Pia Toscano Season 10

[Love_Me]

Pia looked and sounded good to me last night during her performance on DWTS.

[Babbred]

Exactly.

The greatest stage performing vocalists of our time are those who have a commanding presence when onstage, i.e., those who connect with their audience, emitting passion and feeling during a performance. These are the performers whom, when performing allow the lyrics to tell a story and while doing so, evoke emotion in those listening to them. Such performers don't care how "ugly" they look when enunciating the words and delivering the notes, because the lyrics are conveyed through emotion. In other words, in the moment such performances are given, the performer lives those words.

This is what Pia lacks. The ability to convey true emotion in a song. There is a vast difference between true emotion and rehearsed emotion. She comes across too rehearsed. Almost as though she practiced when and where to insert runs and riffs. And this is what irks me to the core about todays music. Songs so riddled with vocal gymnastics and over-singing, that at the end of the day it becomes about impressing everyone, and not about connecting with your audience.

Should every song be a sweat-inducing, rip-roaring, heart-rendering performance? Certainly not. But when a song calls for such emotion, the singer had better do it justice and deliver the goods. I simply don't see Pia having the ability to do this.

Sadly, the only emotion she evokes in me is boredom.

Sometimes remaining still can be powerful. Adam Lambert did this effectively with "Tears of a Clown" and especially "Mad World." However, the reason people were drawn to him while he was still was because he had previously commanded the entire stage and put great passion into his performances. By slowing down, the audience was eager to hear how he would use that passion without moving. Concentrating that passion in one spot forced you to pay attention to it.

Pia simply had none of that talent. She stood still. Period. Before her final performance, there was no passion and no indication that she knew what the rest of the stage was for. You're spot on, Bee, about boredom. She put me to sleep, too. Tammi put it best: Pia seemed like a student who could only imitate somebody else, not give truly original, memorable performances.

BTW, loved the lines about "chewing gum/walking" and "crowd went mild." I'm going to remember those!

[Debb70]

I agree Babbred.

[Babbred]

I suspect that the anti-Pia sentiments are not really directed at her, but are actually frustration with the media talk show hosts, journalist, judges, who misinterrupted the fact she was voted off. It's distubing for the media to be reporting it was a fluke or miscarriage of justice, when in reality it was her lack of connection with the songs and the audience. I would like for them to get it straight on that and stop shoving her down the public's throat when she needs to get some help on her connection issues.

I don't fault her, except that she needs someone to be honest with her and heed their direction. I think she is VERY talented. I don't consider her voice the problem.

Thank you! I am so tired of being accused of this. I have nothing against this young woman personally; I simply resent all the "media talk show hosts, journalist, judges" who are treating her like the Second Coming of Celine. Pia has a lovely voice, but she is NOT in the same league as the latter. In fact, I feel sorry for Pia. Like Bee, I believe Pia is headed for a major fall. All the fawning of JLo and Jimmy Iovine won't translate into money if the public doesn't buy it.

As for her relationship with Mark Ballas, I read in another blog that he once had a relationship with some prior AI contestant who was disqualified during Hollywood week. Something about how she had had a contract with a label associated with the producers of AI. Anyway, the whole thing makes me smell a rat. Maybe Pia is innocent, but if so, I feel sorrier for her than ever.

[Debb70]

To bad Pia didn't wait and audition for The X FACtor. Perhaps Simon could have been honest with her and really blunt about what she needs. I'm not sure how that show will work, but I think she is talented enough for it. Not sure she has that X factor though.

[Love_Me]

Love her or hate her Pia is still being talked about. Which means she isn't going to disappear anytime soon.

[bee stung lips]

Love her or hate her Pia is still being talked about. Which means she isn't going to disappear anytime soon.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Usually it's the ones everyone [media] is buzzing about that fizzle out the quickest. Once the media makes someone else "America's sweetheart", Pia will be long forgotten. Superficial fame can be very fleeting.

[PA Snow Bunny]

Love her or hate her Pia is still being talked about. Which means she isn't going to disappear anytime soon.

Pia's charm will start getting oldjust like that Chinese take-out you've had in the back of your refrigerator for the past month.

[Shoepie]

I wouldn't be so sure of that. Usually it's the ones everyone [media] is buzzing about that fizzle out the quickest. Once the media makes someone else "America's sweetheart", Pia will be long forgotten. Superficial fame can be very fleeting.

I agree. It used to be said that it didn't matter what they were saying, as long as people were talking about you. Something like that. Those days are long gone. The media is very different now.

What the media pushes at us in not necessarily what we want. It is their choice and they don't make stars, we do. Who cares about the royal wedding? We are not begging to hear about it everyday for months. No one wants to hear about Pia either. It is the media's choice and does not mean we care or are interested.

[everly2]

To bad Pia didn't wait and audition for The X FACtor. Perhaps Simon could have been honest with her and really blunt about what she needs. I'm not sure how that show will work, but I think she is talented enough for it. Not sure she has that X factor though.

Perhaps she does need another place to go, but the XFactor with Simon and Paula wouldn't be the place, I don't think. Pia was let go from AI 5 or 6 times previously when Simon and Paula were judges...

I feel sorry for her. She still acts like a one-track minded person who doesn't seem to "get it". Her appearance on DWTS looked very cold, absent of any real emotion in my opinion.