Why Olivia Lost

[CarmenSandiego]

I'm in the homestretch of analyzing why eight contestants had their American Idol journey come to an end in the Top 20.  Only two more to analyze, and the first is Olivia.  This one is really sad for me because she was the second of my two favorites, the other being Wé Ani.  I wanted her to get into the Top 12 at least, but by the time she was in the Top 20 I pretty much realized that it would take a miracle for her to get there.  So why did I quickly realize that she wasn't going to get as far as I wanted?  The rules that Season 21 contestants needed to follow will explain what Olivia did right, what she did wrong and why Olivia lost.

 

Show Singing and Performing Talent

 

The first rule states that you need to show singing and performing talent.  Olivia definitely had singing talent and had at least some degree of performing talent.  She showed plenty of both in her Hawaii performance to "Emotions", which could have been a disaster but was viewed by most as a pleasant surprise.  So how did she do with "I Surrender"?  Not quite as well.  While IDF gave her better ratings overall compared to say, Paige Anne, Hsamid thought that it sounded karaoke and that she didn't go the song enough justice while Nytsch wished Olivia would take a non-diva song and make it more of a diva song like she did with "Hello" and Floor Wax called her performance dated  I gave her an 8 and said that I thought that Nutsa did it better in Hollywood week.  Crisis also thought that she wasn't quite up to the challenge, while the TooFab staff put her in 7th overall.

 

She too failed to make the Top 10 but she still had a chance to save himself by getting one of the two judges' Wildcard picks.  So how did she do with "God is a Woman"?  The reviews on IDF also indicated that she did well enough vocally with it, but there were still definite problems, with two people indicating that they thought Olivia was trying to copy Ariana Grande.  I gave her an 8.  Crisis also wasn't very fond of it, but here he criticized an apparent lack of urgency, thinking that she had resigned herself to being a goner.  The TooFab staff thought that she began all over the place and it took some time for them to recognize the song.  Overall, I think that Olivia began well with this rule but began stumbling and couldn't recover enough.

 

Song Choice Is Key

 

This was probably one of the main problems that Olivia had.  With the exception of "Hello", she tended to choose Whitney, Mariah, Celine and Ariana Grande songs and those are so challenging that any contestant who tries those songs are probably going to come out on the short end of the stick.  What Olivia should have done is take songs that you wouldn't expect a diva singer to sing and make them songs that a diva would sing.  But she didn't and thus Olivia struck out on this rule.

 

Be Consistently Outstanding or Better Yet, Consistently Improve Every Week

 

This was another rule that Olivia had problems with.  She was consistently very good, but she wasn't consistently outstanding and she didn't consistently improve every week.  As a result, she failed this rule as well.

 

Have the Confidence to Believe That You Belong

 

Olivia definitely had the confidence needed.  You don't take on Whitney, Mariah, Celine or Ariana songs unless you believe that you can handle them.  Unfortunately, she couldn't back up her confidence as well as she could have, but at least she had it.

 

Know Who You Are As an Artist

 

Unlike Elise, Emma and Paige Anne, Olivia knew who she was as an artist and thus followed the fifth rule.  The problem is that she was an old-school diva artist, and that's not going to do so well on American Idol nowadays.  Still, knowing her artistic identity in and of itself wasn't a problem, so I'll move on.

 

Remember, You Are a Package

 

This was another rule Olivia failed in.  She packaged herself as an old-school diva singer, and the only way she could get away with it was if she took new songs and changed them so that they became diva songs.  It didn't help that the one thing that could've made her sympathetic -- having a sister who lost the use of her hands -- was aired towards the end of her Idol run.  Thus Olivia screwed up this rule as well.

 

Take Any Advice Offered to You and Follow It

 

At least Olivia didn't have any problems with this rule.  Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough to save her, so I'll just move on.

 

Gather a Fan Base -- and Sustain It

 

This was the final rule that Olivia failed at.  She began well with her version of "Hello" and could have gathered more fans had she chosen to follow that path and turn songs that you wouldn't expect a girl with a diva voice to sing into ones that she could sing well.  Unfortunately for her, she chose to tackle Whitney, Mariah, Celine and finally Ariana Grande songs and lost many of the fans she got with her first performance.  Thus Olivia fouled up with this rule as well.

 

Olivia began well.  She knew that she was a diva artist and chose a song that she could turn into a song that a diva singer could sing.  She could have continued on with this path and made unexpected song choices that could have furthered her Idol run.  Instead, she tackled Whitney, Mariah Celine and finally Ariana Grande songs, turning herself into an old-school American Idol contestant.  That would have worked before Season 7, but not so much now.  Olivia's bad song choices doomed her and that Is why Olivia sadly lost.

[QueenKalie]

She's a pretty girl who can sing Idol voters hate that.

[BlkCountryFan]

She didn't show her artistry. I still don't know what kind of artist she would be. 

 

She just came across as a glorified karaoke singer who can sing Celine Dion, Mariah Carey songs really well. 

 

But an artist that does not make. 

[BlkCountryFan]

36 minutes ago, QueenKalie said:

She's a pretty girl who can sing Idol voters hate that.

And that's the problem. What else does she have to offer? 

[QueenKalie]

1 minute ago, BlkCountryFan said:

And that's the problem. What else does she have to offer? 

Yes being one of the best singers out there is a problem. What more do you want from her a sex change?

[BlkCountryFan]

21 minutes ago, QueenKalie said:

Yes being one of the best singers out there is a problem. What more do you want from her a sex change?

I wanted her to show who OLIVIA is. Instead of being a Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston impersonator. 

 

I wanted her to show what makes her different in today's landscape. 

 

You know, because pretty singers are a dime a dozen. 

 

And that's the problem. Leah Marlene alluded to this last season. The judges and fans make it seem like these contestants are the greatest ever and will go on to be BIG STARS because they are 'good singers.' 

 

Then when they get off the show and out of the American Idol bubble and actually have to compete with those who are just as good as them, if not better, then it's like WTF. 

 

That's what I wanted Olivia to show. Who she is? 

 

No need to get all sensitive, mentioning a sex change, which I'm not even sure how that is relevant to anything that was said. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by BlkCountryFan

[QueenKalie]

3 minutes ago, BlkCountryFan said:

 

I wanted her to show what makes her different in today's landscape. 

 

Idol doesn't want different though have you taken a look at the list of winners recently.

[CandiceFan12]

1 hour ago, QueenKalie said:

She's a pretty girl who can sing Idol voters hate that.

Agreed. and LOL they made a Downfall parody on Olivia's elimination. 

 

[Carrie_On]

I thought she was rather underwhelming myself and I’m not sure if I would’ve put her in the Top 12.  She never lived up to her audition, IMO. I thought her version of god is a woman was especially blah.