Dec 21, 2010 10:59 GMT  ·  By
Simon Cowell is convinced he’ll find the next Bob Dylan, Marley with the US version of X Factor
   Simon Cowell is convinced he’ll find the next Bob Dylan, Marley with the US version of X Factor

Simon Cowell is preparing to launch the US version of X Factor, one of the most popular television shows in the UK right now. While the judges on the panel are yet to be announced, Cowell is positive about one thing: the contestants will make history.

In a context in which it has become clear that the appeal of the stars discovered on this type of show is short-lived (in most cases), Cowell is making quite a bold statement, The Hollywood Reporter notes.

Apparently, he’s positive X Factor will outdo even American Idol and discover the new Bob Dylan or Bob Marley, so those saying audiences should prepare for clones of Susan Boyle or Leona Lewis can simply put a sock in it.

“Simon Cowell says X-Factor will discover the new Bob Marley, Bod [sic] Dylan, Thom Yorke, Win Butler, Jack White, Imogen Heap. Just a matter of time,” songwriter Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, tweeted just recently.

While there’s no denying that Cowell has all his fingers in the music industry pie like few others before him, the assumption that he’s about to discover such an artist on one of these shows is a bit of a stretch, THR argues.

A simple look at American Idol history should be more than enough to confirm that, most often than not, it’s not artists who are different who are named winners, even if they end up outselling the actually winner.

The best examples in this case are Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry, who went to have very successful careers outside AI even if they only came out second and fourth, respectively.

This means that, if anything, it’s a standard set of feats that’s appreciated in the winner of such a show and not how different he or she is from other mainstream artists.

“Because each winner is positioned to appeal to the broadest audience possible, much like the show that launched their budding careers, the voters rarely award the candidate that’s ‘different’ with the ultimate prize. To the contrary, they often rally against it,” THR says.

“And lest we forget, it’s all about having the full package – preferably in the pop vein – as Cowell reminded us on Idol countless times, and certainly the likes of Marley and Dylan don’t fit the bill,” the e-zine further argues.

So, either Cowell has a secret ace up his sleeve and he plans to change the X Factor format for the US show, or, simply put, he’s exaggerating.