I'm not going to speculate about James and/or Stefano's sexuality. There were two openly gay male contestants in the top 24 - one of them is still there - but neither of them James or Stefano.

What happened with Adam in the end was nothing to do with his sexuality. No other contestant, gay or straight, would have beaten Kris Allen. His subsequent slightly slower than projected sales in the US (albeit wiping the floor with the winner and last year's winner) can be put down to his perhaps being a little too in your face about his sexuality for a large section of the American public and media (and not just the American public and media) after officially coming out.

James' condition may be his biggest USP.

James may have a bigger than average voice but that is all and the genre is where any similarity ends. Does James have the versatility on the big stage? We've yet to see it on the show and videos of him singing in other genres are nothing to write home about. Not that I'm suggesting we should see it on the show because it often annoys me when contestants are criticised for being one trick ponies and then are criticised for not knowing the type of artist they are when they try something different. Does he have the ability to rearrange and improvise? Is he making contributions or suggestions to anything else about his performance? There have been several other rock singers of various sorts since season 4 of Idol but I wouldn't put James in the same league as Adam, David Cook, Chris Daughtry or Bo Bice. He's more akin to Michael Johns or Constantine Maroulis at best.

You hit the nail on the head with the swallowing helium comparison. He certainly doesn't have the power (his wails are weak and reedy) and, as you say, the control. However, there is only so much that training and experience can give you. There are things you're just born with or you're not. You only have to listen to or watch Adam's performances at James' age and younger to see the chasm in natural ability in voice and performance, and that certain something that you can't buy or learn.

I don't know how much truth there is in what I've been told about Adam being discouraged from performing a big or uptempo number on the show next week, hence the acoustic song he'll be performing. I don't think that's wholly accurate but it would be interesting if it were.

I agree about Pia and Siobhan. Pia's voice is all the better for not having the nasalness though I preferred Siobhan all around.

and he is, and I think he knows what he's talking about.

Here's the thing. I am a huge fan of Adam Lambert but he's not in this contest and I think some of my fellow Adam Lambert fans need to get used to that and give this guy a chance.

You have to be deaf or stupid if you can't hear that he can sing.

Has anyone at any point suggested that James can't sing? They can all sing.

I can't speak for others but I'm willing to give all the contestants a chance, whatever their genre or style, and I think that goes for most people watching a show like this.

Though I take issue at someone who has yet to get past the second week of the show feeling the need to clarify that when he said he was flattered by comparisons to a Grammy nominated, multinational platinum selling and multinational award winning artist, he wasn't being sarcastic or ironic, good luck to the guy.

As I've said before, I find his voice too weak for what he is trying to pull off. There is little depth in his wails and he struggles to sustain them. On more than one occasion, I've feared that if he held it for any longer or tried to get more power in, he'd be in danger of venturing into Danny Gokey Scream On territory. As another FM said and got it right on the money, rather than a rock voice he sounds like a guy who's inhaled helium for a party trick.

Personally I don't see why comparisons are being made with Adam Lambert anyway. There have been previous contestants since season four that James is far more alike.

Did he? Dont recall that at all.

The helium comment and others like it are just plain bitchy. Give the guy a chance.

There's a link on another site to him saying that. I'll dig it up later. The link was on an AI tweet.

Comments like the helium one may be bitchy but they are sadly far too accurate.

Why do you have such a strong impression that people aren't giving him a chance? People are entitled to think he's not the greatest thing since sliced bread, they are entitled to think he's not as good as Adam Lambert, David Cook, Chris Daughtry, Bo Bice and others. Liking James Durbin is not compulsory because someone may have liked one or more or all of the previous rocker types on the show. As I said, I give them all a chance. I don't decide whether I dislike someone the minute they walk into the room (though I may decide that I do like them in that little time). However, I just don't see or hear anything other than a guy who tries too hard to sing in a genre because it's the genre that he likes rather than a genre that his voice is particularly suited to. The main danger for James is that unlike Adam and others before him, he strains immensely to do what he does to the best of his ability and that, over a period of time (particularly if he gets far enough to make the tour, which I don't doubt he will), causes irreparable damage to a voice.

I also think Steven is embarrassing himself a little with his over-praising of a singer who by his own admission lacks control and other required attributes but then that's a big problem with the judging this year - even the one who many thought would provide the balance to JLo's "Paula" act is far too nicey nicey and doesn't often come across as sincere.

Durban is not even my top pick in this season, but he has attracted the most negative comments from those who dont like the Adam Lambert comparison. The comments appear to me to be more about not wanting anyone to be compared to Lambert. Everyoen is entitled to their opinion, and my opinion is that many of the negative comments have this extra agenda.

I think I'm the one who first mentioned helium, but I wasn't intending to be bitchy. Unlike others, I've acknowledged the similarities between James and Adam (I believe even Adam himself has taken note, and commented on his Twitter account). I also heard similarities with Siobhan and Adam, and now Pia and Siobhan.

Rather than see any of this as a slight against Adam, as some of his fans will do, I consider this to be his flattering legacy. He came along and changed things, encouraging others with big ranges, not to mention flamboyant personalities, to apply.

The differences are still worth exploring though, and it's the sort of thing a forum is for. James can travel into much the same sonic territory, or at least get there on the up, and that's why he reminds people of Adam, but his voice when doing so sounds very 'tight', in the same way helium tightens the vocal cords. There isn't any vibrato/oscillation, it sounds very tightly stretched, and it seems to require such strain that he either turns away from the camera of looks down when he does it.

In any case, to my mind, the defining 'trademark' about Adam isn't the notes he hits, it's his rock singer/soul diva runs, where he descends from those high notes, all done on one breath, which typically give a big finish to a song.

That is the most technically difficult part of his performances. Because it's at the closing of a song it's a high risk thing too - miss some notes and sound clumsy and the lasting impression isn't going to be a good one, but he manages to pull it off every time. I haven't really heard James do anything like that. So it's only in the stratospheric range that they're similar.

I'm glad James is in the competition though, he was a worthy contestant to be put through. Him, possessed-by-a-poltergeist Jacob and mad-as-a-box-of-frogs Casey, make the male line-up this year quite exciting.

Good, fair and balanced post so apologies from me to you for my calling the helium remark 'bitchy'.

I'm a first time viewer of American Idol and the only contestant I knew from it was Kelly Clarkson but the mentions of Adam Lambert in relation to James Durbin made me check him out.

There really is no comparison. I don't know what people are talking about. Judging from what I've seen on YT so far Adam Lambert is in a different class - genuinely world class - and I'll definitely be looking up more of his stuff,

- Good subject for a thread, ribtickle. Quite controversial.

I'm already bored of James Durban's need to show off his range (and he does have a range, that can't be denied). We all know he can hit notes, he's in the final, now time to show he's not a one trick pony and can handle and deliver songs in a lower register.

This is why I like the themed weeks, cos the contestants need to prove they're versatile.

Oh and I belly laughed at Jacob being possessed by a poltergeist

Being able to hit high notes doesn't indicate a range any more or any less than being able to hit low notes does. A range is the number of octaves in a voice, whether high or low. James has yet to demonstrate a low register and yet to demonstrate sufficient control of his high register.

Most singers, and in fact most people in general can make high or low noises, that's how we scream and grunt, but there's a difference between that and making those sounds with an element of control and musicality and something resembling a musical tone.

I find it interesting that some of the comments on James' "range" are coming from people who criticised Matt Cardle for "shouting", "forcing", "straining" and so on.

Totally agree. Screaming his lungs off does not make him a good singer and doesn't give him more presence as a performer, it's just annoying and pointless imo.

Plus, he has a faux-hawk.

James has had to overcome alot. He was bullied mercilessly at school and still has bad facial tics that are obvious when in an unscipted unedited interview. Give the guy a break. I am huge Adam fan and yes James sometimes sounds abit like him so what? Adams not in this competition and and is doing very well thank you. Both have had to face discrimination and ridicule for different reasons.
Why contribute to it.

Comparing is unneccesary. Different people different singers. He seems like a genuinely nice guy I wish him well.

James sounds nothing like Adam.

James was the first to make the comparison .................. then proceeded to perform a song that Adam performed in the final .............. what does he or anyone expect?

When did he say it? Not saying that it didnt happen but I certainly must have missed it and I have watched every episode.

I would love to see these quotes as well.

QUOTE
I dont want to be Adam Lambert, I’m James Durbin. I’m never gonna be Adam Lambert,’ you’ve guessed it, ‘I’m James Durbin.”

“The comparisons are flattering, thanks a lot, I’m not exaggerating, I’m not being sarcastic, I do appreciate what people say, but I don’t like how I keep getting compared to him.”

“I know he Twittered about me, I thought that was pretty cool, I appreciate everything he’s done for singers like me,”

“He brought his rock thing and his pop thing, I’m gonna bring my rock thing and my metal thing.


http://www.fleckingrecords.co.uk/201...m-lambert.html

Thanks for the quotes Lucy, it kinda puts the thing in perspective, unlike a lot of comments we've seen on the forum regarding this. Now at least I know who's being honest (or not).

Seeing as it says that he then went onto sing a song Adam performed in the final, I'd guess what ibeca is referring to is when James said something like "I'm gonna throw a few screams into my songs like Adam Lambert" just before he went in and sang A Change Is Gonna Come.

This has been picked up on in several blogs in America.

I think what ibeca and Candy Store were talking about James Durbin was in this clip :
From 0:36 to 2:01 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZivWyjJF7A

Adam Lambert's phenomenal version of 'A Change Is Gonna Come' :
From 0:15 to 2:33 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKNIoGbP4Lo

His vocal on Maybe I'm Amazed was thrilling. Emotional but not OTT and full of different vocal colors and tempos. What a superb line up this year. Pia, James, Jacob, Casey. And I had never had any opinion of JLo before but she is a fab judge.Warm,great judgement,humorous.Its a better more authentic show than before.

I found the performance disappointing because it had been hyped on a couple of blogs. It was good but nothing to write home about.

I have to admit, I've liked both of his live show performances so far, a lot. And he hasn't really mentioned the sob stories since the auditions, so if he continues to deliver I might cut him some slack.

Well said! Couldn't agree with you more. Adam was the real idol last year but he didn't win because of the above reasons which are truly sickening. Hopefully, because James has a wife and child, he will not face the same bias although I have read some unbelievably wicked comments regarding his Tourretts(?). He is a real talent and he rocks my world!

Adam and Kris were the year before last, not last year.

The reasons for Adam's defeat were nothing to do with his sexuality. If his sexuality were that big an issue, he would have struggled to make it past the first round of public voting (why else do you think the wildcards were re-introduced that year and the "save" was introduced for the first time that year? TPTB knew they had an exceptional contestant on their hands but were concerned that certain things would preclude him making the top 5, and therefore being able to justify signing him). However, they needn't have worried. Adam sailed through to the top 5 on the merit of undeniable talent and only ended up in the bottom two in top 5 week for the same reason that could help Stefano and hinder James this year.

The reasons for Kris' win are well-documented if you know where to look. There are some sites that still haven't been found and deleted by TPTB that have concrete evidence of what went on that night and had been going on since the first of the live shows - and no, it's nothing to do with AT&T whose free phones wouldn't have been enough to help Pavarotti beat Wagner in a sing-off (if what led to Kris' win hadn't been going on since the first live show, he wouldn't even have made the final 13) . I do wonder sometimes why they're so concerned anout the truth coming out. They never wanted Kris to win and Adam, who they did want, subsequently trounced him in record and ticket sales (despite several "mistakes" in his career so far that severely dented his sales potential) so it could be in their favour for the truth to out but it seems their main concern is, understably, the blow that that would deal to the credibility of the show and the integrity of its voting process. Suffice to say that if you split the voting by states, Adam won 58% of states (including Danny's home state!) .......... not exactly indicative of a lack of support across the board ................... yet he still lost the contest.................... hmmmmmmm.