That is why I don't see AI and 19 trying to deliberately sabotage their brand. It just does not make sense from a business stand point of view. Maybe AI did not promote the CD as well as they could have. But bottom line what did in TH's CD was TH's CD. It would not be the first time a for a producer and musician to miss the mark for a release.
Definitely. It seems there are constant strains between a record company's interest in putting out what it considers to be commercially viable material, and the singer's (or band's) interest in being taken seriously as an "artist." Way too many singers/bands get all caught up in whatever it is they consider "art," and they forget (or don't know how) to be entertaining.
"The entry below dated January 5th, 2008, contains accurate information concerning the recent split with Taylor Hicks and J/Arista Records. We have found overwhelmingly since the story surfaced, that the prevailing spin in the media is Taylor Hicks was "dropped" from his contract, a notion that originated with the January 3, 2008 article, by writer Shirley Halperin, titled "Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard dropped from J Records?"
Considering that the dropping scenario conveniently fit in with the prevailing sentiment that American Idol was losing viewership and clout, the press was not interested in elaborating that the split was mutual, as confirmed by both Taylor Hicks and his former record company. As a result, the majority of the subsequent media reports state as fact that Hicks was dropped, effectively convincing readers that an artist who signed a three record contract and sold 500,000 copies of his debut album in the first two weeks (without the benefit of a single or radio play), was unilaterally dumped from his deal, and somehow in the process was convinced not to initiate a breach of contract lawsuit.
Now after this erroneous story has been repeated over and over, the "dropping" it is now taken as a fact. It's just too easy for some to paint Taylor Hicks as the poster boy of a supposedly failed American Idol system. Apparently selling an estimated 800,000 copies of a debut album worldwide without the benefit of top 40 radio play is the new definition of "failure".
Note on American Idol: For the record, we know the role American Idol played in bringing Taylor Hicks to the general public and the people who now make up his loyal fanbase, is tremendous. This is in fact the show that made Taylor Hicks' career. But it is now all too apparent that Taylor Hicks has been virtually eliminated from sight, support, and mention from American Idol. It is widely believed the reason for this excommunication is the fact he was the first Idol winner not to sign with 19 Management, effectively cutting off millions in revenue from the company. Show producer Nigel Lythgoe has gone so far to state in two separate interviews that the American Public "got it wrong" by voting for him. To his credit, Taylor Hicks has not responded to these provocative claims."