets released music. What’s to say if she insists they wait until spring and they decide they don’t like it so they send her back to the drawing board again and again …you get the picture, so by the time she actually releases the album it becomes Crystal who and it is still the same album that would have been released in the fall. This is exactly what happened with both Kelly and Clay.

Important thing to remember is that Jive didn’t seek out Crystal she was thrust upon them by virtue of her second place finish

Not true, runner up is not guaranteed a record contract, so Jive was by no means obligated to sign her

It is about putting out the best quality product that Crystal really believes in, which to Crystal means taking the time to get it right.

I think almost every artist wants just a little more time, just another take, just a few more tracks, to make everything perfect. But they all have to do the best they can with the resources they have. When Crystal was on her own, she had all the time in the world to fiddle with her music, but no money to produce or distribute it. Now she’s got the financial backing, but she can’t take all the time she wants or make all the decisions herself. That’s the choice she made when she signed with a label.

Crystal needs to keep in mind that she isn’t the only one with a vested interest here. Jive is putting up the money for her album, and they have the right to try and get a reasonable return on their investment. I sympathise with her artistic pride, I really do. I’m a huge Bo fan, and I watched him fight with RCA until it literally almost killed him. No one should have to go through that just because they were on AI. But if she can get a couple of her own songs on the album, maybe write with a few people she respects, then I think she should take that deal and not worry about trying to make an album that is 100% what she wants.

Oh and to Taylor Hicks’s success, financially speaking, isn’t that mostly due to his “Grease” touring at this point? Blake? Well where is he with that house and being financially in the black, again? Bo, hmmmm. Well I guess he saved a lot of money, because his album sales suck, so not seeing how he is making a living from that. And not like he is some touring revenue generator. I say this as someone who likes Bo, and Blake (well until recently) and yeah, no.

Taylor made good money performing in Grease and made a lot of money for the producers and backers of Grease. That’s one reason why Broadway loves Idol alumni.

In any case, maybe it comes down to differing expectations. It seems that Idol fans are conditioned to measure success in numbers because that’s what the labels and tour promoters care about and that’s what the media report on after the initial competition is over… the horse race continues,i.e. this Idol is more successful than that one because s/he sold more CDs or tickets. It’s weird because I don’t know any other group of music fans who obsess over the numbers in the same way.

But look at it this way: Before American Idol Crystal, Taylor, David Cook, Kris, Bo, Casey, etc. have been working for years as musicians and struggling financially or working several jobs to make ends meet.

Now, they can make more comfortable livings because of the opportunity American Idol gave them. Some have parlayed their Idol opportunity into other opportunities, such as Broadway and appearances. Some have been able to give back to charities that are important to them because of their Idol fame. If success is measured in being able to make a comfortable living doing what they love, then they are all successful.

Whether they are selling millions of units like Carrie or several hundred thousand, they are touring and making money from touring and appearance fees. Not everyone needs to make $millions to feel successful or be happy. Have any of the finalists on this show gone on because they had the goal of wanting to become rich celebrities? Or have they mostly gone on the show because they want an opportunity to get their music heard and maybe get a record deal.

Of course the labels want to make a profit. But I personally think pushing a record out in a couple of months as they do to Idols means it’s less about quality and more about expediency. If Jive is only interested in the short term big bang, they won’t be happy waiting to next year. If they want a credible record that will be a good reflection of Crystal’s musical identity, how does it hurt to take the time to make sure it’s right?

Crystal is speaking from emotional and physical exhaustion. She’ll have an album out by Christmas – count on it. Thing is, she has most of the material already written, so it’s not going top be that tough.

I’ve really enjoyed this thread today. I agree with arguments made on both sides. It is important that Crystal can put out music that is her, that let’s her represent herself. I doubt Jive is expecting crazy sales, so I think they should aim for critical acclaim. I could see Crystal getting that too. At the same time, I would like her to get the benefit of holiday sales while she is on her label – every little bit helps.

I don’t doubt for a second that Crystal can be stubborn and determined to get what she wants for her music, but I also think she is smart enough to know which battles to fight (at least I hope so).

Also, I appreciate everyone who stuck up for the indie artists today – it really helped me think about how narrow success has become for many in popular consciousness. There is a whole world that exists between king of the world and bottom of the barrel. Not being one doesn’t mean you are the other. (If that makes any sense, I shouldn’t type when I’m tired!)

Okay that story is just sweet :)

And I admire Crystal’s attitude towards her debut album. She wants longevity, and for that it’s quality over quickness.

Crystal is speaking from emotional and physical exhaustion.

Yes, I think this is really what’s going on with Crystal. She’s been touring all summer and has really missed spending some quality time with her son. I’m sure she’s both physically and emotionally drained right now and the last thing she wants to do after the tour is spend yet more time away from Tony. I bet she will change her mind about wanting to wait until spring after a week or so of rest at home. I expect her to release her album in November.

If Crystal goes indie, I seriously doubt her album will reach international shores unless you are hardcore fan and buy online and pay double the price of the album for shipping charges which is what I did for Lee. I took a walk through the mall today and only saw Adam, Kris, Allison David C & A, Jordin, Kelly and Carries’s album. Recall seeing a Elliot and Clay’s On My Way Here. Elliot is not selling well so I doubt we’ll see his second album. Clay came up with another album after On My Way Here? Have not see that album. Fantasia is also not on the market. (Maybe its not release yet. Not sure). Taylor and Rubben is non existence. It really is in the best interest of Crystal to try and stay as long as possible with a major label and gain whatever sales/ promotion she can. AI viewers are also on decline here. I’m the only one that follows the cheesy show in my office. Most of my friends and family are either casual or do not follow the show at all. So, I don’t think there is a strong enough fanbase here for idols. In my country, what’s hot is what is on the radio and that is what is on billboard charts. There is also strong competition from the Asian, Australian, Europe and Canada market. Unless she gets radio play soon or a hit, she will be forgoten here by next year or maybe by end of this year. And sadly the same will go for Lee.

ETA: Daugthry, Danny, Katherine Mcphee and Jason Castro (only selected stores) are also on market here. Sorry corrected the error. I’m in Malaysia

jennyl:
08/31/2010 at 2:33 am

I took a walk through the mall today and only saw Adam, Kris, Allison David C & A, Jordin, Kelly and Carries’s alblum. Recall seeing a Elliot and Clay’s On My Own. Elliot is not selling well so I doubt we’ll see his second album. Clay came up with another album after On My Own? Have not see that album.

It is called “On My Way Here” and I don’t know what country you’re in but Clay’s latest album “Tried & True” was just released in Indonesia and Japan this week. It also came out in Singapore and Korea some time in August but I forget the date.

Unless Crystal does have the songs used already written, I can’t see how they would be able to have the album ready for November or December anyway.

I understand what she is saying, though, about having more time. But the other side of it is she does have a major label contract, and it depends on if they support her or not in what she wants to do.

If Crystal goes indie, I seriously doubt her album will reach international shores unless you are hardcore fan and buy online and pay double the price of the album for shipping charges which is what I did for Lee.

Getting overseas work for an indie artists is not out of the question at all IMO. It just won’t be a mainstream widespread release, but you might pick up revenue from a country or two or a region. For instance, an underground rap group I used to deal with got paid $50,000 to contribute to a track on a Japanese album. Others regularly went overseas to do shows in Amsterdam and Germany. Canada was a regular tour stop for mostly everyone. It just depends on the style of music you do and the connections you make in a particular country. Again, there are always ways to make money that do not involve mainstream stardom, even overseas.

Just a couple of points to add into the soup:

1) Why do we expect more from our Singers than from our Actors. If an album has 6 great songs and 6 throw-aways that is still superb and will probably get the album some great sales.

Actors work in ensembles and have very VERY little control (unless they’re mega-stars) over the final product. Singers are up front, center, and their recorded music is all about them. A bum movie isn’t a big deal if you’re making several movies a year. An album, which may be one of only a few you make in your lifetime, is a VERY big deal.

2) I love this girl for standing up for quality. So what if people can’t buy the thing for Xmas? Kris’s album did not sell particularly well, and it took quite a while for “LLWD” to gather a head of steam.
This isn’t widget-making it is (to use Kara’s dirty word) artistry. I hope TPTB give Crystal a break and let her make the best possible album instead of tossing together a bunch of committee-written-and-produced stuff, with a gem or two in there….

At a recent concert (Grand Junction, CO 081910) Taylor told the audience:

“Here’s a soulful number off the last record that I did called The Distance. I’m really proud of that effort because I had total creative freedom on it, you know. Nobody really breathing down my neck to, you know, to dress up in a spaceship outfit and sell pop records, you know what I’m saying”

I think Crystal should give Taylor or Bo a call to see what she is in for..

Did Crystal not recognize what it would mean to her creative freedom by going on idol in the first place? And even if she didn’t then, she surely must have caught on by the time she signed with Jive? I can’t see why she wouldn’t be willing to compromise now. With the low turnout at the Idol concerts, it’s not surprising that the record company is trying to make sure they can make some money out of her deal. At least Kelly waited to establish herself before she went head to head with her label. I guess we’ll see how this one turns out. I just hope Crystal doesn’t blow this big chance she’s been given.

Crystal’s biggest problem at present is, I imagine, that she doesn’t seem to have ‘right people’ around her.

I think that she has just expressed her thinking to stay true to herself as an artist. It’s absolutely right thing.
BUT, IMHO, an artist who signed with a label should never disclose that kind of ‘disagreement’ while anything hasn’t been fixed. It’s nothing other than a very high risk to a signed artist.

Do you really think that act would work for her? Or, do you think she’s playing a ‘game’ strategically which is gonna lead her to win over Jive successfully?
I’m not sure actually. But I’m even afraid that because of her announcement, she may have lost some ‘supporters’ working for Jive though who had been approving of a delay.

Maybe I’m wrong – hopefully, I’m wrong.

It looks like there has been some ongoing conversation here. I’m wondering if anyone has heard anything about Jive’s response to Crystal wanting to take her time. I know a lot of people are basing what they say on past artists from AI (which makes sense), but do we really know what they think about Crystal’s plan?

Sorry, I haven’t read through all of the comments at this point, but perhaps this has already been addressed.

Sestsati: That’s what I think too. I could understand how she feels, but if she is publically speaking out against the record label, it could hurt her, especially since she is just starting out. I kind of wonder if there is anything about the release date in the terms of the contract, also.

I think this does become more of an issue when the person is a songwriter and is going to write or cowrite their own music, especially for the winners.

Another thing I wonder is if she delays her release, does that mean Casey can’t release his if it’s ready first, and if she had won that would have meant that the runner’s up release would have been delayed also. I do feel the way things turned out she does have a bit more freedom.