Wednesday, March 04, 2009

American Idol 8 - Top 36 Group 3

I am stressed for time this early Wednesday afternoon, so I am going to type fast and hopefully you won't notice too many spelling or grammar errors (I always try to spellcheck, anyways). So here we have our final group of the top 36 round. And after watching the performances back a couple of different times, I'd have to say this was the strongest group that we had thus far. I mean sure, most of the performers had a few pitch problems here and there - but it wasn't nearly as awful as the last couple of weeks had been where only a few notable people stood out. I thought last night was much more of a challenge for the American voters than it had been in the last few weeks and there might be a few surprises when the results are revealed tonight. On with the recap!

Von Smith - "You're All I Need to Get By" : Von developed a reputation for being too "shouty," being too theatrical, and even trying too hard to impress. He is really trying to take the criticism he's received from the judges to heart and improve. And I thought last night he was much more reserved than he was in prior performances. Still, it's hard for him not to sing with such a wide open mouth and it becomes somewhat distracting. However, with that being said, last night's performance was actually endearing and it was a lot better than what I remembered from him. I thought the end of the song was more enjoyable than the beginning - but overall it was a very strong vocal performance. It definitely starts the show off on the right foot.

Taylor Vaifanua - "If I Ain't Got You" : Taylor was one of my favorites right from the start of season eight. However, she really hasn't delivered a true memorable performance thus far in the competition. The beginning part of last night's performance is too low for her, but it gets better as the song moves along. I do agree in the sense that it was verging on a copy cat of Alicia Keys's original. I don't think she does a horrible job with the performance, but it's basically just average for me. She definitely could've done something different with the song to make it her own. She doesn't do enough to differentiate from Alicia Keys, which will hurt her in the end. And I've got to admit, this wasn't all that memorable of a performance, either.

Alex Wagner - Trugman - "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues" : Talk about a song that's never been performed on Idol (at least I can't remember it). I am really liking the song choice and I also have to admit to liking Alex's personality. He's a funny guy and has a dry wit about him. I am still somewhat perplexed as to how he fits into the competition as a singer, despite the fact that he actually can sing. Obviously he's in a different league than Nick Mitchell, but he doesn't appear to be a polished stage performer yet. And that's clearly evident with last night's performance. He was awkward with his funky dance moves and seemed a bit nervous, too. He definitely tried too hard to impress the judges and America and went overboard with the growling. If he toned it down somewhat, it probably would've been a half-way decent performance.

Arianna Afsar - "The Winner Takes it All" : Arianna takes great offense to being called "cute as a button" by the judges. However, in the music industry, that is one of the qualities music execs are looking for when finding an individual with the total package, and Arianna definitely has that. I have to say I am not liking the song she's picked for her performance. It's an odd song, definitely not a current hit. She struggles with it at times, as it's certainly too big of a song for her. I did like the end of the song more than the beginning, but even then, her voice cracked terribly on the final note. That is not the way to leave a lasting impression on Idol voters. I think she would've had better luck picking a more current song.

Ju'Not Joyner - "Hey There Delilah" : A very interesting arrangement of a song that's proven to be a big hit within the last couple of years. It's definitely more laid back, soulful, and Ju'Not did not over sing it. I'd disagree that he held back with the song - I honestly think that was his intention and in my estimation, it worked for him. I was pleasantly surprised with Ju'Not's take on the song and expected more of a rendition like the original. Ju'Not dares to be different and it's one reason why the voters will remember him. I have to say the beginning of the song seemed a bit dull for me, but then he started to throw more runs into the song and I found it to be quite enjoyable.

Kristen McNamara - "Give Me One Reason" : Tracy Chapman's song from the 1990's is one of my favorites, so I am happy to see it covered on Idol. Kristen's arrangement of the song is a bit different; it has a quicker tempo and is even more of a song to dance to. Don't the judges say "you can definitely sing" or "you definitely have a good voice" to just about every contestant? I think they should explain a little bit better than that. She's very pretty - another of my early favorites. I have to admit I wasn't liking the faster tempo of the song early on, but it quickly grew on me and it certainly worked. I agree with the judges in a sense that the song doesn't quite show off her vocal skills like it could've, but it was still quite enjoyable.

Nate Marshall
- "I Would Do Anything For Love" : He's certainly a decent performer and does an admiral job of working the stage. I know some people will find him to be off-putting and will remember him for his drama queen-like behavior in Hollywood. But I have to say he was much more likable on last night's performance than he has been in the past. He definitely tries to have fun and I like that he didn't try to beg for votes and he didn't exchange negative banter with the judges. The song probably wasn't the perfect choice for him as it doesn't show off what he can do vocally. However, he does a decent job with it and he's going to be one contestant that people will remember.

Felicia Barton - "No One" : There was a reason they brought Felicia back into this competition, and last night's performance proved why. She is definitely a good singer and does a nice job with this Alicia Keys song. Seems like all of Alicia's biggest songs were covered tonight. Yes, there were a few notable pitch problems, particularly with the higher notes. I don't think it was a spectacular vocal performance but it was still decent. However, with that being said, I think she's going to find it difficult advancing to the top 12 without getting a wild card, considering all of the good-quality performances we saw last night. She has her work cut out for her.

Scott MacIntyre - "Mandolin Rain" : Wow, what a great song choice for Scott. It's one of those songs that brings me back to my youth. I agree with Simon's assessment that Scott probably doesn't have the best vocal of all of the male contestants in the top 12. However, he's a great musician, especially considering his visual imparity. I think it's nice to see this side of Scott, being without his piano. It shows that he can perform without it - and if he gets into the top 12, he can mix things up from time to time and perform without it. It shows tremendous risk and can be one of those endearing qualities that the voters will like. It wasn't a vocally perfect performance, but it was still quite good.

Kendall Beard - "This One's For the Girl" : Ah, Kendall is going the country route. This could prove to be to her advantage because only one other contestant in the top 36 has sung a country song. Obviously it didn't quite work out for him, so maybe it will be different for Kendall. She really does have a stunning look about her; she looks marvelous on camera. Unfortunately, that won't be enough to get her through to the top 12 because her singing performance was pretty forgettable. And again, like many contestants tonight, there were moments where she struggled to hit the right notes, especially the higher ones. I definitely feel it could've been better and it appeared nerves really got to her.

Jorge Nunez
- "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" : Oh man, another song that's been performed countless number of times by a variety of Idols through the years, most notably during last season's finale by David Archuleta. Archie really nailed the song last year, so I am a bit worried to see how Jorge will fare. And honestly, it's a lot better than what I was expecting. He's a very powerful singer and the performance was pretty much on-pitch. This is a song that really works well for a lot of singers and it certainly worked to Jorge's advantage last night. He comes across as a very nice, humble, and likable guy - and I'm kind of rooting for him to do well in this competition.

Lil Rounds - "Be Without You" : Here's another early favorite with the coveted pimp spot (Danny G., Adam L.), so she better bring it. Obviously the producers know what they are doing by scheduling the early favorites to go last. And Lil really delivers on this one. She picked the right song that really shows off her fantastic vocal abilities. "Be Without You" compliments her voice and she proves that she's a powerhouse of a singer. It's certainly no surprise why she became a favorite so early on in the competition. Definitely worthy of the top 12 and the strongest performance of the night. I have a feeling we'll be seeing lots of Lil in the rounds to come.

And now, my opinion on who I thought had the strongest performances of the night:

Top Male Performances:
1.) Ju'Not Joyner
2.) Scott MacIntyre
3.) Jorge Nunez
4.) Von Smith
5.) Nate Marshall
6.) Alex Wanger-Trugman

Top Female Performers:
1.) Lil Rounds
2.) Felicia Barton
3.) Kristen McNamara
4.) Taylor Vaifanua
5.) Kendall Beard
6.) Arianna Afsar

And who will move onto the top 12?

M - Ju'Not Joyner
F - Lil Rounds
M - Scott MacIntyre

With that being said, he sure to enjoy tonight's results show. And we'll see you next week for the start of the top 12!

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