Agree very much with Raymond and others. There certainly are PERFORMERS out there who think the performance matters more than the song.
SINGERS know better. I'll admit it's usually the melody that grabs me first but unless you listen to the song the singer is wasting his/her time so yes I do my best to listen as I do my best to put the words over when it's my turn to sing.
Chris Coe (I'm told) said "You should always stand behind the song, never in front"