Jacob Lusk Felt Pressured by Jimmy Iovine, Wanted to Sing “Crazy”

By On 05/06/2011 · 67 Comments · In American Idol 10, Jacob Lusk

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UPDATE: Jacob tells TV Guide that he wanted to sing “Ain’t No Way” and maybe a Whitney song, but “it got changed” by Jimmy Iovine. He takes responsibility for the decision, however.

Look what TMZ just posted:

“American Idol” reject Jacob Lusk is telling friends he’s not to blame for the TERRIBLE song choices that led to his elimination this week … insisting he got BAD advice from Jimmy Iovine.

TMZ spoke with a source extremely close to Lusk … who tells us Jacob never wanted to perform the Jordin Sparks /Chris Brown duet, “No Air” on Wednesday’s show … but Iovine pressured him into it.

We’re told Lusk really wanted to perform the Gnarls Barkley hit, “Crazy” — but Iovine was so insistent on “No Air” that he basically “beat it into his brain” until Lusk finally gave in and agreed to perform the song.

During the show, Randy Jackson told Lusk, “I don’t think that’s the direction for you … I don’t think anybody on this stage should be doing duet songs.”

Lusk isn’t the first person to claim they were pressured into changing songs — Haley Reinhart also insinuated there was some backstage manipulation this week and when the judges ripped her song choice she told them, “I should have followed my gut.”

Sources connected to the production tell us … Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe has told every contestant the decision on final song choice is made by the singer … and NOT the mentor.

I wonder what’s going on here? Jimmy Iovine’s aggressive and brow beating ways are not exactly new or news. Why is it suddenly fodder for Nigel’s friends at TMZ?

BTW, “Crazy” has NEVER been cleared to sing on “Idol”, and it’s Danger Mouse, not Cee Lo who has been the stumbling block. It’s the reason why we never saw Jason Castro’s audition.

 

 
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  • karenc

    I think the problem isn’t as much song choice, but choice of arraingement of the song. Others in the past have done songs on the show that wouldn’t fit them, but if they have the skills and experience they could change the song enough to fit their style. And maybe this is partially the music producers this year having control, but I think it does seem that contestants do still have some input.

  • karenc

    Cindy M

    I don’t know. I think many of the former winners could have been steamrolled, especially when they don’t have a contract yet. We’ve heard many idols say they weren’t happy with certain aspects of their albums, because it wasn’t what they wanted but the record company decided. Whether it be an unwanted duet, a single they didn’t want released, I mean look at Kelly Clarkson who has so much success, yet RCA steamrolled her completely and released Already Gone over her objections. She’s fought against her record company for years, yet the record company still wins.

    I think this is less of a problem now, or at least the past few seasons. When Kelly Clarkson won Idol, she was more characterised as being more of an r&b or ballad singer, like much of her first album. But she wanted to go in a more pop rock direction, which is fine, and works well for her, but I think the problem is she couldn’t really show what kind of artist she wanted to be on Idol as much as they can now. And I know that even now the winners probably can’t do everything they want, but I think that there is less of a difference with the way they are portrayed on the show with the type of music that they come out with on their first album.

  • weese

    I imagine it is possible that Crazy has since been cleared for this season and they are saving it for someone else or the finale. Maybe Danger Mouse wants some air time now that Cee lo is all over the place.

  • karenc

    calimari says:
    05/06/2011 at 8:25 pm
    If he didn’t want to do “No Air” then why did he tell the judges, after the performance, that that was the direction he wanted to go in?

    Very true. And then when Randy said it wasn’t good he said he wanted to go more in a Luthor Vandross direction.

    I think he problem is that his type of singing isn’t really that current, and this song is more of the current type of R&B.

  • callmecrazy

    Like Randy so often has said, ‘If you can sing, you can sing anything’….so whatever song is chosen by the contestant or ‘given’ to them *wink*, he/she should be able to sing the hades out of it. And should be credited for it as well. Dunno about all the theories flying around, heck we as the audience will never truly know what really goes on….however if James is eliminated, and the following week’s theme is metal, then I shall plant myself atop the grassy knoll scratching my chin.

  • Buffynut

    No themes after this week, right? Top 3 does judges choice, their own choice, and producers choice.

  • Willis

    Really, Jacob could have just said this to an “anonymous source” in passing and didn’t make a deal of it. Especially if he didn’t feel he did good on it, never mentioning he couldn’t sing Crazy anyway.

    I do think that Jimmy is trying to make a good product with these kids. Trying. Theory and delivery are two different things. A solo ‘No Air’ could work as a good song, just not for Jacob.

    I think if either James or Haley win this year they would be in good hands, especially if Jimmy was personally involved. Lately I’ve gotten that Haley is a team player vibe from the video packages. That makes producers happy! James seemed very welcome to the idea of a 30 Seconds to Mars style record. A more current style.

    I suspect if Scotty wins they’ll hand him off to a great Nashville producer.

    Lauren will get a song by Kara Dioguardi. A deep cut that’s been on the shelf a while.

  • webster

    Like Randy so often has said, ‘If you can sing, you can sing anything’….so whatever song is chosen by the contestant or ‘given’ to them *wink*, he/she should be able to sing the hades out of it. And should be credited for it as well.

    While both are true, contestants are constantly being told that’s not the right song for you (for me). And that song choice is everything. And people online are constantly debating what should they sing, and are those lyrics too old for that singer. is the song too dated, or too cheesy or too unknown.

    It’s no wonder the contestants think song choice matters. It matters to the judges and the voters, and probably to the music buyers.

  • callmecrazy

    I agree with you Webster. I’m also wondering about this week’s theme in that it’s yet another throwback to decades past, which I don’t have a problem with. But when judges tell the contestants to sing something we are familiar with I can imagine the number of teens scrambling to ask their parents what the 60′s and 70′s are?

  • YeahRight

    goboywonder says:

    I find it interesting that Idol fans are always wanting to know about the “behind the scenes” stuff that goes on on the show and almost every time a past contestant/employee says something (especially if it’s NOT a well liked person), Idol fans almost always say it stems from sour grapes and/or to STFU. Hmmm….either you want to know are you don’t.

    This. I’m sure if it was someone other than Jacob saying this stuff, there wouldn’t be cries or sour grapes or to STFU or saying that he’s delusional.

  • springboard

    goboywonder says:

    I find it interesting that Idol fans are always wanting to know about the “behind the scenes” stuff that goes on on the show and almost every time a past contestant/employee says something (especially if it’s NOT a well liked person), Idol fans almost always say it stems from sour grapes and/or to STFU. Hmmm….either you want to know are you don’t.

    I am firmly in the clan of those who want to know.

    I think that it takes contestants that are slightly out of touch with reality to spill the beans because it is most certainly in their contract that they shouldn’t.

    This story is just reinforcing what I thought was obvious, that Jacob was bussed with No Air, not that I am unhappy that he’s gone.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a rift between the various PTBs about the final outcome, if who Iovine thinks is the most marketable doesn’t make the most interesting finalist.

    If for example he wants Lauren to win and Scotty is a lock for top two, the finale would be between two teens in a similar genre, so not diverse enough and not great for ratings.

    Or Nigel thinks that the best ending would be Haley the underdog winning against all odds, but Jimmy hates her.

    Or Nigel wants James to keep up with metal and Jimmy wants him to move towards HAC stuff… Or Nigel would like James to win but Jimmy doesn’t.

    As for the judges, I firmly believe that they are not free to support or criticise who they want, they have to follow the producers line.
    At this point, I am not sure about what the apparent disagreement between them and Iovine means, whether it is real or fake, and who really supports who.

  • Grammie Kari

    Wasn’t it bound to happen that a permanent mentor would form opinions of a contestant – either favorable, unfavorable or neutral? I believe Jacob. We know other contestants have had this happen to them. Stefano did not select “Hello” but was told at the last minute his song was NOT available.

    I don’t know who is in control on song selections. Is it Nigel or Jimmy? However, it is Jimmy who may give them a record contract. I wonder if he’ll return next year?

  • koshka

    Springboard

    for the life of me, I can’t figure out who Jimmy wants to sign. Its not at all obvious to me.

    I agree though that Nigel and Jimmy want something completely different, but then that is no surprise.

  • http://ucsub.colorado.edu/~hansenkd/BrahmsGuides MahlerFan

    Or Nigel thinks that the best ending would be Haley the underdog winning against all odds, but Jimmy hates her.

    I get the vibe that Jimmy is firmly in Haley’s corner right now, although it took him some time to get there. His “finale” comment seemed pointed, given that NONE of the pundits have given her a chance to make it there. I wonder if complying and going with the Gaga song helped her more than we know. Everyone was pissed at the Three Stooges, and Jimmy’s validation of that can only help Haley. She is not only peaking at the right moment; she is pleasing the mentor at the right moment. Unfortunately, I think that it is NIGEL who is against her. He has a TELEVISION storyline crafted which may or may not conflict with Jimmy’s COMMERCIAL vision. Haley did not fit into this storyline, and he has had to shoehorn her into it. In the meantime, her fanbase seems to have exponentially increased at a more rapid rate than has been seen before. And I think Jimmy has something to do with it. I was actually surprised that there was no apparent fallout from her on-air obscenity (which was directed at Jimmy), and I wonder of doing Gaga was her way of making amends. If so, it was mutually beneficial. At this point, I think that Jimmy would be fine with a Haley win (which is, realistically, still pretty unlikely), but that Nigel would not.

  • shell29

    This. I’m sure if it was someone other than Jacob saying this stuff, there wouldn’t be cries or sour grapes or to STFU or saying that he’s delusional.

    Exactly.

  • movin2thabeet

    I think the gap between those in the Idol machine who are geared toward creating good TV versus those who are looking for a good commercial artist has grown, and that some of the kids, like Jacob, are left hanging in that gap. It’s got to be extremely uncomfortable there. Meanwhile, the judges this year, to an extent, are also caught in this gap. They want to support these talented kids and help them to grow as artists, but that often is not seen as making for good TV. For all the talk this year of putting the focus on the kids versus the judges, I’m feeling like the judges are even more a focus than ever – especially JLo and Steven Tyler. Face it, their personalities are way bigger than any of the remaining kids. I’d say only Casey Abrams gave them a run for their money.

  • ilovenpt123

    I don’t believe Jacob when he says that he could have sung “Crazy.” I remember when Adam said that he wanted to sing it during Hollywood week and they did not have the rights to use the song. I think he ended up doing the Cher song instead. Jacob needs to keep his mouth closed.

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