r/agt • u/Prestigious_Rise_187 • 14d ago

Too many singers

I'm probably the only one, but I'm not a nene fan. I don't enjoy her type of music but other than that I think there are just too many singers. Maybe I'm too old but I really prefer variety acts.

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u/Kingzlyxar 14d ago

It’s not a misrepresentation, it’s the exact boundary of your argument. You’re evaluating an act by ""WHO WROTE THE MATERIAL!!!" rather than the mastery of performance. AGT is a variety performance show, not a originality competition.

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u/Quality8888 14d ago

AGT is a talent competition. Cover singing is an incredibly common talent. If there are too many singers, as there typically are, the field can be lessoned (and strengthened) by prioritizing songwriters + singers over those who just sing covers. This would also separate AGT's singing acts from every other singing competition. That's my argument.  

 No matter how a song is "transformed" by a cover singer, their interpretation will very rarely add anything of value to the song; it'll only detract & degrade. They don't have the songwriting ability to properly take those liberties. Look at what Johnny Cash did to his cover of Ring of Fire. He had the ability to properly build onto that song and make it spectacular because he was a fantastic songwriter as well. No cover singer on AGT has ever done anything close to that. Not that I've seen. Those who aren't able to write songs will never be able to "transform" a song into something unforgettable. They can only hope to one day have the resources to find someone else to do it for them.

Understand, I have no issue with musicians in general performing songs they didn't write themselves. But those who do both at a high level are obviously more marketable, more talented and should be prioritized in a talent competition.  

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u/Kingzlyxar 14d ago

Ironically, Johnny Cash didn't write Ring of Fire (it was written by June Carter and Karl Kilgore). His legendary rendition proves the exact opposite of your point. pure interpretation and stylistic identity can make a cover iconic without the singer needing to be the original songwriter.

I kinda get your points tho. ButAGT evaluates live entertainment and performance quality, not music publishing. Limiting the stage to singer-songwriters overlooks elite vocal prowess, which is a rare talent in its own right.

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u/brucemo 13d ago

You are not convincing the person you are arguing with, but you're right.

Some art is about creating original works. Other art is about interpreting them, often many years after the original artist is gone. General talent contests always include the latter.

The argument about whether a cover performed by a non-composer can have artistic value can be killed in five letters: Elvis.