The reality singing competition American Idol has brought many talented singers onto the stage and into hearts of millions of viewers. Previous notable winners range from Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood to Kris Allen and Scotty McCreery who have gone on to make a career out of singing.
In my opinion, there were many good singers last season that were let go before the finale was even reached. Though I was thoroughly impressed by the winner, Phillip Phillips, I was more intrigued by the mysterious pop/rock singer Colton Dixon. With his flashy style and strong rocker voice, he was definitely a fan favorite. While on the show he performed several famous songs, such as “Everything” by Lifehouse and “September” by Earth, Wind & and Fire. Dixon continued to give one amazing performance after another until he was eliminated from the top seven on April 19th, 2012.
Though he didn’t make it to the finale, Dixon hasn’t let it stunt his singing career. After his Idol days were over, he was quickly signed to EMI-CMG/Sparrow Records and started working on his debut album, The Messenger, which was released on Jan. 29. This album portrays Dixon’s strong Christian values as well as his belief in individuality. When released, two of his debut songs, “Never Gone” and “You Are”, shot up to the No. 1 slot on the iTunes Christian & Gospel singles chart. These songs portray Dixon’s devotion and love for God as well as his inspirational message of hope. Others that stood out on this album were “Rise” and “Love Has Come for Me”, which showcase Dixon’s impeccable vocal range and the huge heart that made him stand out in the American Idol competition. If you are as big of a Dixon fan as I am, and choose to buy the entire album, you’ll also get the bonus track “Wake Up”. This song was another one of my top picks; it is lyrically uplifting and talks about how to see the light through tough situations. Dixon says, “You’re stuck inside the same dream/ waiting on the sun to rise/ but deep inside your heart screams, for more/ Wake up!/ The story begins when we open our eyes/ chains will be broken and the dead will rise.”
It’s hard to believe after all this success that Dixon almost didn’t even audition for season 11 of American Idol. Dixon and his younger sister Schyler auditioned during the 10th season, but didn’t make it to the Top 24. The only reason he attended the auditions in the 11th season was to support his sister who was back to try again. However, when the judges found out he was there, they encouraged him to sing and sent both him and his sister on to the next round. After his time on Idol, this 20-year-old dreamer is excited to share lessons that he has learned in his life with other people through his new music.
“Calling the album A Messenger was a good way for me to put things in perspective in terms of my personal faith … to make sure people realize, that while I am sharing honest emotions and experiences based on this, I’m just playing the role of messenger and putting God first,” Dixon said in an interview with newreleasetuesday.com. “I wanted to share different experiences that I’ve gone through, the lows and the high. I wanted to shed some hope on people no matter what they’re going through. ”
By Brittany Cornelison