Stay in Your Own Lane

That's something that the judges on AI say alot!

"Be who you are." "Showcase your strengths." "Don't try to be someone you're not."

I guess that works for a lot of the contestants - maybe even most of the contestants. Kelly's talent would be wasted singing lullabyes. Carrie would be ridiculous doing rap. I can't see David Cook doing country.

Maybe, though, just maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the judges are wrong to say that to the contestants. At least they were wrong once. Way back in Season 2 they wanted Clay to stay in his lane. They loved the ballads he did, but didn't give any thought to the fact that maybe he could do more.

Thank goodness for post AI! We now know that Clay can sing anything! We've seen him do rap, we've seen him do disco, we've seen him do country and bluegrass and Broadway! Sure, we're fans and we've said we would pay to hear him sing the phonebook. The truth is, though, that anyone with an appreciative ear can discover that Clay can sing anything.

What we, as fans, always hope for is a larger audience who can learn what we know. My own hope is that, as Clay moves forward in his career, he will not be contolled any longer by a label who wants him to stay in his lane. Whether he signs with 143, a different label or self produces I just want him to be able to sing all kinds of music so that more people will learn what we know.

Just sing, Clay! Sing whatever feels right for you. You don't have a lane anymore.