Simon Cowell has criticised the contestants on the current series of American Idol.

The judge said this year's hopefuls lack the
necessary "personality" to achieve success.

He insisted that the singers are playing it too safe and failing to choose tracks which showcase their talents.

He also said the remaining six contestants should be less guarded when answering questions, as their comments so far have not revealed their true personalities.

He said: "They are giving very safe answers to questions, making safe song selections. We are not getting a sense of who they are. We have to try to pull it out of them more.

"You cannot deliver an uninspired performance at the top of the show. And you can't be up there imitating another singer."


Really can't agree with him on this. For a start how much personality did last years winner have . Jordan Sparks - get real - the girl was so incredibly bland - or has he conveniantly forgotten that.

Feel some singers this year are getting a hard time from him. Carly is good and I feel her personality would come out if he didn't have such a downer on her. She has a great voice - but is constantly knocked back.

No way he can say David Cook does not have a personality. He is a risk taker with incredible talent.

Feel the great Cowell often gets it wrong

I may be biased, but I feel what he said doesn't apply to David Cook, and maybe it wasn't intended to apply to him (even DCs' critics wouldn't say he makes safe song choices, surely?)

Reading between the lines I actually think it could be an indication Simon is coming round to the idea of a DC win. If Simon wants someone who makes brave song choices and is a bit edgier to win this year, then David Cook fits the bill.

I took his words as being aimed at four of them, not David C or Jason. Both of those two have defined personalities on the show and do, to differing degrees, attempt something different.

According to this article
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117...ryid=2848&cs=1
Simon would have spoken before this week show.
Considering what he said to David and Jason, I think that it doesn't apply to them.
This article may be the source for the DS article and it is already an interpretation of what Simon said, mixed with the author's comments.
So I don't think that we should read too much into it. It is the type of article that is passed on as second hand interpreted information. I have seen so many since I followed the X factor closely this year that I take them with a large pinch of salt.

I've never watched the American version before, but I think he's spot on (given that I also don't think he meant to include Cook in the comments)

His remarks sum up a number of them to a "T". Take Kirsty for example - decent singer, but zero "oomph"; hot as a box of frogs, but zero sex appeal. She makes white bread seem dangerously exotic FFS - and she's by no means the only one. I could say almost the exact same thing about Syesha.

As for the men, Archuleta is fantastic on one level, but suspect part of his appeal (even to me) is the innocence thing, which, if you think about it, serves to disguise the complete vacuousness of just about everything that comes out of his mouth. Fine for a cherubic 17-year old boy, but will all the "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" BS have the same effect five years down the line, or will he have the entire room reaching for the sickbag after every interview?

Is Archuleta the best singer? No question in my mind. Is he likely to be the one I'd be interested in in five years? Probably not - I suspect that person will be Cook.

Jordin was eminently likeable and this is something that Simon never fails to mention is as important as being a good singer or performer.

David Cook's incredible talent is for impersonation. He has put nothing of himself into the songs he has performed and has merely reproduced already existing covers note for note.

If they lack the necessary personality, he and the other PTB shouldn't have put them through.

Do please point me in the direction of the covers of Little Sparrow and Always be my Baby that he 'reproduced note for note'.

I believe that Always Be My Baby and Little Sparrow were his own arrangements, AFAIK they are not 'covers of covers' as you suggest. I strongly disagree that he does not put anything of himself into his versions, I think that Always Be My Baby was a very personal interpretation of the song, more so than any other performance this season.