It would have made little difference whether the Netherlands had Step Right Up not known as winning Idolsjamai song. Twenty years after winning the talent show, the singer says that he was told two possible singles in the run-up to the final. Step Right Up and nothing less than This Love from Maroon 5.
“Actually would This Love become my single,” says Jamai. “Maroon 5’s record company had no plans to release it as the band’s single. That’s why it was offered internationally.” Maroon 5’s version had already appeared on their debut album Songs About Jane.
“I had already recorded the song, but then it was decided that Maroon 5 would use it as a single themselves.” This Lovewritten by Maroon 5 members Adam Levine and Jesse Carmichael, marked the American band’s big breakthrough in 2004.
So eventually it was Step Right Up for Jamie. “That worked out well, because we knew that Jim Tell Her had chosen as the final single, which is also a mid-tempo song. That’s why we eventually went for uptempo with Step Right Up.”
Step Right Up vs This Love
- Step Right Up kwam in de Nederlandse Top 40 binnen op de eerste plaats en stond daar zeven weken lang. Na twaalf weken zakte het nummer uit de lijst.
- This Love hield het met zestien weken iets langer vol in de Top 40. Het lied kwam niet verder dan de derde plaats. In enkele andere Europese landen werd het wel een nummer 1-hit. In de Verenigde Staten, het thuisland van Maroon 5, haalde This Love de vijfde plaats.
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“If I thought both songs sucked, they probably had something up their sleeves”
“In the beginning I didn’t care much Step Right Up. It didn’t feel very much like me,” admits Jamai. “But I was sixteen and had only done covers at the time. For Idols I just sang at school and in the attic. I didn’t have the knowledge yet to know which song would suit me.”
Jamai knew during his participation in Idols not quite sure what he wanted musically. “At that moment you only rely on the team around you that knows about it. If I had found both songs sucks, they probably still had a song in hand. But there was no time to think extensively either The final was just around the corner, so everything had to be recorded and printed quickly.”
The great success of the number 1 hit helped Jamai Step Right Up to appreciate more. “Then you’ll catch up. I still get videos every weekend from people who go wild on it. It now also has a nostalgic feeling for me and I’m certainly proud of it.”
The singer regularly sings the song live. “If asked, I’ll do it.”
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