Josiah Leming Calls "Idol" "Glorified Karaoke," Preps Debut Album

Former American Idol hopeful and newly signed Warner Bros. artist Josiah Leming has lobbed some shots at the show that rejected him but certainly contributed to his record deal. "The fact is, it's glorified karaoke — they pick people with pretty faces and the pretty voices, and they don't let them write their own songs," Leming, who will forever be known by Idol fans as the emo kid who was living in his car, told MTV. "And therefore, it lacks passion, it lacks emotion and it lacks the things that set an artist off from being good to being great. So that's my feeling on it." Leming's own album is written and waiting to be recorded, with producers Nick Launey (who's worked with Gang of Four and Talking Heads) and David Kosten (the man behind Faultline) taking the reigns.

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

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