Yes, A Guy Named Colby Swift Sang Cody Jinks on ‘American Idol’
You may not know whether to laugh or cry, cheer or jeer, but Cody Jinks was just exposed to a huge national and international audience, though he wasn’t there in person to soak it up. Instead the exposure happened on Sunday night’s (3-17) episode of American Idol via a contestant by the name of Colby Swift from Midfield, TX—a tiny agricultural town south of Houston near the coastline. Swift covered one of Cody’s signature songs, “Cast No Stones” as he tried out for a ticket to Hollywood in the preliminary round of the singing show.
Colby Swift was one of the hopefuls where American Idol puts together a prepackaged heartstring-tugging video for them ahead of the audition, and in Colby Swift’s case, it was focused around how he was abandoned by his mother at an early age. Colby’s father has always encouraged his son to pursue music as a way to deal with the grief from the abandonment of his mother, and he was able to make it in front of the main panel of judges.
It’s most certainly cool to see “Cast No Stones” being broadcast out to over 7 million viewers. American Idol won the Sunday night ratings war, and has seen a spike in popularity lately after being rebooted by ABC. But Colby Swift’s take on Cody Jinks was pretty rough—a sentiment echoed by the American Idol judges, including Luke Bryan, who we can probably be assured had never heard of Cody Jinks or “Cast No Stones” before, or if he did, didn’t remark on it. But the judges pushed Colby through anyway, saying the kid had promise, which if he’s covering Cody Jinks, at least he has his head on straight about country music.
Where this goes from here we’ll just have to see. But if nothing else it’s another sign of the bubbling up nature of Cody Jinks and true country music. Cody’s received some 8.5 million streams of “Cast No Stones” on Spotify alone, and is one of those artists who’s forged a massive career without the help of mainstream radio or a major label. Jinks debuted at #2 on the Billboard Country Albums charts with his last record Lifers, and has topped Billboard’s Boxscore charts for tour purses on numerous occasions. Cody will be opening some amphitheater shows during Lynyrd Skynyrd’s farewell tour later this year.
March 19, 2019 @ 8:19 am
Some folks are unhappy that Luke Bryan is a judge on American Idol, while I’m just happy with whatever keeps him from singing.
March 19, 2019 @ 10:09 am
I’d been thinking the same thing! Same with Katy Perry, tbh.
March 19, 2019 @ 11:31 am
I thought the exact same thing when Nicki Minaj was a judge. She had to be the most unqualified judge in AI history in terms of singing talent (she’s decent as a rapper but that’s about it).
I think Luke Bryan would be more than halfway decent if he’d focus his energy on singing actual country songs suitable for a man of his age. IMO he’s a gifted singer; he just makes crap music.
March 20, 2019 @ 7:47 am
In the words of Don Tump: Wrong.
He is a terrible singer.
March 22, 2019 @ 10:35 am
He’s not, though.
Don’t get me wrong. I hate Luke Bryan with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, and it’s primarily because he wastes obvious talent on garbage music.
March 19, 2019 @ 8:20 am
That’s CRAZY! A Cody Jinks’ song on a TV contest!!
All we can hope to hear in all Europe is an oversinged version of Cohen’s “halleluja”
March 19, 2019 @ 8:29 am
Somebody did the Band of Heathens “Hurricane” on another one of those shows. It was a pretty good rendition, though not as good as theirs.
March 19, 2019 @ 8:32 am
I watched this the other night. Definitely rough around the edges, but he can carry a tune at least. LB said that he reminded him of himself when he was that age. I believe that to be true. Even if this kid dosen’t get very far, the genie is out of the bottle now. I also heard another kid do some Muscadine Bloodline the other night. That was pretty sweet as well.
March 19, 2019 @ 8:35 am
That’s great but most of the viewers like Gomer Pyle and likely tuned their ears out.
March 19, 2019 @ 10:10 am
Now that’s not fair….Jim Nabors was a great singer.
March 21, 2019 @ 10:02 pm
Cobra…THANK YOU! Jim Nabors’ version of Eddie Fisher’s ‘Oh! My Pa-Pa’ is stellar!!
March 19, 2019 @ 8:52 am
loved this young country singer ….loved his story-telling style …..this is real .
hilarious to hear katy perry and luke bryan tell him he’s ‘unpolished ‘ when they ( and the whole industry ) rely on autotune ,studio tricks, and a band to sound the way they do .
a win for REAL …….
March 19, 2019 @ 11:26 am
Saying Katy Perry uses a band is giving her too much credit. She relies on whatever Max Martin is able to whip up on his laptop. I’ve long thought Martin should be the one who really gets credited as the artist and the singer should get only a “feature” credit – i.e. “Max Martin featuring Taylor Swift.” LOL
March 19, 2019 @ 12:18 pm
that’s a great point , chris …..much like zedd featuring maren morris .
the laptop is king …..lol
March 21, 2019 @ 10:03 pm
Albert, I couldn’t agree more with everything you just wrote! 👍
March 19, 2019 @ 9:00 am
There was someone on the voice that did Cody Jinks during the blinds. Cant recall who though.
March 19, 2019 @ 9:12 am
I’m sure all twelve forty-something soccer-moms who pay attention to this stuff were having a great time.
PPPFFFFFTTTTTT
The middle-aged crowd who soaks this horse-crap up just love showering affection on younger people with average talent because it makes them feel better for not being good at anything themselves and not encouraging their kids to be anything but cashiers and fast-food workers.
Find me someone with a career who pays attention to this stuff
fine me someone with a hobby
Like it or not the demographic for this stuff is self-conscious middle-aged people living out their fantasy of having accomplished something through the kids and teenagers they see on these singing shows
And I have never, ever seen a more awkward, forced smile, painfully uncomfortable looking bunch than that group of talentless hacks they call judges
I wouldn’t trust Luke Bryan to put batteries in a flashlight, much less decide if someone else has talent or skill.
“Cast No Stones” was the song that sold me on Cody Jinks, so that proves the resonance, the power that this song has on people.
But this… hoooo boy this is just… absurd.
March 19, 2019 @ 9:16 am
I for one am happy millions of folks got exposed to an actual country music song. Looking down our noses at those people is unhelpful.
March 19, 2019 @ 10:55 am
But don’t you think that letting “just anyone” call themselves a fan of Country Music is the whole reason we have the current crisis on our hands?
Much like “Nerd Culture” has been co-opted and made mainstream and therefore casualized and made easily accessible, much to the chagrin of the people who actually partook of that sub-culture and who know the most about it, Country Music had been made a victim of too much widespread acceptance from people who have no business running their mouths on the subject.
I don’t think there’s this vast well of Country Music fans who “just don’t know it yet.”
I don’t believe that millions of people will change their minds about it just because they hear George Jones or Cody Jinks or whomever on the radio
And I don’t think that it helps Country Music to try and present it “hey look, this is cool, see? come to our club”
I think what’s good for Country Music is to ignore the outside guys and focus on the people who already like Country Music
March 19, 2019 @ 11:29 am
You don’t need ‘millions of people’ to change their minds. If the performance puts one person on a path to discovering country music, then it’s a win.
March 20, 2019 @ 8:54 am
Such a hipster attitude. ” I am a real fan. Everyone else is faking” Dude get over it. Yes everyone gets to be a country music fan. It’s not reserved for a few.
March 20, 2019 @ 11:03 am
NO
EFF THAT
Country Music isn’t like Mountain Dew Livewire, you can’t just try it on a whim once in a while
It’s not meant for passing fans or people who aren’t steeped in its traditions and capable of respecting it
That’s what POP Music is for
Country Music is a part of a cultural identity, not just something that people can “feel like” today or any other day
Letting just anyone be a fan is why Country Music got appropriated in the first place
Country Music has a heritage, a culture, an identity far different than any other form of music except maybe the golden age of Jazz in the 50s
It’s about more than just what’s current or what’s a hit, it’s a way of doing things, a method, a culture.
people who aren’t steeped in it are the people screwing it up
It’s not like Marvel movies where people who didn’t read the comic books can just go to the movies and say “gosh I love Captain America”
because you don’t.
I grew up on the Wilburn Brothers show, I remember when Porter Wagoner went from black and white to color and then moved his show out to Opryland, I remember Norma Jean, and THEN Dolly, and finally Linda Carroll Moore on his show.
I remember Tom T. Hall as the host of Pop! Goes the Country instead of Ralph Emery,
I saw Stan Hitchcock hosting his own show talking with everyone from Waylon to Buck.
And I’m very defensive about people just deciding that “Country Music is cool” one day and adding a banjo to their dumbass suburban rap shit
Country Music is a part of how I was raised and how I see the world, it isn’t just a couple current hit songs that I’ll play all summer and then move on from
March 20, 2019 @ 1:47 pm
Sterling;
That’s where you’re wrong, kiddo.
March 19, 2019 @ 9:19 am
The hypocrisy of our PC times:
We’re told not to judge people by their colour , creed , sexual orientation or their past .
Yet there is a deluge of TV shows based on judging talent , intelligence and appearance …..often by judges with very little credibility in any of those departments .
( oops ….did i just judge those judges ..? )
THIS is the environment we raise our kids in . We sell people shit food , video games and shit mainstream music then tell them they are overweight and unhealthy and sell them training equipment , diet plans and spotify . Jesus ……and we think its fucked up cuz of trump and kim yung what’s -his-name ? ….??
March 19, 2019 @ 10:56 am
Lot’s of weird rants here. You (and I think a lot of people in general) are mixing a few things up, like being told not to judge the physical and biological traits a person is born with (race, gender, sexual orientation) is not at all the same as judging somebody’s life choices, talents, appearance, and intelligence because those are generally malleable and improvable.
Judging others (and oneself, ideally) is an innate quality in everybody, so we can improve as human beings. These TV shows scratch an itch most of us have, to witness talent and either be inspired by it, or aspire to it. The next huge musical talent might be a nine year old kid right now in a trailer with a TV and not much else, watching a show like this, thinking “I wanna do that some day.” Maybe they pick up a guitar, start singing and songwriting etc. That’s a good thing.
My only gripe with American Idol is that schadenfreude is a cornerstone of the show (unlike the Voice). In other words, the show’s producers and editors broadcast peoples’ godawful tryouts for the sole purpose of satisfying the audience’s desire to see people fail and get torn down by the judges.
March 19, 2019 @ 11:48 am
good points , TH ….particularly the exploitation aspects of these shows .
I’m of the mind that an honest , REAL ,ARTIST succeeds by having an ” IDGAF what a Luke Bryan thinks of me and I refuse to be at the mercy of HIS judgement in terms of my passion and my career ” attitude .
The stars of these shows are the judges …that’s practically a given . The ‘contestants’ are foils …..straight-men to the judges . The contest is not looking for unique talents with vision . They are looking for folks who sound exactly like every other financially successful contemporary artist . They are looking for more of the same in , perhaps , a different package . A package they will ultimately ” improve ” upon ( to use your phrase ) and mold to marketing standards for mass consumption . They do not introduce the fresh ,the unique or the creative visionaries to the world . They introduce the next people most likely to be molded into the next Adam Levine …or Lionel Ritchie . Don’t you think that if Stapleton showed up singing ” Broken Halos ” they’d be “improving him ” by cuttting his hair , losing the cowboy hat , putting him on a diet and training regimen and having him cut Thomas Rhett writes ?
Fun ?…..sure …these things are fun …as professional karaoke .
If they REALLY were to do something unique , creative , interesting and ( God forbid ) educational , they’d have a program that features original talent …. songwriters singing their own material with a guitar or a piano accompaniment . THEN you’d see how many listeners/viewers are REALLY watching for the artistry , you’d up the ante for people to write GREAT songs and the judges should be songwriting GREATS from all genres including Broadway . Of course , no one would watch that show because no one is interested in great songs or ARTISTS , just voices that sound like the stuff they are already listening to on the radio . THE RADIO ….
March 19, 2019 @ 1:16 pm
I mean, you’re not entirely wrong, but you sound unnecessarily bitter about it. Yes, it’s sensational commercial entertainment, beholden to market trends and sponsorship/ad dollars. It’s a formula, for sure, but nobody who cares deeply about music (including me) is tuning into these programs looking for deep enrichment. There are plenty of other outlets for that. Countless outlets, including this website.
I have so much good music to sort through and enjoy on a weekly basis, I really don’t have time to worry about any adverse qualities (real or perceived) these programs might have – but it is entertaining (and sometimes inspiring) to tune in once in a while to see some kid sing their heart out. Even if it basically is televised karaoke, some of them really do have great vocal talent and it can be one route for them to start a career in music.
Keep in mind these programs are primarily about singing and performance, not songwriting – but country music has always been chock-full of singers and performers who don’t write their own songs (or didn’t make it big with their own songs). I’m not too worried about it, and back to the point, this youngster picked a Cody Jinks song to perform on national TV. That’s worth something, and what an appropriate song too – Talk about “casting no stones”.
March 19, 2019 @ 1:52 pm
I used to watch American Idol- I enjoyed seeing some talented (mostly unknown) singers share their talent- case in point, Crystal Bowersox- THE one I’ve been waiting patiently for here for a review (since this site does as much for people as ANY TV show) but it’s a good thing I didn’t hold my breath. She is as talented if not more so than any girl I’ve seen reviewed here- Tick-tock I’m still waitng.
March 19, 2019 @ 11:17 am
I’m not sure if you have a point here. You’re all over the place.
An important point: don’t look to tv as a guiding light.
March 19, 2019 @ 9:27 am
As cheesy as these shows are (American Idol, The Voice etc.), I’m kind of a sucker for this stuff – especially the aspiring country singers (them and anybody with a gospel background are always the best). This kid’s obviously pretty rough around the edges vocally, but he’s got real wit and a positive spirit (not to mention good taste in music).
March 19, 2019 @ 1:30 pm
These shows are far from good and especially with the voice don’t have a good track record of churning out talent (although the voice did give us Adam Wakefield who had one of my favorite albums of 2018) but damn do they know how to tell stories.
March 19, 2019 @ 1:51 pm
“Far from good” is an entirely subjective statement. A pretty big audience obviously derives joy and entertainment from these programs. Anyway, I have seen some great vocal and performance talent on The Voice.
My theory as to why most of the winning contestants/performers fall off the map after each season is because they get locked into an exclusive deal right from the start just by appearing on the show and don’t get the attention or support thereafter to put out albums or tours. They probably don’t have the songwriting chops to make it on their own afterward, anyway.
The producers/network make far more money by having a revolving door of unknown/amateur vocalists appear on TV each season (major ad dollars), rather than by growing talent for, and within, the traditional recorded music market. The first few seasons of American Idol obviously produced a few successful pop stars who’ve put out many platinum and gold selling albums – Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood etc. Again though, their artistic talent is subjective.
March 19, 2019 @ 2:11 pm
This article seems to confirm my suspicious and theories. . .
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-voice-success-for-winners_us_5a0b545ee4b00a6eece4e116
Basically, the contestants work within the broadcast TV ecosystem first, where they’re potentially a big fish in a relatively small pond, but when the season’s over they get tossed into the very different music “biz” ecosystem where they’re forgotten (by both labels and audiences). Tiny fish in an infinitely large ocean.
March 19, 2019 @ 6:10 pm
great article …..and not altogether surprising , as you say Tex Hex .
these singers are role players ( actors ) in a 12 week TV series . they are not encouraged to be ‘artists ‘….rather they are molded , quaffed , dressed and given karaoke material to sing in order to appeal to the demographic the show markets to .
I’ve watched the Voice during the blinds . After that it is boring , predictable and the vote ultimately left to the demographic the contestants have all been marketed to all along . Again …no real sign of an artistry or vision or creativity by these singers , as amazingly talented as most of them really are . They simply lack originality on all fronts once the coaches and the network are through with them.
March 19, 2019 @ 6:27 pm
my own theory , is that these kids -(hugely talented , for the mostpart)- live an entire career in 6 months on TV . they are , perhaps,overexposed , they’ve ‘karaok-ied ‘ their way on to a weekly TV show ..’coached ‘…… then viewers don’t see them as bona fide artists because they sing covers week after week .and nor do labels see them as ‘artists’ . ultimately whoever they may have been on course to be is buried to cater to the masses and pop tastes . a long successful career hinges on uniqueness and these shows don’t afford the opportunity for contestants to demonstrate that
March 19, 2019 @ 9:29 am
How dare you stood where he stood?!?!
No actually in all honesty, even though I didn’t like this kid’s rendition, I hope a truly great song gets recognized by more people from this.
March 19, 2019 @ 10:20 am
I don’t watch any of these shows but I’m glad Colby Swift played one of my favorite songs as opposed to some drivel. I still remember coming to this site the first time and saying WTF is a Cody Jinks? Let’s face it, like many other people……you don’t know what you don’t know….lol
I took his current then setlist (the “I’m Not The Devil” tour) learned and loved. This song blew me away. I’m finally Cody bound Friday night in Madison,WI I got one of the last tickets I think of 2500. He doesn’t want to play here? I’m going to him. I can’t wait!
March 19, 2019 @ 10:29 am
I went to see CODY JINKS and it was a GREAT SHOW….at least he is KEEPING IT REAL COUNTRY MUSIC not the crap coming out of Nashville..He hasn’t sold his soul out like Luke..
March 19, 2019 @ 10:41 am
The kid knows who Jinks is. That’s what I’m taking from this.
March 19, 2019 @ 11:25 am
I love that he sang a Cody Jinks song, but having to hear and see Luke Bryan ruined the video.
March 19, 2019 @ 11:57 am
I was thinking the whole time he was playing the verse “He sounds pretty good, but goodness gracious is his guitar playing plucky, annoying, and overbearing.” And then as soon as I finished that thought Luke said “do the chorus without the guitar”. Funny how he picked up on that too. Goes to show you that playing an instrument doesn’t necessarily make the performance better.
March 19, 2019 @ 1:03 pm
Perry was checking out his butt…lol
March 19, 2019 @ 1:49 pm
Give Luke credit for one thing, I thought the kid sounded 10 times better when he did the chorus without the guitar. His voice really came alive. I was watching live Sunday, and actually yelled out loud “Holy crap, a Cody Jinks tune on Idol!”
March 19, 2019 @ 4:44 pm
LB could have said a nice word or two about the song. He’s clearly heard it since he stopped the kid a millisecond after the end of the chorus when “Cast No Stones” is a chorus that doesn’t really have a clear beginning and end.
Here’s to hoping this kid made Cody Jinks some new fans.
March 19, 2019 @ 5:31 pm
When they call him “unpolished” i think about Fence post by Aaron Watson
March 19, 2019 @ 8:06 pm
Glad that Cody Jinks is having such an influence. Just hope if he ever signs a record deal he doesn’t get screwed over into making pop or just crap
March 20, 2019 @ 7:31 am
I wouldn’t be worried about that at all. At this point in Jinks’ career, six albums deep, with his own curated music festival and cult following, I’m not seeing him ever sign a record deal that doesn’t give him absolute creative control.
March 20, 2019 @ 5:29 pm
Actually to be honest it kinda seemed like luke bryan knew who cody jinks was i mean he told the kid to stop playing and sing the chorus without guitar and he was using his hands to do the beat of the tune i mean kinda seemed like he knew to me just spit ballin here
March 21, 2019 @ 11:19 am
That’s what I thought as well. Definitely seemed like he knew the song. I have always suspected that most of these “country” artists like Luke Bryan actually do listen to real country music behind closed doors, but they know that a) crappy pop is where the money is at for them (100% correct and you really can’t blame them), and b) they don’t have the writing or singing chops to pull off real, sincere country even if they tried.