Maddie Poppe, the winner of the first season of the revived version of American Idol, exhibits potential on the studio version of winning original single, “Going Going Gone.”  

American Idol was revived in 2018, returning host Ryan Seacrest but bringing in three new judges: Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie.  For a while, the return of the vocal competition back was sort of nostalgic.  After a while, however, it was sort of a drag, particularly some of the exits, ugh. Nonetheless, staying the excruciating course, I found myself again in a familiar spot – disappointment with the end result.  Whatever, didn’t take long to get over it. In the same token, even if the likable, talented Maddie Poppe wasn’t my pick to win, you couldn’t help being happy she received the opportunity to potentially build a career.  The question is, is single “Going Going Gone” a strong start?

The problem some American Idol participants and winners have is transcending the show.  This has been a huge problem in the later seasons, when artist developed truly wasn’t the priority. Because Idol serves as a springboard to the respective artist’s career, it can have adverse effects.  Personally, I remember Maddie having a lovely voice and classy performances, but wasn’t necessarily ‘wowed’ by her ability to be an exciting artist potentially.  Undoubtedly, she had the best performance of her new single on the painful finale, which is notably co-written by Julia Roberts.

The studio version of “Going Going Gone” is much stronger than the live performance – no surprise.  Here, fans and non-fans alike can hear the potential of Poppe. Beyond the bright, clearer, nuanced vocals of Poppe, the song itself flows better.  As far as the production, the claps, the panned drums, acoustic guitars, and touches of piano are all winning touches.  The chorus definitely the crowning achievement.  This is a folk-pop single that has some parallels to previous winner Phillip Phillips’ “Home”.

Final Thoughts 

So, how does “Going Going Gone” stack up with so many more pros compared to the live version? Um, it’s respectable and definitely puts Maddie Poppe in a better light.  Is it a hit? The jury’s still out…who’s been talking about American Idol, Poppe, or this single? Very few folks.   Personally, I don’t think this is a hit, but Poppe has something to build on for sure.

Maddie Poppe • Going Going Gone – Single • Hollywood / 19 • Release: 5.18.18

Photo Credits: Hollywood / 19