So yet another week has come and gone and it's time for the American Idol contestants to sing songs from the year they were born. So essentially, it's '80's week (except for Allison)! That's not completely a bad thing. The 1980's had some incredible songs. And usually I don't go back-to-back with American Idol recaps in my blog, either. But I'm on an unusual stretch at work where I'm working afternoon shift two weeks in a row. And when I'm on afternoons, I have the least amount of motivation to do much writing! Except when it comes to these American Idol recaps which I absolutely have to write. So how will the contestants fair this week? Will Lil actually pick a song the judges will like? Will Kris Allen continue to shine with his ability to rearrange a song? And will Adam and Danny continue to be the front runners? Let's find out!
Danny Gokey - "Stand By Me" : When I first heard Danny was picking this song, I thought to myself, "oh no." Because as we all know last year, David Archuleta absolutely knocked it out of the park. But Danny chooses a completely different arrangement and it totally works. I really like his controlled vocal performance - far less over-shouting than some of his previous performances. And even when the tempo picked up, it still wasn't half-bad. But I still don't believe Danny has had a truly memorable performance yet that will be talked about for a long time. Hopefully he'll continue to step it up each week because I don't see him going anywhere.
Kris Allen - "All She Wants to Do is Dance" : Before Kris performs, Ryan mentions the praise from the judges he's been getting for some of his prior performances. Well, he's certainly in for a rude awakening there! The whole brass ensemble to this arrangement was rather off-putting. It definitely did not work as well as Kris probably hoped it would. I certainly applaud his efforts in attempting to make this Don Henley hit different but I believe he strayed too far away from the original. His vocals are actually pretty decent, but the song just did not do him any justice this week. He could be in trouble - and that would be especially disappointing.
Lil Rounds - "What's Love Got To Do With It" : I am really digging this song choice and if Lil executes it properly, she could actually receive some much needed praise by the judges after several weeks of sub-par performances. But again, I am finding this to be very average. I believe she needs to work on her interpretation and phrasing of the songs she chooses. She infuses too much southern drawl into her vocals. And she needs to be able to hit all of the right notes, which she clearly did not this week. I agreed with Simon in that it sounded too much like Tina Turner's version. She needs to differentiate herself more and become an original artist.
Anoop Desai - "True Colors" : Anoop is going back to singing a ballad this week. It seems that is where he is most comfortable and it allows him to show off his vocals the most. When he attempts an up-tempo song, he comes across as being too much of a party guy and not a true vocalist. "True Colors" is definitely working for Anoop. I am actually liking this so much better than his version of "Ooh Baby Baby" a few weeks back. I am not bored to tears with this and vocally it's very good. He even backed it up with a very nice falsetto note to end the performance on. Very well done for Anoop.
Scott MacIntyre - "The Search is Over" : Wow, it seems very odd to see Scott carrying a guitar. I thought all he could play was the piano! Despite Simon's comments on the song, I think it's a great one in my opinion. However, it wasn't the right choice for Scott. I give him huge props for stepping out of his comfort zone and straying away from the piano for one week. It could've been a good opportunity to showcase his vocals - but they weren't that great. He especially struggled with the build-up into the faster tempo portion of the song and that one stretch where he hit the falsetto was particularly excruciating. The song was just too big for him.
Allison Iraheta - "I Can't Make You Love Me" : I loved the way this performance began. Her vocal is very controlled and she's performing in a very heartfelt way. We're able to really listen to her vocal skills and based on that I find that she's an amazing singer. I think her enunciation of the words in the song is better this week, too. I feel America needs to embrace her more - either that or the judges need to give her the proper credit she deserves. She certainly knows how to sell a song and she does another spectacular job. I would love to see her go deep into this competition - much further than Lil, that's for sure.
Matt Giraud - "Part Time Lover" : Matt starts it off very different from the original; very soulful and sexy. Even when the tempo of the song picks up, it's still slowed-down from the original. I am really enjoying Matt's interpretation of this song. Sometimes it can be the death-knell for anyone tackling a Stevie Wonder song, but Matt made it his own. He tends to over do it with the runs, but that's kind of who Matt is. Such a very soulful and bluesy performance. It was a big improvement over last week and it should save him from a trip into the bottom three this week.
Adam Lambert - "Mad World" : So what is Adam going to do this week? You can always expect the unexpected from Adam because he's never predictable. Let me start off by saying I love this particular arrangement of the song. Adam's performance is based off an arrangement by Gary Jules, heard most famously from a "Gears of War" video game ad a few years back. It was another very controlled performance from Adam, much like "Tracks of my Tears." But I found this performance to be even better because the song is amazing. Just listen to the lyrics and you'll see what I mean. Another superb job from Adam and a great way to end the night.
So with the recaps out of the way, here's this week's performance rankings:
1.) Adam Lambert - best of the night
2.) Allison Iraheta
3.) Matt Giraud
4.) Danny Gokey
5.) Anoop Desai (actual bottom three - 4/8/09)
6.) Kris Allen
7.) Lil Rounds (actual bottom three - 4/8/09)
8.) Scott MacIntyre (actual eliminee - 4/8/09)
So once again, Adam gave a masterclass performance that a lot of people raved about. I just don't see him or Danny ever winding up in the bottom three because they are such popular figures, even though Danny hasn't been quite as good as Adam. Matt and Anoop continue to have their up and down weeks and they'll need to continue to perform at high levels to even consider cracking the top five. And after a strong surge from Kris the previous few weeks, he stumbled somewhat and could end up in trouble this week. I don't have him being in the bottom three this week, but I'm sure you all remember what happened to Michael Johns last year in the top eight. That could actually end up happening this year with Kris, although his performance wasn't nearly as good as Michael's was last year. Allison continues to shine week in and week out and this week was no exception. I believe America will embrace her a little more because the judges actually complemented Allison on her singing abilities instead of what she was wearing. Meanwhile, Lil Rounds is free falling to a place I never imagined she might end up, getting kicked out before the top six. And I don't believe the judges will save her, either. And last but not least is Scott. He's an inspiring individual and has a great personality. However, his vocals just aren't as good as the rest of the group. I pick Scott to leave this week.
Don't forget to watch tonight's results show. I'm sure it'll be as dramatic as always!
Scott leaves American Idol and I have correctly picked the last three eliminees in a row!
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