Fix The Voice: Problems & Solutions

[redbudrose]

 

So then was AI only able to do it because of Ryan Seacrest? Because that should have the same lack of legitimacy and cheesiness. Especially those early terrible songs they were releasing! Yet the radio still played them.

 

That isn't what I meant and I think AI has really only launched two superstars, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. One is country and one is from 10 years ago and the very first from this genre. AI isn't still creating big stars. I would say those are the only two that stand on their own, aren't considered AI's Kelly or AI's Carrie. They are just Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.They have both created strong careers that are comparable to other superstars that aren't from reality.

 

If anything, Ryan Seacrest makes everything more cheesy. ;)

[Kromm]

AI still does okay.  Basically any country artist who gets into the Top 12 and on a few live shows gets a career out of the show.  And you get the occasional person like Phil Phiilips (as badly as he currently gets along with the Idol producers, cause he's you know... suing them).  Not superstars, but at least STARS.

 

The Voice can't usually even make Stars (minus the super).  Even when you get someone like Tessanne Chin, who had a White House performance within a few months of winning the show, by like.. a year later she's gone into the mists again.  Except, again, maybe the country people, where I bet a few of them continue to flourish, because that marketplace seems to not have a reality show stigma.  So I guess they CAN make Stars.  The same kind as AI--Country stars.  But superstars?  Yeah.  That door is closed for BOTH shows.

Edited February 26, 2015 by Kromm

[rollerblade]

Yea, what happen to Tessanne Chin? I was just watching her BOTW over and over last night. Are there really no agents out there to market these guys? Ya know, the Jerry Maguires of singing industry.

 

Then again, how big of a star does someone really need to be?

[mercfan3]

Problem with AI is that Kelly or Carrie wouldn't win now a days. If Season 1 of American Idol happened now, Justin probably wins. Kelly gets told she doesn't know who she is as an artist (because she's versatile) and her diva style of singing is boring and doesn't connect to the audience. That change in perspective (IMO, happened around season 7)..is the biggest reason the show lost viewers. And one of the biggest reasons that the show struggles to find talent that'll sell well. Outside of a great song (Home) or a legitimate country talent (Scotty.) 

 

The Voice..offers the recording contract and not much else. The show itself doesn't make money off the winners (unlike AI), so it doesn't bother to help. That, and there's only been two marketable winners (Cassadee and Danielle) and those two are actually doing pretty well for new artists. And I will say that Jacquie Lee is on virtually every "artist to watch in 2015" list, her label seems invested. Although she might be the most marketable contestant the show has had. 

 

If an artist gets quality music and quality promotion and are marketable they've got a good shot at doing well post show because performing in front of millions is a benefit..it's just hard to find that now. 

[Kromm]

Okay, I think I have the solution to the Blake/Adam problem (which is being talked about a lot in the media thread now, but the answer is more appropriate here).
 

In the past I've suggested they slot in a female country superstar in Blake's slot for a season to preserve the strength he seemed to originally bring to the show--that audience--but also drum up an interesting two-women dynamic on the panel.
 

But I've since realized they're never going to do this, because the point of Blake stopped being solely about the Country Crowd (although it still strongly is) and the Bromance storyline took over.
 

The way I see it now they need to try this.  Replace Blake for a season with another male country star, who can generate a competing Bromance.  Since it's got to be someone at the top tier who hasn't been used in another similar reality show, but they also really can't go with anyone too untested or young, I'd say someone like Tim McGraw, or Trace Adkins, or Kenny Chesney.  You might even get away with Garth Brooks, as past his sell by date as he might seem.  Toby Keith would probably be a no-no, since he's so polarizing (the last thing NBC needs is his shit). 
 

Now since you can't plan chemistry, that means you need to stick with a 3 male, 1 female panel for a bit and bring in another very alpha type in the "R&B/urban music" seat--or better yet perhaps ditch the traditional male R&B/urban seat.  But of course you need to cover that audience, so instead of bringing in the usual blonde girl for the female artist, you bring in a female R&B/urban performer for that season's female presence.  Someone strong minded and eloquent though, not an asshole like Nikki Minaj.  Maybe... Alicia Keyes?
 

So yes, this is a season with Adam as the only holdover.  Adam, Alicia Keyes or a similar female R&B artist, a replacement Blake (lets call this person what they are--the point is just to get away from Blake HIMSELF for a season and see if the formula is duplicatable), and a third male artist of some new type (as I said, the only real requirement is that this person needs to be another alpha-male person so that there's another chance for a Bromance between the three male coaches).

 

If they REALLY luck out, the Bromance is between the two new guys and Adam can then take a rest the following season. Not for good (not even Blake should be for good), but the point is that even these guys have to be getting tired, and if you can have similar vibes between various players and mix things up a bit more, the show ultimately will avoid the Idol Trap, where at one point the whole show seemed to rely on one element (Simon).  The Bromance is this show's version of Simon.

[photo fox]

Caveat: the first two episodes of this season are sitting on my DVR, so my comments are based on previous seasons.

I think Blake brings more than the Country Crowd and the Bromance; he also brings the Funny. As annoying as his schtick can be, I think he's the most approachable of the coaches, and the one who seems to make the most genuine connection to his team. I don't love Blake, and I don't hate any of the other coaches, but I think he fits a niche that nobody else is in. (Adam and Xtina provide the snark, Usher and Pharrell are the cool kids, Gwen and Shakira are super sweet, Cee Lo is vacant.)

I think Adam is more replaceable than Blake, just because I feel like his personality isn't as distinct. (I don't mean that as a slam - I don't hate Adam, and I think he's a good coach.) He's really quick, and he has some great comebacks, but Xtina kinda fills that role for me, too. So I think the show could consider filling the "rock" chair with someone with a softer personality, like an Ed Sheeran-type. Especially if that person were younger, as it might be interesting to see the more experiences coaches interact with someone like that.

I suppose they could also try to find another Funny Country Guy, like Luke Bryan, but my fear would be that it would be too obvious a substitution, and come off as Blake Lite. But considering they appear to have a Blake Male chair and a Blonde Female chair, maybe a Funny Country Guy chair is an inevitability.

In general, though, I don't mind Blake/Adam. But I also wouldn't be averse to blowing up the current dynamic altogether, as long as there's still a diversity of genres. Bring in Alicia Keys AND a country woman (although who, I don't know). Go with some up-and-coming stars instead of the established "superstars".

[Noreaster]

I've been wondering why I feel so dissatisfied with the show in recent seasons.  Some of it must be show fatigue while I also think the overall talent quality has declined (my favorites were season 3-5).  But I also think I've been unhappy with the format changes.  

1) Real-time voting in the playoffs.  The show started this in season 11 because of the US elections, but then did it again in season 12.  My issue is that I felt rushed watching the show and couldn't really appreciate the individual performances. I also miss reading other people's opinions afterwards and speculating how the results would play out. With the real-time voting, the decisions were announced within the same episode and I never had to give the playoff performances another thought.  I can't remember any of them at this point.      

2) Single eliminations and then a bloodbath week.  This started in season 9 where the show eliminated only one person each in the early weeks and then did a drastic cut in the semifinals.  My issue is that overall we're seeing a less interesting mix of performances.  More of the boring/mediocre contestants and less of the interesting/good contestants. 

Thinking back to season 8, by the time the show reached the finals, each remaining contestant got to perform 7 times: T12, T10, T8, T6 (two times), T5 (two times).  In seasons 9-12 (which have one fewer live show), each contestant only got to perform 4 times: T12, T11, T10, T9/8.  We've barely gotten to know any of these contestants.  

3) Less contestant duets/groups.  This change occurred sometime after season 5. Back in the earlier seasons, we used to see a lot more duets and small group performances.  They didn't count for votes (I think these were usually on the results show) but allowed us to get to know the contestants better.  I remember great duets like Tessanne/Caroline on Royal and Nicholas/Melanie on Criminal and great group performances like the season 4 ladies on Diamonds and the season 3 group on Rhythm of Love.  And then were many others that were all at least decent since the talent quality was high across the board.  Now, the only non-solo performances we get are these duets in the semifinals and that's it.  I guess there really isn't time anymore because of the instant-save performances but I miss them.

[Noreaster]

Here's a recap of the show's format for reference:

S3:        Top 12 ---> Top 10 ---> Top 8 ---> Top 6 ---> Top 4 ---> Top 3

S4:        Top 12 ---> Top 10 ---> Top 8 ---> Top 6 ---> Top 5 ---> Top 3

S5:        Top 12 ---> Top 10 ---> Top 8 ---> Top 6 ---> Top 5 ---> Top 3

S6:        Top 12 ---> Top 10 ---> Top 8 ---> Top 5 ---> Top 3

S7:        Top 12 ---> Top 10 ---> Top 8 ---> Top 5 ---> Top 3 + wildcard

S8:        Top 12 ---> Top 10 ---> Top 8 ---> Top 6 ---> Top 5 ---> Top 4

S9:        Top 12 ---> Top 11 ---> Top 10 ---> Top 9 ---> Top 4

S10-12:  Top 12 ---> Top 11 ---> Top 10 ---> Top 8 ---> Top 4

[Sugar]

I totally agree with you, Noreaster. The jump from Top 8 to Top 4 is just too jarring, and I preferred a Top 3 for the same reason. Why spend so much time on battles, then knockouts, then playoffs or whatever they're called, and on contestants that we don't have to care about, and then only let the ones we're invested in perform a few times? And why eliminate one by one at the beginning, and then do such a drastic cut at the end, when you only have the best ones left? It makes zero sense, and from a viewing perspective completely throws me off.

In this current season, I feel like some of these folks are just hitting their stride. Aaliyah and Lauren come to mind, and to a lesser extent, Vanessa and Jesse. If they had two more performances, I feel like we'd see even more development and growth. It doesn't seem "right" to vote now for a Top 4, when some acts feel 'unfinished' - like they'd be sent home too early.

And also, I HATE the real time voting. I'm not even sure I understand how it works. Does each member of the team have the same amount of time to be voted for, i.e. "Bob" goes first and has a 10 minute voting window, "Alice" goes second and also gets 10 minutes, etc.? Otherwise, I don't see how it's fair that voting starts before the first person even performs, but then that contestant has the entire duration of the rest of the team's performances to get votes, meanwhile the last one up only gets the 3-4 minutes at the end.

NO MORE TWITTER SAVE. I would honestly rather that the coach have the save if anything, but would prefer for this to not exist at all. None of the bottom 3 performances this season have been good or worthy of a save, so there's zero point (other than making the show a full hour).

[italianguy626]

Watching the auditions reminds me of something that I think needs to be addressed with the coaches. When no one turns around, don't blow smoke up the keister of the person auditioning. So often I hear the coaches say things like "oh, you were so good!" or "you have an awesome voice!".

Meanwhile, the evil little voice in my head is saying "So why didn't you turn around!?" A little more constructive criticism would be helpful.

Also, I seem to be noticing the coaches looking at each other more this season before turning around. You can almost see them thinking "are you going to turn around? Because if you turn around I'm turning around." Too often I'm watching the coaches and as soon as one presses the button, another presses. They need blinders put on them or they need to be in pods where they can't look at or communicate with each other.

[MaryPatShelby]

12 hours ago, italianguy626 said:

Watching the auditions reminds me of something that I think needs to be addressed with the coaches. When no one turns around, don't blow smoke up the keister of the person auditioning. So often I hear the coaches say things like "oh, you were so good!" or "you have an awesome voice!".

Meanwhile, the evil little voice in my head is saying "So why didn't you turn around!?" A little more constructive criticism would be helpful.

Also, I seem to be noticing the coaches looking at each other more this season before turning around. You can almost see them thinking "are you going to turn around? Because if you turn around I'm turning around." Too often I'm watching the coaches and as soon as one presses the button, another presses. They need blinders put on them or they need to be in pods where they can't look at or communicate with each other.

I had to quote your whole post because I agree with all of it! The comment I hate for no-chair-turns is "I'm so mad at myself right now, I wish I'd turned around" and the like.  The show is The Voice, not The Now I Know That You're Cute I Want You On My Team. 

The coaches looking at each other and communicating by eyebrow raises and pointing etc has been sneaking in for the last few seasons, and is particularly bad this season.

Edited October 4, 2017 by MaryPatShelby

[Star Aristille]

On ‎10‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 7:58 AM, italianguy626 said:

Watching the auditions reminds me of something that I think needs to be addressed with the coaches. When no one turns around, don't blow smoke up the keister of the person auditioning. So often I hear the coaches say things like "oh, you were so good!" or "you have an awesome voice!".

Meanwhile, the evil little voice in my head is saying "So why didn't you turn around!?" A little more constructive criticism would be helpful.

 

23 hours ago, MaryPatShelby said:

I had to quote your whole post because I agree with all of it! The comment I hate for no-chair-turns is "I'm so mad at myself right now, I wish I'd turned around" and the like.

Funnily enough, an artist who actually did manage to turn two chairs essentially did just that: Sa'Rayah from season eleven.  She actually called Adam out with quite the awesome burn (and became a near-instant Voice legend by doing so) when he tried to blow smoke up her ass, and believe me -- Miley, Alicia, and especially Blake all loved it!  So did the entire studio audience!  It's like they all knew of Adam's tendency to do that!

To his credit, Adam, while you could hear that he was completely blindsided, took it in good spirits.

Edited October 5, 2017 by Star Aristille

[Shades of Scarlet]

On 03/10/2017 at 6:58 AM, italianguy626 said:

Watching the auditions reminds me of something that I think needs to be addressed with the coaches. When no one turns around, don't blow smoke up the keister of the person auditioning. So often I hear the coaches say things like "oh, you were so good!" or "you have an awesome voice!".

Meanwhile, the evil little voice in my head is saying "So why didn't you turn around!?" A little more constructive criticism would be helpful.

Also, I seem to be noticing the coaches looking at each other more this season before turning around. You can almost see them thinking "are you going to turn around? Because if you turn around I'm turning around." Too often I'm watching the coaches and as soon as one presses the button, another presses. They need blinders put on them or they need to be in pods where they can't look at or communicate with each other.

They're just being nice.  And they do almost always offer constructive criticism.  

I don't care if the coaches look at each other or not.  Not sure why anyone should.  It's harmless.  

[Bridget]

On 10/3/2017 at 6:58 AM, italianguy626 said:

Watching the auditions reminds me of something that I think needs to be addressed with the coaches. When no one turns around, don't blow smoke up the keister of the person auditioning. So often I hear the coaches say things like "oh, you were so good!" or "you have an awesome voice!".

Meanwhile, the evil little voice in my head is saying "So why didn't you turn around!?" A little more constructive criticism would be helpful.

Also, I seem to be noticing the coaches looking at each other more this season before turning around. You can almost see them thinking "are you going to turn around? Because if you turn around I'm turning around." Too often I'm watching the coaches and as soon as one presses the button, another presses. They need blinders put on them or they need to be in pods where they can't look at or communicate with each other.

Longtime reader, first time poster here!

1. I think the coaches blow smoke because the coaches feel super awkward for the 10 seconds that the artist is (most likely required to) standing there when they probably want to run off the stage and cry/drink a beer/hug their mom - and I don't blame them. Rejection SUCKS. Period. That said, if the "rejected artists" have to engage with the coaches, the coaches need to be honest about why they didn't turn around. The coaches should give specific & positive feedback, such as "you need to work on breathing/song choice/being pitchy and my personal favorite: NOT DANCING during their blind audition." Being dishonest to save face, the coaches are doing many folks a major disservice by not keeping it real, which is what any person would want to hear, no matter if they were rejected from a date, a job, or an audition.

I find it even more sad/awkward that the coaches who say "I almost pushed my button" or "I was waiting to hear if you would do XYZ" are not only giving the artists false hope about their singing skills (at times), but also straight up lying to them! No you weren't you going to push your button Adam/Miley/J-Hud/BS! Their audition sucked and we all know it. If the artist who was "rejected during the Blinds" tunes in and watches the actual program, they will see what we see: few to zero coaches are ever truly at that "should I/shouldn't I?" moment.

2. I've also noticed that Miley (I mute her when she speaks - for real) cannot/will not shut up during many performances. I noticed it in during the Blinds, but now it's even more frequent as the season progresses. 

Do we think Miley knows any other adjectives other than "dope"? 

"Their voice is dope!" "He/she is so dope!" "This song is dope!"  Someone give that dope some Adderall in her Corn Flakes and tell her about performance etiquette!

Can you even imagine sitting near her at the movie theatre?!?!?

 

As a proud member of BS Prods (hahaha), I do LOVE watch Adam try so hard to tune her out by giving her a civil half smile when she's yapping away. I also think it's karma to have to sit next to her as a result of his increased egocentric attitude/arrogance/name dropping (for lack of better examples) over the last few years. I still want to know in what world, and on what planet, Adam and Joe Jonas would ever "run into each other all of the time."
 

[rifkialqadri]

I'm gonna start my first post/reply with this question:

it's one of the problems I want the producers to fix.

What, do you think, is this Voice stage set lack of?

 

 

[Star Aristille]

1 hour ago, rifkialqadri said:

I'm gonna start my first post/reply with this question:

it's one of the problems I want the producers to fix.

What, do you think, is this Voice stage set lack of?

WWHta

What is it?  Just say what it is.  Hard to see anything worth noting with just a picture.

Edited November 24, 2017 by Star Aristille

[rifkialqadri]

50 minutes ago, Star Aristille said:

1 hour ago, rifkialqadri said:

I'm gonna start my first post/reply with this question:

it's one of the problems I want the producers to fix.

What, do you think, is this Voice stage set lack of?

WWHta

What is it?  Just say what it is.  Hard to see anything worth noting with just a picture.

if you look at the picture carefully, you'll be able to know what are missing on the stage set (live shows only, excluding the battles and blind auditions stage).

 

1. the towering, giant hand statues (of course). it's the trademark of the Voice. At first, there are four hand statues at first (not counting the one hand statue at the auditorium), there are four hand statues on the live show stage set. two are left-handed and two are right-handed. Moreover, one (hand statue) from each side is on the front corner, and the other is on the back corner (seen in the first two seasons and in the first four weeks of season three's live shows). But, in the top 6 live show of season 3, the hand statues at the back corners were removed. Since then (until season 8), there were only two hand statues, which were on the front corners of the stage. However, again, when I saw season 9 live show stage set, I felt happy and sad at the same time. I am happy because it looks bigger, whereas the area is actually still the same as the previous seasons.

2. the ladder at the center, back of the stage. it was in the first eight seasons, but the producers had removed it in season 9, and it has remained ever since.

[rifkialqadri]

1 hour ago, Star Aristille said:

What is it?  Just say what it is.  Hard to see anything worth noting with just a picture.

oh, I'm sorry, I forget telling you why I felt sad after seeing the stage set of season 9 live show.

I felt sad because there are no more hand statues at the stage. I hope the producers will bring them back...

season 1 live show stage (picture 1 of 2)

season 1 live show stage (picture 2 of 2)

[rifkialqadri]

season 2 live show stage

[rifkialqadri]

season 3 live shows stage (Live playoffs - top 8 results, taken from top 8 live performance)

 

season 3 live shows stage (Live top 6 -  finale, taken from top 6 live performance)

it had remained ever since, until season 8. in season 9, the incident is as you see in the first ever picture I uploaded...