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?
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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.
That song is like a knife through the head. From the first line, it sounds like Kellie has a clothespin fastened over her nose, and is singing about one note higher than she’s actually able. Anyone have a coagulant for my eardrums…?
Well when i first heard this song by kellie pickler i said its ok but when i listen it again…i was like its good and it really struck in my head…i think the girl can rock in country music and she has perfect country twang and voice…and the single being co-written by herself makes it personal.
I think the song is amazing, and it’s real country!! Carrie sings pop, not country. Go Kellie!!
So, the fake Just Me is at it again. I never said I did not like country. I have not even heard the song. I can say, that I liked her song on the CD with the twelve finalist.
To the fake Just Me:
once again, get your own post name!
This lyrics and the beats and the music of the song itself does not make it a bad song, it is a very typical new pop-coutry song (yuck) that you would expect from her. The problem is that 1.) she is SO nasal and 2.) there is no range to the song, it is the same 5 or 6 notes over and over again. She does not give you anything on the bridge or put any passion in it or take any liberties at all. It is a limited range feelingless tune. This is what I didn’t like about her on the show. But it is okay these days to not have any range and sing without feeling in country, because unfortunately, country music is no longer the music of honesty and pain, it is now the music of pop, blonde, cotton candy crap. She will no dount have much success with those requirement. She is not bad, she is just nothing special in pretty wrapping.
She’s got a great personality and the song is ok. To compare her to Carrie Underwood is like comparing William Hung to Josh Grobin.
Kellie has played the dumb “ditzy” blond card one too many times. She’s cute as hell and somtimes funny, but you can only ACT dumb so many times.
I’ll be generous and give most of these commenters a C. After all it’s not their fault they weren’t born with the ability to know great talent when they hear it. Kellie rocks! And they better get used to it because she will be rocking for a long time!
UGH. This song is NOT good. Kellie has a better voice than most of the general public….but as professional singers go …. she is not very good. Her voice is very nasal, and is often off-pitch. Her songs are nothing out of the ordianary and her singing is frankly, unpleasant to listen to.
Now, Carrie Underwood is a different story. That girl has got a set of ‘pipes’ and I look forward to her music.
I like her song, it is fun to listen to, but I don’t think she is nasal but if it does seem so, then one must account for her accent and she cannot help that anymore than her inability to “Correctly” say Salmon.
And Elyse you haven’t taken into account that she is from a small town so she doesn’t know as much as the city dwellers. The city is traditionally a convergion cultures so there are just some things small towners doesn’t know and likewise, the city dwellers. You have a lot to learn from her.
I really like “Red High Heels” also. It’s very catchy and a nice modern country tune.
The song is great, considering its her first single. I listened to all the song previews on her upcomming cd, and to be honest, it seems Kellie has a potentially very good record on her hands(I say potentially only because I haven’t listened to the full songs). To all the people who commented on her “shrieky” weak vocals, its clearly you speak ot of personal feelings not profetional judgement. Because if you really want to present that opinion as profetional statement on her vocal ability then you knowledge on the subject is zero.
hey, this song’s not bad..better than i could expect from her..
Really like the song, just heard it, but does anyone else think this doesn’t sound a thing like Pickler? I was even a fan of hers during American Idol and was looking forward to hearing the cd, but I do not think this sounds like her at all! She sounds way better on the cd than she ever did on the show! I’m confused. The voice is waaaaaaaay different.
I just got through listening to her single. It is not good at all. Her voice sounds like she breathed in helium. All these people who did not win will not go on to be a success in music.