Following in the footsteps of Susan Boyle, Sony Music struck a recording deal with Lin back in May. The album features Lin, with his distinct mushroom hair, singing 10 covers of the leading divas of our time.
Instead of adding his own individuality to the songs, Lin strays little from the original. He imitates his idols but does so wonderfully, even down to the feminine breathiness of the vocals. In that sense he can be viewed as an impersonator, but one with an amazing voice.
Opening song I Will Always Love You is the performance that made Lin a star. And here he does not disappoint.
At times it is difficult to distinguish his voice from Whitney Houston's, the one he is emulating on the track (the original is by Dolly Parton).
In Fighter, Lin may have taken his act a bit too seriously by imitating the spoken words performed by Christina Aguilera at the beginning of the song. It comes off a bit silly, even farcical.
If Lin wants to be considered in the same breath as his idols, he will need to create his own music. He has half the game down: now all he needs is to inject his own personality into the songs.