American Idolatry

Jessica Sanchez is, hands down, the better singer. And at 16! You'd wonder what she can/will do five years from now. By then, her voice will have more fully aged, settled and been trained relentlessly in the cutthroat art of professional singing. Heck, she can already out-sing Jennifer Lopez!

But it's really all about the TOTAL package, I think.

It's about the looks, the performance, the polished packaging, the x-factor, the novelty (or the USP, unique selling proposition), the racial, sexual and gender appeal that can cut across a wider demographic and the images that one shows in the collective minds of America. 

And, ladies and gentlemen, it has almost always been the WGWG. Or that white guy with guitar.

It's Phillip Phillips.





 

Even right from the start, he has shown himself different, nay, original---a cut above the strong contenders and potential winners. He can sing and make the acoustic guitar drip with sweet venom. WGWG is a lethal combination, indeed. The history of pop or rock is littered with these gods and princelings: the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Tears for Fears, Simon and Garfunkle etc., etc., etc.

He is cute and hunky enough, without the testosterone overload. He has the vibes of the guy next door you hear from over the window practicing his chords and riffs. Or he's that funny, quirky brother of your best friend, always with the gang, chilling, just jamming. He is the edgier, rocked-up mix of Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson and Paul Simon. The camera just loves him. Beauty sells. I was smitten by his looks alone. And then he sang his way into my heart and my libido. Growl. Dead winner.

Before the last judgment day, he sang "Home." Home run! It was the annular eclipse telling us that another star has exploded into Hollywood from the Nokia Theater.

Jessica lost to a bigger star, that's all. But she's on her way up to superstardom. No doubt, it's only a matter of time.

Postscript: 

His song "Home" reminds me of White Winter Hymnal (Fleet Foxes) and Homeward Bound (Simon and Garfunkle)

I'm happy that, after 11 seasons, my bet last January finally won! Idolatry January 12, 2012