britain's got talent

Susan Boyle falters, clutches stomach, and sings on

After exposing so much reality, who could be surprised that she began with a false note?

Susan Boyle, the singer who entered the world's consciousness and was given a very large apartment there, all because of YouTube, stepped onstage for her second performance in "Britain's Got Talent" to expectations that exceeded anything she could possibly deliver.

Her hair was darker (though still pleasantly wild), her eyebrows still brooding, and her dress a little more expensive.

Her voice, though, faltered under the lights of a billion eyeballs.

The first notes of "Memory" from the musical &… Read more

Susan Boyle won't have longevity, says judge

Is YouTube fame instant, but hellishly short?

Or can the remarkable talent of Susan Boyle transcend the quick fix provided by the Web?

As far as "Britain's Got Talent" judge Amanda Holden is concerned, the Boyle phenomenon will not enjoy the time-travel of, say, Boyle's Law.

On the eve of Boyle's semifinal performance on Sunday, Holden told the News of the World: "She'll be an instant international superstar--but I don't think she'll have longevity."

Saying that she was unsure whether Boyle would even perform well in the semifinals, Holden added: &… Read more

Live-streaming Susan Boyle

Update at 6:30 p.m. PDT: Details on the semifinals have been added.

Fans of Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle have been counting down the days to the semifinals of "Britain's Got Talent."

Of course, most of us (yes, I am one of her fans, big time) don't normally try to watch British TV live. After spending a bit of time scouring the Net to figure out how to watch her performance in the semifinals, I found one of her fan sites that pointed to a Justin.tv channel's stream.

On Saturday's show, … Read more

Is YouTube fame ruining Susan Boyle?

There are not many stars who have had the good fortune to have their toenails inspected by the media. Yet such an honor was bestowed this week on Susan Boyle.

Yes, she came to the door of her house in her dressing gown and the media had her at hello. With one lens focused on her outgrowing toenails, a story was born.

Yet this was merely the latest in a veritable joyride of coverage that might, perhaps, make Ms. Boyle wish that YouTube had taken its YouBiquity and shoved it.

Cybersquatters have leaped on her digital back in an attempt … Read more

Tragedy! Susan Boyle clip not making anyone money

You wept for Susan Boyle.

Now prepare your finest large-mouthed, water-loving reptile tears for those who have so far failed to make money out of her astoundingly popular YouTube video.

It seems that British channel ITV, which is graced by "Britain's Got Talent," failed to reach agreement with YouTube over advertising. So the clip of the sublime Ms. Boyle continues to run with no advertising gracing its hem.

It is touching that while Susan Boyle tries to hang on to her authentic humanity, these two commercial entities are tightening their jaws like large men in a night … Read more

Susan Boyle's biggest rival (age 12) now on YouTube

If the Web didn't exist, Susan Boyle would be, at best, a local hero. At least for a substantial amount of time.

However, the Web's insane insatiability, coupled with that of Simon Cowell, means that no sooner has she reached the quite strange figure of 100 million online views (and growing with every minute the world turns) than "Britain's Got Talent" attempts to inject a rival.

So, in the interests of social science, may I present 12-year-old Welsh boy Shaheen Jafargholi? He and his single mom graced the show's auditions last Saturday. (Well, in … Read more

Susan Boyle bigger online than Bush, Obama, Fey

I know there will be very many among you who, inspired and never satiated by the YouTube video of Susan Boyle, wonder whether this is the most popular viral video of all time.

It is my duty to bring you an answer (as well as a Boyle interview with Scottish television that has already enjoyed more than 1 million views).

Visible Measures, a company that clutches the pulse of the online audience and refuses to let go, has identified more than 200 unique videos of Boyle's performance. According to Visible Measures, the combined figures seem to have exceeded the … Read more

New Susan Boyle recording appears on YouTube

It is hard, after the millions of YouTube views and hundreds of thousands of Technically Incorrect hits accorded to the story of Susan Boyle, not to add a snippet or two as the days take us, her, and the world into the muddied waters of fame and fantasy.

So here is the latest little Susan tweet for the weekend.

The Scottish newspaper the Daily Record has unearthed a recording from 1999 of Ms. Boyle singing the Ella Fitzgerald classic "Cry Me a River."

Only 1,000 copies of this recording were ever made.

As you may be able … Read more

YouTube phenom Susan Boyle talks (in few words)

If Susan Boyle is overwhelmed, she isn't exactly showing it.

On Thursday morning, the YouTube singing phenomenon (11 million hits and counting) appeared on CBS' "The Early Show," standing in her living room in her best pearls.

In the face of morning show questions, she gave honest and comfortingly short answers. Scots don't gush. Some Scots barely speak at all. (Try watching the original series of the Scottish detective saga, "Taggart.")

How does she feel about stardom? "It hasn't really sunk in yet." How did she deal with the laughter when … Read more

The frumpy virgin who's slaying them on YouTube

She has the eyebrows of a Roman Emperor. She has the square shoulders of one of his centurions. And she walks like a bouncer who had one too many years in the NFL.

When Susan Boyle stepped onto the stage of "Britain's Got Talent" this past weekend, the audience laughed and the judges could barely stop their cheeks from bulging through a guffaw.

Here was a self-confessed, never-been-kissed, unemployed 47-year-old Scotswoman who, when she saw herself on television, said she was mortified that she "looked like a garage."

She told the judges she wanted to … Read more