Susan Boyle Releases “Perfect Day” Music Video

I agree with everything you said MJ… such a beautiful song ruined… If you are going to cover it, at least you can do it´s do a decent job as Duran Duran did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf3C6rLwK0Y

Yea, loved DD’s version. Her’s is just . . . plastic.

I swear, if she gets Grammy nominations I am going to be so pissed! Question though, how did she get permission to record it?

Curiosity is an invidious thing. Thanks for the palette cleanser of Lou Reed’s voice and interpretation, mj

- I Don’t. Get. It. either – re Susan Boyle. I listened to the Lou Reed, then the SuBo, then the Lou Reed again – worked as an eraser, just ‘perfectly.’ (Especially for the ‘Heavenly Choir’.. and the OTT ‘Sound of Music on a hilltop’ closing.)

I don’t get it either. I don’t get any emotion at all from her, I think she has a good voice, but little performance skill.

I get that she came from the show and was popular, but don’t get why her album did so well, especially since its only covers. THe only thing I can think of is older adults who normally wouldn’t buy current music will like it, so it’s not the same audience.

MJ, couldn’t agree with you more. I bought her first album and couldn’t make it through the whole album. Can’t connect with her singing. I wholeheartly agree with Adam Lambert on Wild Horses. Haha!

I asked my music professor this because he’s planning on producing a new version of David Bowie’s “Fame” — evidently you don’t need artist’s permission to record covers — just need to fill out/send in a licensing form and pay the corresponding licensing fee

I never did and I never will understand SueBo’s appeal. She’s not even that good of a singer — her voice is ok, but her phrasing is poor and she rarely puts any real feeling into her performances — it’s all surface stuff.

Why are so many people interested in buying mediocre covers of songs when there are so many wonderful ORIGINAL artists out there? I honestly don’t get it

And not all older people like this crap. My parents & their friends are all senior citizens — and none of them even know who SueBo is

Lou Reed has such a distinctive voice and interpretation of his lyrics that it is next to impossible for anyone to cover his really, really great songs. (Not all of them are so great)

Even though the song is called ‘Perfect Day’ it’s a dark and melancholy, even haunting song. Susan B’s style is very vanilla and mainstream pop, not so great for a song like this. Just because she has a nice voice doesn’t mean she can sing anything.

Has she actually done any *original* songs yet?

Thanks for the soul-cleanser mj! I spared myself SuBo. I really just can’t stand to watch her. She bores me to tears. I’m just another checkmark in the Do.Not.Get. column. I’d be curious to know if all of those millions who bought he cd are still listening to it.

I just noticed something odd – Mary from the XFactor has a superficial resemblance to Susan Boyle. I wonder, is that the fanbase votes Simon was trying to cover? Seems like his MO, what with all the retread songs done on other reality shows for his acts, and OTT praise for the results.

Just a thought.

Incipit,

I think so too. Though, I do think Mary from X factor is a better performer than Susan Boyle.

Speaking as a Subo fan.

Beautiful vocals (as always), but she’s missing the point of the song. Susan is singing as this is a genuine perfect day. Lou’s “perfect day” is anything but a perfect day.

I’ll buy the CD. But this song won’t be on heavy rotation on my iPod.

I hate to disagree with everyone but I think she has a beautiful voice and I love the video.

I also believe that her version is far superior to Lou Reed’s. His voice made me click it off before I could listen to it all.

Has she actually done any *original* songs yet?

Why should she? She’s laughing to the bank singing covers.

At least none of the idols are competing with her this week. :-) LOL

I would rather do this thanks….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjGKFFQokE8

LOL Smegg

I’m just speculating but I have the feeling she was never popular and to be living her dream now must feel amazing. So good for her.

nurtz50:
11/07/2010 at 10:10 pm
I’m just speculating but I have the feeling she was never popular and to be living her dream now must feel amazing. So good for her.

Don’t get me wrong I am happy that she is making money off her singing…I just hope that she has gotten help with her emotional/mental issues and has better handlers this time around. So that it makes this whole thing for her a better and more enjoyable experiance.

She reminds me of the older ladies at some of the churches I attend who lead the songs during Mass. Not to diss them, but I guess they could probably be singing covers like Subo very similarly.

ita: Lou Reed version is really great. So beautiful.

I would rather do this thanks….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjGKFFQokE8

ha ha!!!

I think she has a lovely voice – very pure tones. I liked the misty and haunting quality of her video. I don’t like her music enough that I would buy her album but I do see the appeal of her voice.

Smegg, I agree with you 100%.

Isn’t this song about heroin addiction? It was used very effectively in the movie, “Trainspotting”. *smh* I just find it so odd they would choose this song. It reminds me of when William Shatner sang Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. lol. They really thought this would be good? Ohhhkayy.

It reminds me of when William Shatner sang Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. lol.

At least Shatner knows he is doing a schitck haha like his Cee Lo Green cover that was all kinds of awesome. He even had a back up singer dressed as a trekkie LOL

The images in the video are quite lovely. I didn’t hate this version until the first chorus.

I’m fond of the BBC charity version of this song – some very distinctive voices on the recording and it’s one of those that’s fun to listen to see how many singers you can identify:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN90xB7DswE

I could not watch, I just couldn’t. Guess it’s not my cup of tea. I still have bad dreams from the Wild Horses cover

According to Billboard, this album won’t come near the first week sales of her previous one. Too bad because I really enjoy seeing a nutty cat lady outsell Pop Princesses out like Ke$ha and Katy Perry.

jpfan
According to Billboard, this album won’t come near the first week sales of her previous one. Too bad because I really enjoy seeing a nutty cat lady outsell Pop Princesses out like Ke$ha and Katy Perry.

Got to admit that was pretty funny :) though wasn’t it Gaga and Rhianna that week? Or am I remembering it wrong? Wasn’t it Subo…Gaga…Adam..Rhianna or something like that?

Out of curiosity what is BB’s projections?

It sounds to me like a demo that is to be passed around to other artist for consideration as the song has no real personality or style. Very bland. Does she sing it well. Yes. But to me she emotes no emotion or invokes no point of view with the song. This is not entirely her fault I mean she is not a professional per se. She does have a producer on the album right, and I think she was given the wrong direction it how to sing this song. Susan has a pleasing quality to her voice but many times it has no personality. Its robotic as is she sometimes when she performs live. I personally think her best song is up to the mountain. It has the most style and personality out of anything she has recorded. I like the quality of her voice in that song. But this is all IMHO. Everything else she does sounds basically the same to me. Same Tempo, Phasing, and lack of personality. Nice but boring.

Out of curiosity what is BB’s projections?

300K

http://www.billboard.com/column/viralvideos/susan-boyle-releases-perfect-day-music-video-1004125720.story#/news/susan-boyle-s-gift-poised-for-more-modest-1004124557.story

300k isn’t to bad for a x-mas album haha

Has she actually done any *original* songs yet?

I don’t think she can. Seriously, I don’t think she can read music because every song she does is a poor replica of the original slowed down. I think she has to hear it and then memorize the words.

So in order to sing an original she would have to know a lot more about music than she is currently demonstrating.
I also having a feeling that her memorization skills are pretty limited. I think it would be impossible for her to do a tour and sing 10 or 12 songs. Good grief, she was thrown for a loop when she couldn’t sing her prepared song on American TV.

Out of curiosity what is BB’s projections?

300k isn’t to bad for a x-mas album

haha
Smeggs, Dhunken??? :)

Tess, my dog is in your avatar! I’ve thought it a million times and sorry if I’ve posted it about that many. It’s just funny to me. Here goes a million and 1 times.

Oh lordy spare me. I couldn’t even get through the damn thing. I thought I’d just listen and not watch, couldn’t even do that. It just reminds me of all those cds you find in bus stations as you travel from city to city. Some person remakes the classics and you pay $5.99. Or when you go to a flea market and someone has dumped some crap that someone made in the basement they don’t even charge you, it’s like a freebie.

I don’t get it either. And I don’t even see it as yay, at least she’s making money from her singing because it would not surprise me at all in the very near future to pick up a magazine and read that she is flat broke. I’m wishing no ill will, but this is just a fraking travesty.

Mmm..300K for the first week ain’t bad. Especially because she’s was considered a novelty act last year. It was supposed to be one album and out of sight. She needs some good publicity though. A gig on Glee would be perfect.

I really don’t get the whole “cover” argument. I think some of the songs on her first album were original songs written for the album. And it’s pretty hard to come up with original songs for a Xmas album. ;)

One song on SuBo’s first album was an original composition — the rest were covers. The original song, “Who I Was Born to Be”.

On “The Gift” there are four covers — plus 5 traditional Christmas Carols and “Auld Lang Syne”.

There are three non-holiday songs on this this album. “Perfect Day”. Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” which I think should be protected from this by Canadian law as a national treasure — but is not a holiday song :) . And “Don’t Dream It’s Over”.

I wonder if she knows what Hallelujuh is about and which verses she will sing?

I’m not sure who else is releasing this week but SuBo will probably have the #1 album in the country (taking over from Taylor Swift).

OK, the chorus is utterly heinous, obviously, what with the sweeping instrumentation and the overbearing and joyous (WTF?) choir. But (and as an HUGE Velvet Underground fan, I kinda hate myself right now) the verses aren’t too bad, actually. Her voice is pretty, and there is a certain melancholy and haunting irony to them. I imagine that SuBo has never had the “Perfect Day” that she is singing about in her entire life. If they could have kept up that tone for the entire song it might have been semi-okay. I am going to go shoot myself now…

Well last Christmas I received 2 albums of Susan Boyles as a Christmas gift & gave one of them to my sister who was very appreciative. I may not have liked every song on her album but I do have it on rotation in my car CD player & put the songs I liked on my i-Pod. I actually think it is a clever marketing ploy to put her new album out at in time for Christmas again.
As far as style – I actually don’t like Lou Reed’s voice at all- it puts me to sleep [ as do most meloncholy songs] & I actually find Susan’s voice rich & easy to listen to- so music is in the “ëar” of the beholder!![ however I can't comment on her singing of this song as it's not viewable here.]
I like a wide range of music & have bought an array of albums recently. One thing is though- in Australia – at least this one was available- not all artists albums are- so I can’t fault the marketers of Susan- they have really made her successful- & other marketers could take note!!

I really enjoy seeing a nutty cat lady outsell Pop Princesses out like Ke$ha and Katy Perry.

Jpfan I agree with the outselling part. I also think for those that wonder why Susan [ I refuse to call her Subo ] sold so much last time – one of the reasons is that people around my age [ early 50's]& older- are sick of some of the music that is being hailed as great these days!
This is probably the reason some albums of covers have done well & why Glee songs sell so well. If they can make a Katy Perry song sound good then they are doing something right. Also it is likely one of the reasons that artists like The Eagles , Billy Joel, Elton John etc- can sell out a huge concert in minutes as many relate to this music but not Keishas or rap music!!

I just think its hard for any artist to sell music these days so I give kudos to those arouind Susan for tapping into a market that has been sadly neglected!!

I actually think it is a clever marketing ploy to put her new album out at in time for Christmas again.

Well of course! But I will not buy it for my mom. She is much more into the guy groups like Il Divo. Me too.

I love Il Divo & other guy groups as well iluvai. Perhaps I am unusual in that I do like a lot of different musical styles !!

I just think its hard for any artist to sell music these days so I give kudos to those arouind Susan for tapping into a market that has been sadly neglected!!

I think it’s for people who liked her story and who thought her CD might be a great under $20 gift for those relatives and older family members who have everything they need and this CD might entertain them. Subo didn’t tap into anything that has been neglected in the realm of music, imo.

Ha ha. I guess Il Divo and Susan Boyle have much in common. Ha ha. You got me there! :)

I think she sounds great, as usual. Don’t hear anything wrong with her phrasing.

Why should she? She’s laughing to the bank singing covers.

I have a feeling it isn’t Susan who is the one laughing all the way to the bank. ;)

I’m wondering when the whole novelty act is going to end. For those that enjoy her voice then great that they have her albums. But to see someone’s career hinged entirely on the existence of a youtube that went viral is a bit sad.

I could NOT even listen any further than the first 20 secs., then I as done. No thank you, No SuBO for me.

I have a feeling it isn’t Susan who is the one laughing all the way to the bank. I’m wondering when the whole novelty act is going to end. For those that enjoy her voice then great that they have her albums. But to see someone’s career hinged entirely on the existence of a youtube that went viral is a bit sad.

May be sad but it sure works look at Beiber.

IDK. For somebody who is reported to be such a good singer, there is a whole lot of vocal vaseline on Susan’s recording of “Perfect Day”.

Wow. This is so bad as to border on parody

I don’t get it either. . There are lots of good covers that are fresh and interesting versions of good tunes, but this aint one. It’s a boring vanilla cover. I suppose she taps into the same audience who buy volume whatever of Rod Stewart’s Great American Songbook series that always seems to come out around the holidays.

Wow. This is so bad as to border on parody

I think it crossed that border. With a passport and everything.

And, by the way, can SuBo “move” and sing at the same time. Since I didn’t watch the full video (a body can only take so much grief) did she even move while lip synching (badly) during the video…or did she just stand in one place being strangled by her coat collar.

I will say, again, that SuBo sells to the majority of people because of her “story” and not because she has any kind of voice or style or charisma. Lots of peeps like to reward someone for having a tough life…so to me, SuBo is just a charity case for a lot of bored listeners.

I wonder if she knows what Hallelujuh is about and which verses she will sing?

Even if she actually knows, or someone has told her – it wouldn’t change the producer’s angle for this record, IMO. Anyone could have told her what “Perfect Day” was about, that it’s not at all pretteh. But…look at the video, with all the sweeping, misty ‘nature is beautiful’ visuals – they didn’t care – this is a ‘feel good’ record. With choral backing. And there is obviously a market for it. The fact that the producers bastardize the meaning of songs that are not meant to be literal is just an example of how they don’t care.

The Heavenly Chorus from Simon’s vision of “Hallelujah” will probably be back for Susan Boyle’s rendition as well – Simon seems to like that effect – and no verse about dysfunctional sex lives allowed. It would spoil their artificial interpretation. No ironic delivery either, that’s far too subtle for SYCO…and beyond the scope of what Susan can do.

This combination verdict is definitive, IMO

mmb – “This is so bad as to border on parody.”

lucy – “I think it crossed that border. With a passport and everything.”

Yes. IMO.

I think she is terrible, bland, and emtionally unconnected when she sings. I couldn’t even listen to the whole thing. My mother, however, is in her fifties and loves her. All her friends love her. Sadly, my mom normally has pretty good taste in music—Susan Boyle seems to be the exception.

She doesn’t have a style of her own, she doesn’t know how to interpret lyrics, she’s just like one of those theatrical singers with no sense of poetry in them.

Sadly, my mom normally has pretty good taste in music—Susan Boyle seems to be the exception.

I think that the clear, pretty childlike soprano singing something just pretty and clear in a straight, unemotional way has a primal pull for a lot of people, regardless of their other taste in music, for some reason. It’s probably biological, I expect! …

I hate this kind of stuff *as* *music.* It’s not my taste at all. But every now and then I find myself inexplicably very drawn to some boy-soprano or Hayley Westenra or Celtic Woman song or the like because there’s just something about that high straight tone, some almost otherworldly thing that makes me feel as if I’m hearing ice angels at the top of the atmosphere and that just reels me in, in certain moods and in certain songs.

I think when you put that primal pull together with her backstory, you probably get her crazy level of success explained. … Not that any of that really explains it! But why was Charlotte Church such a huge huge phenomenon in her day? Same thing. And she was a crappy singer, too. Wasn’t even on key a lot of the time, had no concept of dynamics, etc. But she had the high unemotional soprano — and she was an *unusual* person to be having it. Child, old cat lady, young boy, when they sing this way there’s some kind of hypnotic weird otherworldly pull going on, I think.

Child, old cat lady, young boy, when they sing this way there’s some kind of hypnotic weird otherworldly pull going on, I think.

Like a dog whistle.

Like a dog whistle.

Honestly, yeah. I find it this way myself! I have a feeling it has evolutionary meaning to my DNA or something!

Among true great singers who are diamonds, poor SuBo is merely a rhinestone. ;)

larc:
11/08/2010 at 1:11 pm
Among true great singers who are diamonds, poor SuBo is merely a rhinestone.

Well we already know this Rhinestone Cowgirl likes wild horses ;)

I’m in the minority here! I LOVED her debut album, not because of her story but because of the music. But of course, they are all covers. Still love it. And this music video is beautiful.

And this music video is beautiful.

Sure is, amiroamor- lovingly photographed and edited, and likely meant to be beautiful and uplifting. In a heavy-handed sort of way.

The point is – that video has nothing to do with the sad, poignant meaning of the song – neither does the way it is sung…which also matches the video description.

So it all comes off feeling pasteurized and blanded out, to people who know the music. Those who don’t can appreciate it for what they find in it – music taste is subjective on many levels, and that’s why her product sells. IMO.

But not to me.

My mother, however, is in her fifties and loves her. All her friends love her. Sadly, my mom normally has pretty good taste in music—Susan Boyle seems to be the exception.

My children would probably say the same about me Chicagolaw. Taste in music- is exactly that – & everyone enjoys different things. I can’t speak for your Mum but for me- Susan Boyle was a refreshing change & I like to have different styles of music depending on my mood.
Susan’s voice destresses me whereas someone like Keisha makes me feel so frustrated & wanting to tear my hair out- which is why I don’t listen to her music!! However I know some people love Keisha & just because I don’t, I’m not going to belittle them by saying they don’t have good taste just because they enjoy this music !