:: James Kannis - Love 2 Love

James Kannis

I bet you’re thinking, ‘the name's familiar but I just can’t picture a face’. Well cast your mind back to 2005, in particular Australian Idol 2005. By now the penny has either dropped or you’re commenting on the fact that you don’t watch Australian Idol. Either way you’ve brought up the major hurdle this artist needs to overcome in his road to success. James, a top 12 finalist on the show and one of the more popular faces, has just released his debut single ‘Love 2 Love’. His image and sound have been refined, but he faces a major obstacle in his past. Aussie Idol provides the finalists with a great deal of exposure, but it’s most definitely a double edged sword. On the one hand everybody knows your name, but on the other you are just a character that got killed off last season. Add to that the reality that only a handful of contestants have gone onto high profile careers, and you begin to understand that re-launching yourself as an artist must be a scary thing to do. Putting aside his Aussie Idol roots, I have to say the single is actually very catchy, possessing an infectious flamenco guitar intro and a smooth R’nB dance beat. Kannis’ vocals are suited perfectly, and in terms of a debut release it’s hard to fault. Exceptional production values at to its appeal, having been mastered in New York by Tom Coyne who has worked with the likes of Destiny’s Child, Pink and Jamiroquai. Whether Kannis can be free of the Idol stigma only time will tell, but he deserves top marks for his latest effort.