Matt Giraud Meets The Press

I love Matt. That is all.

Did he really want to win it? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“No, I never came in wanting to be The America Idol,

Oh Matt, I just hate quotes like this. It’s so unfair to the people that really, really wanted to be an American Idol and didn’t have the chances you had. It leaves me with a very bad taste in my mouth for someone that got saved not once but twice.

Sweet kid. Best of luck to him in whatever path he chooses.

Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s better than going out like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the worse youà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ve ever done, have a good day.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Ummm, sure Anoop will be thrilled with that comment. Seems like a nice guy, but I don’t really think his performances before or after justified the save. He should have gone home in 7th place.

edit:don’t tell posters what to do

GO MATTY G!!

We really do like to spend time with each other and weà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ll have long talks and kind of just vent about the show.

He comes across well in this interview imo. It’s always interesting to get those veiled hints at the manipulations behind the scenes and how little control the contestants have over things…still waiting for a tell-all book from someone, those contracts must be pretty harsh if no one’s spoken up yet.

In any season there can only be one winner. I don’t blame Matt or the others for coming up with other reasons to be there, especially in this season where it became clear very early on that only a couple of people really were going to have the opportunity at winning the entire thing.

Lol Lana, the last thing I think you can say is that Matt can’t catch a break. By his own admission, he’s the cat with 9 lives on this show. :wink_wp:

I’m sure he’ll do really well

edit: stick to the topic, please

For someone who was always so nervous and looked like was going to faint at any minute I doubt he wasn’t there to win. I also don’t like when contestants pull that crap.

Good luck to him. I think he can put some interesting music out.

Did he really want to win it? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“No, I never came in wanting to be The America Idol…

What an asinine response. If that’s the case, then he should have refused the save and let Anoop stay another week. (And I’m not even an Anoop fan.)

I just lost a lot of respect for him.

I’m very sorry. Jazz? Jazz?

That last performance had nothing to do with jazz. Wish he hadn’t claimed to have studied it in school. He should get his tuition back.

Like every one of his performances, it was someone imagining himself singing like Justin Timberlake and sounding more like Justin Guarini. I can’t believe the resemblance was not noticed from day one.

The ridiculous praise he got from the judges is not going to help him get a contract. He’s unrecordable.

Did he really want to win it? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“No, I never came in wanting to be The America Idol,

Oh Matt, I just hate quotes like this. Ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s so unfair to the people that really, really wanted to be an American Idol and didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t have the chances you had. It leaves me with a very bad taste in my mouth for someone that got saved not once but twice.

What an asinine response. If thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s the case, then he should have refused the save and let Anoop stay another week. (And Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not even an Anoop fan.)

I just lost a lot of respect for him.

I read this interview before it was posted, and I could have bet Kristy Lee’s horse that people would pull out that line and make an issue out of it, heh. If you read his whole answer, you will see that he goes on to say this:

Yes, there are definitely a lot of perks and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like it and I was fighting for it, but that wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the goal, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not kicking myself because Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not winning.

So yeah, mileage may vary, of course. But after reading a number of Matt’s exit interviews, the way I see it, he was fighting for it and would like to have won, but isn’t terribly devastated that he didn’t. Since you mentioned Anoop–he doesn’t look like he’s kicking himself for not winning either.

Matt sucked and should’ve went home weeks ago. Alexis and Anoop should have made it further than he did, and truth be told, a lot of semifinalists were better than him.

edit: wow. insulting your fellow posters does not fly here.

Since you mentioned Anoopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t look like heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s kicking himself for not winning either.

I don’t think anyone wanted it more than Anoop. In his Idolatry interview he confessed to going backstage and punching a wall after a bad critique.

What would he have sung for rock week? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“I actually thought about doing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Simple Manà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬  by Lynyrd Skynyrd on the keys and making it like a bluesy version.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ 

Wow, I love this song! I’m not familiar with the Lynyrd Skynyrd version but have heard the Shine Down version.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TUCewbAhOY

The lyrics are so beautiful and as a friend of mine would say, universal. Almost anyone can relate to them.

You know what? Matt reminds me of the artist that gets critical acclaim (judges), but the masses don’t seem to get him. I hope this changes (and believe it really can) for his future!

So yeah, mileage may vary, of course. But after reading a number of Mattà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exit interviews, the way I see it, he was fighting for it and would like to have won, but isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t terribly devastated that he didnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t. Since you mentioned Anoopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬’he doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t look like heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s kicking himself for not winning either.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think anyone wanted it more than Anoop. In his Idolatry interview he confessed to going backstage and punching a wall after a bad critique.

Firstly, I made no claims that Anoop didn’t want to win. All I said was that he doesn’t seem to be kicking himself for not winning. I’ve watched Anoop’s EW interview–which, imo is one of the best interviews conducted with an AI bootee ever–and he seems to have been level-headed and self-aware about his chances in the competition.

Secondly, if punching a wall after a bad critique shows that Anoop wanted to stay, then what of Matt crying when he was saved? I’m merely trying to point out that it’s silly for us to deduce who wanted it more and therefore should have made it further.

In fact, for me, as well as for some others I know, Matt often came off as a little too desperate.

My take on this debate? These kids try out and are one among hundreds of thousands. The chances of them taking the crown are really, really low. Most probably hope for some exposure. I’m pretty sure the closer they get, the harder it is for them because it’s like a carrot they are trying to grab. Gah, I’m sounding like pauler.

Anyhoo, I take Matt’s comments as someone who is now out of the bubble and trying to express how happy he is to have had the experience. He also has to present himself to the press as someone that is secure in his position. What do peeps want him to say? I’m so distraught that I can’t carry on?

I think Matt lasted waaay longer than he should have based on his performances. I’m really not a fan of the wildcard or the save. Yet he’d have been a fool to reject either, and seriously, he lasted one week longer than Anoop. Not a big deal.

Anoop was a one trick pony and Matt has more talent in his little pinky than Anoop has in his whole body.

Sure. FYI, Anoop was never the lowest vote getter on any given night in the competition. But Matt was. Twice.

Anyway, the Judges’ Save was such a waste! Simon announced that Matt had no chance of winning and Matt just said he had no intention of winning. Why bother then?!

Sure. FYI, Anoop was never the lowest vote getter on any given night. But Matt was. Twice.

I like Anoop. However, I don’t think he would have lasted another week anyway. If anyone should be upset about Matt getting the save, it should be someone who deserved it but didn’t get it because it was too early. Yeah, I’m talking about Alexis.

That said, I don’t hold that against Matt. I hold it against TPTB that put a terrible semi-final process in place that made it difficult for the kids to develop a fanbase.

Aww I love Matt!

I mean come on…only one person can win this competition! He said he was fighting for it and would have loved it but not winning isn’t the end of his life. Matt is a brilliant musician and seems like a great guy. You know most people only going in with a goal of making top 10 (Jason Castro and Kris Allen for example) or top 5, or top 3 (David Archuleta, Syesha for example). And just because you don’t focus everything on winning doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be there! Anoop was my other favorite and I would have loved for him to have made top 5 with Matt but I get so tired of the “Anoop should be there instead of matt, this just shows matt should have gone 7th” crap. Matt and Anoop both gave their all on that stage and I’m thankful to have been able to see them grow as artists and I can’t wait to see what happens with their careers!

American Idol is not the end all be all of music. These contestants will have careers and lives afterwards and comparing one to the other and hating on one because their not our favorite is a sad way to express our appreciation to our own favorites.

edit: read my guidelines. don’t question the motives of your fellow posters

I like Matt and Adam, haha .I am a Chinese ,I love this show.

Matty, Matty, why did they save you TWICE???????

edit: blatant disregard of my guidelines = you are in moderation now.

At least now he can go have the nipple removed from the center of his forehead. There will be enough time before the tour.

Matt was never my cup of tea. I detest vocal gymnastics.

Good luck to him, anyway.

I liked Matt since White Chocolate and always loved his recordings. The guy got great recording voice but he has to calm his nerves. He looked sick every time he’s on stage and paraded all those riffs which were very annoying/unbearable. I happen to buy all of his recordings but dislike almost all of his performances, except for maybe Part-time lover (still its not pleasant to my ears though).

edit: new around here? read my guidelines

This is what Matt said:
“Yes, there are definitely a lot of perks and Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢d like it and I was fighting for it, but that wasnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t the goal, Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not kicking myself because Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m not winning”
That sounds like a pretty healthy approach to me. He wanted to win but it wasn’t his main goal. I remember when Cook won, he mentioned that he set multiple goals as he went along in the competition. Make top 24, then make top 10, etc. I don’t think that winning became a real goal until it became a strong possibility. I wouldn’t be surprised if most contestants approach the competition this way. I’m having a hard time understanding all the anger in response to his comment or why people think he was being disrespectful.

I’m not a Matt fan but I think he was definitely the best musician of the group and this is one of the things that might give him the most longevity in the music industry, if he turns out to be a good songwriter. His voice isn’t great, but it’s good enough. Of all the contestants, he’s the one with the post idol career that I’m most curious about.

But people have to understand that these contestants cannot go into the show wanting nothing but to be the winner, because if that is the ONLY reason why you go on this show, then you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment.

Yes I agree that this people should not always expect to win but to say that you “never came in wanting to be The American Idol” is different. Would he say that if he had won? Maybe he was misquoted but if he really said that, it’s just not right to me.

Anyhoo, I take Mattà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s comments as someone who is now out of the bubble and trying to express how happy he is to have had the experience. He also has to present himself to the press as someone that is secure in his position. What do peeps want him to say? Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m so distraught that I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t carry on?

This is what I think as well.
Public speaking is not this guys forte so I am not at all surprised that he perhaps chose his words poorly. He always was nervous in the spotlight.

The ridiculous praise he got from the judges is not going to help him get a contract. Heà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s unrecordable.

Actually Matt’s voice records beautifully. I bought several of his songs and he was never even my favorite.

With the proper label support and a producer to guide him he could even put out a decent record. He needs to show more of his personality- the behind the scenes clips of him are wonderful. He just choked onstage.
And a producer could reign in his irritating tendency to riff the crap out of everything, but that is his inexperience showing.

I’m not saying that any label is going to make the investment to develop him- I don’t know. It’s a poor climate for nurturing hopefuls.
I’m just saying that if he ever was to put out a record that captured his strengths (and there were many) I’d buy it.

Well said, hardcandy!!!

I like Matt the person, but not Matt the singer. He was way out of his league. It’s probably a good thing he didn’t want to win because he really didn’t have a chance anyway.

I would really be surprised if Sony didn’t sign him. He’s got more potential than Castro, Michael and Carly from last year. He does record very well. He will get his shot.

I don’t judge any contestant’s words or little actions at this point in Idol. It’s moving fast, and things can be taken many different ways. I’m sure they all want to win. I’m sure they know that everyone else around them is mad talented.

I don’t know why people are so harsh on people and so quick to label them arrogant. of course, he got some headlines yesterday like “Idol is a popularity contest, not talent contest” and “Don’t compare me to Timberlake”. If you so wanted you could take those as arrogant, but he’s just talking. I actually like that he isn’t being a pansy and actually saying some stuff than he means.

Wow. Just deleted and edited a bunch of posts. Plus I banned someone.

Read and follow my guidelines please.

http://mjsbigblog.com/?page_id=1172

the guy clearly WANTED to win, who doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t? He shouldnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t need to say it explicitly, ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pretty much understood. But people have to understand that these contestants cannot go into the show wanting nothing but to be the winner, because if that is the ONLY reason why you go on this show, then you are setting yourself up for a big disappointment. Instead, contestants should understand that this show is a platform and a great experience, and thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s exactly how Matt saw it.

I agree. I take this the same way I do when somebody wins $100K in the $40M lottery. They say they are thrilled with the $100K, that they didn’t expect to win anything and that just hoped to get a little extra cash. I’ve never heard of somebody winning $100K and being angry that they didn’t win $40M. Sure, $40M would have been better and they wouldn’t have said no to it, but they just won $100K and that’s pretty sweet.

Only one person can win this thing, so while you may fight to win, you realistically have to realize that you will probably lose. After every season, even the winners admit that they went on the show hoping to win, but aiming for exposure. It’s only as the competition went on and the number of contestants dwindled that they started realizing they might actually win.

Matt looked like a basket case up there. Every week, his nerves were on full display (while he seemed to do much better on results nights and in the studio). I don’t really care for his voice (although, I love his piano playing), but I kept hoping that he could get control of those nerves and really show what he could do. He was like that little kid on the baseball team who is fine during practice but all shaking with nerves every time at bat during the game. You don’t know him, but you just want him to finally grab control of his nerves and whack that ball. It’s like a mini-lifetime movie. Anyway, with those kind of nerves, Matt is probably a little relieved to finally be out of the competition. Wants to win, but it’s killing him to stay in it.

With the proper label support and a producer to guide him he could even put out a decent record.

Yep. I think that with a bit of guidance (no more melodectomies on “Viva la Vida”, Matt) he could probably due well. He does record well. At least, he should be able to get better gigs now.

I donà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t think anyone wanted it more than Anoop. In his Idolatry interview he confessed to going backstage and punching a wall after a bad critique.

I don’t want to make this into an Anoop thing, but others could take that as meaning that he doesn’t take criticism well. Hitting things when you get some constructive criticism is generally something people teach their toddlers not to do. Or, it could mean, as you say, that he just REALLY, REALLY wanted to win. There are always several interpretations to these things. It’s hard for the Idols to say anything without somebody seeing something completely different from what they meant.

So, either Matt is a jerk for not wanting to win or he’s a realistic person for getting what he could out of a 1 in a million shot. Or maybe a little bit of both.

As a Matt fan, it does me no good to get into a debate about who deserves it vs. who doesn’t vs. who should have been there instead of him. Doing so would just piss off MJ and get me banned, lol, but here are my thoughts:

1 – Recordability: You may not be interested in any music he will make, but there are people who will be – I’m one of them, if he maintains a style that my ears enjoy. If he tries something that doesn’t work, then big deal – a lot of crappy artists put out albums and never get anywhere, but if a few thousand fans enjoy it and then he disappears forever, what’s the harm? And in terms of “recordability”, all I’ll say is this: throughout the competition, Matt got consistently positive reviews on his studio recordings, even from people who don’t consider themselves fans, and even on performances that weren’t always terrific. They may not have been Adam level AMAZING, but the majority of people who bought his versions weren’t complaining about their ears bleeding either.

2 – Not wanting to be the American Idol: Others have said it better than I have, and I agree – the only way these kids can get through this is to have impossible goals that are somewhat reachable. Like Cook, Clay has made comments about how his goal every week was to survive one more week. You can take Matt’s comments however you want – I choose to interpret them to mean something more along the lines of him, as a musician, appreciating Idol for everything it had to offer BESIDES the title. Maybe they protect their egos a little bit (ALL of them not just him) by never even allowing themselves to believe that coming in first is a possibility until they’re close enough to smell it.

3 – Popularity vs Talent: Um, he’s right – we’ve all uttered it at some point or another. And his comments, I didn’t think, were in any way taking away from his fellow contestants. I read it, and the statement that followed, to mean that at this point in the competition especially, everyone up there is talented. The score is essentially tied, and it comes down to who does enough to either gain new fans or energize an existing fanbase on any given night.

4 – Anoop/The Save: How I wish this argument would just end. The only time I was a fan of the save was the night Matt got it – every night before and since then, I wish it didn’t exist because all it’s done is made things uncomfortable. But let’s not forget that Anoop was a Wild Card too. And the night he was voted off – because I know that him NOT being the actual lowest votegetter (which we don’t know definitively, do we? I mean, it’s assumed, but was it actually confirmed?) is a point of contention for the Matt haters – Matt could’ve just as easily been in that position. He wasn’t, and Anoop was. And I think most people believe the two were interchangable anyway, so one way or another, they were both going to be gone before the top 4.

This is long enough already, so I’ll just wrap up my thoughts. As of right now, I’m a Matt fan and will give his original music a shot, which I don’t intend to do for any of the other contestants this season. Same way that other people feel about their favorites. I agree it was his time to go, and, in the end, I’m satisfied with the top 4 that made it this far based on the entire competition – not based on auditions, not based on Hollywood Week, or Top 36 or Top 13.

And I think most people believe the two were interchangable anyway, so one way or another, they were both going to be gone before the top 4.

I would be one of those people. I found them to be rather similar in style (I’m sure I’ll get schooled on this, but I did). They both had really good and really bad performances. I think I preferred Matt (just a bit) because 1) I enjoy his studio recordings more and 2) Matt’s best was better than Anoop’s and his worst was worse than Anoop’s. I guess he just made me feel more.

I’m also of the mind that Matt didn’t mean the words about not wanting to win the way they came across. Everybody wants to win. It’s human nature. Sometimes saying we don’t want it lessens the pain but I think it’s that he didn’t expect to win. I didn’t see him pulling a Josiah Lemming saying that Idol sucks and he wouldn’t want to be Idol. That’s, for me, the type of talk that deserves our displeasure.

Sure. FYI, Anoop was never the lowest vote getter on any given night in the competition. But Matt was. Twice.

Did Ryan ever specifically say Lil got the lowest amount of votes? It could have been Anoop. I wouldn’t have doubted it, considering VFTW went wild that night to try to save Lil because of the double elimination.

What I got form the interview was, Matt would have liked to win, but he’s not going to be all sad about it because he didn’t. He had a great experience and got to play piano like he wanted to. I don’t think he was saying he didn’t want to win.

Of course he wanted to win – he said he was fighting for it. But going out at 5, he got what he wanted – performing the piano on the big stage, getting 30 million people to watch him and ultimately, meeting people who can help him in the business, hoping for a chance at a record deal and to make a real living at doing what he loves.

Everyone deals with disappointment in different ways – all the contestants deal with it in their own way – not to say their disappointments were greater than anyone elses, just different means of releasing it.

YMMV, but for me, 5th place was exactly where Matt deserved to land. I was glad they saved him. His voice records beautifully, but he really has got to drop the falsetto notes at the end of every song. Anoop was/is a good singer (and a thoughtful guy), but taking everything into account, I just preferred Matt.

And re: wanting to win- somehow I think every contestant has dreamed of confetti falling on their heads before they even audition. Also, making the tour seems to be the main goal for everyone, since there is only one winner.

It’s easy to pick apart every word or extract parts of conversations to criticize.

On the show, Matt displayed a nervousness that he more than likely doesn’t have when he is performing without cameras shoved up against his face. It’s a TV production and that’s something very few of these people have experience with.

Very few people have experience with press conferences also – particularly after few hours sleep and finally emerging from the bubble. It’s typical to misspeak or not have formulated your thoughts on what may be asked before you need to open your mouth.

I think it’s healthy for a contestant to be realistic and set personal goals throughout the competition. There can be only one winner. These people are hearing and seeing their competition. They’re seeing the judges and audience reaction. Most are probably reading papers, watching TV, surfing the net.

Matt records beautifully. I suspect he’ll be great on tour without the pressure.

I wish him well.

I died inside a little. Since April 22, I have been trying to think positively and move on. But Matt’s interview gave me a setback. Hey it’s a TV reality show and going out at 5th or 6th don’t matter too much in the long scheme of things…

At any rate, *tries hard to moce on again* Scott x Matt dueling pianos must have been epic. I wonder if we could see some of that during the tour or perhaps pre-tour TV appearances.

I see nothing wrong with having an attitude that just being in the top 10 would be awesome. Not everyone needs to be #1.

I thought Matt really wanted to win. Every performance made me think he wanted it badly. But after the interviews I think he really desperately wanted people to love his performances, to appreciate his art. He wanted to feel love in the room. Also he is a destiny guy. I think people who are like that take a different approach to things like competitions. Whatever the case, I love Matt G.

I’ve really gained more respect for the contestants of American Idol, much more Matt after this interview. It’s very humble of him to say he wasn’t in it to win it. Sure, Simon likes to bolster ego but I think what was more important to him at that point was simply getting the exposure, being on stage and gaining new friends. Sometimes, it really is a bonus to win. And hey, the more he says that he was in it to win it, the more he’ll feel bad about it and I think he of course was in it to win it but just laying off from that thought not to get too bummed about it.

And what’s interesting about the contestants is that they mean no ill harm to the rest of their colleagues. They really seem genuine in caring for each other. Kris has helped people with their arrangements. Matt has definitely helped everyone on jazz week. Adam’s a great counselor at the mansion. And I bet there are more stories. They just seem so sweet and friendly that I don’t really expect them to do some backbiting.

Matt’s voice will always grate on me, but he comes across as a good guy in his interviews. (I reserve the right to change my mind about Matt’s character if he decides to subject us to “Viva La Vida” on tour)

I’m they would all like to win, but once the competition really starts, it becomes pretty obvious who can win and who can’t, and it makes sense that the doomed ones they just want to make the most out of the experience. He would seem delusional if he thought he could win after being voted out twice while others never hit the bottom 3.

Anyway, imo, he did not go to the Michael Johns School of Douchey Interview Skills

You know I think all these kids are appreciative of the fact that they even made the top 10 out of 100,000 thousand people!! Matt IMO said what also Anoop said in an interview that this show is a great platform to get noticed. Yes winning would be a nice perk but this in my mind is a great achievement for all of the top 10. So we can dissect every little thing that they say in their interviews, but also keep in mind these poor kids just got voted off and are on 2-3 hours of sleep. I’m a big Anoop fan, but this is Matt’s farewell so he should have his moment and this isnt did Matt or Anoop deserve it debate. They are good friends. In fact Anoop would wear a white chocolate wrist band so hey they are over it maybe we should also.

I’m sorry for the fighting, too, from both sides.

I don’t think this has been posted yet – a video interview with Access Hollywood. Matt comes across much better when you can see him, instead of just reading his words. He’s playful and a little self-deprecating. And sweet – IMO.

http://www.accesshollywood.com/dish-of-salt/dish-of-salt-matt-giraud-talks-idol-departure-may-1-2009_videotab_1094515

Ià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢m a big Anoop fan, but this is Mattà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s farewell so he should have his moment and this isnt did Matt or Anoop deserve it debate.

I agree Nad. I’ll admit, at first Matt’s comments stung a little bit, but then I remembered I’d made my peace with Anoop leaving. It seems he has, too. (By the way, did everyone catch Best Week Ever last night? Hilarious!)

Matt probably just wasn’t thinking about how those comments would come off to the general public or fans of other contestants. These contestants probably haven’t been schooled in PR. He just needs to take a little time and really think about what he’s saying. That’s all.

Because going out with Simon calling you brilliant and comparing you to Nat King Cole thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s pretty much the best way I could go.

That was a big gift to Matt, and IMO an unearned one. He’s obviously a real musician, piano man etc. But there’s a musical arrogance (I didn’t say personal, I said musical) there which he’d better ditch if he wants to improve and have the sort of career he’s looking for.

Jazz singers, of which I am an aficienado, are a big pool of folks. And the ones at the top for this generation are impeccable in their phrasing, tone, arrangements, dynamics. Matt is all over the place pitch-wise sometimes, and he never met a frilly superfluous vocal run he didn’t love.

Sit at the feet of the masters, Matt, or crank up your iPod and listen to Mr. Cole. Never a wasted note.

Oh, Matt. I wanted to like you. On paper, you were the one I should have been supporting. You just never grabbed me. I know you think you’re a great riffer, but riffing does not a singer make. Learn when to hold back, when subtlety is more powerful than forced falsetto, when simple, honest emotion means so much more than just acting the part.

Maybe it was his nerves that held him back. He seemed terribly insecure most of the time.

I wish him good luck. With all the pre-show pimping he got from the judges, the mention by Ken of how much he adores Matt, the save, the pimp spots in group sings and pimpmercials, and everything else, I’d be shocked if 19 didn’t sign him. TPTB tried to make Matt happen all season. They seem to see talent in him that he was never able to prove on the big Idol stage.

a really cute preview of Matt who is appearing on Ellen DeGeneres on Monday, she is lying on top of the piano, as he is singing to her, bwah.

MJ I’m sorry for my earlier comment I did not mean it to come off like that.

I love Matt and I can’t wait to see where he is going to go from here. Matt is incredibly talented and IMO seems like a really great guy, who loves his fellow competitors, and appriciates their talent as well. I don’t think he is arrogant and I don’t think that’s how his interviews have come out either. BTW if you are a fan and haven’t heard his studio of “My Funny Valentine,” please check it out…Amazing!

Matt is a good person and being honest. Why do people have to be rude and mean? What do you get out of that. Really?

Jackfan143…don’t even worry about it. It’s the same old crap just a different season. Anywho..I love me some Matt.. alway looked forward to his performances. I’ll miss him.

Matt most definately earned Simon’s “brilliant” comment and the comparison to Nat King Cole. They guy has MAD talent and his performance of My Funny Valentine was the best and only real JAZZ performance of the night.

Earlier today, I happened to hear an interview with Dennis Hopper on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Easy Rider. He mentioned that it was the first major film to use all “found” music – he’d just hear something on the radio on the way to work and decide to use it in the soundtrack. I thought that Born to be Wild had a life separate from Easy Rider, but it wasn’t a firmly held belief, just a vague idea. Anyway, that was in my short term memory when I read Matt’s comment about why he couldn’t use Georgia. Maybe he didn’t really pursue it? Or Born to be Wild, while technically not written for the film, is so closely associated with it, having just come out the prior year, as opposed to Georgia which had a decades long life (and, would justify counting any song in a movie about music)? Or the rules are more suggestions than commandments? – Not important (or interesting) just wondering.

I still wish someone had done something from Walk Hard.

Matt’s singing was always somewhat bloodless and antiseptic to me, but I always respected his musicality and his very apparent natural born talent. I think his off-stage personality was far more winning that his on-stage jittery persona and perhaps that was why he failed to connect to a larger fan base. To admit that he knew he would never win IMO does not indicate dismissiveness or arrogance, but rather, the same type of self-awareness that Anoop displayed when he explained that he was well aware that the producers were screwing with him but he was fine with it because he knew what they were up to. Self-awareness is a beautiful thing; self-delusion – not so much (see: Rounds, Lil).

“Matt is a good person and being honest. Why do people have to be rude and mean? What do you get out of that. Really?”

I really don’t think most people are being rude. Just because someone’s not nice doesn’t mean that they’re rude; most of these opinions seem to be just people sharing their opinions.

Anyway, good luck to Matt.

I find Matt to be so endearing and nice, and sweet and genuine.
Did you guys notice how he was trying to hide his tears when he was watching his farewell package.\? It was so sweet. He also almost teared up when he was thanking the judges for seeing something in him.
To me he seems to be such a sensitive guy and that’s why he was almost always nervous on the AI stage.

But his talent is undeniable. When he was on, he was ON… No question about it.

I sure hope 19 or someone else has his eyes on him, he has so much potential. Plus he an amazing recording voice and his style is very current. I can definitely see him out there having success with the right songs.

I just caught the preview of Ellen’s show and it looks so much fun.
Matt is playing the heck out of that piano and he looked so more relaxed and happy. His voice sounds great.

I really think Matt is going to shine outside the show.
Can’t wait to buy a record from him. Go Matt! I wish you all the luck in the world.