Song – Good Goodbye
Artist – Diana DeGarmo
Album – N/A (Single)
Season – 3rd
Place – 2nd
It was a nice little trip down memory lane while researching this week’s song. I’ve decided to go with Diana DeGarmo—the first Idol I would say I really “invested” myself in. You see, I’m not the oldest blogger by any means. I was only 14 years old when Fantasia nabbed the title from Diana, and boy was I PISSED! LOL
Although I pride myself on being an avid Idol viewer with fairly decent knowledge about a fair chunk of the Idol alums, truth be told—I never watched ONE episode of Idol’s first season (*hides face in shame*). So it was season two when I really gained my Idol knowledge and started becoming a self-proclaimed Idol expert. I knew Clay should’ve beat Ruben. I wasn’t voting, but I still knew. As we all know, he lost—and I was furious. I vowed to never go a season without voting again.
This brings us to season three, when I was determined to avoid letting the wrong person win…again. Now, for some reason or another, I chose Diana as my “person.” I voted like crazy to get her into the finals, and—as with every other year of Idol—my “person” lost in the finale. It happens to me every single year guys! I remember staying up for the entire two hours after the finale performances and voting till my little fingers bled (okay, maybe not that much). It didn’t matter though. Diana still lost!
You guys—when you’re that young, it’s so easy to get invested in something so silly as a television show. Basically, what I’m saying is: I was devastated! It’s a good thing this is the first season of Idol where I don’t really feel like I have a “person.” Otherwise, my cursed votes would be sending my favorite straight to second place! It NEVER fails…
Anyway, here we are today. I’m older and (hopefully) wiser, and I think we can all say the same thing about Diana—right? It’s really amazing to see how much she’s grown personally and professionally since her Idol run. Even though she’s been somewhat behind the scenes as far as mainstream popularity, she’s built a very credible resume. When she’s not working on music, she’s starring in Broadway shows or acting in television series. Let’s not forget the little “Idol romance” we have between Diana and season five’s Ace Young (aren’t they just SO preeeeety… LOL).
(Sidenote/Quick question: Are there any other “Idol romances” besides these two? I know there have been little flings amongst contestants competing in the same season, but is there anything serious and still lasting like Diana and Ace?)
After her debut album pretty much flopped, Diana worked on her successful Broadway career. As far as music, she seemed to be on the country route in Nashville, but now, she seems to have abandoned those efforts with “Goodbye Girl.” It’s her newest single, and I’m pretty sure her first effort at releasing music to radio in quite some time. The song was brought to life by Diana and Ace, who specifically wrote the song for her character to sing on The Young and the Restless.
The track is a nice little ballad where Diana mourns over an ended relationship. I don’t know about this one guys. What do you think? It’s very clear to see she has some country influence mixed into the Adult-Contemporary song. Isn’t it a bit corny though? Or is that just how things roll on AC radio? The song also seems to switch into a completely different style as soon as it picks up, and it’s a bit confusing. That being said, I think Diana shows off her voice quite well. And she’s smart to restrain her voice on certain parts of the song where she could’ve gone overboard if she wanted.
Kristen, maybe you can help me out here with what Diana’s intentions are for releasing this single? It was officially released to AC radio, wasn’t it? Is it the first single from an album she’s working on? Is it just for the show?
Regardless, I wish Diana the best in her career and relationship with Ace. It’s been almost ten years since I was the kid cheering her on against Fantasia. Even though my efforts were unsuccessful back then, after reading some news about Fantasia in today’s headlines, I think Diana has certainly chosen a successful path. She may not have a Grammy like Fantasia, but at least her personal life isn’t a tabloid joke. And her home isn’t basically in foreclosure…
It’s funny too, because I think if there was a repeat of season three today, I don’t know if it would be Diana I would cheer on over Fantasia. Actually, now that I think about it more—I probably would be in her corner. I WANT A GIRL TO WIN IDOL THIS YEAR. A young, current, radio-friendly, charismatic…GIRL! Idol needs to prove they can also still create mainstream-pop stars! If ADELE (gosh, I hate jumping on the “compare every contestant to ADELE bandwagon”) can use her vocal instrument to achieve what mainstream success she’s had, Idol contestants with big voices can do the same.
Umm…did I just have somewhat of an epiphany? I think this year, Jessica is my “person.” I didn’t even realize it either… Shit! I’ve now cursed her!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0WlZn1Glqo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwFc2Fd0qP4
