itunes sales are in for the season

Jenna wrote:

Quote :

Ohh gotcha! Yeah, I totally understand not wanting to be too pushy. Another thing that I'm really, really surprised about is the number of downloads Kris has!! Like, if he hadn't won,maybe even came in 3rd, would he have been that popular? I guess I just don't understand what makes him more appealing than Matt. The only logical explanation I can come up with is that maybe more younger fans (little girls) jumped on the Kris bandwagon. I know I have a little 11 year old who adored him because he was soo hot. The thing is, vocally, I think Matt is superior to Kris, and even though Kris won..wow that's a lot of downloads! Maybe people just like to buy the winner's song just because. What I would like to know is how many of his downloads were of Heartless.

I don't get the Kris hype at all. I can tell you this though if he wouldn't have won I don't believe for minute that he would have been signed. The guy has no range to his voice and all his performances for me were like watching paint dry. He has absolutely no charisma. This is what I think happened. I think yes the little girls fell in love with him because he is the boy next store, is cute, and has absolutely no raw sexual appeal...meaning he is very safe and non threatening. I think he beat Adam because Adam is way too polarizing and while many people love him for this there are also many people who find him offensive. There is no way Danny's votes went to Adam. I also think Kris benefitted from Matt's, Anoops, Lil's, and Scott's votes. Kris had the ability to pick up voters along the way whereas Adam didn't except for maybe Allison fans. But now I am digressing.

I think unfortunately Matt had a lot of mishaps along the way and he never seemed to gain the judges total support. I was wondering today on the way home from work what would have happened if Matt would have stuck with So Small and Human Nature type performances? I think the beginning of the end was when Matt landed in the bottom unfairly. Immediately Simon gave up on him and Matt lost a great deal of confidence which unfortunately he couldn't hide being the heart on his sleeves type of guy he is. Kris definitely gained momentum with Matt's downfall. And then right after he was in the bottom 2 he came back singing You Found Me and was creamed by the judges. At this point I think the viewers lost interest and that's when all the nonsense began that he couldn't sing. So once again Kris is the one to benefit from Matt's fall. Matt just was never able to get his confidence and magic back (for some but for me he was always magical). That is until the Ellen performance.

Quote :

Another good point you bring up, the dwindling of the fans post AI (not just Matt). Even on Itunes, neither Kris or the beloveddd, rock god, perfect idol Adam don't have much staying power if you look at the top 100 compared to last week. I think right now, since it's still soo soon after AI, it's more easy for us to get frustrated because in a way Matt is STILL being compared to the top 4. And, sure, on tour, there'll be some of that too. I just really wish we could skip ahead a bit to see who really lasts! I definitely think out of them all that Matt, and Adam, and even Scott probably have the best business sense because they've already been there and know what to expcet (well Scott seems to think he already has huge plans but I digress..). That being said, I truly think he will make very wise business decisions and not just jump into anything for the sake of doing so and risk not doing so well with a first album. I think HE has the lasting power for sure. He just really needs to not be associated with AI mode anymore, none of them do anymore.

I totally agree! What else can I add you said it brilliantly! I am adding you to my list of great debators!

I completely agree with everything! And you bring up a really good point with sticking to performances like So Small/Human Nature. And you know what, even if not sticking to them caused him to get less praise from the judges, I'm so glad he didn't! I'm SO, SO, SO happy that he thought outside the box and did lots of different performances, and ultimately NOT sticking to one side of the fence (as Kara constantly drilled in him). AND I'm even happier that after American Idol when he interviewed with Slezak that he said that he could still do piano rock and different types of music instead of sticking to one mold! He could have easily said, you know what, MAYBE if I had listened to the judge more, I would have gotten more votes, they would have respected me more as a musician, blah blah blah..but he didn't! He totally stayed true to himself and still wishes to pursue the type of music he wanted to before Idol. Idol didn't mold him into anything. He became his own artist and you know what, after thinking about, maybe he doesn't have the most downloads or was the most popular..but he really stayed true to himself even when the judges didn't agree with him and threw him under the bus and I think for that reason alone, even his non fans can appreciate that about him!

sgr91 wrote:

I would be really curious to see the sales week by week. I would guess that early on, he outsold the top 4 but people forget about you when you're voted off. I am still hopeful that enough of the
"right" people appreciate his talent (whether it be Kara, Randy, Colbie, Joel Madden, etc.) to make things happen for him. I agree on Elliott Yamin being the model for him. He's been compared to him since the audition and I think the comparison is appropriate.

This ranking of downloads is so confusing to me. So fans downloaded the most number of songs from him but still Matt only manages to sell 12,000?
That's puzzling to me. IMO that means that his fan base is very fickle or is very small, but still they are interested.

You know I already accepted the fact that 19 and other major label companies are not going to sign him ( although I wish) because he wasn't consistent enough during the show and failed to show his true musical identity.
We all criticized Kara for her saying that Matt had to choose a genre, but you have to admit she is right.
In order for you to start a recording career with a debut album, you need to discover your musical identity, learn what you do best and sell it.That's just the way it is and I think Matt even mentioned this in his Idolatry interview.

Matt can be great doing number of styles we all know that, but at the end of the day that is not what is going to make him a top selling recording artist.
He hasn't discovered his musical voice so to speak, not YET. But he will. When he does.. He will be unstoppable. Matt has this amazing raw talent that with the appropriate direction and guidance could lead to a successful career.

I believe with all my heart that in a couple of years with more experience in the music world, paying his dues, opening for people and bands, he will land a record deal and he will be able to sell his music.
I love him as he is now, but in order for him to have a career out of this, that iswhat he is going to have to do
Maybe AI fans didn't quite connect with him because his Idol journey was such a roller coaster ride. Some weeks he was AMAZING and others he stumble a bit. Also, he did so many different type of songs, that it was hard for them to know what type of artist he really was.

Think about that Coldplay performance.
I fell in LOVE with Matt during the Hollywood rounds and said to myself he was going to be the winner and then he came singing "Viva La Vida" during the semifinals and I said WTF? I understand that he was nervous his first time at bat but that was a bad choice to start his live performances. Don't blame him though, he was starting to learn.
I think Matt's struggles with musical self identity because he's been playing covers and requests in a piano bar for quite some time.

Record execs just have to give him time to grow, he is still learning and will continue to grow and he gets more experience.
I hope once the Idol tour is over, Kara and him get some working sessions together so he can develop that musical identity we all talk about.

Kris, Adam and Allison all knew who they were and what they did best and that's what helped them get so far. JMHO.
Still.. I truly believe that in time Matt will get there. The tour will help him a lot.
And I do picture an Elliott Yamin type of career for him in the future.
Simon was really on point, with that comment.

We as fans just have to be patient with Matt's career. After some time it will all fall in place.

LOL Mattyg you sound just like me when I was a fan of Constantine's. But I honestly think Matt knows what he wants to do and who he is as an artist. I think it's the judges who confused him and the AI viewing audience. They kept telling him who he was and was not. They kept trying to shove him in the R&B box where he so obivously did not want to be and I think this hurt Matt tremendously. To be fair the whole purpose of the themes is to sing a wide variety of music. Adam was able to do this and he got praise beyond belief. But not Matt he had to stay in the Justin Timberlake box. IMO it's actually Adam and Danny who have no clue who they are as artists. I think what finally happened was Matt decided to play the game to try and win over the judges. I honestly believe he knew the whole time the kind of music he wants to create.

Quote :

I was wondering today on the way home from work
what would have happened if Matt would have stuck with So Small and
Human Nature type performances? I think the beginning of the end was
when Matt landed in the bottom unfairly. Immediately Simon gave up on
him and Matt lost a great deal of confidence which unfortunately he
couldn't hide being the heart on his sleeves type of guy he is. Kris
definitely gained momentum with Matt's downfall. And then right after
he was in the bottom 2 he came back singing You Found Me and was
creamed by the judges. At this point I think the viewers lost interest
and that's when all the nonsense began that he couldn't sing. So once
again Kris is the one to benefit from Matt's fall. Matt just was never
able to get his confidence and magic back (for some but for me he was
always magical). That is until the Ellen performance.

Am I a bad fan for feeling that those two songs were my favorite performances from Matt? I just have to be honest. I LOVED those two.
And LOL about reminding you about Constantine. I was never a fan of his and I could tell he was a douche early on.
Anyways... Yeah.. I think that Matt's downfall began when he was in the bottom two unfairly. So sad.... That totally destroyed his confidence.

mattyg93 wrote:

Quote :

I was wondering today on the way home from work
what would have happened if Matt would have stuck with So Small and
Human Nature type performances? I think the beginning of the end was
when Matt landed in the bottom unfairly. Immediately Simon gave up on
him and Matt lost a great deal of confidence which unfortunately he
couldn't hide being the heart on his sleeves type of guy he is. Kris
definitely gained momentum with Matt's downfall. And then right after
he was in the bottom 2 he came back singing You Found Me and was
creamed by the judges. At this point I think the viewers lost interest
and that's when all the nonsense began that he couldn't sing. So once
again Kris is the one to benefit from Matt's fall. Matt just was never
able to get his confidence and magic back (for some but for me he was
always magical). That is until the Ellen performance.

Am I a bad fan for feeling that those two songs were my favorite performances from Matt? I just have to be honest. I LOVED those two.
And LOL about reminding you about Constantine. I was never a fan of his and I could tell he was a douche early on.
Anyways... Yeah.. I think that Matt's downfall began when he was in the bottom two unfairly. So sad.... That totally destroyed his confidence.

No you are not a bad fan because if you are then so I am because I love those two performances!

LOL it was two years before I realized Constantine was a douche. Oh okay it was two years before I finally admitted it. That man had me fooled! I would still be his fan if he wasn't such a complete F up!

Jenna wrote:

Where is ovenmitt she always tells it like it is? And pebbles come on guys you are our great debators!

This made me happy that you'd think of us! Our rambles sometimes make sense! lol Anywho sorry I've been absent for awhile... bro's sick so I've been on the phone with him constantly...

This whole thing is encouraging as far as I'm concerned. I honestly don't think people were expecting much from Matt, as far as record labels were concerned anyway.

this to me doesn't bode for Kris more than anyone. A)On a level playing field without No Boundaries He's not outselling the runner up, even with him having the official single instead of just the songs they performed on the show. B) If you look at this time last year, the sales for Cooks winning single was almost 10x better than Kris's 10 TIMES! The show has hit a low, it was the least watched finale since season 1. Good luck Mr. Allen you're gonna need it. Here's the sales from this time last year:
David Cook: 942,000 (60% of S7 downloads)
David Archuletta: 323,000 (21.5% of S7 downloads)
Jason Castro with 64,000
Brooke White with 47,000
Michael Johns with 40,000
Carly Smithson with 33,000
Syesha Mercado with 18,000
Kristi Lee Cook with 10,000
Chikezie with 5,000
-EVERYONE's sales are down 1-10.... could be a sign of the economy.... could be a sign of viewership drop... who knows?

Matt didn't have any help with these songs being downloaded. By that I mean no radio play, no interviews (only LKL but it was with everyone else), no celeb duet, no time at all in the finale, and no record contract buzz. All the people above him, had all if not most of these things going for them. Allison got a celeb duet in the finale. She KILLED it in my opinion-- all the fans of Cyndi Lauper (which there are still MANY) take a look at Allison- more records sold. There's major buzz about her getting a deal with Jive, people hear this and go check her out- more records sold.

Now I found a leaked song sales statistic for the week of the 1st top 7. These are still just for THAT week so the total downloads to that point are still not certain. There were 58 total songs on the list. Matt was not any higher than 17 (it was the current song HYERLAW) but was not lower than 33 (Human Nature). Here are some of the statistical patterns for the entire list: -Adam has the least variation - his highest track is #1 and lowest at #7 People seem to keep coming back for his, which makes it seem like he picks up more fans as the season goes.. or his fans have lots of dough to spend! -Kris ranges from #3 to #23, with his more noteworthy performances ranking higher but all within the top 25 -Danny’s pattern is similar to Kris’, with clear standout performances that rank higher, except his range falls a little lower from #9 to #25. -Allison and Matt are spread out over the list, reflecting to me their ups and downs through the season. Also, their songs tend to rank by recency…so casual fans who care enough to who buy their latest stuff fresh in the memory but not necessarily going back for older songs or all the people who are going to buy their stuff do so right away. They don't gain fans along the way. You can see this pattern because with an exception of a few (Let's Get it on is 2nd on his list, while PTL is 3rd to last- a week after the performance)

So the changes from the 1st top 7 until a week after the finale show that things haven't really changed much. What should be encouraging is that Matt and Allison's patterns are similar. They're time on the show was very similar. The judges love them but never quite caught on with casual viewers as much as they probably should. Allison's got a record deal, these sales should be encouraging in that they had similar patterns with their sales.

Another good thing is that he's got 20 songs being bought. This may show that his fanbase isn't as large as K,A,D but the fans he has are loyal and want to buy ALL of Matt's music. This is a good sign. Another point I want to make that I think is important is this: because sales are down and viewership is down, people like Kris and Danny and maybe even Adam will struggle with sales afterwards. Because their expectations are so high, this might end up badly for them. Matt's expectations are not as high so anything he gets will be a success (like a Kellie Pickler if you will). If Kris's albums sucks and struggles, he's done. There is no re-invention or change in Kris. What he is now is what he will be 10 years from now, he's not getting any better. Matt's got the talent to grow, to evolve, to stay with the current trends of music (I know people hate the JT comparison but that boy went from a boy bander to full blown R&B inventor on FSLS.... Matt is like this). If Matt hooks up with a record label willing to let him nurture his talent, grow with the times, he will end up having a very long career. He could end up being around longer than any of the contestants this season (with the exception of maybe Allison because objectively I think that girls gonna have a HUGE career) We'll be hearing about Matt a lot longer than Kris Allen.... trust me!

also I want to add this: Matt's appeal stretches further than just the fans he gained on the show. His sales are just from Idol viewers. This also doesn't bode well for Danny. I'm fairly certain that Danny's fans from the show are gonna be the only fans he has. He has ZERO mass appeal, no room for growth, and little musical ability. So if/when he puts out an album, 50,000ish a week won't cut it. If Matt put out an album today and had a decent single, he'd sell more than 12,000 a day. He'll gain fans with his material after the show... people like Danny will not. And also if you look at the full list (i can post a link if you want me to) it looks like to me the only people with a CHANCE at a record deal are the top 5. The others sales were pretty paltry (with the exception of Anoop but his sales are drastically lower now... his buzz has worn off) and hell Lil's sales were never above 38 on that list and she was still on the show at that point....

I guess the reason I don't feel as pessimistic about these sales is because I kind of gave up on the American Idol audience and how they viewed Matt a long time ago. The way they treated him during the show was worse then the way the show treated him IMO. Why would they suddenly start buying his singles now? I've always felt that Matt needs to gain a lot of non-idol fans to be able to make it. His fanbase has always been small (but very passionate). It's not enough to guarantee him great sales.

Quote :

If Matt hooks up with a record label willing to let him nurture his talent, grow with the times, he will end up having a very long career. He could end up being around longer than any of the contestants this season (with the exception of maybe Allison because objectively I think that girls gonna have a HUGE career) We'll be hearing about Matt a lot longer than Kris Allen.... trust me!

This is what Matt needs. He needs a record company that doesn't bank on his fans from idol buying his albums, but instead nurtures him and gives him proper publicity when his CD does come out. I think Matt has the talent to make it far. He just needs the right people behind him that believe in him.

Quote :

Another good thing is that he's got 20 songs being bought. This may show that his fanbase isn't as large as K,A,D but the fans he has are loyal and want to buy ALL of Matt's music. This is a good sign. Another point I want to make that I think is important is this: because sales are down and viewership is down, people like Kris and Danny and maybe even Adam will struggle with sales afterwards. Because their expectations are so high, this might end up badly for them. Matt's expectations are not as high so anything he gets will be a success (like a Kellie Pickler if you will). If Kris's albums sucks and struggles, he's done. There is no re-invention or change in Kris. What he is now is what he will be 10 years from now, he's not getting any better. Matt's got the talent to grow, to evolve, to stay with the current trends of music (I know people hate the JT comparison but that boy went from a boy bander to full blown R&B inventor on FSLS.... Matt is like this). If Matt hooks up with a record label willing to let him nurture his talent, grow with the times, he will end up having a very long career. He could end up being around longer than any of the contestants this season (with the exception of maybe Allison because objectively I think that girls gonna have a HUGE career) We'll be hearing about Matt a lot longer than Kris Allen.... trust me!

In your post the above paragraph is what stuck out for me the most because I also feel that Matt will be the slow but steady wins the race kind of guy. He has what it takes to have a long lasting career. He loves music for music's sake not for the fame and fortune at least that is the impression I have gotton. This is a corny expression but I truly believe the man has music in his soul. I mean who teaches themselves to play the piano from just pure passion? I think I have said this before but I first remember seeing Matt during Hollywood rounds when he was singing Georgia On My Mind. I immediately thought that guy reminds me of Billy Joel. Not necessarily his voice but the way he holds himself at the piano. There really aren't many real musicians anymore or at least ones being played on top 40 or considered superstars. Matt is so old school and I mean that in a very positive way. He reminds me of the great musicians form the 60's and 70's. Back then people made music and created works of art. This is how I see Matt. Is he completely there yet no but I believe he will be creating amazing music for a very long time especially if he is allowed to be him. I hope he finds the best people to work with that really have faith in him and want to support him rather than control him. I hope that someone out there can invision the amazing CD I know he can create. I hope that they nurture him and allow him to grow as an artist. Man I sound like a complete fanatic LOL. Maybe I should create Hallmark cards...LOL

The part of your post that I really agreed with was your point about the struggles Kris will face and the stress of being the winner and selling CD's. This is why I do not want Matt signed to 19E. They are so fast to drop these idol's if their sales are not up to their expectations. Look at Taylor he sold what 800,000 CD's and he is labeled as a failure. Hell now a days that is a shit load of sales. Most artists are lucky to go gold. I would hate for anyone to label Matt as a failure. You are right Pebbles Matt has no where to go from here but up.

Oh and I love your's and Ovenmitt's ramblings and conspiracies! I hope your brother feels better,

Yes post the link please!

mch wrote:

I guess the reason I don't feel as pessimistic about these sales is because I kind of gave up on the American Idol audience and how they viewed Matt a long time ago. The way they treated him during the show was worse then the way the show treated him IMO. Why would they suddenly start buying his singles now? I've always felt that Matt needs to gain a lot of non-idol fans to be able to make it. His fanbase has always been small (but very passionate). It's not enough to guarantee him great sales.

Quote :

If Matt hooks up with a record label willing to let him nurture his talent, grow with the times, he will end up having a very long career. He could end up being around longer than any of the contestants this season (with the exception of maybe Allison because objectively I think that girls gonna have a HUGE career) We'll be hearing about Matt a lot longer than Kris Allen.... trust me!

This is what Matt needs. He needs a record company that doesn't bank on his fans from idol buying his albums, but instead nurtures him and gives him proper publicity when his CD does come out. I think Matt has the talent to make it far. He just needs the right people behind him that believe in him.

LOL it seems we all are thinking the same things about the kind of record label we want Matt to have interested in him.

In reality all of these Idols need to gain fans outside of Idol and the ones like Clay who don't, don't have a chance in hell of sustaining long careers in music. For me it will be most interesting to see how Adam does with the outside world so to speak. I actually think him and Danny might have the hardest time attracting new fans. Danny may do ok with a Chrisitian label but Adam I just don't know. I think initially he will do well but I think like all gimmicks his time in the sun will end and he will go back to Broadway. For me it is very clear that is where he should have stayed in the first place. For Kris if he puts out a great CD then he may have some success post idol but he is extremely limited in the type of music he can put out. Although, how many CD's released from the Idol winners are ground breaking amazing CD's. They are all pretty much the same generic bland pop...whether they are rock, country, R&B, or purely pop. I think they have a certain formula they follow. I loved David Cook and like his CD but I really expected something more edgy and artistic but no way would AI/19E allow him creative control.

hehe sometimes I feel like Leah and I are the only ones on the same page and everyone must be looking at us like we're nuts! And thanks about my bro... he's been sick for 2 weeks but they think he'll be ok!

The more I think about how Matt can grow makes me think of his pre-idol music. The differences between "Perspective" and "Mind Body and Soul" is SOOO HUGE!!!!! Just from the 2 of those albums the growth in his musicality, voice, and even business savvy (I think I remember hearing how negotiated using his own material on the 2nd album, etc.) is just miles ahead of where it was then. And that was just in Michigan. If he can get a big (or bigish) label, A&R team, producers, writers, etc. there's no telling what he can do.


http://mjsbigblog.com/?p=7187&cp=2#comment-228019 is the link to the list... a commenter named rbidol put the list together. Then if I would have kept reading I would have saw that he went week to week with the analysis (i think it's still just sales for that week, so not immediately afterwards) the top 5 finishers are the top 5 in sales (Matt's usually 5th) for each week in terms of the order they sell. So that week Top 7a, he's still outselling everyone who finished below him. I don't know if that made sense to anyone... i'm confusing myself as I write it.

Another thing I thought, was most people if their not fans only buy Matt's songs if they liked his live performance. The "good" performances sold higher than the "bad" ones. This is also encouraging because now without nerves he'll most assuredly impress people more live than he did on the show. To me, he's replacing Danny in the "almighty four". Danny's sales are goodish but post-idol he's been shooting himself in the foot. Matt's winning people over, Danny's not.

And you're right about Adam. I think he'll be pretty big right out of the gate, but will fade quicker than my red hair dye! (which fades surprisingly fast... it pisses me off! lol) There's only so much screaming and flash people can take. He's like the Lady GaGa of American Idol... he's a gimmick and pretty soon people will grow tired of her and him and they'll be gone! And Danny will never have a successful mainstream career, Christian music he may be HUGE in... but he'll never be big compared to Matt, Kris (his sales, longevity, and success all hinge on whether his material is good) or Allison... who I think will be the only ones we even have a chance of hearing of in 5 years.

I'm really glad I can turn a post that I was simply going to respond with a thanks and a link into a mini-novel... gosh! lol

Just moved into a new state, so sorry for being MIA for awhile!

I just read this thread...and at first I was bummed about the low sales for Matt. But then again, everyone's numbers were low this year...and also, Matt as a whole didn't choose songs that would normally be top downloads. I mean, Kris chose "Heartless, Falling Slowly, Apologize" etc. Those songs are probably searched for DAILY on iTunes. He was sure to garner sales from non-Idol viewers. Same with Adam's song choices.

Matt probably did well on his "So Small" and "You Found Me" sales, because the songs are newer hits. But the others, not so much.

However, like pebbles said...the fact that Matt sold more songs than any of the others listed means a lot. He has that dedicated fanbase that is buying all of his music, plus a good bit of versatility in what others buy from him. I am proud of his accomplishments.

It's great to see you back Cacity. I am also proud of his accomplishments! LOL after Constantine it feels good to support someone as amazing as Matt and not just in talent but as a person as well. Sorry

Jenna wrote:

It's great to see you back Cacity. I am also proud of his accomplishments! LOL after Constantine it feels good to support someone as amazing as Matt and not just in talent but as a person as well. Sorry

Thanks, it's good to be moved finally and to have internet back!

I agree, Matt is a great musician as well as a great person. I can't wait to see what type of music he puts out.

Quote :

LOL it seems we all are thinking the same things about the kind of record label we want Matt to have interested in him.

The most frustrating part of idol is waiting to see the type of deal your favorite gets after the show ends. All the speculation in the "Record Deal?" thread about Brook White's CD and the buzz around it makes me hopeful that record companies might be more willing to sign the true artists that don't win idol and give them the right type of backing. That gives me more hope for Matt, but it still will be hard waiting. Out of all eight seasons of idol I feel like Matt might have the biggest chance of anyone to get a fanbase outside of idol. I've never seen someone with his passion and talent on the show before. He almost seemed to good for the show. That's why I think the American Idol audience didn't connect with him. He was there based on talent and not some fake story arc that they desperatly wanted to root for. And they couldn't handle the realness of that. They wanted a fake dark horse instead. But the American Idol audience is extremely fickle like you guys said. Maybe it's better Matt has a small fanbase that's extremely passionate instead of a large fanbase that will disappear when they get someone else to root for next year.

Quote :

a commenter named rbidol put the list together. Then if I would have kept reading I would have saw that he went week to week with the analysis (i think it's still just sales for that week, so not immediately afterwards) the top 5 finishers are the top 5 in sales (Matt's usually 5th) for each week in terms of the order they sell. So that week Top 7a, he's still outselling everyone who finished below him. I don't know if that made sense to anyone... i'm confusing myself as I write it.

LOL I actually got banned over at MJ's for sticking up for Matt. I saw that list. It's actually pretty interesting that the top 5 went out in order based on sales. You know what's funny today (again on the way home from work) I started wondering how long Kris was actually in the lead. I mean he has so far out sold Adam. And I heard that the finale wasn't even close. It's just interesting how everyone just knew Adam was going to win and that Adam sold the most when actually it has been Kris. Just goes to show you how much publicity helps someone. I am praying that Matt get's rave reviews this summer from the magazines and papers! That can help him a lot!

Quote :

Another thing I thought, was most people if their not fans only buy Matt's songs if they liked his live performance. The "good" performances sold higher than the "bad" ones. This is also encouraging because now without nerves he'll most assuredly impress people more live than he did on the show. To me, he's replacing Danny in the "almighty four". Danny's sales are goodish but post-idol he's been shooting himself in the foot. Matt's winning people over, Danny's not.

I was talking to a friend today who was a fan of Matt's (but not as fanatical as I am) and she was saying the same thing about Matt's up and down performances effecting his single sales and votes. It's a shame that Matt was always so nervous because I truly believe if he could have gotton those nerves under control he had a great chance of winning. Oh well like he said before... "Just Looking Forward" I can't wait to see his career take off!

mch wrote:

Quote :

LOL it seems we all are thinking the same things about the kind of record label we want Matt to have interested in him.

The most frustrating part of idol is waiting to see the type of deal your favorite gets after the show ends. All the speculation in the "Record Deal?" thread about Brook White's CD and the buzz around it makes me hopeful that record companies might be more willing to sign the true artists that don't win idol and give them the right type of backing. That gives me more hope for Matt, but it still will be hard waiting. Out of all eight seasons of idol I feel like Matt might have the biggest chance of anyone to get a fanbase outside of idol. I've never seen someone with his passion and talent on the show before. He almost seemed to good for the show. That's why I think the American Idol audience didn't connect with him. He was there based on talent and not some fake story arc that they desperatly wanted to root for. And they couldn't handle the realness of that. They wanted a fake dark horse instead. But the American Idol audience is extremely fickle like you guys said. Maybe it's better Matt has a small fanbase that's extremely passionate instead of a large fanbase that will disappear when they get someone else to root for next year.

OMG I can't stop posting when all of you are saying everything I am thinking except saying it better! I have thought this for so long and I think I said something similar over on the AI boards during the season. He was and is too good for that show. He actually is legitimately a true artist/musician and I am so grateful he was on this season but at the same time I don't think this was the right venue for showingcasing his talent. People who watch AI are not usually music lovers. They are watching a TV show and a story. Matt took the stage every performance night as if he was putting on a concert. I loved watching him getting so wrapped up and lost in the music that it would seem like he was not aware of the audience. Most of the AI viewers couldn't get this. They saw someone who wasn't connecting with them. They saw someone who didn't gaze into the camera with bedroom eyes singing just to them. I can't tell you how many times I read that someone couldn't connect with Matt. I was like what? But now I understand. Those people want to feel a connection to the person not the music. For me it is the exact opposite. I am first connected to the music and then because of the music I feel connected to the person. If that makes any sense? Matt drew me in with his passion and his obvious connection to what he was singing and playing. His connection and passion for music isn't contrived or an act. I have never been able to connect to a song through any other Idol before except for Matt. Actually there have only been a few musicians that have been able to do this for me. Matt is one, Billy Joel is another, and the last one is 3 Doors Down. Matt IMO has a genuie gift for interpreting music and lyrics and that is because he truly loves music and wants to spend his life creating music.

Tie wrote:

Most people had Matt as their 3rd or 4th favorite, but not their 1st. I think he sold well, considering.

Many (and I do mean MANY) people don't buy the contestants songs if they aren't their absolute favorite, they download them for free. They want to reserve their sales support for their faves. I shouldn't admit it, but I am also guilty of that. I bought all of Matt's AI studio recordings and nobody else, except for 2 of Danny's, after he was voted off. I also only purchased 2 pre-idol songs of Matt's, not because they weren't necessarily good, but the recording quality was kind of lacking. Then on top of everything, you have to take the economy into consideration. Many people have lost their credit cards, or just don't have the extra finances for something most would consider frivolous spending. I would like to think that most of Matt's fans have their heads screwed on straight . Michigan is so far in the dumps right now, I would have to say that most of his fans there, just couldn't support him financially. I also know people who have had to give up their internet connections just to try and save money. No internet, no itunes purchasing.

Kris had the church, the Bible Belt, the judges, the pissed off and his genuine fans helping him.

Adam had the flamboyants, the eccentrics, the Broadway obsessed, his Hollywood rich friends, the judges and his genuine fans helping him.

Danny had the church, the sympathy voters (though I don't think there were actually many of them), the Bible Belt, the judges and his genuine fans helping him.

Allison had the Latino community, the only fem in the competition worth a hill of beans, the judges and her genuine fans helping her.

Who was helping Matt out? The only ones helping him were 'us', his genuine fans.

I'd say Matt has came a long way on his own merit. I don't think I am worried about where he is going to go from here. I think he's got it made.

I like your perspective and I think you'r right! It infuriates me though that he had so little support - what is it with these people and what is it that they don't get? But again as many of us have stated - he is too much of an artist to be an idol winner - he just loves music - and that is more or less all he cares about. He was not in it for the fame and glory, but to get seen and be heared because he has a gift - something special that he wants to share with the rest of the world - YAY - go Matt

Wow. Sorry I couldn't be on here last night. It's hard for me to get computer time when the family is home. I have to cook, do laundry attend ballgames so unfortunately I can't sit here and read and listen and talk about Matt all day - gosh I wish I could! Anyway, these are all great posts and I agree 100% with most of them.

1) Yes, I did notice there are some new Matt fans posting at AI that don't know about this board. I don't think you would be pushy to invite them Jenna. Like me, they'd be flattered that you let them know about it.
2) I was excited to see Matt was 4th on the ITunes sales list but also discouraged by how much lower he was than the top 4. Not sure how I feel about it.
*On as side note about Matt's pre-idol music. Last night my 10 year old was playing his Wii and he kept singing Matt's "I'm Sorry"! I was so thrilled. He sings alot of Matt's songs while he is playing. I guess cause he hears them so much. LOL.
3) I agree about Kris. I don't get his appeal. I wish I would have been able to watch Idol with my sisters - too bad we live so far apart. THey were big Danny and KRis fans and I just don't get it. The night Matt ended up in the bottom 2 - after having the 2nd best performance of the night (by a long shot) was like a stab in the gut. When I panicked to them they didn't get it. My Mother told me early on that she liked Kris. Good, clean-cut wholesome boy. I agree. But it's a singing/talent contest. Kris has no range. It's so hard to watch him sing. At first I thought it was cute, then it got annoying. It was so obvious that he had to strain to reach certain notes. The mouth was so distracting. It's weird that Simon thought that him playing the wife card so early on would hurt him, and I actually think it helped him. I really do.
4) I finally got to watch Matt's idolatry videos. The guy is so funny! But I felt bad for Matt when he said the judges never gave him credit for his "artistry". He arranged all of his music. I read on youtube yesterday that someone said they are disappointed now that they learned Kris' version of "Heartless" wasn't original. Urrrgggghhhh! I went out last Friday night with a friend and she said that's what sold her on Kris. Was his "Heartless" - it was so original. I had to correct her on that matter. I knew the Fray's version. I still like it better than Kris'. It's more haunting, as it should be. Kris makes it sound like a sappy love song. It's not.
5) The judges. I think they are the ones that doomed Matt. Circumnstance. And don't kill me - but Matt doomed himself too. I love Matt. I am a consumate fan. I loved his Viva La Vida because I love Matt. But when you are trying to win millions of votes, that's not what he needed to do. He should have done "Who's Loving You" right out of the gate. But water under the bridge. I think he had to climb out of that hole. And he did. He came out with Human Nature, So Small and Let's Get it On. Three incredible performances that had the judges calling him a front-runner. Simon's comment, "I don't think you get enough credit for your vocals. Everyone is always talking about Adam and Danny. Tonight I think you out sang Danny, I really do." And then they were all ga-ga over "Let's Get It On"....when Matt ended up in the bottom two that week - why didn't the judges say "America got this wrong, Matt does not deserve to be in the bottom 2. Don't assume that your favorites are safe, you have to vote." etc, etc - Like they did for Adam. But I think Matt made the wrong choice when he sang "You Found Me". I personally loved it. But Matt tried too hard. His studio recording is phenomenal, but he did scream and growl in the live performance. However, America didn't mind it, he didn't even make it into the bottom 3 that week. However, he lost credibility with the judges a little and from that point on they never labled him as a "front-runner" "challenging for the top spot". I did agree with Simon and Randy - he should have sang "Apologize" that night or a Gavin deGraw song and jazzed it up. Anyways, the next week he came out with "Part Time Lover" and he regained praise from the judges. Incredible on every level! Two Words: Standing O! Awe those comments sent butterflies through my stomach. Matt's back on track. Then the next week he sings "Have You Ever REally Loved a Woman" I truly believed this was a right song choice by Matt - but he had some rough notes in the bride. If only he had sang it like he does the studio version. Simply superb! In that version he doesn't try to do all the runs, and the bridge is spotless. I don't understand though how he ended up the lowest vote getter that night. Lil Rounds was tore up for weeks - week after week she was making wrong song choices. How on earth did she get more votes than Matt?!??!?!?! I loved that Matt sang "Stayin' Alive"...but have any of you heard "More Than a Woman" by the Bee Gees from SNF - I could so hear Matt singing that - maybe he should have sang it for Movie Night. .....anyway. Of course after that Matt made it to top 5 with Lil and Anoop going home. And Rightfully so. I can hardly bare to think about Rat Pack Week. I just don't understand the comments of Randy and Kara that night. It's as if they decided before the show that they were going to give props to Kris, Danny and Allison and throw Matt under the bus. Matt's performance of My Funny Valentine was so much more tasteful and believable than Kris' and Danny's. That night they praised Danny about his swagger and his sexysiness. I was like "What'? I couldn't even sit through the performance cus I couldn't stand his "screaming'. I don't particularly enjoy Danny's voice - especially for Rat Pack Music. Matt's vocals were immaculate. I have listened to it countless times and I don't see how Randy could call it "pitchy" in spots. Or how Kara could say there was no emotional connection. And Simon was spot on - there was Nat King Cole phrasing in that song. His words are so pronounced and each line crisp, clear and you could hear every word.

Okay. This is long and winded and I got off track. Bottom line. I see some good and bad in these results. I agree the economy is down, especially in Michigan. I just pray that someone will see Matt's incredible talent and his drive and his desire and work with him and get him a record deal becasue I so want to hear some more from Matt Giraud. To me he is the greatest AI contestant ever, and I never thought to say that after Chris Daughtry and David Cook. But I really and truly enjoy Matt more!

Ohhh I have to catch up on all of these new posts!

Tie wrote:

Most people had Matt as their 3rd or 4th favorite, but not their 1st. I think he sold well, considering.

Many (and I do mean MANY) people don't buy the contestants songs if they aren't their absolute favorite, they download them for free. They want to reserve their sales support for their faves. I shouldn't admit it, but I am also guilty of that. I bought all of Matt's AI studio recordings and nobody else, except for 2 of Danny's, after he was voted off. I also only purchased 2 pre-idol songs of Matt's, not because they weren't necessarily good, but the recording quality was kind of lacking. Then on top of everything, you have to take the economy into consideration. Many people have lost their credit cards, or just don't have the extra finances for something most would consider frivolous spending. I would like to think that most of Matt's fans have their heads screwed on straight . Michigan is so far in the dumps right now, I would have to say that most of his fans there, just couldn't support him financially. I also know people who have had to give up their internet connections just to try and save money. No internet, no itunes purchasing.

Kris had the church, the Bible Belt, the judges, the pissed off and his genuine fans helping him.

Adam had the flamboyants, the eccentrics, the Broadway obsessed, his Hollywood rich friends, the judges and his genuine fans helping him.

Danny had the church, the sympathy voters (though I don't think there were actually many of them), the Bible Belt, the judges and his genuine fans helping him.

Allison had the Latino community, the only fem in the competition worth a hill of beans, the judges and her genuine fans helping her.

Who was helping Matt out? The only ones helping him were 'us', his genuine fans.

I'd say Matt has came a long way on his own merit. I don't think I am worried about where he is going to go from here. I think he's got it made.

Great post! For clarification, in case it isn't obvious, that chart is for sales in the last week not overall for the whole season. Here's the direct link: http://blogs.usatoday.com/idolchatter/ (it's currently the fourth entry down).

This is actually not a bad showing at all, especially since people cared enough to actually look into and buy Matt's pre-idol music almost a month after he was booted from AI, despite the fact that he received little pimpage during the finale. That says that he might be attracting new people to his music. It also speaks to the fact that a lot of people probably already downloaded his other AI songs and were interested in hearing "new" music from him that he hadn't performed on AI.

Every single legitimate record company thinks in terms of $$. Every single one. They will not take the time to nurture an artist or give an artist artistic freedom (even if they are mega super stars) if it's going to affect the companies bottom line negatively, even if they can take a tax write off, especially given the current economy.

Honestly, of all the contestants Matt is the only one I cared about seeing/hearing, and he is the one I'm least doubtful will make it, and I say that without bias, as in, even if my fave were someone else I would still feel the same way.

Frankly, Matt is a record execs/producers dream. He has a gorgeous, distinct voice, he can sing a wide variety of genres and sound beautiful doing all of them, he sounds amazing live, he looks amazing live, he sounds a-freakin-mazing in studio, he knows how to arrange songs really well on his own, he beat boxes really well, has incredible piano playing skills, he plays the drums, he can sound old school and new school at the same time or separately, he's young, he's charismatic, he's cute, he looks great on camera, he interviews like a dream, he's a quick learner, he works hard, he has no baggage, he's single for all intents and purposes...plus he LOVES music, like it just shows, and so wouldn't take the opportunity to make music for granted. Not to mention the fact that he can't escape the JT comparisons, and while I personally hate it, and I know he does too, the fact is that is NOT a bad thing to record execs AT ALL, (even if he doesn't end up doing that kind of music) like it's basically (excuse me for being crass here) a record execs/producers "wet dream" especially since JT is talking about basically "retiring." Same thing with the Buble comparison (which Matt seems to like a little bit more ...seriously...

Even people who weren't fans of Matt admit(ted) that Matt's insanely talented, has incredible potential to go far and that when he's "on" he's basically unbeatable. They also admitted to downloading a lot of his songs (specifically Human Nature, So Small, You Found Me and Part-Time Lover seemed to be huge faves).

I actually think some of the animosity that existed during the show, especially from the press, was partially because they felt that he wasn't performing up to his full potential. The problem I have with that is, people's standards for Matt was sooooo very frickin' high all time and yet, even when he met or surpassed them, he never got full serious credit for it. Meanwhile, other contestants, who didn't push themselves as much and who didn't actually fully arrange songs themselves, consistently got full serious credit for doing both.

I already went over this on the AI forum, but You Found Me and Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman, were Matt's only "bad" performances, but people bought into the producers' narrative (which I believe was created by the producers with the sole intention of setting Matt up for the save) and acted as if he's been wildly inconsistent in some way throughout the show. Bull. B-u-l-l.

The other narrative that went around was that Matt let nerves get the best of him. I'm not going to get into that, and yes, I know Matt himself says he was nervous and he knows it really showed, but I'm sorry, he's wrong about that. If there's one thing that Matt does that bothers me it's that he gives as much if not more credit to critics (even when they clearly have ulterior motives) than he does to people who tell him he's amazing without ulterior motives.

I personally, found it annoying that people were more open in giving Matt super props AFTER he left the show when he was no longer a threat to their favorite(s) but I was also happy that they had reached the point where they could finally feel free to honestly acknowledge Matt's immense talent.

Basically, I'm a bit alarmed at the level of worrying going on on this board. Part of the reason it was so easy to not hate on other contestants during the show was because I strongly strongly felt (and still strongly strongly feel) that the G-Squad was (is) backing a super super talented, guy. Shoot, even Adam who was wrongly touted as some sort of musical saviour says Matt's talent intimidates him. On top of that, Matt is also a funny, adorkable, caring, sweet, gorgeous, hard-working, focused, appreciative, good guy. When you're backing someone like that, you don't really need to constantly hate/worry and you have the freedom to spend that time you would have wasted hating/worrying just being positive and focused on helping/supporting your guy achieve his dreams (which I know people here are also definitely doing) that much faster.

I know that at this time there's little "action" going on, so all people can do is speculate, but Matt's getting a record deal. [Editing to add: he just needs to make sure to keep working hard to perfect his craft] Period. Who, what, when, where and how, is up in the air, but he is getting a record deal, I don't think their needs to be such panic/concern about that.

Where we come in is making sure he gets a good record deal quickly by showing that he has a strong fanbase that fully embraces his diverse musical styles and would buy his albums in a nanosecond (if not sooner).

pebbles87 wrote:

hehe sometimes I feel like Leah and I are the only ones on the same page and everyone must be looking at us like we're nuts!

Pebbles, where were you during the intervention thread on the AI forum? Trust me, there were tons of theories in there.

I'm just going to post the link to what I wrote instead of copy pasting it, that way you can also browse through the forum too and catch up on what you missed (I think the bulk of the conspiracy theories started during the last ten pages of the thread or so, even if that's not the case that thread has enough hilarious entries in it that its worth reading for it's original intent).

http://myidol.americanidol.com/go/thread/view/32575/14100475/I_need_an_intervention?num=10&pg=103 - my little addition to this discussion is seven posts down from the top.

I turned out to be wrong about the Adam winning over Kris, but that's probably because I was blinded by my general apathy over him as a performer...k sera sera...