Easiest way to bring tears to my eyes: Put me within 20 feet of a freshly sliced onion. A close runner-up: Show me a clip of Fantasia Barrino performing "I Believe" during American Idol‘s third season performance finale. I start getting choked up at around the 2:39 mark, and reaching for the tissues at the Gospel-rific bridge.
To me, one of the great pop-culture mysteries of our time is, how in the name of all that’s holy has the global music-buying populace failed to turn ‘Tasia into a major superstar? I know, I know… our birthday gal’s post-Idol musical output has been somewhat spotty, but listen to "Hood Boy," her collaboration with Big Boi (Ellen performance embedded below) and tell me it’s not one of the catchiest singles in the last decade to not crack Billboard’s pop Top 40.
Also: Happy birthday, ‘Tasia! Haters are gonna hate, but to me, listening to your raspy, soul-on-the-floor holleration is one of life’s great joys.
Well, her raspy voice is a lot more intelligable than Macy Gray’s but seriously, what happened on American Idol with that horrid Dairy Queen dipped red hair?
Slezak, I love that fact that you still love Tasia, because I love her just as much as you do.
Happy Birthday, Tasia!
She’s not a big star because 1) she isn’t attractive and that’s more important in music than ever; and 2) she’s a true soul artist in an era dominated by dance/pop fluff types. I think she should just keep doing what she’s been doing. The career longevity for singers like Fantasia can be measured in decades, whereas Rihanna will be forgotten once someone younger and cuter comes along.
Slezak, this is one subject on which we’ll have to agree to disagree. I find her screechy and unlistenable, and when she dances, it’s like she’s having seizure after seizure. I can’t understand how or why she won AI, and I can certainly understand why she’s not a big star. She is not appealing in any sense of the word. Happy Birthday, though, I guess.
Very possibly the worst AI winner of them all. And that is saying something (I’m talking to you, Taylor.) Slezak, you are more than entitled to your opinion, but sometimes your Tasia love comes off like a desperate plea for the rest to drink the kool aid. Sorry man, aint gonna happen.
I’m DJing my first wedding this summer, and Hood Boy is the lynchpin on which the entire thing rests. I don’t care if no one knows the song at all and it completely clears the dance floor and the bride and groom curse my name to the heavens; the entire 3:42 WILL be played.
Listening to Fantasia sing “I Believe” still gives me goosebumps- it’s one of my favorites from her first CD. I’m not sure why she’s not bigger- I thought her CDS were great. Maybe if she gets better management she’ll find that one huge breakthrough single she deserves. Oh, and stop dyeing her hair pink- yikes.
I’m sorry Slezak–I love your columns–but you’ve got it wrong. Fantasia is a horrific singer, and I can’t believe she made it to the end b/c of a bunch of tears and the single-mom card. She sounds like a helium-pumped cartoon character at times and a growling bear at others.
Happy Birthday, Chris Tucker!!! I mean, Fantasia… sorry, honest mistake.
Fantasia is brilliant– thanks for the link, Slezak. Her music isn’t really my thing, but I enjoyed it. I can’t deny, though, that she’s a star– definitely one of the best discoveries ever on AI; there’s something transcendent about her singing.
I can’t wait to see how she does in the upcoming The Color Purple movie musical version.
I am so not an Idol fan but I do think it is interesting that also all Idol winners (and runners-up) have had their record deals dropped. Kelly and Carrie are the only ones that have made it big. Maybe the show is way past it’s prime?
While I’m not nearly as dedicated to ‘Tasia as Slezak is (I mean, is that even possible), I get his love for her A LOT more that I get the whole Trenyce thing. I just don’t see anything there at all.
Nose, I LOVED the way you closed your post: “She’s not appealing in any sense of the word…Happy Birthday, though, I guess.” When my birthday comes around, I want at least one similarly backhanded/half-hearted birthday wish. Seriously though, that cracked me up.
Thanks to “artists” like Britney Spears and novelty rap that’s miles away from actual rap, America perceives good singers as people who just “scream.” It’s quite sad!
FYI, it’s “populace”, not “populous”. For my part, she did more pop songs rather than the hip-hop stuff, I’d buy her stuff cuz I do like her voice.
Oops…”if she did”, I meant.