Crystal Bowersox Sets Bar For American Idol, Gives Indie Artists Good Name

American Idol is a big hit for both those with a musical ear and for those who wish they had the talent to compete. However, it’s safe to say that based on the winners in the past and the contestants who take a leap of faith in the competition are most likely willing to accept the show’s mainstream path.

Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Jordin Sparks have all used the platform to launch themselves onto the air waves. However, a couple of promising indie artists have also jumped on the wagon via American Idol this season and they’re out to prove that staying true to who they are as artists may just place them ahead of the curve.

Crystal Bowersox, the 24-year-old singer who is also a mom, doesn’t look like your average American Idol contestant. Sure, they have been the faux-punkers and the alternative rockers but Daughtry and David Cook don’t go too far on our taste meter in the indie scene.There is a unique calmness to Bowersox’s demeanor and the more grounded an artist is, the more we like them.

Bowersox was hospitalized for diabetes related illness just before the Top 10 girls were supposed to perform on Tuesday night. Her hospitalization prompted the program to switch the performances around so that the girls would sing on Wednesday night instead. Yet, even with the swap, and minutes before the show went live for the East coast, the behind the scenes crew still weren’t sure if Bowersox would be healthy enough to perform. However, with an ultimatum from the judges stating that if she didn’t perform she would be disqualified, Bowersox hopped on stage without her crutches and delivered a performance that opened up the show with success. Her soulful rendition of Creedence Cleawater Revival’s “As Long As I Can See The Light” took her so far that both Randy and Simon even called her out as a possible winner for the season.

The previous week, Bowersox performed Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket” which can be considered a mainstream song but with her sultriness and her guitar strumming, she proved she didn’t have to play the giggling pretty girl part to win votes. She, along with fellow contestant, Lilly Scott, have been one of the more original artists to do well on the show without giving in to the peer pressure of conformity. They are both artists who seem to embody the musicality most indie bands do today with a wealth of instrumental knowledge (playing everything from the guitar to the melodica) and own a sense of personality.

A main problem with American Idol judges, specifically Randy and Kara, is that they have become more concerned about what type of song a contestant should be singing based on their look or sound. Many contestants have gotten criticized for choosing a song that seemed “too old” for them or because it wasn’t current enough. Within the last two seasons, the judges have increasingly been offering their suggestions that imply which genre or what kind of artists should become. This, unfortunately, puts marketing ahead of talent and it’s a shame when the show originally started out as a national showcase for undiscovered talent.

Both Bowersox and Scott have put indie artists in a warm, enjoyable spotlight. Although, most indie artists don’t dare step foot into a corporation as big as American Idol, their talent and confidence have wowed both the judges and television audiences so far, proving that they don’t have to prepare themselves for an industry cookie cutter.

Here’s hoping one of our indie gals wins the competition and implements a positive change in the music industry today!

What do you think of American Idol contestants such as Crystal Bowersox and Lilly Scott?