So here we are again for the second week in a row - a top seven! I am sure many people out there were unsure if the judges would ever use their power to save a contestant this season from the brink of being eliminated like Matt Giraud faced last week. And let's be honest, Matt certainly has had his up and down weeks. And last week's performance wasn't exactly stellar either. So to be fair, Matt probably was due to go home last week. But, will we honestly see Adam or Danny get kicked off anytime soon? Probably not. This would've been the last week the judges could've used the save so hopefully it don't end up biting them in the rear end! I would be absolutely sick if someone like Allison or Kris gets sent home prior to Lil or Anoop. But isn't that what makes American Idol so intriguing year after year - those shocking eliminations? It's hard to forget those nights when Chris Daughtry or Michael Johns went home way too early.
This week's theme is disco! It seems like such an irrelevant week to have at this stage of the competition, although basically the entire decade of the '70's was disco music! And from past years, disco week has provided some pretty memorable train wrecks. We'll see if this season is anymore different! Let's start the recaps:
Lil Rounds - "I'm Every Woman" : I think Lil is at a big disadvantage this week with the way the show starts sans the video package and her being the first contestant on stage. Seems like the kiss of death for me and the producers could possibly be setting her up to go home. Again, as in prior weeks, this is not starting out all that good. Her phrasing needs a lot of improvement and she's not hitting the right notes. She's sounding terribly flat, particularly on some of the higher notes. She improves towards the middle and the end but it's still just an average performance for me. I don't care if she's been ill and is on vocal rest; that can't be an excuse for her sounding mediocre ever since the top 13 began.
Kris Allen - "She Works Hard for the Money" : This isn't the type of song you'd expect Kris to sing but after all, it is disco week! I am loving this stylized, cool, jazzy arrangement of this classic Donna Summer song that Kris has put together. He really re-invents this song and turns it into a contemporary tune. Kris has really become a genius of re-creating some classic songs, particularly those from the '70's. This song ended up suiting Kris nicely, even though the original performer was female. But then again, other male contestants this season have also covered songs originally performed by females, so it's not like it's something completely different. But we're definitely seeing from Kris the kind of music he would like to make. Kudos to him.
Danny Gokey - "September" : You know, I was a pretty big Danny Gokey fan at the beginning of the season. I thought his backstory was inspiring even though many other people thought he was using the drama of his dead wife to gain votes. But lately I have been finding Danny to be rather off-putting; basically from his demeanor. I don't know; I've just been getting weird vibes from him lately. He starts off this performance with a "yeah" that sounds similar to that of a fire alarm. Yeow - that hurt the ears. For the most part, Danny is on-pitch through the entire song. I think it's his performance skills that could use some work. I don't know; he just hasn't had a truly memorable performance yet for me. I think he does just enough to get by each and every week. I still don't believe it was as good of a performance as the judge's said.
Allison Iraheta - "Hot Stuff" : This performance starts off very slow and intense. Allison is basically leaning back on the stairs that Ryan comes down from during the opening of the show. Wow, Allison is decked out in a very tight-fitting leather ensemble. She looks like hot stuff herself - and then I remember she's only 16. Tempo then picks up and she's really rocking out to this on stage. Despite some enunciation issues that Allison typically has, this is turning into a very enjoyable performance. Once again, she is displaying those very powerful rock-star vocals. And despite Randy and Kara's problems with the arrangement, I didn't feel it was that big of a deal. I absolutely love how she picks songs that are way too old for her to be singing, too. (laughs)
Adam Lambert - "If I Can't Have You" : I think prior to this week's performance show, many people were expecting Adam to do the best of all the contestants with disco week. He has also fallen into a bit of a predictable pattern of singing a powerful ballad one week, and then following it up with a big up-tempo rock song the next. He is back to following that pattern with a ballad, although the original was a bit more up-tempo than this. Adam is as good as ever with this performance. His vocals are spot-on and as usual, he is showing off that amazing range he's got. I had actually hoped the tempo would pick up a little more than it did. I thought the middle and end portion of the song was a big under-whelming, but overall, it was another brilliant performance from Mr. Lambert. Enjoyed the emotional connection he showed with this one.
Matt Giraud - "Stayin' Alive" : I was quite surprised this was the first Bee Gees song performed this week as I was expecting a total of two Bee Gees songs covered during disco week. But then again, this is the Bee Gees most famous disco tune of all! Matt's rendition isn't totally disco; in fact, I'm sensing a heavy RnB flair. His vocals are a bit gravely at times and he loses it a bit on the falsetto, but all in all, this is a nice vocal performance from Matt. I am really digging how he re-invented this song to fit his style. He's definitely having a good time on stage and this song really suits his style.
Anoop Desai - "Dim All the Lights" : Anoop is probably the underdog of all underdogs during season eight. I mean after all, how many times has he been in the bottom three lately? He finally gives his wardrobe a bit of a makeover from his usual preppy look, although his attire is more fitting of a '70's night. This performance starts out rather boring for me but then the tempo picks up. It's kind of a mid-tempo arrangement and I'm still not blown away by it. Overall, I'm bored by the whole thing. I just don't think this song suited him all that well. And then he doesn't help matters by squealing through that last note. Could nerves have possibily gotten to him at this stage of the game?
With that out of the way, here is this week's performance rankings:
1.) Kris Allen
2.) Adam Lambert
3.) Allison Iraheta (actual bottom three - 4/22/09)
4.) Matt Giraud - bottom three
5.) Danny Gokey
6.) Anoop Desai - eliminated (actual eliminee - 4/22/09)
7.) Lil Rounds - eliminated (actual eliminee - 4/22/09)
As for my predictions, I am giving Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai the boot. Both had mediocre performances and neither are deseving to be in this season's top five. However, do not be surprised to see a shock elimination. Allison Iraheta may be that person, as sad as it is for me to say. Let's hope not, though! Don't forget to watch this week's results show tonight at 9:00 PM (EDT)!
Whoa - my predictions are right again! Both Lil and Anoop went home this week. I've never had a streak quite like this before. Let's see if it continues next week!
No comments:
Post a Comment