IT WOULD be easy to question the results of last weekend's Malaysian Idol 2 Grand Finale and ask how and why 23-year-old Daniel Lee Chee Hun won the title of the second Malaysian Idol.
Was it really a popularity contest instead of a singing competition? Do teenage girls, who make up the majority of Daniel's fans, really have that much power during voting? And was Nita, full name Norhanita Hamzah, 25, robbed of the title that she rightly deserved?
The answers to these questions really depend on whether or not you are a Daniel or Nita fan. The majority of people in the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands that night were definitely the latter, and it has to be admitted that a large number of the press and even the judges were secretly supporting Nita as the better singer.
Despite clearly having the technical advantage over Daniel, Nita was the obvious underdog when it came to the number of votes, as she had been nearly eliminated from the competition several times.
Of the initial 11 finalists that started out in July, Daniel was the only one never to be in the bottom three and, it has to be suspected, probably even led the votes most of the time. So really, his win was not that much a surprise.
In addition, his performance on Friday night was nothing short of phenomenal. Heavily criticised by the judges week after week during the theatre and Spectacular stages, Daniel was never the best singer, and admitted he had a weak voice. Many thought that it was his cute, boyish looks that drew in the fans.
But the Universiti Sains Malaysia music undergrad proved his mettle that night with commendable renditions of Rick Price's Heaven Knows and Broery Marantika's Angin Malam.
Although his performance of the Malaysian Idol theme Mimpi was rather shaky, he had clearly improved dramatically from his limp showing just the week before.
Nita's performances of Mimpi, Shirley Bassey's Big Spender and Sheila on 7's Berhenti Berharap were done with her usual diva flair, sealing her reputation as a polished performer with a strong voice.
However, Daniel gave her a good fight for the title, and ended up with the lion's share - 68% - of the votes.
Malaysian Idol judge Roslan Aziz had earlier said: "The question of who is a better singer is a very subjective issue. 'Better' doesn't mean that you have to do a lot of vocal gymnastics like many black soul singers. It's how you connect with the audience."
Chief judge Paul Moss added: "We're here to build people's pop careers more than anything. Most older people won't understand Daniel's appeal. The majority of voters are teenage girls and youth are the lifeblood of the music industry. Teenagers like the new, pop-flavoured kind of music Daniel represents."
When asked what he thought of being considered a bubblegum pop singer, Daniel said: "I'm not sure if people have a particular reason for liking me. If they think I'm a pop singer, it's up to them. For me, I'm just being myself."
He is aware of the responsibilities of having so many young fans. "Parents have said I am a good role model for their kids, since I'm so young myself. So I will try to do my best."
Nita graciously conceded the title to Daniel, but admitted that she maintained dreams of her own to cut an album. "That is, if anyone still wants me," she added cheekily. "I'd like to do a rock album, but with gothic pop influences."
With her own considerable fanbase, perhaps now even more loyal after her loss, she already has a market for her music.
Was it really a popularity contest instead of a singing competition? Do teenage girls, who make up the majority of Daniel's fans, really have that much power during voting? And was Nita, full name Norhanita Hamzah, 25, robbed of the title that she rightly deserved?The answers to these questions really depend on whether or not you are a Daniel or Nita fan. The majority of people in the Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands that night were definitely the latter, and it has to be admitted that a large number of the press and even the judges were secretly supporting Nita as the better singer.
Despite clearly having the technical advantage over Daniel, Nita was the obvious underdog when it came to the number of votes, as she had been nearly eliminated from the competition several times.
Of the initial 11 finalists that started out in July, Daniel was the only one never to be in the bottom three and, it has to be suspected, probably even led the votes most of the time. So really, his win was not that much a surprise.
In addition, his performance on Friday night was nothing short of phenomenal. Heavily criticised by the judges week after week during the theatre and Spectacular stages, Daniel was never the best singer, and admitted he had a weak voice. Many thought that it was his cute, boyish looks that drew in the fans.
But the Universiti Sains Malaysia music undergrad proved his mettle that night with commendable renditions of Rick Price's Heaven Knows and Broery Marantika's Angin Malam.
Although his performance of the Malaysian Idol theme Mimpi was rather shaky, he had clearly improved dramatically from his limp showing just the week before.
Nita's performances of Mimpi, Shirley Bassey's Big Spender and Sheila on 7's Berhenti Berharap were done with her usual diva flair, sealing her reputation as a polished performer with a strong voice.However, Daniel gave her a good fight for the title, and ended up with the lion's share - 68% - of the votes.
Malaysian Idol judge Roslan Aziz had earlier said: "The question of who is a better singer is a very subjective issue. 'Better' doesn't mean that you have to do a lot of vocal gymnastics like many black soul singers. It's how you connect with the audience."
Chief judge Paul Moss added: "We're here to build people's pop careers more than anything. Most older people won't understand Daniel's appeal. The majority of voters are teenage girls and youth are the lifeblood of the music industry. Teenagers like the new, pop-flavoured kind of music Daniel represents."
When asked what he thought of being considered a bubblegum pop singer, Daniel said: "I'm not sure if people have a particular reason for liking me. If they think I'm a pop singer, it's up to them. For me, I'm just being myself."
He is aware of the responsibilities of having so many young fans. "Parents have said I am a good role model for their kids, since I'm so young myself. So I will try to do my best."
Nita graciously conceded the title to Daniel, but admitted that she maintained dreams of her own to cut an album. "That is, if anyone still wants me," she added cheekily. "I'd like to do a rock album, but with gothic pop influences."
With her own considerable fanbase, perhaps now even more loyal after her loss, she already has a market for her music.
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