"Way to Be, Hung"

For William Hung, music isn't about money or fame.

It's about "sing-ging," as Hung declares on track four of his debut release, "Inspiration." One of four inspirational interlude tracks on which Hung imparts tidbits of Tony Robbins-style motivational credos, more can be understood about the American Idol reject from these 18 seconds of dialogue than can be found on any Entertainment Tonight segment.

For those living under a rock, Hung is the infamous AI tryout who sang a butchered version of the Ricky Martin hit, "She Bangs." Hung's Chinese accent, coupled with his computer technician-like style, left many viewers both cringing at his horrible vocals and also intrigued at the singer's moxie.

As is the wont in Hollywood, Hung's miserable vocal stylings became the hit of the moment. Based on the production value of "Inspiration," it can be rest assured that Hung won't be around for much longer.

The disc, which is an odd mix of hits from contemporary Disney films ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" "Circle of Life," "Two Worlds") and the late-'90s Latin explosion ("Bailamos," "Shake Your Bon-Bon," the aforementioned "She Bangs"), Hung's voice is flung all across the pop charts.

On every single track, Hung stretches his clearly un-trained voice from one end of the vocal spectrum to the other, with little rhyme or reason (which actually turns out to be a good thing, to be truthful). Even on the more subdued tracks, like R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" and Elton John's "Rocket Man," the pain listening to his gentle pop-ish riffs and trills is comparatively smaller than the pain Hung sounds like he's suffering while attempting them.

Hung also ventures, albeit briefly, into the largely untapped disco/dance genre. "Free" offers a house/techno treatment, which succeeds in masking the intricacies of Hung's haphazard voice. Unfortunately, the Village People's "Y.M.C.A." sounds about as good as it ever has.

It's unclear whether Hung knows that the American public is laughing at him and not with him, but as he makes it apparently clear in another of his inspirational interludes, entitled "Perseverance," he knows he has to put in "hard worwk" to make it in the entertainment business.

Whether Hung's 15 minutes are of fame or infamy, it's clear that the music industry will never be the same because of him or his success. Fortunately for Hung, pop music now has a new niche in which artists who are kicked off of American Idol can still have a career.

With "Inspiration," music now has its new East-Asian/Latin Elton John. Finally.