By Kevin C. Johnson

POST-DISPATCH POP MUSIC CRITIC

01/20/2008

"American Idol" is hitting a few sour notes these days, from the now all-too-familiar audition shows to stale memories of contestant Sanjaya Malakar, man of many hairstyles.

Astronomical ratings for the singing competition have taken a hit: "Idol" began its seventh season last week with 33 million viewers — 4 million fewer than last season, according to Nielsen's preliminary numbers.

And there's another problem: Past champs aren't having an "Idol"-like presence in record stores. Few have had the instant success of the first idol, Kelly Clarkson, whose career has been a template for "American Idol" winners to follow, although country star Carrie Underwood, America's darling in Season 4, has come close.

Chris Daughtry, a runner-up, is now a budding rock prince with last year's best-selling CD, "Daughtry."

Some also-rans have done well. Clay Aiken overshadowed winner Ruben Studdard, and Jennifer Hudson won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her singing role in the movie "Dreamgirls."

Girl-next-door Katherine McPhee, a Season 5 frontrunner nudged out by Hicks, also has been dropped by Sony BMG after her debut CD failed to stir up enough sales. And velvet-voiced Studdard, Season 2's winner, is out at Sony BMG after a pair of R&B CDs and a gospel disc.

Clearly, "Idol" viewers aren't always getting it right, voting for winners who may be the most popular but whose talent, minus the hype of the show, can't sustain them at a record label.

The magic formula for stardom and staying power is complex, says Nikko Smith, an "American Idol" finalist, St. Louisan and son of Cardinals great Ozzie Smith.

Everything from choice of material to image is affecting past idols, said Smith, who said he likes Hicks but never saw him as an "American Idol" winner.

"Kids couldn't relate to him," Smith said, and kids are the primary market for "Idol" CDs. "He came out with an old-school feel that went over the kids' heads."

Studdard was positioned as a Luther Vandross-like crooner on the show, but the material on his hip-hop friendly CD wasn't good enough, Smith said. And McPhee's identity was never clear, he said.

Bradley Jacobs, senior editor at US Weekly who covers "American Idol," agrees with Smith that McPhee had image issues. McPhee, who sang "Over the Rainbow" on the show, was presented as wholesome but then was positioned as a "glamazon" on her CD cover.

"Overall, that didn't work," Jacobs said, lamenting the fact the singers, as talented as they are, tend to be too young to know what to do with their careers.

Reps at Sony BMG say "Idol" hasn't lost its luster but agree that it was difficult breaking McPhee through to the mainstream. Studdard is now free to make whatever music he wants to make, the label said, and they'll give Hicks another look when he has finished making his next CD.

The "Idol" winners simply have to sell well to continue their deals.

"Business is business," Jacobs said. "And no matter how big the person is on the show, you only get one shot. It's kind of like the opening weekend of a movie. If it doesn't resonate, they'll blow it off and look forward to next Friday's movie."

Sandra Deane, editor of AOL Television, says Sparks, 17, who actually has a rising hit single in "Tattoo," also could find herself without a record deal.

"It's possible she doesn't have quite a big future right now," Deane said. "But she's green and has time to grow."

"Idol" judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson also bear some blame for putting certain contestants through in the first place. Cowell, speaking with journalists recently about the new season, admitted that some singers have advanced who shouldn't have. But that's just nature of a show based on live auditions; judges have to make snap decisions on who's going to the next round.

Cowell said he isn't surprised by the fate of Hicks and other idols.

"I've always gone on record as saying I genuinely didn't think (Hicks) was the best singer that year," Cowell said. "I thought he was the most popular person but didn't think he was the best singer. We've said from Day One, 'American Idol' is a reality show and, being a reality show, we reflect the reality of the record business — which is that it's unpredictable."

However, this reality show's choices aren't always rooted in reality. "American Idol" could benefit from studying the Billboard 200: There's no shame in producing knockoffs of a Fergie, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna or other successful artists.

Taking what works and duplicating it has been the model in the music industry for decades. Usher's popularity contributed to bringing on Chris Brown, Omarion, Mario and Ne-Yo. Music fans aren't looking for a quirky character like Hicks to load into their iPods, or a talented and beautiful — but bland — singer like Sparks.

But "Idol" finalist Smith feels differently. This season, he'd like to see a winner offering "something different."

"We had a lot of safe winners," Smith said. "People don't want to see the same old thing."

Deane, of AOL Television, wouldn't mind seeing a successful male winner; the biggest male successes, such as like Aiken and Daughtry, have been runners-up. Like Cowell, Deane draws a distinction between popularity and artistic success.

"I also think the challenge is that people vote for their favorites, but they're not necessarily who they want to buy music from," she said.

"American Idol" producers this season have made some changes, including reducing the number of distracting superstar mentors and allowing finalists to play instruments.

What more could be done? Deane would like to see less time devoted to the extensive coverage of the auditions, more time getting to know legitimate contestants, and better theme weeks — or no theme weeks at all. She also would like to see the winner's CD released much more quickly, while the winner is still fresh in the public's mind.

It also would be interesting if the judges had a vote during the finals. Perhaps each judge could have one vote to go along with the audience vote. That could significantly affect the finals.

The winners also need better material. Some winners have been mired down by the dreck they're forced to record for their first singles. Hicks never recovered from "Do I Make You Proud."

And once a new "Idol" is named in May, he or she should stay away from the self-titled CD. At this point in her career, if Alicia Keys released a CD with nothing but her name on it, the name would speak for itself.

But "Justin Guarini" or "Jasmine Trias"?