The contestant the judges think will win this year is Abi Carter. Here's my reaction to her singing "What Was I Made For" for her audition. #americanidol #musicreactions #producer
There seems to be a lot of folks below that think I wanted Abi to sing the song just like Billie, and that is not what I was saying at all (please watch to the end). Did I have some critiques? Yes, but ultimately I think this was an amazing performance and she deserves all the accolades she is getting! I'm rooting for her, and looking forward to seeing and hearing more! Peace, Barrett
I felt the same about Abi going “full tilt” too soon. That doesn’t mean that I don’t think that she has an amazing talent. This young lady can learn all these things. But anyhow.. just Wow. ❤️🎶
I'm not a music producer, but would say I'm more of an audiophile, of shorts. That said, glad to hear you understand how many ppl/comments found you a bit to critical and exacting @ times. Yes, she is f'ing amazing, in your words. She puts her own spin on it, and has to hit those highs to show off her range for the audition. I too am soooo rooting for her! But your cynical views of American Idol are interesting, saying AI is "all about the drama because they are TV". The back stories and emotion is what hooks our hearts even more so to these amazing artists/songs/performances! Take the McKenna Brienholt story/performance from this season! Amazingly touching story, and without that "drama" or backstory to her adoption, the tragic story of her birth mother, or the tear jerking family reunion after her audition, that would be a total disservice to McKenna, her mom's legacy, and the audience!! Music is supposed to be soul touching and her story that much more allows you to go there! We should welcome that "drama"! (BTW, would love you to critique her in the future! Listen to a few of her songs here, Save Me, Up in Fire, reminds me of Sarah McLachlan on the piano).
People on the Internet will always get upset no matter what. You know much more about singing than average people so off course your evaluation is much more on point. Keep it up!
@@vibekeporsborgkristensen3039 Well said. Simon was tough, but fair on American IDOL back in the day. He knew his stuff. And Barrett is the professional in Abi's case here.
I am a lifetime singer and have been around talented musicians for 40 years. Beyond just technique, which Abi has clearly mastered, I go by how the song makes me feel. This performance touched my soul and was incredible for what it was… an audition where Abi had less than 2 minutes to make her case. Bravo Abi and God Bless.
Yes yes yes! You can’t only look at the singing. It’s how she express herself while singing. And she moved me to tears… And this is an audition, she wanted to show her range , she touched everyone of us watching. What a talent she is ❤
She's freaking incredible, her voice just cuts through when she powers through. Don't undesrstand you not liking her going full voice. It's like one of th best songs ever made, tender moments, then building up, going down again. It's, well. How life is. And how some of the most beautiful songs ever written is. One that comes to mind is It's All Coming Back to Me Now, or well. Or I mean, Bohemian Rhapsody which people tout as being the best song ever made. It goes full on, then quiet, back and forth. Her audition is one of the best I've ever seen, her talent and voice is special. I totally disagree with her not beign good when full out there. Her voice does this beautiful little crack, it's all in the subtelties. Perfection is boring, those small almost cracks and how her voice sounds going full force sounds insanely good to me. Just pure beauty!
I 💯% agree with you. Sometimes people in the industry look too deep for perfection. Perfection is in the eyes of the beholder, and it boils down to just opinion. I absolutely did not like the way Billie Eilish delivered this song, I feel like her studio recording is far better than her Grammy performance, in that she just practically whispered the song on the Grammys and I absolutely hated it. This girl nailed it in my book.
I’d agree with him a little bit but I think it’s subjective to be truly honest . To want perfection all the time. Lots of great singers were pitchy and not perfect all the time. Yes when you’re recording yes try to stay on pitch but in a live setting where you feed off a crowds reaction they can slip not on purpose but in the heat of a moment kind of thing. It’s happened to Taylor swift to Ariana grande to the Beatles etc the list can go on. They All had Imperfections all be it minimal you don’t want to be totally off key. If you want complete perfection listen to A.I. but id rather listen to a human sing not a robot.
I fully agree with her. I was enthralled very minute of her performance. I'm from Coachella Valley and we couldn't be prouder of her. Also, she received a platinum ticket later on that was presented to her by the Palm Springs mayor so it's one person's opinion vs. the rest of us !
I think your critique of her audition was a bit hard .Idol wants them to showcase their vocal range ..She is a top 10 contestant ...and she received a platinum ticket from them after her show appearance . She was amazingly great
Your problem is, you love the song as done by Billie. Copying her would not bring Abi's talent to the fore. And BTW, the song was written by Billie and her brother who plays piano on her performance at the Grammy awards. He is actually, by her on admission, more responsible for the success of her songwriting. A Producer should never fall for a song so hard that they cannot understand a performance that is different than the original.
I think you are being nit picky. It’s a 2.5 minute version and she needs to demonstrate her style, not replicate BI’s version. Agree that her piano playing is also very nice - soft hands on the keys.
All I can tell you is that when I watched her performance for the first time it touched my soul. I am not a vocal coach but for me absolutely amazing performance.
It’s an American Idol audition, like 30 seconds to show off your vocal range and potential of your voice. She is selling her voice to Idol, not putting on an entertainment act. I think it was perfect and probably a lot better than half the artists that walk into studios.
I love her performance and I do agree with you but with Idol, she would have got the “you’ve got more in you”. Sometimes you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. It’ll be interesting to see what she does going forward.
I apologize, but I do not agree with Barrett. Not that I pretend to know anything about singing and dynamics, but I loved how she added a little sound to this song. I literally cannot stand the way that Billie Eilish sings it and I hated the way Billie sang it on the Grammys. I want to hear a song. I know there are many songs that require a sweet and quiet voice, but Billie Eilish doesn’t project enough for this song to stand out as the beautiful song that I feel that it is. This girl nailed it in my book but that’s just my opinion. I also I also feel like this girl will go far into the competition of American Idol, and I hope that she does.♥️🤞🏼
No need to apologize! That’s the thing about any art, we all can have different opinions and it’s all valid! I too think she will go far and, as I admitted at the end of the video, I was nitpicking and was just giving my opinion.
I enjoyed your critique immensely. I understand your points, and I even agree 100% with you. . . However . . . Abi made me cry! I've seen Billie sing this song several times, and she never made me cry. Not even close. This song is not just about a wistful sadness, but also about Barbie's anguish, fear, and anger at where she's at. Billie doesn't convey any of this. Abi does. I submit that her interpretation of this song is more appropriate for the movie story line. My 2 cents.
I agree, though she picks up lots of fans by going full throated, and that will carry her further in American Idol. This is one of my favorite auditions.
They do need to “go full hog” because they have only a couple of minutes to show what they can do. And pitch at the top of her range - I think I could hear a deliberate crack of her voice that really works
You don't want raw talent, because the singer will end up in surgery like Adele or the singer will blow out their voice like Robert Plant did in his 30s. Training to sing for long periods of time requires training and time and labels want singers straight out of the gate.
Every compliment I gave her was heartfelt and true, I do think she is a great singer! Also my literal job is critiquing artists to get the best performance out of them. Sorry you didn’t like my reaction 😢
I'm Abi's dad. You're absolutely right! I thought the exact same things you said through the entire performance. Unlike you, however, I had never heard Billie Eilish's song, so I had nothing to compare it to. I was unaware of the impactful way that she (Eilish) sings it -- a perfect song -- which is perfect precisely because of how it is written and how she sings it. And, yet, Abi had to showcase her talents, just as you pointed out, including her amazing piano ability, so there it is. This is Abi's version. Until Sunday night, I never heard Abi sing this song before. And even though I LOVE Billie Eilish's composition, it's Abi's performance that I can't get out of my head! Two very different versions of the exact same song, sung in completely different and powerful ways. I could tell you stories about Abi! She is a self-taught, self-made vocal artist. I don't think she has ever had a singing lesson in her entire life! (If you don't include her parents' input. She used to have an incredibly raspy voice. I would tell her: "You have a broken instrument, but you control it wonderfully.") Well, by shear persistence and the grace of God, my little girl's voice isn't broken anymore! That's pure, raw, divine talent you are witnessing. Thank you for your professional assessment. It was spot on.
@@wtcarter2 Thank you for your response! Abi is a true talent and I wish all the best for her! Whatever happens on the show she should know that her talent is the real deal. Her control and vocal runs were beautiful. I really look forward to hearing more!
Personally I loved this version of the song... and no slight on Billie's version... that is amazing too. I think Abi's version was real and raw and heartfelt, which was evident by her tears afterward. I do think she was trying to show her range for competition sake but I didn't mind it at all. Sometimes it seems a bit bland when a contestant does the song the same as the original. Abi showed she could do both the highs and lows extremely well and I hope she goes far in to the competition.
Standing ovation by all 3 judges, 1st time the production crew applauded a contestant on AO and platinum ticket that only 3 contestants receive each season on American idol. Sorry but not sorry ....
The thing is, the judges, probably all agree with you, but I’m not interested in criticizing her at this point because overtime they will work with her and help her fine-tune her approach to using her full voice. So her first audition that demonstrates her skill, her talent and her beautiful voice was just perfect. And very smart.
AGREE, 1,000%! She truly IS ASTONISHING and GORGEOUS and HUMBLE. What Abi's doing is getting caught in the trap of FAR TOO MANY, contemporary, young vocalists, who really CANNOT sing that well, fall back on YELLING, SCREECHING. Her bigger issue, though, is WHAT will she follow THAT WITH?!❤
For an audition for a show where they are judging you on your vocal abilities, she had to belt and use full voice to show off her range. I totally agree that the softness of BE’s voice in the song and how it was meant to be is the best choice for this song, but I understand why Abi changed it up for an audition.
I thought that "over performing" was necessary because contestants never sing an entire song. they have limited amount of time/space to show their vocal ability, so I would think "over performing" is probably necessary. idk...
So interesting - I also felt like the full voice parts weren’t as successful. I actually remember listening to the audition for the first time, and thinking ‘ugh, no’ when she made that small melodic change on the second line. But, I suppose it would be a risk for her not to do that type of thing in the audition. The problem with doing it with this song is that is it one of those rare, perfect little songs where musically, you just don’t want anything to be different. (Well, I don’t anyway).
I know im not a producer...but the things you are criticizing is the reason i would by her album. I dont think its pitch problems...i think its rasp, and her oun spin on the song. The full voice was a plus plus in my opinion
Hmm ... it sounds a lot like a song I wrote a few years back, "What Was I Shaved For?". I suddenly woke up in a hospital, and they told me I was already done. I wanted a better explanation, so they encouraged me to take a sneak peek under the sheets, and that was that! I was done all right! Shortly after, I got back to where I once belonged and scribbled the lyrics down on a napkin at Tim Hortons. Fini.
you know all of these artists tell you don't do it just like me make it your own I think she did fine. It's an audition if she performed the song exactly like Billy they probably would not have liked it
I moved to Costa Rica from Seattle in 2010. I have become a fan of Angelina Jordan, and I appreciate knowledgeable and articulate reactions. If your not familiar with Angelina, at 18 she is celebrating 10 years on the music scene having won Norway, where she was born, Got Talent at 8 in 2014. In 2020 her AGT, self arranged, audition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" went viral. Despite her golden buzzer performance, she did not win the competition because of her refusal to sign with Simon's record company. Her over 200 music recordings, cover and original, exhibit strong jazz influences. Her most recent soundtrack of "If I Were a Boy" with Toby Gad for his upcoming "Piano Diaries" album (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eJr-BfUQ2jE.htmlsi=G3RX74cfU0FcQVIL), and their cowritten and soon to be released, "Bad Valentine" (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yTjzhPSVguc.htmlsi=Ck6bwSZniLhNOVoJ) show these influences.
It’s an audition! These guys see hundreds of people a day, she needed to go full voice to show what she can do. Keeping it tame would’ve just been a Billie replica, and forgetful. This was raw and the imperfections made it better.
You have probably seen other comments that say the same thing, but... In vocal competitions like Idol or The Voice, you have 2 minutes to present your talent. If you watch these shows, and a contestant were to sing the song like Billie did, quiet, which she does a great job of, the judge/coach might not turn. Then the contestant is told they were looking for dynamics. Quiet/soft, bold, then soft again. Abi was a fan of the show all her life. So she knows the ropes of how to present her talent to the judges. She did that in spades. She proved she was capable to be a huge artist like Eilish in the future. Did I think she was going to win like judges did on Idol? No, was I surprised the won? No. By the top 5, the audience exploded every time she finished singing.
IMO, she did it much better than Billie. The full voice runs evoke an emotional response within the listener, making you feel her soul. Some renditions are simply perfect. She could be a producer's dream in today's autotuned screamers and sound alike's.
My initial reaction was to talk shit about this judgement, but then I pit my personal bias aside and took in what you had to say and you're just right. While amazing, it was just an amazing singer that is lacking experience. If she makes the proper changes to her style, she could be one of those ones. Just special.
Pitchy is good, means she isn't perfect and sounding like a pitch perfect record every time is annoying just like everything the band "Sweet' did live. Lip synced kings.I had no problem with it myself. I heard billie's version and I like ali's version better.
Fortunately or unfortunately, contestants have to go full voice a couple of times or they seldom go through. BTW, I do disagree with you. Her full voice is not perfect, but it's full of emotion. You can literally feel what she's singing! At any rate, thank you for these videos! I enjoy your work!
Ok, my two cents. First, she is totally amazing, just fabulous. Second, about going full voice, you said it yourself, it's American Idol, it's about the drama, it's about over the top, it's a few attempts to show your entire spectrum. In this situation, you have to cram as much of what you can do into 2 1/2 to 3 minutes and you only get one shot at it. She did what she had to do, and, in the end, she took it all.
I believe she made it her song. She cried out in pain a couple of times rather than whisper sing through the entire song. Both ways work, but Abi did need to show the judges some of her other abilities during the two minutes the contestants are allotted. I believe she made smart choices for her audition. (And lo and behold, Luke nailed it! She won American Idol 2024!)
It was an audition. The judges heard just what you heard. But because her voice is so amazing, she will go thru and they will nurture her to get where she is suppose to be.
You spent too much time on the negative. You know in an audition especially Idol, you must wow the judges. You mentioned that and should have left it with that. You were obviously enamored with her performance and performing ability. She is f’ing unbelievable in her persona! Bone chilling in her ability to generate emotion in the listeners!
full emoting near the top, a tad pitchy, is a fair critique BUT still amazing, and I imagine some people like this imperfection as her unique, youthful personality. Appreciate your perspective as a producer though.
I agree on so many points. She did screech. Minor oops. But during many of her performances, she sounded more like she was screaming rather than singing. Maybe it's just me, because I have sensitive hearing. But honestly, during some of her performances, she screeched.
Very much on point. Honest review I too felt at times it was not needed. Overall it showed her range and she will get better with time. I watched her other performances some were perfectly amazing and some she was a little over the top. She will have a great career and look forward to follow and enjoy.
I agree with you. However, the drama you mentioned got conveyed in this song. The worse part of AI. Can’t stand the drama. Watch to hear “new” talent, singers that most likely would never receive any recognition.
Well, as a (former) musician I agree with everything you said. She's great and her piano playing is REALLY nice. She's definitely top 10 material. But to be a star using your voice, you need the ability to be gentle and to absolutely blast it - and transition between the two easily. Mariah, Celine, Whitney, etc. If you can't do that, you can still be a big star with great songwriting (like Billie and her brother) or great dancing and production (like many others). Anyway, she's awesome and I hope she finds her place.
It would’ve been a boring copycat rendition if she sang it like Billie Eilish. I enjoyed the breaks in Abi’s voice, the cry, the soul & the softness. I honestly prefer Abi’s version to Billie’s. It was more interesting & it doesn’t need to stay soft & quiet the whole time. The song is emotional, so I loved hearing the range of emotions she was going through while singing it.
I totally disagree with you on Abi's version of this song. I actually like Abi's version better cause it has a little of both soft and loud voice mixed in. That is talent.
I respect your opinion but disagree 😂 I can’t stop listening to this. She is brilliant…the emotion I feel from this song is really special. I would buy her album!
Everything he said was correct but she still made the right choice to sing it that way. If she had sang it the way Billie did it would not have been authentic and congruent with her own unique style. It also obviously didn’t hurt her 😎
Dude! At 5:07. You cut off the absolute best part of the whole song. The hell? If you’re going to do that, then back it up. And replay that whole part.
The point is to make it your own not copy cat note for note. I like Billie Eilish but I admit I find this version far superior. Pure pure talent at so many registers. You get a small moment to show them who you are and as a professional I would think that’d be common sense.
I disagree. She was not only showing her range but also showing her gritty sound at the top of her full voice. This gives the judges much more info on her abilities.
I agree for the song she should have stayed quiet, but this is an audition. I found it useful to hear she can do more than breathy. I am so looking forward to her journey on idol.
She was too full of whine in the audition….but she shed that as she went through idol so someone obvious worked with her. Thankfully. It was too much cursive for me like this lol.
If I dare say, it's even better than Billie. Sorry Billie. Abi had to put her own fingerprints on it. They told her to sing it in her own way. And she did.
I guess she has to belt out to showcase her capabilities as a singer since this is a talent show.. I bet she can sing this falsetto and breathy all through out as well.. but i guess when sang live, emotions sometimes overflow that you might belt out..hehehe thanks for your reaction :)
I don't mind if they get a little pitchy due to emotion but I see what your saying.. kinda empties the gas tank early. There was a few spots where she used a lot of breath to end a phrase or two but it sounded toooo contrived, that actually bothered me more. (Basically it was good technique but to obvious If that makes sense). That's just me being nit-picky. She's great though, she will do well.
I totally agree about the "belting requirement" or, as I call it, the need for a "money shot." Joni Mitchell went her entire career (I think) without EVER belting, yet it is SOP these days. Is belting exciting? Yes. Does it add "punch?" Yes. But is it truly necessary in every song? Nope. Billie's proven that, especially with this song. That being said, I f****** LOVE this performance.
I was so inv😂dated in Abi right from this audition to the end that you would have thought I was her grandmother! I voted nearly every week which I haven’t done in many years. Bravo, Abi, you’re going to be a big star!❤
I agree that Abi’s version of this song is amazing. I loved all of her musical choices, including when she went full voice. For a couple of weeks after I heard this on TV, I kept replaying it, it so moved me, and it brought tears to my eyes almost every time. I would not characterize her voice at all “operatic.” Certainly emotive. I don’t think she ever sings with an operatic sound. When she gets into her high range, full-throated, it moves me (in this case) although she has to be careful to avoid doing it too much, or she could cross over into an annoying screechiness. In this moment, for this length of an audition, it was perfect for me, and obviously for the judges too. Her runs and her piano playing were also outstanding. Billie and Finneas wrote a beautiful song, but I would prefer to listen to Abi’s version on the radio or live (Billie’s film version needed to be more muted throughout).
I agree with every word the producer said. To me when she went full voice it sounded kind of screechy and it took away from the ethereal quality of the song. But overall I loved it.
She was performing it as Abi- not as Billie. She also had to showcase to the judges her entire range of vocals in that two-minute audition. I totally agree with what you're saying and as a producer for her to kay down a track for that song- no way. But for audition's sake- one bazillion percent nailed it! You're awesome though! I appreciate your talent as a music producer. It's got to be such a rewarding job to see boundless talent sit in front of you and perform. ❤
Frankly the overuse of whisper in the original is annoying as hell, but eilish never had much of a belt and has little full voice in her music. She's more of a writer than a singer
If you were a singer you would know how fiendishly difficult it is to sing that song in a fragile falsetto and still enunciate clearly. It was a deliberate choice to dramatize a heart-rending moment in the movie's climax. Abi's belts would have totally distracted the viewer. I understand that AI likes to hear a good belt or two in an audition, and I wish Abi well. You don't know Billie's catalogue as well as you think you do. She belts when the song warrants a belt (Happier Than Ever, live at the 2022 Grammys), and she kills it in her lower register singing jazz. (Fever with the Basie Band). Sorry you're annoyed, but Billie didn't get a standing O at the Oscars because she wrote the song. She got it it because she (and her brother) wrote and sang a great song.
If this is an “audition” then it’s raw which as you said she’s f-ing amazing. So let’s see what some guidance and professional help does with all her amazing talent !!! She’s going to only get better once a label gets a hold of her ! I’m team Abi from the gate ❤️🎶
