Idol 96 - Scott Savol

96. Scott Savol

Season 4, 5th Place

Ok. Let me say that I really think Scott Savol was severely underrated during his season. He really can sing, and I think people forget that. No, he didn't have the best performances, but he's a talented dude, and he didn't deserve all of the hate he got. I guess people confuse personality and talent way too much.

Now, I'll start from the beginning. When Scott came in to audition, I knew he was obviously going to be another bad singer. I mean, he looked.. well.. he didn't look like an American Idol. He was wearing pajamas, and he sounded very confident - and as we know, people who think they are good NEVER seem to actually have the talent to back it up. He came in, talked to the judges, and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy. And then he opened his mouth to sing and I died. Haha.

Seriously. His audition was like a Susan Boyle type of moment. I was shocked to realized that he has a very rich and soulful voice. I was seriously stunned, but very pleasantly surprised. I thought it was a terrific audition and without any hesitation, Scott became one of my favorites and I had very high expectations.

Sadly, Scott never quite lived up to the quality of his audition. I thought he did okay in Hollywood, but I remember him most for his problems with his group and his prediction that if he went home, it would be in April or May.

In the semis, he was also just alright for me. He did pretty well with You Are My Lady, but I didn't like his up-tempo songs as much, primarily because they weren't fast enough and to me, he always struggled with trying to keep up with the beat - particularly in Never Too Much. He sometimes looked and sounded awkward. His stage presence was not the best, either, even though he tried hard to improve it, particularly in Ain't Too Proud To Beg when he ventured off of the main stage.

Scott also had poor vocal control throughout many of his performances in the finals -  One Last Cry, The Impossible Dream, She's Gone, and Dance With My Father. I did think that he gave us a few good ones, though. Against All Odds fit him like a glove and his rendition of Everytime You Go Away. Sure, they weren't amazing, but still soulful and genuine - even though he wasn't as expressive as he could have been. Perhaps Scott shouldn't have lasted all the way to 5th over some other people, but it wasn't a travesty like some people said.

Favorite performance(s): The best vocals I've ever heard from Scott was his audition. I don't think people quite remember how good it was. Watch it and tell me you're not impressed. Haha. Other than that, I think he did a good job with Everytime You Go Away by Brian McKnight. The song fits perfectly in his range and he showed that he has potential to be a modern R&B artist. It was definitely his swan song.

Audition

Everytime You Go Away

Oh, and listen to his new songs to be released pretty soon HERE and let me know what you think.

#95 - Black Country Girl

Music: Amazing Love / Beauty Queen - Scott Savol

Remember Scott Savol? He finished fifth during Carrie Underwood's season (Season 4), and yes, he's trying his best to pull himself out of obscurity after his American Idol stint and is actually about to release two new digital tracks.

Now, I was able to take a listen to the two songs and I'd say that the tracks are pretty decent. Sure, they both sound somehow generic especially in a RnB / Pop format but what song isn't these days?

Amazing Love (Life Is Better) is good. I think that it has a pretty strong back beat. His vocals isn't as out front as I would like it to be but there are parts where I get a taste of his vocal range and amazing ability to riff. It has a fabulous hook and very dance-y. Listen HERE.

Beauty Queen, on the other hand, sounds very R. Kelly. I don't know if it's just me, but this sort of reminds me of Ignition. The song on the surface sounds generic but the beat is undoubtedly catchy. I see potential with this song although with it being too similar with the music on the radio right now, I wonder if this will stand out. Listen HERE.

What do you guys think?