156 replies to this topic

[Brad]

Delta is dull, contrived on The Voice
Fiona Byrne Herald Sun
May 02, 2012 12:00AM


SHE might be sitting on top of the world with her current single, but Delta Goodrem is decidedly out of tune as a coach on The Voice.

Perched on her red chair and flanked by international stars the calibre of Seal, Joel Madden and Keith Urban, Goodrem is looking like little more than a pretty accessory.

With her sparkly gowns, flawless makeup and acres of flowing blonde tendrils, she is like an expensive piece of tinsel decorating the coaches' panel.

The Voice is now into its third week and it is a ratings behemoth.

Millions are tuning in to see gifted singers taking their shot at the prize.

Their passion, determination, desire and deep yearning that this be their moment to step from the shadows of obscurity into the spotlight of stardom makes for compelling viewing.

But I would be cursing my luck if I were on Team Delta.

I feel like I am about to kill Bambi but, in the context of all the raw emotion, Goodrem is a bore on the show.

She seems all style and little substance.

She comes across as bland and contrived.

Her comments feel dull and expected.

Even when she is supposed to be struggling with a tough decision, her actions seem rehearsed and calculated.

And she seems to always have one eye on the camera: she is acutely aware of her best angles.

In fairness, Goodrem is the junior member of the coaching team and the one who has made as much mileage out of her image as she has her songs during her career.

She has produced three albums in eight years - her next album is due sometime this year - and most of her success has happened in Australia.

By comparison, Seal, who is so earnest and committed to his charges, has four Grammy Awards, 11 albums and two greatest-hits packages to his name.

I suspect he is a demanding and possibly intimidating taskmaster, but he has already shown he can identify a weakness in a performance and give the singer the tools to overcome it.

The charming Urban has nine albums, one greatest-hits compilation and three Grammys.

He has shown honesty in his critiques so far. While he finds positives in most performances, he has shown he is prepared to point out flat spots and misfires.

And Good Charlotte's Madden (five albums, two greatest-hits compilations) has been a real surprise. He has owned the role of mentor.

I suspect Goodrem would be great at telling her charge where to get the best hair extensions, false eyelashes and a streak-free spray tan.

She would know all the tricks about being paparazzi-ready, building a profile and keeping yourself in the news.

She is definitely a gifted singer and has created some memorable music. But on this show, what we want is to see the real Delta Goodrem - one not so hyper-conscious of her image that she has erased any sense of spontaneity.

We want to see someone with flaws, and high and lows, who can impart that experience and emotion to their charges.

And we want to her to be entertaining.

She often spoke in the past about being earthy, organic, passionate and real.

But, interestingly, the glossy plastic princess we see on screen is exactly the opposite of what she preaches.

It is time for Goodrem to step it up and find her voice.

Fiona Byrne is the Herald Sun's entertainment editor

 

[Brad]

This article has pissed me off and I feel it is a public attack on her. I can imagine the other coaches or Brian coming to her defence cause I feel this article would deeply upset Delta - as strong as she is, facing heavy criticism for most of her career.

Whilst I do not agree with the article, it seems this has strung a chord with the public including my family and friends. People call for a new coach next year which I find crazy but might be the case. Pink may even be considered as an option, which would be crazy to have 3 international judges, but I really dont see who else they would take over Delta. To me she is the only option to make the show work. Kylie perhaps but I would much prefer Delta. I dont like Kylie and certainly dont think she has 'The Voice'. Rumours of Vanessa Amorosi when the show was initially announced make me laugh.

The chart statistics is a stupid point. She was the artist of the decade and her #1s in Australia in her short career put everyone else to shame, including the other coaches. International success will happen but with the criticism she receives in reference to The Voice - it seems like she needs it now more than ever. Its called the voice AUSTRALIA - not worldwide so i dont see why its even necessary.

In the Blind Auditions - she was disappointing. Paddy thinks its editing - i'd say it comes to Delta. Her inability to sell herself and to say silly things was not well received by the public. But at the same time she's someone the public love to hate - its been like that post-cancer and it continues. Luke Dennehy, long time friend of Delta and news contributor, has stuck up for Delta against Fiona Byrne and says that regardless of peoples opinions - Delta has got people talking and its good for the show. True.

Delta is flawless. She really is. No one likes a flawless person but I love Delta because through her music I feel like I know her. But I can understand to those who dont know her, why that would be a bad thing.

"tall poppy syndrome" is one phrase for it but its so much more than that. Delta puts herself out there as the endorsement queen and its really really bad for her. It makes her seem like she knows she is perfect - she is being paid by companies who believe people will buy what she sells. Its been the worst decision in her career and she continues to do it in a market where she really cant afford to do it in.

In recent times her music has been about being ridiculously happy in love. You look at a flawless blonde boasting how happy in love she is and the last main thing she did in Australia was be on TV and Billboards for like 5 different advertisements in one year and its just not good for her.

I was hoping the Battle Stages would be good for Deltas image, and perhaps in some cases it is, but this article has eventuated. The best thing for her image is to release a song that truly connects with the public. People will still hate Delta, public perception is something very hard to change, but hopefully they will still appreciate her music.

I also hope in live shows she shows she deserves to be there

[Enchanted]

While I don't think that publishing such an article is really appropriate, I do actually agree with it. Delta really isn't coming across very well on the show. Just today at school, I heard people talking about how much they love the show, but that Delta is a bitch. Being such a huge fan, this is really annoying, as I know that isn't how Delta means to come across, but the way she acts really rubs some people the wrong way. To me, she doesn't really feel genuine on the show, I'm sorry to say.

Edited by Enchanted, 02 May 2012 - 03:05 PM.

[thisishowitworks]

Delta comes across as a dud in the show. She doesn't seem genuine at all.. And it's fairly obvious. She isn't as assertive as a voice coach should be. That artical is quite drastic.. But I can see where they're coming from.. Especially because they're critics.

[greeneyes]

very bitchy article indeed.. uneccessarily so... basically the essence of her arguement is deltw looks too good.. nothing but jealousy and feeling threatened by her looks and she happily listed all the other coaches achievements but could only say Delta had three albums.. nothing about her 8 number ones, platinum albums...

the ratings are great but im kinda hoping Delta quits the show after it.. it doesnt seem a perfect fit for her anymore.. ideally, if she mentors the winning act, i say quit on a high... use her touring and international campaigns as an excuse why she cant commit to another year... by the end of the series, Delta will have gained as much as she could from the show...id prefer she jumps ship before ratings potentially dip too..

but yeah that article isnt fair... in fairness, what has joel madden done that was so awesome to deserve? Good Charlotte had two or three big singles and one worldwide hit album.. they arent remembered very well, least not in europe... but that is immaterial...

it seems Delta is dull in this womans eyes cuz she wont make catty comments or controversial stuff to get attention from the show.. too bad

[Enchanted]

I think the worst thing Delta could do would be to not be on the show for the second season. That would just make everyone think even worse of her.

[Brad]

I just hate the word 'dull'. She's anything but dull and it reminds me of Paris Hilton which is just awful.

I felt the real Delta was coming out in the Battle Rounds but I guess its still not connecting with the public. Everytime my sister looks at Delta, she feels sick and thats something a lot of people say to me. I dont get it but it is definitely happening. I mean I can stand here and say girls hate girls - its a bitchy society we live in. Keith and Delta say things very similarly but because he is a respected artist, people take his word for it.

I definitely agree with Enchanted. Even Delta quitting the show herself would seem like she got fired and it is the worst thing for her. Fact of the matter is - she needs this show. Without this show, her first single probably would have flopped and people wouldnt be talking about her like they are today. Sure, its not good - but any publicity is good publicity and I hope Delta's team can use that for good when the album is out.

[dj030892]

Whilst I agree on some points, I think the article was far too harsh. I feel that often times, she is easily swayed by others and isn't confident in her own opinion, which clearly comes off when she's critiquing others next to the other judges. However, she impressed me in yesterday's episode, as I felt she was more comfortable and confident with her opinion, and that needs to continue. Maybe she doesn't have a way with words like Seal, or is spontaneous like Joel, but it can't be denied that Delta means wel with everything she says and has a very valid point of view and reason for why she says it, despite how others may interpret it. She is gorgeous, but I think she's using that card far too much. This is why I'm eager for the album to come out, so people can hear how honest she really is, singing with such raw emotion. SOTOTW didn't show that, in my opinion, although I'm expecting many others to disagree.

Furthermore, no one can say that she isn't a success. She puts the other coaches to shame with all her achievements, as far as I'm concerned. Sure, she still hasn't hit international stardom, but I'm sure that will happen eventually.

Edited by dj030892, 02 May 2012 - 03:36 PM.

[greeneyes]

i get that it could look like she was dumped but it is all about saying she quit on her own terms ..let's say she mentors the winner, i say def jump because that's a high you cant top.. if she is clever, say nothing for ages... wait until the fuss has died down... then just before it starts next year, she could say id love to do it but my schedule doesnt permit it.. it is all about how she plays it...

it is very hard to win people over when they dont want to like you.. i say move on but thats just me.. i would feel it has served its purpose for her in one year...

[fredandadele]

. Again with the weirdness. The real problem? Everyone has their own way of wanting Delta to act. Why is this? look at al the articles on Delta in the past 2 weeks..she's been called a bi*ch, a goody-goody, a homewrecker, a fake, sweet, dull, frenetic, etc...so which is it? The problem is misogyny and that should be the topic of future article. Here in the US there has always been a feeling that Aussies hate their own homegrown celebs. That Fiona person the articles, opinions, etc just reinforces that notion. It's a shame because Delta loves being an Aussie and living life and everything Aussie. Nobody can do anything about the editing of the battle rounds but the advice I would give Delta in the live show is 1) don't look at the camera . or in their direction I noticed she does this on the couple of shows I've been able to see. This must be a recent phenomena because she would know better with her start in showbusinss as an actress. I don't know what that's all about. 2) continue to be yourself. If people don't like the way you present yourself on TV, too bad. I think the Aussie Delta bashers deserve someone like Paula Abdul or Susan Boyle. I mean really. Oh also Miss Fiona should have known by now that reality shows are casted.

Edited by fredandadele, 02 May 2012 - 03:53 PM.

[Christie]

The Voice is the topic at work everyday and everyone says the same thing, that Delta is way out of her league, she’s dull, a shit coach etc. We were talking about it over lunch and a lot of them don't hate her but just don't care for her. Another girl did say that since watching the battle rounds she can see that Delta does know what she’s talking about when mentoring the singers.

Agree the blind auditions made her look bad, weather it was editing or just Delta. Looking to the other judges for reassurance and turning to Darren to help make a decision. Make it on your own!!!! She’s even getting shit for showing emotion and crying, she can’t really win. Hopefully as the serious goes on, especially with the live shows she might settle into the role more and become more confident.

[Paddyl90]

I'll post a more detailed reply to this thread when I get home from work. Just thinking I hope she can draw something from all this negativity and convey her thoughts and feelings into a killer track for this new album. Something that sticks it up to them.

[Enchanted]

Someone posted this somewhere else, and I thought it was quite hilarious and kind of true. Delta needs to stop clutching her chest as if she has just seen the second coming when people perform.

[Mrslivinlife]

I have to admit bus delta has been pissing me off lately especially how she chose danni over sarah... Now she has no one good left yet well except for rachael of course

[Paddyl90]

Both singers were great...both deserved to go through. I thought Danni was better. Just cause people don't agree with a decision is no reason to dislike her on the show. I haven't agreed with many decisions on the show by all coaches either but it's their decision not ours til the live shows

[Future_JD]

I felt like the article was written in a way to be controversial to get attention because the show has become such a big hit. People are talking and reading it because it's so nasty. If you have to criticize something Delta is probably the easiest target. She is the youngest, been in the business for shortest amount of time, and for some reason people really love to hate the pretty girl regardless of talent.

Personally, I love Delta on the show. I think she is really funny and has a good personality. Much better than Christina although she gets labeled as a bitch too. Well the wanted flat out called her a bitch last week- multiple times in fact.

The comparison between coaches is unfair. It is so much easier to make it in country music then any other genre. The country fan base is extremely loyal and much more accepting of new artists. Seal's first hit came when he was 29, and really what has he done since kiss from a rose? Joel hasn't done much in the last few years and is more known for being married to Nicolle Ritchie right now. It is the voice Australia and I think international success is irrelevant, and success in Australia Delta has them all beat.

Edited by Future_JD, 02 May 2012 - 04:06 PM.

[Marco]

This article is rubbish. They should look at other international versions first before judging. For example at the uk version where they have Jessie J now shes way more worse. IMO Delta is doing a good job. She cant make everyone happy.

[fredandadele]

^^This.

[fredandadele]

I felt like the article was written in a way to be controversial to get attention because the show has become such a big hit. People are talking and reading it because it's so nasty. If you have to criticize something Delta is probably the easiest target. She is the youngest, been in the business for shortest amount of time, and for some reason people really love to hate the pretty girl regardless of talent.

Personally, I love Delta on the show. I think she is really funny and has a good personality. Much better than Christina although she gets labeled as a bitch too. Well the wanted flat out called her a bitch last week- multiple times in fact.

The comparison between coaches is unfair. It is so much easier to make it in country music then any other genre. The country fan base is extremely loyal and much more accepting of new artists. Seal's first hit came when he was 29, and really what has he done since kiss from a rose? Joel hasn't done much in the last few years and is more known for being married to Nicolle Ritchie right now. It is the voice Australia and I think international success is irrelevant, and success in Australia Delta has them all beat.

I agree with your post.

[claire lou]

What ever happed to Delta being Australia's golden girl?