Susan Boyle has qualified for the finals of “Britain’s Got Talent.”
What is special about her? After all there are plenty of dowdy middle-aged women with good voices who do well in the first rounds of a competition but never qualify for the final.
Why has Susan Boyle’s video been downloaded 58 million times? Why has she appeared on Oprah?
1. The contrast between the audience’s expectation that she had no talent and her amazingly talented singing told a dramatic and compelling story.
It is part of myth and fairy tale. The ugly ducking who turns into a swan, the “stupid” son who turns out to be powerful as well as good, the sister who suffers at the hands of others and ends up with a happy life and a handsome prince. Rags to riches, incompetence to competence, despair to hope, dreams to reality … these are the stories that speak to our soul.
Before she sang Susan looked dowdy, was obviously considered untalented, and her confidence was judged by the audience as mis-placed arrogance. Once she had sung a few notes the audience and judges could dare to believe in a fairy tale.
2. She has musical skill and her voice has a warm emotional quality which adds to her technical skill. She connect with people musically and emotionally.
3. She had confidence even before she sang a note. Simon Cowell asked her why she hadn’t made it before and she answered very matter of factly that she hadn’t had the opportunity before. She had the confidence to stand her ground.
When Simon said afterwards that she was a “tiger” .. she barely responded to the comment and gave it no space at all. A less confident person might have wanted that attention (and agreed or felt complimented) or rejected what he said and felt patronised. She did neither.
4. She has clarity and a sense of purpose. Her goal was to be as well-known as Elaine Paige. Her songs from “Les Miserables” have been sung by Elaine Paige, and the songs are full of passion and heartache which suits her voice. There is clarity about who she is, who she would be benchmarked against, and the niche she has chosen.
5. She has been disarmingly honest and vulnerable. She said she has not been kissed. Rather than feeling sorry for herself, she added with enormous glee that she wasn’t advertising.
6. The makeup is more pronunced, but she has had a tidy-up not a makeover. The second dress was a more approriate colour and had a more flattering neckline, but it was still a traditional dress. We know where we are with her, and we recognise her.
7. She is courageous and exciting to watch. She could have been overawed by Piers Morgan thanking her from the whole world for being good news among the bad.
What did she do instead? Gave some exuberant shimmy-wiggles for “Piers-y baby!”
Who knows what she will do on the night of the finals?
What ever it is we will be on the edge of our seats and laughing with her not at her.
Susan Boyle’s talents would bring a spark to any small business so they become a winner.
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