some suck

I WILL BE
Leona Lewis
Spirit

... all the pain, the tears I cried still you never said goodbye and now I know how far you'd go...

Some don't, but this does. Leona Lewis has been dubbed as the next big thing but it would take more than a single hit, regardless of how phenomenal it was, to merit a spot among the ranks of the industry's finest. That's why her camp is working overtime to establish Lewis as an adult contemporary artist more than anything else. Take for instance her third single, a cover of the faux-rocker Avril Lavigne's I Will Be. It is nothing more than a Lavigne co-penned track that is big on the powerhouse choruses and bridge. Mix in Lewis' high-pitched squealing and you get an epic MOR ballad, guaranteed to crossover several radio formats and a lifetime of airplays. And like most MOR tracks, it will be acknowledged for being a very safe song. Not good, just pleasant. I Will Be is a bland, radio-friendly track that attempts to imitate classics from the Carey-Houston catalog circa 90-99. Then again, longevity is what her management's going for, and for the most part that's what they'll get. So should Mariah and company be worried about Lewis? Most definitely, not.

MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU
Kelly Clarkson
All I Ever Wanted

... I know that I've got issues but you're pretty messed up too, either way I found out I'm nothing without you...

On the American Idol side, Clive Davis wouldn’t have any of that dark, angsty rock artiste persona that Kelly Clarkson had with her previous record My December. He thought that Clarkson sucked badly with that so he shipped the original Idol back to the studio to work with the producers Max Martin and Dr. Luke aiming to replicate the sound and success of Since U Been Gone. And after a year and a half, they did with My Life Would Suck Without You – a pop-rock song that capitalizes on the record which made her known for. That's the secret for commercial and chart success – if it ain't broke, recycle it over and over again. What differentiates Clarkson's single from the rest though, is her strong, clear vocals which is showed off on the song's chorus. Otherwise, what we have is another bubblegum pop that the likes of Pink could've dished out. It may not be what Clarkson wants for her career but it wouldn't hurt to be propelled back to the top of the charts.

I TOLD YOU SO
Carrie Underwood
Carnival Ride

... would you tell me that you loved me too and would we cry together, or would you simply laugh at me and say - I told you so...

Take it from fellow Idol alumna Carrie Underwood who is already on her fifth successful single off Carnival Ride with I Told You So, a cover version of the 1988 number one hit recorded by country star Randy Travis. It is a bittersweet country ballad that once again proves that Underwood is clearly the best at what she does. The surging melody of the song manages Underwood to belt and reach the glory notes smoothly. This flawless rendition is so effective that when she reaches the chorus of the confessional ("would you say 'I told you so'…"), emotions will be swept, memories will be harked, and heart strings will be pulled. It's that haunting. I Told You So, technically speaking, is undoubtedly a stellar song, but it will be a definite radio favorite because it is relatable - everyone who have had a broken heart would emphatize with it.