American Idol is Redeemed by Candice Glover

American Idol may have faded since its start in the industry, but the talent the show attracts has only multiplied through the years. As a previous contestant on the show, I truly avoid writing about the hype it produces because there are aspects of the show I’ve experienced first-hand and do not agree with.

Amazing talent is undeniable, however when I listened to Candice Glover’s (the 2013 season winner) latest, and first, album, Music Speaks; released on Feb. 18, I knew I had to help promote it in our small corner of the world.

Due to the fact that American Idol has had so many seasons and birthed the careers of an eclectic assortment of artists, it’s about time we expect to see some “repeats.” Glover is basically a clone of Jennifer Hudson with a more restricted vocal range. With her contemporary beats that teeter on the edge between Pop and RnB, and her classic RnB storylines, Glover’s album really lends itself to new-age RnB. I believe she will become extremely successful if her album is heard at the peak of its release.

I tend to let albums that I love generate their own buzz organically for a couple of weeks before I review them, and I love when I put out an article and get feedback from a reader who has been listening to the songs and has genuine opinions.

American Idol has done virtually no promotion for their artist and waited quite a while since her victory on the show to release her album. This is a huge flaw in their system and, in my opinion, the reason why the album peaked at number three on the RnB charts, but after two weeks after the release, it has already climbed backwards to number seven.

Music Speaks lends itself to much more recognition than it has been given credit for, which could be due in a large part to the stifling restraints of American Idol. The songs on this album are all so catchy and they’re structured in a very uncharacteristic way for an RnB album. We don’t have a verse to chorus back to verse order on most of the tracks, which is really different and kind of refreshing.

Personally, I love the song “Passenger.” The track reminds me of an old-school 90s RnB hook with a modern day twist in the story of the verses.

My only critique for this album would be the lack of promotion for it by the show that generated the start of Glover’s career, and the doppelganger affect of packaging and track names related to Hudson’s first album release after American Idol. I am sure that Glover had her own ideas for the album, but was allowed little to no personal freedom, and instead was put into a mold and given cookie-cutter means of album structure and distribution.