But Kelly Clarkson is the kind that breaks all rules. She perfectly fits the image of a bubblegum pop star while coming off as totally out-of-the-box. She can belt out a ballad in the tradition of Celine Dion but at the same time beat the dickens out of rousing anthems like “Home” and “Hear Me”. In interviews, she’s usually her bubbly self, putting on the aw-shucks face that earned her the distinction of being America’s Sweetheart, but there would be moments when she would transition to someone else, as if in a trance, and say something really insightful about music. For instance, when describing Melissa Etheridge’s voice, she said that it’s the kind of voice that “has really lived.”

Whoever said that Kelly Clarkson is a case study couldn’t have been more precise. Here is someone who stayed strong in the business despite the fickle nature of pop music. How did she manage to weave longevity and a valid career out of her Idol background?

Before she was thrust into the spotlight, Clarkson had experienced just about every woes of a working class family. Her parents divorced when she was six, her family constantly bickered about money issues, and she had to work odd jobs to make ends meet. She tried her in luck in LA in hopes of striking a record deal, only to go home empty-handed after her apartment burned down and her car towed twice all in the course of four days.

Perhaps what makes Kelly Clarkson stick in the business for so long is her street credibility. In an industry where personal tribulations are stretched a bit too far, Clarkson stands out as one of those artists who had real encounters with adversities that ordinary citizens face.

When the likes of Amy Winehouse and Britney Spears croon about their tough luck, you can’t help but be skeptical of the fact that their struggles are nothing more than self-inflicted wounds. But when you listen to Clarkson sing the line, “My life can’t possibly break when it wasn’t even whole to start with,” you know she’s singing about something true and that you’re listening to a human being who had come face to face with the devil. You know that even though her troubles are not as heavy as say, the troubles of someone dying in Africa, you know that her pain is real and that she is doing her best to outlive it.

A hater once said that her music is obnoxious and dark. Maybe that person is right. After all, Clarkson’s strength lies not only in her steely vocals but also in her ability to use this instrument to bring a song into its cathartic conclusion.

Buy Kelly Clarkson’s latest album, “All I Ever Wanted“

When Scott MacIntyre sang Michael Jackson’s “Keep the Faith” during the top 13 round of American Idol, he earned negative remarks from Simon who said he should have chosen a more popular, mainstream tune off of MJ’s catalog. Scott tried to defend his stance, saying that he wanted to be more “artistic” to which Simon blurted out a not-so-subtle condemnation of artistry on the show.

“It’s fine to be artistic,” Simon said, “Just not on this show.” This single, smug statement, however valid, perfectly defines why music in the past 5 years or so has been racing downhill. Kudos to Scott, although his performance is hardly something that would qualify for a more in-depth categorization of the word “artistic,” he managed to elicit a response from Simon that would explain the show’s premise since its inception.

Of course, it is not a hidden truth that American Idol is mainly conceived to serve as a platform for pop stars who would become the driving force of contemporary music and serve as cash cows for the world’s top record companies. But does Simon really have to say such words out loud in public? For all it’s worth, Simon’s words say something more about his lack of artistic taste and greed for moolah. After all, this is from the same guy who said that he sells more records than Bruce Springsteen and who finds Bob Dylan boring.

There is a reason why American Idol has continuously been snubbed by critics of popular music. It is the same age-old case Commerce versus Art argument, only that it has taken a different form and stage. In American Idol, if you dig down and get really deep into your music, showing weird facial expressions and vocal nuances, Simon will call you out of it by saying you’re being “self-indulgent.”

He first used this term when Chris Daughtry covered “Broken”, a serious, sweeping song by Seether and Amy Lee. In Simon’s world, there is no way you can sell records, let alone earn a respectable audience if you sing sublime poetry.

Perhaps Simon is being pragmatic here and what better way to create a win-win situation than to cater to the music of teeny-boppers and soccer moms who comprise a huge chunk of Middle America. After all, it is Middle America who spends money and keeps the music business in top shape.

But somewhere along the way, a lot of that gets lost in the shuffle of exploring the deepest corners of music. Music is a highly volatile medium of human expression that needs to be constantly discovered and should never be confined to the walls of mediocrity and shallow tastes.

From the get-go, American Idol has always been a mere TV show bent on delivering commercial music to the buying public. However, it is the biggest stage there is, it should step up to the plate and consider taking the responsibility of subtly introducing the likes of Brandi Carlisle and Brett Drennen to its core audience. Their music makes our world go round and creates a prism that allows us to see ourselves in a way that we’ve never done before.

Although it didn’t get a big wow from Randy Jackson and Simon called her “Forgettable”, I was diggin’ Jesse Langseth’s performance of “Betty Davis Eyes”, a song that I really, really like.

I don’t know what it is about Jesse’s voice that I like. It’s raw. It’s different.

Here’s a video clip of Jesse Langseth’s performance…

Who do you think will win this season? Is it too early to tell?

Kara DioGuardi has a very impressive resume and certainly has the credentials to be a judge. She’s written songs for Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, Pussycat Dolls, Tom Jones, and Hannah Montana, just to name a few. The list of artists she’s written for and collaborated with is just way too long to list!

Learn more about Kara DioGuardi by visiting here MySpace page

It’s interesting to me how songs can carry with them so many stories. Of course, the singer singing the song has a story to share, but all the people that a particular song reached also have a story that coincides with that song. In essence, there’s a great deal of sentiment and emotion related to songs. For one person, hearing a certain song brings memories of love while that same song could mean heartache for another. For me, music has a way of bringing out these feelings of nostalgia that photographs can’t do.

Last night David Cook sang “Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran. I suddenly felt this wave of giddy-like excitement wash over me as if I was a teenager watching Duran Duran performing on TV again. Here’s the video from David Cook’s performance…

That’s the advice Neil Diamond gave to the last five contestants of American Idol as they awaited their fate during tonight’s show.

I think I still have yet to meet any artist who doesn’t have a passion for their craft. It’s something about art or creating music that conjures up feelings of bliss. Unless you let your ego listen to naysayers, you continue to produce pieces that come from the heart and soul. You keep creating music because you love it – no matter if you’re paid or not.

And that, my friends, is the secret to longevity in the music business!

Photo Credit: a DELL

Then there are others who use music as a platform to give back. Simon Cowell, the producer of American Idol, has used the power that the show has had to do good by putting on the “Idol Gives Back” special every year. It’s a show full of guest performances by some of the hottest names in the industry – all coming together to bring awareness to the people who are less fortunate than us.

I had no idea who was going to be performing, so I was pleasantly surprised to see Gloria Estefan with Sheila E! My favorite performance of the night was by Mariah Carey who’ve I’ve admired ever since her career started.

Let’s rewind a little to last night when Idol contestants sang inspirational songs. I’ve been teetering between David Cooke and David Archuleta as the winner, but regardless I think all of them will go far in the business.

Here’s David Cooke performing the song, “Innocent”…

Make a contribution and save a life! Visit: AmericanIdol.com Check out my thoughts about the 2007 Idol Gives Back show…

American Idol - Exclusive Charity Albums - Download It Now on iTunes

For the girls, Ramiele Malubay put on an excellent performance. She definitely has star quality. Here’s a clip of her performing “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me“…

I heard through the “grape vine” that the Idol producers already decided who they wanted to win a few weeks ago. My theory is that they booted Melinda to boost ratings – it would create a bit of a stir and keep people glued to the TV. Keeping Jordin and Blake on kept the show unpredictable.

This is not to discount the fact that Jordin and Blake are truly talented people. Jordin has a phenomenal voice and Blake is a great entertainer…However, Melinda had a great voice AND knew how to put on a show.

Anyways, all that doesn’t matter anymore. They’re all stars