Dia Frampton, the wispy-voiced Winnie Cooper lookalike on Team Blake, was my pick to with The Voice. She wound up coming in second to Javier Colon, who without question has a much better voice than she does. But there’s something about Frampton that drew me in each and every week.
Part of it is that she performed the kind of music I like to listen to, covering artists such as R.E.M. and Tom Petty. Much of it has to do with her coach — it was touching to watch Blake Shelton take Dia and fellow contestant Xenia under his wing like a protective older brother.
But mostly I think it’s the interesting twists Frampton added to the songs she sang. She plays with melody lines, turning something familiar into something new, something all her own. She didn’t have the best voice on The Voice, but she was the best artist.
This was never as apparent as in today’s clip, Frampton’s performance of Kanye West’s ‘Heartless.’ She turned a rap song into a mesmerizing ballad, flooring the judges. I think Dia pretty much cemented her path to the finals right here.
Somewhere far along this road he lost his soul
To a woman so heartless
How could you be so heartless?
How could you be so heartless?
How could you be so cold?
As the winter wind when it breeze yo
Just remember that you talkin’ to me though
You need to watch the way you talkin’ to me though
I mean after all the things that we’ve been through
I mean after all the things we got into
Hey yo, I know of some things that you ain’t told me
Hey yo, I did some things but that’s the old me
And now you wanna get me back and you gon’ show me
So you walk around like you don’t know me
You got a new friend, well I got homies
But in the end it’s still so lonely
In the night I hear ’em talk, the coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road he lost his soul
To a woman so heartless
How could you be so heartless?
How could you be so heartless?
How could you be so Dr. Evil?
You’re bringin’ out a side of me that I don’t know
I decided we wasn’t goin’ speak so
Why we up 3 a.m. on the phone?
Why does she be so mad at me for?
Homie, I don’t know, she’s hot and cold
I won’t stop, won’t mess my groove up
‘Cause I already know how this thing go
You run and tell your friends that you’re leavin’ me
They say that they don’t see what you see in me
You wait a couple months then you gon’ see
You’ll never find nobody better than me
In the night I hear ’em talk, the coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road he lost his soul
To a woman so heartless
How could you be so heartless?
How could you be so heartless?
Talkin’, talkin’, talkin’ talk
Baby let’s just knock it off
They don’t know what we been through
They don’t know ’bout me and you
So I got somethin’ new to see
And you just gon’ keep hatin’ me
And we just gon’ be enemies
I know you can’t believe
I could just leave it wrong
And you can’t make it right
I’m gon’ take off tonight
Into the night
In the night I hear ’em talk, the coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road he lost his soul
To a woman so heartless
How could you be so heartless?
How could you be so heartless?
Meet Me In Montauk 
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said today, but I bristled during the comments after this performance, as there seemed to be no recognition that such a different rendition had ever been done, when, in fact, just such a performance had been performed by he who wound up being crowned as the American Idol in that season… Kris Allen. I’ve included that performance along with the judge’s comments, which were glowing.
After his amazing interpretation of the song, there were those who complained that there was no on air recognition (Kris mentioned that he had been inspired by The Fray’s version, but that mention didn’t air) that Kris couldn’t claim to be the first to think of this original interpretation. THAT honor belonged (maybe?) to The Fray:
So, yes, Dia is an artist, but, no, she shouldn’t be given credit for reimagining this song. Certainly she had seen the Allen version, which appears on his album, in addition to having gotten radio time.
That said, there were other performances where I saw that artist shine through, notably her performance of REM. Now perhaps she got that concept from someone else, too 🙂 Regardless, that time she was the one to bring it to the larger audience.
Actually, I just listened to the AI judges again, and Randy did give the on air recognition to The Fray, so I’m feeling proud of Randy for maybe the second or third time in my viewing history 🙂
Still, I do think it’s important that the contestants, host, and/or judges provide that tip of the hat to the artists who inspire the interpretations they contestants choose to do, especially if those contestants are going to earn extra marks for “artistry.”
Well, this may not have been the first time this song was done in a more melodic way, but I think the piano added a bit of a different twist as well.
I agree that Dia was a very compelling and interesting artist, and had the show been called “The Artist” and not “The Voice,” perhaps she would have won.
Dia mentioned that she was inspired by The Fray’s version (in interviews, not on The Voice, or at least not on the broadcast version of The Voice).