Oh dear, the Idol winner album didn't even make the Top 10. Australia has given Natalie Gauci's 'The Winner's Journey' album the big thumbs down.
After being hyped by the biggest television audience of the year, the souvenir CD of the show has only managed to make it to number 12 on the ARIA chart on sales of 11,489 units.Natalie's 'The Winner's Journey' was released on December 10 and had 5 days of sales to qualify for the chart this week.
Last year's 'The Winner's Journey' by Damien Leith sold 89,257 units in its first full week on sale, after going on sale early for a few days in the week prior and still selling 17,979 units.
The winner's single this year, 'Here I Am', has only sold 19,362 copies in three weeks it has been on sale.
It's sad for the contestants. They aren't the problem. The show is. Australia has woken up to Idol. It is not a show about talent, it is a modern day circus. People tune into Idol for the freak shows and the roadkill become tomorrow's water-cooler conversation.
The first year of Idol managed to create a big enough wave to give Guy Sebastian and Shannon Noll enough momentum to allow them to grow until they developed their own talents. However, falling ratings over subsequent years have left the latter winners with nothing more than walking away with '15 minutes of fame'.
So who is judging these kids? A hack popstar, a former diva, some guy from a radio station who no music industry experience other than trying to get his girlfriend a record deal and a former advertising guy from a record company. This isn't exactly a superstar spotting team.
Idol hurts the kids who don't make it, and robs the one's who do from developing their talent organically. Winners are given bland songs to record which end up being identified with them and not the show.
However, do not fear. The show will return. Those SMS votes make for a great revenue model. Who cares about CD sales when the show can so easily milk millions from the audience. Australian Idol will return in 2008 ... because people make money from it. Move over Natalie, next year there will be another victim to feed the corporations and their shareholders.
