I don’t usually mind admitting I’m wrong — except when it comes to my No. 1 pop-culture obsession, American Idol. So trust me, it’s going to be a bitter supper tonight when I dine on the words I wrote about Kellie Pickler in my April 19 Idol TV Watch: ”Keep working those blond locks and big eyelashes, as well as that aw-shucks attitude. Because honestly, they’re the main assets keeping Kellie in the competition.” Not a very kind assessment of the calamari-phobic gal from Albemarle, NC. Come to think of it, neither was my observation that I heard a lamb scream at the end of her performance of ”Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.”
But putting aside her take on the classic American songbook, I may have misunderestimated Miss Pickler. Her debut single, ”Red High Heels,” has been out for a few days now, and when I finally heard it streaming over at AOL Music today, it made me wonder how come I never listen to country radio. ”Red High Heels” is a terrific little ditty about a gal who’s finally finished with a ne’er-do-well man, complete with lyrics about putting a barbed wire fence around her heart, and kickin’ him to the curb. Good stuff, sung with a natural exuberance that has me ready to grab a marker and a piece of poster-board and write ”Pick Pickler!” What do you think, PopWatchers?
Not KC but not too bad either. I have to admit it, I’m not a country girl but i still kinda like it.
You’re not the only one who was taken by surprise with her new single. I’ve always thought Kellie was charismatic and would make a fabulous TV personality, but in terms of actual talent, I didn’t think she measured up. However, ‘Red High Heels’ is rather charming. And this is coming from someone who swore off country music a long time ago.
Michael, you know you’re just kissing up, because you don’t want Kellie to stomp on you with her red high heels and lock you in a room with her version of “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” for the rest of your life.
it’s a cute little country song, perfect for kellie. i was worried about carrie comparisons, but where carrie is God-like and serious, kellie is hip and fun. i like it.
Am I the only one who thinks they tweaked her vocals with some processing? Perhaps an Autotuner? Some compression? Any audio experts want to weigh in?
As for the song itself, it’s pleasant but not distinctive. It would be just fine as a background song in a movie.
Lastly, as far as footwear-related songs go, I still prefer “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’.”
Great track. I KNOW I’m not the only one that was impressed by kellie during the audition round am I? She stuck in my head for two reasons….she has “it” and her voice. Why the voice? Remember she wasn’t really a singer. She hasn’t had years of training. Yet with confindence she was able to get on that stage and not embarass herself! To the person with autotuner comment….I think she’s simply singing in her register. I am no way a country music fan yet there are a few artists that I will listen too and buy and Kellie is on that short list now. I like the song and it’s going to do well. I think Miss Pickler is going to be around for more than a minute and that makes me happy.
You still wake up sometimes, don’t you, Michael? You wake up in the dark and hear the screaming of the lamb.
It’s a nice little ditty that is actually much better than any Kellie Pickler song has any right to be.
Breezy, exhuberant anf fun, with no pretensions of being “high art”, perfect for Pickler.
I am actually glad that the song is doing well on the country charts, up to #38 this week.
Not bad for an American Idol reject anyway.
And it has already outperformed (believe it or not) Shania Twain’s last THREE singles- SHOES, I AIN’T NO QUITTER, DON’T- none of which even cracked the country top forty.
Jake, compression is a standard process in the mixing process for music, and doesn’t affect pitch or tone, just volume. As for Autotune, having just listened to the song I don’t *think* there is substantial tuning tweaking, but it’s possible that there’s a little, at least on her sustained notes.
I wish Pickler success, because I think she’s amusing. But I can’t say I’m excited about this song (and that’s coming from both a pop-country fan and someone studying recording and mix engineering at school)
Nice…and I don’t normally like Country…and I agree, it sounds like they tweaked her voice a bit w/the electronic stuff…but it’s a cute song.
Ugh, I just don’t like country music, but I made myself listen to it. There’s something about the tone of her voice I just don’t like, it’s a little shrill for me. She does sound better than she did on Idol though.
I agree with Just Me — her voice is really shrill and unpleasant to listen to. The song would have been a lot better with a richer voice, frankly, because it’s a fun song. Ugh, now I can’t get it out of my head. There’s still a screaming lamb embedded in Kellie’s voice. I don’t know how you can’t hear it, Slezak.
Hey, Kellie’s got a pretty neat Country voice, but it is her down-home personality that REALLY sparkles! All in all, I’d buy her records – YUP, this girl’s a keeper
i loved REH HIGH HEELS
such cute song…i think she will do really well
What does KC have to do with Kellie first off? The song sounds like she is singing 33 at a 45 RPM Rate. Michael I have seriously lost any respect for you. Carrie Underwood this girl is seriously not. What do you think of Before he Cheats Michael, if you like Red High Heels you must mess your self over this one.