Video / Susan Boyle sings 'Wild Horses' on 'America's Got Talent' / Click here

Community / Join Niall O'Dowd and Susan Boyle's Fans on Irish Central

I have just received the playlist for Susan Boyle's debut CD (thanks Lonni and Carole) and I have one word to say: Wow!

Here it is: 

1.   Wild Horses
2.   I Dreamed A Dream
3.   Cry Me A River
4.   How Great Thou Art
5.   You'll See
6.   Daydream Believer
7.   Up to The Mountain
8.   Amazing Grace
9.   Who I Was Born To Be
10. Proud
11. The End Of The World
12. Silent Night

If you think "Wild Horses" will be the highlight then think again. No question for me "How Great Thou Art" will be a blockbuster, perfectly tailored to her unique soaring voice, one of the great uplifting hymns of our time.

"Amazing Grace" is another song that is perfectly suited to Susan's pitch. Her forte, in my opinion, is belting out with that great big voice one of the great anthems of our time. "Amazing Grace," with its mystical, ethereal quality, is a perfect fit.

There is a gospel/anthem feel to the CD which dovetails perfectly with Susan's big voice and incredibly inspirational story. The one song I would quibble with would be "Daydream Believer," made famous by the Monkees - not exactly in the legendary mold, but the title alone could describe her incredible life story.

"Silent Night" is another evergreen standard, but with Susan's range is a small song compared to some of the others. The song is so synonymous with Christmas that it will undoubtedly become a standard this year. The single of it, I predict, will be the No. 1 song in Britain and the U.S. this holiday season (if they release it as such).

Susan is such a feel-good figure that she will be a perfect match for the Christmas season of cheer and good will.

There are two known quantities in the CD, "Cry me a River," the great Ella Fitzgerald standard which Susan has already performed, and, of course, Andrew Lloyd Weber's ''I Dreamed a Dream" which created the whole commotion to begin with.

Here is a brief synopsis of the songs and what they represent.

"Wild Horses" is a song written by The Rolling Stones about Marianne Faithful, who Mick Jagger was dating.

"I Dreamed A Dream" is a song from the musical Les Misérables. It is sung as a solo by the character Fantine during the first act.

"Cry Me A River" was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in the 1920s-set film, Pete Kelly's Blues.

"How Great Thou Art," is a Christian hymn, based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in 1885. The melody is a Swedish folk tune.

"You'll See," was written for Madonna and appears on the album Something to Remember.

"Daydream Believer" was originally recorded by The Monkees in 1967.

"Up to The Mountain" is a contemporary folk song written by Patty Griffin.

"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn by Englishman John Newton, which first appeared in print in Newton's Olney Hymns (1779).

"Who I Was Born To Be" - could describe Susan's life journey.

"Proud" by Heather Small, the former singer with the pop group M. People, was a pop smash hit.

"The End Of The World" Not sure what this song is either.

"Silent Night" was first performed in 1818 and has become one of the most often performed hymns in the world.

All in all an A-plus for song selection and playing to Susan's strength. A small caveat - I would love to have seen "Danny Boy," but that's my Irish self talking! Well done, Susan fans. Enjoy!