The American Idol finale is quickly drawing near and we couldn’t wait to dish with judge Simon Cowell about the remaining four contestants (Syesha Mercado, David Cook, David Archuleta and Jason Castro) Paula Abdul’s latest live show flub, and more.
Here’s what the loose lipped Brit had to say …
Hollywood.com: Paula slipped up last week when she referenced a performance by Jason Castro that she watched during a dress rehearsal. What’s your take on all this?
Simon Cowell: I think that on any live show whether it is Idol or America’s Got Talent you embrace things when things go wrong. If it was a prerecorded show none of this would have been shown and it would be a bit boring. There was no conspiracy. I hear all this stuff about ratings – we watch the dress runs occasionally. Sometimes we take note of it sometimes we don’t. She just got a bit confused [laughs].
HW: Do you think an apology is in order?
SC: Well I don’t think it is necessary to be honest with you. I think the whole thing is being blown out of proportion it was a live show she made a mistake.
HW: Well, he had to sing a second song after hearing what one of the judges thought about him.
SC: Listen it is a high class problem. He’s singing in front of 25 million people you know. They are lucky to be on the show. You have to look at it in perspective…it is all part of the craziness of this show and the year it becomes normal is probably the year I will leave. Genuinely I like it when it is a bit loopy.
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HW: When it comes to the competition, who do you think will win?
SC: It will be David vs. David and it will all come down to what they sing on the night. David Cook has got the best voice and David Archuleta’s got the teen and gran appeal. Very equal.
HW: Do you have a gut feeling?
SC: I think will really all depend on what song they sing on the night. [PAGEBREAK]
HW: Syesha is consistently in the bottom two, yet she survives. Do you think it is a possibility she could make it to the final two?
SC: If I was a betting man, I better not put my money on her, but I take your point. She is a good singer she is solid. She will be very happy with where she’s got. For me, I just haven’t had that incredible moment from her yet.
HW: Why do you think Jason Castro has made it so far?
SC: Because he’s good looking. I said earlier, if you look like the hunchback of Notre Dame you wouldn’t be in the competition. But that’s the music business. He’s had some very good weeks to be fair to him. When he did that version of “Somewhere Over the Rain” and “Hallelujah.” He’s very current, cute, struggled with Andrew Lloyd Webber and in particular Neil Diamond. It almost felt a little bit like he was giving up last week. [PAGEBREAK]
HW: What was the benefit of doing an Andrew Lloyd Webber theme?
SC: I didn’t really see the point because I use it as a criticism on the show that you are going to end up on Broadway. We aren’t looking for a Broadway singer. Clay Aiken happens to be there at the moment and he loves it, but it is not what I wanted. I wanted like Leona Lewis. I wanted a contemporary recording artist who’s going to sell a lot of records. I’m not looking for someone to be in The Wiz.
HW: Why do you think the ratings are down this season?
SC: The themes are too old fashioned at the moment. I genuinely do. I think you A) need to make the themes more current and secondly I think we haven’t got the right personalities at the moment. We are not letting go enough. You know? They are very media savvy, saying the right things not arguing with me. It is too safe at the moment.
HW: Why do you think that is?
SC: It is one of those years where they’ve watched the show over previous years – David Archuleta, he was performing in front of Kelly Clarkson six years ago. It is on tape. I mean its like he’s gone to the “University of American Idol.’ Safe song, safe message. I like people who just go a bit crazy sometimes. I’m dying for someone to scream at me one week and just say “I hate your guts.” I know they are thinking it. [PAGEBREAK]
HW: Chris Sligh did that last season and lived to regret it.
SC: Sometimes I think I would like them to go, “I’d like to leave with my head held high [rather] than conform.” I can’t bear all this conforming …
HW: This season some of them have talked back to you and you’ve talked back to them and said I’m only trying to help you. So can you blame them?
SC: You make a good point. I’ve got to defend my position. I think in the case of Kristy Lee Cook who I think actually became more likeable once she came out of her shell, it wasn’t the talking back that ruined it for her it was the song that week. I certainly admired her more when she stood her ground. Sometimes it can however come across a bit like whining. What I object to is always blaming the genre because I think that you can work out an arrangement to suit you and I don’t like [hearing] “I can’t sing this song.”
HW: Does it bother you when someone like Neil Diamond tells a contestant not to listen to you?
SC: They choose to or they choose not to in the case of Kristy Lee, she took the advice well and did it. Michael Johns is a very good example. When I said to him – and I said this to him off stage, “You’re not a rock singer. You are more of an R&B blues singer. You’ve got to choose the appropriate type of song. If you try to copy the lead singer in a rock group you will be voted out.” And he decided not to take my advice so you’ve got to take it case by case. Sometimes the advice is good, sometimes it may not be. But you can’t just give a comment like Neil Diamond said “Just believe in yourself and everything will be fine,” because it doesn’t work that way. Otherwise all four are going to win. [PAGEBREAK]
HW: Of all the people who have been kicked off, who do you think has longevity in their career?
SC: This may surprise you, but Kristy Lee Cook because I think that she knows who she is now and I do think I steered her in the right direction one week when I said “You are actually a country artist.” So I think she knows who she is and I think that audience will like her. She’s easy to market and she is interesting.
HW: Anyone else?
SC: I think Michael Johns was probably the only contestant that should have stayed on a bit longer. I was thinking this week it would have been nice to see him in the top 4. I think he would have got better. [PAGEBREAK]
HW: The finale song choice is determined by a songwriting competition, the same one that produced Jordin Sparks “This Is My Now” last season. Why are these songs always so bad?
SC: You can guarantee that either the word “proud” or “moment “is going to be in the title [laughs]…How about “Proud to Believe in This Moment Now”?
