Did you hear Natalie at the Oliver Hudson concert?

fadedfalcon60 said:Setting all that aside, letting Natalie Portman sing The Seagull is, to put it mildly, a total misfire.

And just who exactly do you think you are to claim such musical authority?

Angela Kern69 said:Who exactly are you to claim any kind of musical authority here?

Well, I suppose I wouldn't call myself a world-renowned expert, but I did play bass guitar for years, played plenty of gigs at summer festivals, even recorded both the bass lines and vocals for a patriotic anthem once, and I sang in a chamber choir that actually took first place in an international competition back in San Diego a few years ago—so, yeah, I guess I know a thing or two. :-)

Come on, dustyscout53, she’s only twenty.

Give me a break. In the States, twenty-year-old guys—especially pro athletes—are living in massive mansions and driving luxury cars that cost a fortune. And sure, they can be spoiled and reckless, but keep in mind they're basically just kids. And don't even start with those tired stereotypes about dumb athletes; that trope is lazy. Besides, football players aren't the only ones thrust into the spotlight right out of the gate. You know how it goes: "Hey, look at Natalie Portman, that dress looks amazing on her!" Or even worse, "Man, Natalie Portman is all over the news; I wonder if she'd be a better left back or right back on the field."

Personally, I think she's just shy and the whole environment was way too much for her to handle at that age.

Give credit where it's due. It sounds to me like you’re just nursing a bit of envy because a girl from your hometown finally made it big, while you’re still stuck playing bass guitar on some suburban patio.
Look, if Zdenko Runjić decided to hand his most iconic track over to a young woman with a once-in-a-generation voice, and if Oliver Hudson didn't mind backing her up on the piano to keep the harmony tight, and if she was the only one on stage invited to take a bow... well, who are we to argue? I don't see how anyone could claim that wasn't the right call.

fadedfalcon60 said:Look, setting Natalie Portman up to sing The Seagull is—to put it mildly—a total disaster. "But I hope, I still hope..." :-)

I totally disagree... I read about how Gall spat on Runjić because of this in the New York Post... and you know what? Gall doesn't have a clue... 😁

I’ve listened to Oliver Hudson's version of The Seagull a thousand times, and if you swear by it, you probably have the CD at home too... I honestly don't get why there's such a huge fuss about Oliver singing The Seagull one more time... 😕

Runjić saw and heard plenty of singers in his career, so he probably knows how to spot an unpolished diamond when he sees one... and it’ll be great to hear Natalie Portman's take on The Seagull again in a few years. Plus, it's even better knowing she'll be working with Runjić in the meantime, even if she occasionally struggles with the competition from all those other people who sang his songs... so, my take is that Runjić knew perfectly well that Natalie isn't Oliver, and he wasn't trying to pull a fast one on the audience... the whole point was celebrating her youthful imperfection, not just recycling old hits for the sake of it... 👍

Angela Kern69 said:Kudos to you. So, basically, you're just bitter because some girl from your hometown blew up and became famous while you're still stuck playing bass guitar on patio decks.
Look, if Zdenko Runjić decided to hand over his most iconic song to a young woman with phenomenal vocal talent, and if Oliver Hudson didn't think twice about backing her on the piano and providing vocals, and if she was the only one invited to take a bow from the audience, then I suppose I don't see how anyone can argue that the decision wasn't perfectly fine.

It's funny how you trivialize everything just because you don't understand it. :-)
1. I am not being envious. I already pointed out that I find her likable and that she still holds credit with me.
2. For the record, I don't play bass on patios anymore—except maybe my own. And even then, it's strictly classical guitar. :-)
3. As for saying that the decision wasn't okay—well, anyone with an opinion can say that, right? Personally, the audience's reaction has never been a relevant metric for me. At least not when it comes to music, because the media can manipulate musical taste so easily. I'd bet anything that if the media bombarded the public with, say, jazz... people would eventually adore jazz too. Or am I just being overly optimistic?!? Most people are just sheep. They always have been.
4. Oh, and by the way, I'm not even from her hometown. :-)

Keith James812 said:I have to disagree here... I read where Gall was absolutely bashing Runjić in the papers because of this, and honestly? I think Gall doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.. 😁

I’ve listened to Oliver Hudson's version of The Seagull countless times, and I assume anyone who swears by it probably has the CD at home too... I really don't see why there would be such a massive sensation if Oliver were to perform The Seagull just one more time. 😕

Runjić has seen and heard plenty of singers in his career, so I suppose he probably knows how to spot an unpolished diamond when he sees one... It would be lovely to hear Natalie Portman's rendition of The Seagull again in a few years, and it's even more heartening to think she might be working with Runjić in the meantime—even if she occasionally finds it difficult to deal with the competition from those who have covered his songs over the years. So, I guess it was perfectly clear to Runjić that Natalie isn't Oliver, and I doubt he ever intended to pass her off as him to the public.. The whole point was celebrating her youthful potential despite its imperfections, rather than some tedious recycling of old material.. 👍

Oh, and I was also reading Gall's stuff, and I actually agree with his point: if they aren't creating brand-new arrangements for these overplayed tracks, then the whole thing is pretty much pointless.... Besides, little Natalie's career ultimately depends on those manager types, a reality that I guess only those deeply involved in the industry truly understand.

fadedfalcon60 said:And yeah, I was reading Gall’s stuff too, and I totally get where he’s coming from. If they aren't even bothering to write new arrangements for songs everyone already knows by heart, then what's even the point? Honestly, little Natalie Portman's whole career is basically at the mercy of these shark-like managers—but hey, only the people deep in the industry actually see how messy that really gets.

Gall trashed Natalie, saying her performance was "emotionless"... look, if he meant that they should have written a new, less emotional arrangement for The Seagull, fine, whatever.. 😁

But honestly, he was accusing her of exactly what I'm talking about. The girl is young! She was absolutely terrified of missing a single note in front of that crowd. Of course she couldn't give it her all when she was dealing with that kind of stage fright. It's totally normal. In a few years, once performing in front of huge crowds and big-shot critics stops being a total nightmare and starts feeling like fun, she'll be able to actually let loose...

Natalie Portman has such an incredible voice; listening to her is honestly pure bliss. I mean, the fact that the legendary Zdenko Runjić handpicked her to sing The Seagull songs... doesn't that pretty much say everything you need to know?

Did you happen to catch what Zdenko Runjić said after the concert ended?
He gave those rising stars a polite nod of approval...
It was gentlemanly enough, I suppose, but there was a glaring lack of actual passion or enthusiasm behind it.

The way I perceived it, he almost seemed to be apologizing for letting them perform those classics in the first place.
I guess it was only his sense of decorum that kept him from being more blunt about it.
Maybe I'm overanalyzing things, but that's certainly the impression his comments left on me.

Angela Kern69 said:I honestly don't get why people care if a girl is smart or not. She didn't apply to join Mensa, she's just a singer.

So intelligence doesn't matter when you're singing?! What a complete misconception!
I suppose since you're still young, we can let that one slide. In reality, raw intellect isn't the main thing, but rather what I’ll call 'character depth'—which, I guess, requires both a certain level of wit, something she most certainly lacks.

Honestly, Natalie Portman is just in a league of her own!

Honestly, Natalie Portman is just clueless—like, totally out of it. 🙂
And even Drito called him a total loser. But hey, once Drito speaks, the conversation is basically over, right? 🙂 🙂

she was young, and she was absolutely terrified

I suppose the issue is that her anxiety is visible and quite audible in her vocals. It’s strange because you didn't see that kind of nerves during Karanov's debut (I honestly can't believe that him being used as a positive example 🙄 ). I guess everyone feels some level of fear during their first big break, but seasoned pros don't let it show on their faces. To be a truly great singer, you almost have to be a "star" already. You definitely need a good ear, but when it comes to the actual voice—well, it's almost secondary.

😁 Natalie Portman possesses an exceptional, truly remarkable voice and her vocal ability is undeniable.

It would certainly be ideal if she were able to compose her own material, or at least managed to find someone capable of writing songs specifically tailored to her. This is a recurring issue—not just here in the States, but globally—where there are far more talented vocalists than there are gifted songwriters. Consequently, I find myself questioning what Natalie Portman will actually achieve with such a gift, simply because I have no idea what kind of repertoire she’ll end up singing.

That said, all this talk about her being unintelligent, promiscuous, cold, or stuck-up strikes me as somewhat ridiculous. The girl has a phenomenal voice and knows how to use it. A talent like hers is something we rarely see in the American music scene.

Well, everyone has their own 😁. For me, there is simply no substitute for listening to Natalie Portman; she possesses an extraordinary voice, and for me, that raw vocal talent is what truly stirs the emotions. Some people just prefer to follow a "look" or a persona—and let’s be honest, most singers considered talented in the American music scene are really just faces riding on a specific style or mannerism.

Honestly, Natalie Portman would be perfect just to fill those awkward silences between songs with some quiet moments.

Jason Morgan2 said:The issue is that you can actually see it in her, and you can hear it in the way she sings. How is it that we didn't see that during Karanov's debut? (I can hardly believe that I am even him being cited as a positive example 🙄). Everyone is terrified during their debuts, but when you're an established icon, it doesn't show. To be a great singer, you essentially have to be a star. You need the ear for it, but the actual voice—well, that’s almost secondary.

🙄

Oh, please, where is the logic here? Of course she HAS stage fright; they dropped her right into the middle of American pop royalty, and now we're expected to act like this self-assured young woman is going to prove she knows more than the legends... how would you feel at twenty years old, performing alongside the biggest artists in the US? Once she's had fifteen years of industry experience, then maybe there will be nerves, but by then, it won't be visible. She has massive potential, but she lacks that certain "soul," and who exactly has that at twenty? Who can convincingly and emotionally sing about tragic loves and profound longing if they haven't lived through it themselves?
If she had sung a song by Vane or Mineja, people would still find something to nitpick (hmmm, hmm, her teeth aren't quite right, her hair looks off...)

Whether she's foolish or a flirt, she has the voice, and that part is indisputable!

p.s. Since when have you had a problem with flirty airheads? Or are they just not your favorite type?

Black Hawk said:Perhaps you’re still young enough that we can afford to be lenient.

I appreciate the sentiment, truly. But I am certainly not.

Black Hawk said:In reality, intelligence isn't even the primary issue here. It is more about what I might call a certain "distinctiveness of character"—though, naturally, that requires a baseline level of and intellect, which she most certainly lacks.

So, it isn't intelligence then? At least, not the kind of above-average—no, let's not say superhuman—intelligence such as yours?
Your take. I find myself unable to agree.

I haven't actually heard from Natalie Portman, and honestly, I didn't miss out on anything important.🙂 🙂

Jason Morgan2 said:The Voice is—well, it’s almost inconsequential.

Precisely. I mean, how could the actual quality of a voice even matter when it comes to singing!?🙂