Tomorrow night, Vh1 continues this month’s run of MTV Networks self-cross-promotional bonanzas with the Paula Abdul-hosted special Vh1 Divas, in which current female inhabitants of the pop charts get tagged with the d-word whether it’s apt or not while singing in front of an adoring audience. This year’s lineup offers up a sort of diminishing diva returns; you’ve got Kelly Clarkson (hell yes), Adele (eh, ok), Jennifer Hudson (sure), Leona Lewis (Simon Cowell thinks so but the Idolator jury’s still out), Jordin Sparks (uh), and Miley Cyrus (oh hell no). And now all those singers have been assigned duet partners for the evening, in an effort to pass some torches and I guess reel in the demographic of people who prefer “Achy Breaky Heart” to “Party In The U.S.A.” Buddy up after the jump!
Kelly Clarkson and Melissa Etheridge
Miley Cyrus and Sheryl Crow
Jordin Sparks and Martina McBride
Leona Lewis and Cyndi Lauper
Jennifer Hudson and Stevie Wonder
Hands up if you’d rather see Cyndi Lauper dueting with Tracy Morgan than with the strenuously bland Leona? Yeah, me too.
Stevie Wonder And Cyndi Lauper Join VH1 Divas Lineup [Vh1]
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Vh1 Divas: I Do Not Think It Means What Vh1 Wants It To Mean
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The one thing Leona has never been when singing live at things like this is bland Maura - she shifted the best part of a million albums at the back end of last year with one performance of Run on UK TV which received across the board critical approval.
I know she’s not your cup of tea but I think the whole Tedder/Cowell/Clive Davis connection (viz a viz Kelly Clarkson) gets in the way of a fairer shout from you sometimes. But then it is your blog ;)
I just find her super-boring. She certainly can belt but it sounds pretty hollow to these ears.
Stevie Wonder is a Diva?
I’m only passingly familiar with most of the young ‘uns, but I’ll reiterate your Hells on Clarkson and Cyrus.
Cyrus? Really? She’s a decidedly average singer. She doesn’t suck, but any chick-fronted bar band in the country has someone just as good and possibly better. If I had to summarize her (and I’ve got young daughters, I’ve heard WAY TOO MUCH Miley) I’d say “energetically bland”.
You know what Maura I feel exactly the same about Kelly Clarkson. Sure she can yell over a bunch of guitars but it sounds hollow to my ears. What exactly is so exciting about Kelly Clarkson ?
Fair enough, each to their own on Leona.
One thing often not mentioned in the whole VH1 Divas coverage is how poor some of the previous line ups were. It’s as if every one was 100% filled to the brim with 20-year career artists who’d sold 100 million albums each. In most of the shows there’s always been a sprinkling of very new artists and filler.
Part of the problem they had was “diva-esque” music went out of fashion hence the gap, and now they face the difficulty that many of the former hailed divas people keep calling on to perform can either not do it with any consistency (compare Whitney on GMA v Oprah) or frequently rely on lip-synching and heavy backing tracks (Mariah) to bolster live vocals well past their sell-by-date.
ceelo said “What exactly is so exciting about Kelly Clarkson ?”
How about how Kelly uses her God given instrument to unleash her fiery soul? Stuff like this:
Cryin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGgsdm4Pwx8
Walkin After Midnight: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QHfdw19lt0
Already Gone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOaptkYddiM
But she could be singing the simplest thing, and it still sounds incredible and completely mesmerizing:
Run to You: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKiQ_qMM43s
Anyway, I’m looking forward to the VH1 Divas, Especially Kelly + Melissa. I’m also hoping for a duet with Kelly + Adele. I’m sure Leona will do well, she seems super sweet and has a great voice. I enjoy her music as well, just not on the same level as I enjoy Kelly’s.
As much as I like Kelly (and have been listening to her all week), I don’t think she’s a diva. At all. Leona, yes. Jennifer, I suppose. But aren’t divas supposed to be fancy and intimidating and not down-to-earth people who just happen to have good voices and an amazingly well-produced pop-rock team?
Why do you think Kelly is less of a diva than Leona? Unlike Leona, Kelly actually has more than one hit under her belt. I wouldn’t call Leona “intimidating” either, since she’s incredibly boring and has zero personality.