Some contestants can display versatility, willingly performing outside of their comfort zones in different genres, albeit with mixed results. Out of this they are often said to have grown throughout the competition, and pushing themselves provides the chance to showcase their singing and performing abilities. They may be regarded as gutsy triers.

Others are congratulated for knowing who they are and want to be as an artist, and never straying from that path. They will not compromise, and will convert every song/theme into their own preferred genre. They give viewers a better idea of what kind of record they would be buying, but may lose out on excitement value because their performances might seem to be the same each week.

Which kind do you prefer?

I actually like both because normally on american idol I like acts who are versatile but this year I prefer the contestants who stick to what they know and like.

Generally I tend to like those who have a firm musical identity, but can also bend the themes to fit their style, but not to the extent Scotty is doing it. For example, this year, I'm starting to really like Haley, she's got a definate direction and style, but she's started working well within the themes, getting them to fit her style without it feeling crowbarred in - which Scotty is begining to sound like.

I think Carrie was a great contestant, we all knew Country was her thing but she went with the theme and did a good job with whatever she got. I don't like it when they change a song to fit with them like Scotty does.

I like acts who have the versatility to sing any type of song but in doing so they make the song bend to their own style and make the song theirs. The contestant that does that best out of this years bunch is definitely Haley. The songs she has chosen thus far have all been different styles but when she sings them it is undeniably her!

I prefer singers who stay true to themselves, who choose and adapt songs to fit who they are as artists and don't just conform to try and fit the genre

I totally agree

Regarding Scotty ....
Scotty is a Country singer, after AI he will continue to sing only Country. So why on earth should he sing Soul, Rock or anything outside his Genre and comfort zone.

The ones who needs to show their versatility are the likes of Pia. As Jennifer have already told her, when she does a 90 min concert, ppl won't pay money just to watch her stand there just doing ballads.

I don't have a preference. I just appreciate contestants who show themselves to be above the crowd in one way or another.

I like contestants who are able to flip songs to suit their style but those who can do that and do it well are a very rare breed.

I appreciate versatility when a contestant is equally good at several genres (and not just because they think they are, or want to give it a go or are pressurised into doing that) but they are an extremely rare breed.

I think JLo made a great comment when she said to someone that they are a professional, they should not do things they can't do, they should highlight what they can. Or something like that.

Anyway, that is how I feel about the Idols. They should be versatile and exciting but not doing something outside their comfort zone that will show them up. There's no point. All singers are different.

True, but I think Scotty needs to show more than just one side of country. I'm no country girl (although, for some bizarre reason I appear to own a Keith Urban CD which I've no memory of buying, and the OH swears isn't ) but it's a fairly broad genre and Scotty is in danger of sticking too much to what he does and boring the viewer - his other danger is he's so specific in what he does that he won't pick up eliminated contestants voting bases, which can be vital, and that could cost him in the long run.

I also think there is credit in applying his voice to something non country, and still make it sound good and scotty-esque, just to show musical intellect.

My own preference is for someone to demonstrate useful versatility, and showcase their interpretative abilities. They should have the courage to take a risk, and when they do be enough of a singer to survive it. One of the problems with including a genre artist in AI is that it can become a battle of the genre, rather than of the singer.

C&W music is big business in America, one of the biggest markets and one where album sales have not declined like rock and hip hop have. R&B does not do as well as it once did, so if you had an R&B artist up against Scotty, and the R&B artist never budged from their own genre's singing style like he doesn't from C&W, it'd be unlikely that the R&B artist would ever win, not unless they were vocally extraordinary, because his/her music genre isn't anywhere near as popular.

Having a contestant in a show who represents the most popular genre and they never attempt to do anything different is giving them an unfair advantage IMO. A one-trick pony on an easy ride.To test Scotty's mettle as a singer and a person I'd like to see him step outside his comfort zone and sing something completely different and in a different style. After all, his childhood hero, Elvis, started out as a country artist but could also do rock 'n' roll 'rather well'.

There's a danger in being a genre artist. Crystal Bowersox is said to have sold more albums than last year's winner, but given that she was similarly congratulated for being 'authentic' and 'true to herself': "a fully finished artist", you'd anticipate that she'd sell rather more than the reported 19,000 copies extra (with her and Lee selling less than any previous top 2). The problem for her, unlike the more versatile winner if he gets another chance, is that she hasn't tried to convince anyone she can change or even wants to, so if her music genre fails to sell well enough the first time, her recording career is likely to be over.

Scotty's genre is much more bankable than Crystal's, and the more musically conservative and traditional you are in C&W the better, so I do see him having a career. But would it be fair he should win by appealing to a large body of fans of the most popular genre to vote for their boy rather than pushing himself and demonstrating a wider ranging singing ability in a singing competition?

I think the genre contestant benchmark should be Chris Daughtry, one of the finest singers to never reach a final. He sang rock most weeks, but there was one week where he was encouraged to drop the macho stance at the microphone and the power vocals and sit down on the stage to sing What A Wonderful World, and he did it rather well. I've also seen a video of him singing the US national anthem at a sports game, and, while he avoids the high note on "...land of the free", he manages to turn in a very potent and original performance without giving everything his usual full power. In so doing Chris demonstrates that he can sing in different styles and IMO is much more of a singer for it.

Versatility is a positive if done properly. Paul's not shown much versatility, and as I don't like his voice, I would say that's a bad thing as he's never likely to change my opinion of his singing, or entertain me despite me not liking his voice.

I'm not keen on Haley's voice either, but while the judges criticised her for picking songs from different genres, I saw it as a positive. At least she's more interesting to watch, as a non-fan, when performing in different styles, and the more genres she tries, the more likely she will be to find the perfect niche for herself.

My favourites are Stefano and James, who aren't showing themselves to be massively versatile yet, but I think Stefano in particular has the potential to do so. At least they have both performed in a range of tempos, which Pia hasn't done on the live shows yet - though I am confident in her, and know she's going to go uptempo this week.

I like Scotty, but think he could lend his country voice to a range of tempos and styles of song, country or otherwise. If you look at the repertoire of Elton John, whoe songs were used last week, it was versatile enough to fit 11 completely different contestants, even if they had to adapt the songs.

I wouldn't expect Pia to release Rage Against The Machine style music, or Stefano to go down the Lady Gaga route, but an artist can easily stay true to themselves whilst singing in a range of styles and tempos which work for them.

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I wouldn't say Chris is unique in that. There have been several who have vered away from their genre, even if only for a week, even if not all did it equally well. Another good example of this was David Cook's "Music of the Night", though David did have some background in musical theatre.

Somewhere between "having your own style" and "versatility" is "artistry" - the ability to take any song you're given, and make it sound like it was written for you. That's not just about turning everything into country, or metal, or a ballad (though that's the easy short cut most singers take), it's about having the song (seem to) say something about you regardless of the style you sing it.

All the singers will obviously play to their strengths - Pia & Jacob (for instance) would find it hard to give up the applause they get whenever they hit a glory note - but we all like seeing a contestant take a risk, stretch themselves, and go somewhere new we didn't think they'd ever manage, and the ones who do it well and consistently are the real artists.