| re: Rhydian Interview | |
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Posted by: |
Vin 09:06 pm UTC 02/29/08 |
| In reply to: | Rhydian Interview - daveake 05:22 pm UTC 02/29/08 |
| " Jim 'Meat Loaf' Steinman " ???? Oh, how Jim must love that. > Recent interview; nothing new but Jim does get a mention: > > Rhydian: The loser wins > Simon Donohue > 31/ 1/2008 > > MANY viewers who watched the live X Factor final would > have happily taken a can of paint to the wall of Simon > Cowell's mansion and scrawled "Rhydian Roberts Wuz Robbed" > with a broad bristle brush. > > He had the lungs and the platinum blond locks - but was > beaten into second place by an unremarkable Scottish > cry-baby called Leon Jackson. > > But Rhydian's career has picked up somewhat in the few > short weeks since mass (mainly Scottish) affection for > Leon switched to a vague sense of indifference. > > And that's largely because Cowell was on the phone only a > few days before Leon's single became the Christmas No1 to > tell the Welsh wonder that he should be celebrating: he > could have a £1m recording contract from Sony after all. > > Suddenly, Rhydian doesn't see a great deal of shame in > taking the second bill slot on The X Factor live tour, > which has two dates at the Manchester Evening News Arena. > > "Was I robbed?" he laughs, when I take him back to that > cruel December night in The X Factor studio. "I don't > think so. Leon won fair and square. He beat me. That's the > end of that. That's not being robbed, that's coming > second. I just have to deal with that." > > But then Rhydian no doubt finds it easier to cope with the > disappointment knowing that his own debut album will be > out sometime soon. > > His people have already spoken to Jim "Meat Loaf" > Steinman's people about penning original material, a duet > has been booked with Mariah Carey and there is talk of > options to star on stage in either Phantom Of The Opera or > Bat Out Of Hell, the musical. > > On second thoughts, was it actually the text voters who > wanted to make Leon Jackson their star `who wuz robbed'? > > "It's a difficult one," Rhydian admits. "I can see where > you're coming from. But, on a personal level, if Leon had > come second and I was signed and he wasn't, I'd be dead > disappointed. > > "I never expected to get signed, then Simon rang two days > after the show. He was very complimentary, and he said: > `You can have a great Christmas because I want to sign > you'. Obviously for a singer, that's a dream come true. > That's the reason I applied to The X Factor. > > Fitted the mould > > "As for the credibility of The X Factor, I'm not sure. > Leon fitted the mould. I didn't. I didn't have a sob > story. I just did my thing. > > "People might think it's a money-making ploy for Sony. And > while I don't want to sound arrogant, perhaps a lot of the > public do believe that I was robbed. The people I met > said, 'I'd love you to have an album out', and I think > Sony and Simon had the same view." > > Rhydian, 24, might not have had a sob story, but his path > towards The X Factor finals wasn't exactly plain sailing, > either. > > He turned his ambitions to singing having been injured > while training for his first love, rugby, and still has > the toned body to prove just how much he had dreamed of > playing for Wales. > > Proof, if you needed it, was splashed across a magazine > which showed him, muscles and all, on holiday in Mexico. > > And if a good body and pleasant demeanour aren't enough, > he really can sing. > > Even so, Rhydian says he kept the more confident, > flamboyant side of his character hidden during the early > stages of The X Factor competition because he didn't want > to be dismissed as some precocious and ridiculous > performer if things went wrong. > > And he admits to having been genuinely concerned about > being painted as the pantomime villain of the piece. > > "That was hard to swallow," the former student confesses, > "because they really were taking the p***. > > "I didn't have a story, they had to make me interesting, > so they had two of the judges hate me. Was that a > construct? Well, I'll leave that up to you. But what I > would say is that Sharon and I get on really well off > camera. > > Favour > > "It kind-of worked in my favour, being cast as the > pantomime villain. People love to hate people and it kept > me in the show. > > "I had a word with Simon and I said, 'I don't think this > is going very well for me, because I'm looking at the > audition tapes and people hate me'. > > "He said, 'Don't worry, people hated me... initially'. I > was adamant that I wanted to change that perception > because I hate arrogant people." > > The bold hairstyles and outlandish costumes were his idea, > he insists. > > "It was my decision. The person who coloured my hair was > Nicky Clarke and I thought, `If I'm having this luxury at > their expense, then why not try out a few things'. I don't > want to be mainstream and boring." And that's something he > could never be accused of. > > Rhydian's next goal is to ensure that the people who do > love him do so for a long time. Set to move to London, > he's already enjoying the trappings of fame and hopes his > debut album will help to establish him. > > Rhydian says: "It won't be an operatic album. It will be a > cross-over album, with some covers and some original > material. But first, there's the live show in Manchester, > which will be just like the TV show, only without the > judging panel. I'll be singing You Raise Me Up, Somewhere > and Get The Party Started." > > And Rhydian, we'll feel as though "We Wuz Robbed" if you > don't! | |
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