It's top nine week again! Last week brought a potentially shocking elimination when Michael Lynche received the least amount of votes. However, the judges used the power of the save and allowed Michael to return once again. Will Michael ultimately win the competition this season? Likely not. But hey, this season is filled with mediocrity - so why not use it to save Michael? He's been one of the most consistent performers week in and week out. The only individuals I think you might look at needing the save are Crystal and Lee. But they have such strong fanbases, I don't think they'll be in danger for awhile yet. As for this week, the theme is songs by Elvis Presley. And who better to mentor the contestants on Elvis songs than a showman himself, Adam Lambert. Let's see how the contestants fared this week:
Crystal Bowersox - "Saved" : I don't think Crystal has been quite on her "A" game the past few weeks, although she's still been one of the best performers all along. This week she picks a lesser-known Elvis track which I think is smart on her part. Adam Lambert gives her the advice of using the electric guitar over the acoustic. We'll see how that pays off. And I must say, this is the best Crystal has sounded in awhile. Her performance was powerful and you could definitely tell she injected a gospel feel into it. I didn't notice a whole lot of the electric guitar during the performance, but that didn't matter to me. Another excellent performance by Crystal. A great way to start the night on.
Andrew Garcia - "Hound Dog" : So Andrew's up next and I feel he's fallen back to mediocrity after having one decent week since moving past Hollywood Week into the Top 24. And despite his mediocrity, he still hangs around. He was awfully close to going home last week, though. This week it was once again, another less-than-inspiring performance. I don't care if Andrew "has fun" with his performances, you also have to sing well and make a memorable impression to the audience. His rendition of "Hound Dog" once again felt loungy to me. The slowed-down arrangement did not help and it still felt rather boring to me. His vocals were ok, but it shouldn't be enough to save him this week. I think it's his time to go.
Tim Urban - "Can't Help Falling in Love" : So instead of expecting Andrew or Katie to start doing well in this competition, it's actually Tim that's gradually improved week after week. One thing is for sure, he's definitely more comfortable performing when he has a guitar with him. And although he's not the greatest vocalist in the competition (probably the weakest, even), he's learned to sing the songs on key and to change up the arrangement of songs just enough to make them his own. He did exactly that with "Can't Help Falling in Love." He certainly has developed a strategy and as long as he follows that strategy, he'll outlast a lot of the mediocre performers. Another solid week for Tim once again.
Lee Dewyze - "A Little Less Conversation" : Here we have a song that's been done on Idol quite a bit, yet with Lee's interpretation of the song this week, he changed it up very nicely and basically turned it into a completely different song. I actually thought it was a big improvement over last week, as I was not a fan of his "Hey Jude" rendition (with bagpipes and all!). Someone in the blog world mentioned that Lee kind of screwed up the lyrics during the chorus once - but I really didn't notice until looking back and I'm sure the majority of people watching didn't notice, either. I do think that Lee shouted the song an awful lot and the performance would've been that much better if he toned it down just a bit. But still, it was very good.
Aaron Kelly - "Blue Suede Shoes" : Aaron has struggled a bit as of late and its definitely showed in the results - Aaron was in last week's bottom three, although he was the first announced safe before Andrew and Big Mike. Aaron has to be careful of his song choices and start picking smarter. He also needs to perform better. Overall, I'd say he made a good attempt at this week's pick, but it ended up being the wrong song for him. He was moving all over the stage, which was nice to see, even coming up close to Kara at one point. But I think all of that movement kind of through off his vocals. I think he was a bit underwhelming for that particular song and although it wasn't bad, it still wasn't great either.
Siobhan Magnus - "Suspicious Minds" : Siobhan has experienced her own bout of struggles on the Idol stage lately. And it doesn't help that she's been getting conflicting advice from the judges, either. They tell her she shouldn't be using that infamous wail during every performance, yet when he doesn't use it, her performance is regarded as being sleepy. So what will Siobhan do this week? I actually liked it when Adam suggested she pick up the pace of the song, because it worked. She has a tendency to struggle with the lower notes in her register, and that was evident in the first part of the song. I actually think the second half of the song was better than the first, where she really started to ramp the performance up.
Michael Lynche - "In the Ghetto" : Michael definitely did something smart this week. After getting the least amounts of votes last week and being saved by the judges, he performed with an acoustic song and stripped down the arrangement of "In the Ghetto" to the point where the audience could really focus on his vocals. So instead of being flashy, moving all across the stage, and using a variety of hand gestures, he sat still on the Idol stage and performed his song. It was really the right thing to do and his performance was quite beautiful. Sure, you could say it was sleepy but his decision will allow him to stay in this competition a week longer. How embarrassing would it have been to be eliminated this week after getting saved the following week?
Katie Stevens - "Baby What Do You Want Me To Do" : Last week Katie finally lived up to her potential with a strong performance of "Let it Be" and ended up being one of the top performers during Lennon/McCartney week. Let's see if she's able to keep that momentum going. And yet, right from the start, she sounds a bit sharp - not quite matching the pitch that's intended for the song. I actually think she's encountered that problem quite often during her Idol run, except last week it was non-existent. This week it wasn't as bad as it's been, but her vocals weren't perfect. And I don't think this particular song helped her, either. It's one of Elvis' more lesser-known songs and I think Katie does better when she sings ballads over up-tempo songs.
Casey James - "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" : So Casey really picks an old-school Elvis song this week. I certainly wasn't familiar with it and I'm sure many others out there weren't familiar with it, either. Sometimes that's not a negative thing for certain contestants, though. I thought it was a decent performance, but it wasn't all that memorable, either. That's kind of how Casey has performed overall this season. Except for last week where he truly had a moment, he's performed songs exactly how they should be sang, with little changes to the arrangement. He'd really be a great performer in an '80's cover band. Something just felt missing in this performance for me, even though vocally it was quite good.
Top 9 Performance Rankings:
1.) Crystal Bowersox
2.) Lee Dewyze
3.) Michael Lynche
4.) Tim Urban
5.) Siobhan Magnus
6.) Casey James
7.) Katie Stevens
8.) Aaron Kelly
9.) Andrew Garcia
Going home: Andrew Garcia and Aaron Kelly. I think Andrew is definitely a shoo-in to get the boot this week. Of course, how often have I said that this season and he's managed to get through just barely! But with two people going home this week, I really think it's his time. As for the other individual, I really think it's a toss-up between Aaron Kelly and Katie Stevens. However, I think Aaron won't get through beyond this week. Katie is probably still riding some momentum from last week and Aaron has struggled a bit lately.
Showing posts with label top 9. Show all posts
Showing posts with label top 9. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
American Idol 9 - Top 9
So here we are, another week of Idol performances. This week, it's another recycled theme from a past season of Idol, songs from the Lennon-McCartney songbook. During season seven, we had two weeks of L-M songs which was a bit of an overkill. However, these songs are truly epic no matter how great or terrible they're sang (how can we forget Kristy Lee Cook's horrendous rendition of "Eight Days a Week" two years ago?). Even though people were generally disappointed to see this theme re-appear again, I was actually looking forward to it. Beatles music (or Lennon-McCartney songs) brings the best out of people and maybe it'll do the same to this season's crop of contestants. Here is what I had to say about the night:
Aaron Kelly - "The Long and Winding Road" : Aaron has had some pretty strong performances as of late, so let's see if he's able to continue the momentum. Unfortunately last night was an off-night for Aaron. Right from the start, he sounds rather flat. I don't know what it is, but he appears to be lacking energy. I do not like the sound of the background singers during his performance - they are not helping matters much! I am partial to David Archuleta's rendition of this song during season seven and Aaron just doesn't compare. He definitely wasn't on his "A" game tonight and that's unfortunate. It was a less-than-inspiring performance from Aaron this week.
Katie Stevens - "Let it Be" : So it's quite obvious that Katie has been taking a beating on her Idol journey thus far. However, I think she's slowly beginning to turn the corner. Her Fergie cover a couple of weeks ago was decent, and last week's Aretha song while not great, wasn't terrible. How will she do with a Lennon/McCartney song? Well, it turns out, quite great! She chooses possibly the best Lennon/McCartney song of them all - one of the most famous, and sings the heck out of it. This is the Katie we've all been waiting to see during this season! She was passionate, she connected with the song, and turned it into a believable performance. Well done, Katie.
Andrew Garcia - "Can't Buy Me Love" : Andrew has mirrored Katie's Idol journey thus far quite similarly. He, too, appears like he's turned the corner of his mediocre performances and has finally become the contestant we saw during Hollywood Week. His cover of Chris Brown's "Forever" was such a huge improvement over the past few weeks. Now, that doesn't mean there wasn't room to improve, but it was a step in the right direction. Last night, Andrew took a few steps back again. He gave the song a big-band feel and made the performance quite sleazy sounding. He just didn't give the song a great sound and the performance felt off for me. Andrew may be in trouble this week.
Michael Lynche - "Eleanor Rigby" : Michael, a strong contender for the guys, took a few hits from the judges the past few weeks. Although his most recent performances weren't spectacular, they were still very good. One thing is for sure, you can expect Big Mike to be on pitch. I was a little concerned at first with the way the song started, but my concerns were quickly put to rest. Michael delivered a soulful, confident, and enjoyable performance of this Beatles' classic. Again, his enunciation of some of the lyrics is a bit much at times, but that's relatively minor. He is a polished performer and once again excelled this week.
Crystal Bowersox - "Come Together" : Last week, Crystal took a bit of a risk by stepping away from the guitar and playing the piano. You could tell she was nervous during the performance, but it hardly affected her vocals. Crystal is back strumming to her guitar this week, playing the instrument that gives her the most comfort while performing. I would not say this was her best performance to date. You could definitely tell she was struggling with a cold this week. And apparently she messed up the lyrics to the song a bit at one point, but I couldn't tell much. She's entitled to have an off-night, and even in this case, she wasn't off that much. Still another solid performance from Crystal.
Tim Urban - "All My Loving" : Up next is the contestant who's always smiling, Tim Urban. Despite all of the flack he's received since the live shows began, Tim is certainly a trouper. He has yet to pout, whine, or complain about the lack of positive reviews by the judges. He really enjoy singing for his fans - and yes, he has fans. Last night, he finally delivered a solid performance on the big Idol stage. I wouldn't say it was perfect, but it was definitely his best to date (even better than "Hallelujah"). I liked him playing the guitar and I also liked a few of the changes he did to the song and some of the runs that he sang during the performance. Now that's what I like seeing from Tim.
Casey James - "Jealous Guy" : So Casey has been kind of stuck in the middle of the pack for awhile. His cover of classic '80's songs have been good, but not spectacular. He hasn't really delivered on any memorable performances to date, so I am really looking to see if Casey can jump towards the top of the heap. And I must say, Casey finally delivered on a memorable performance. His cover of "Jealous Guy" was so smooth and soulful. I loved the acoustic feel of the song and I thought it was especially great that it was a song never-yet-covered on the Idol stage. Yes, there were a few off-pitch moments, but those pale in comparison to the overall feel of the performance. It was spectacular.
Siobhan Magnus - "Across the Universe" : Last week, Siobhan had a bit of a stumble with her Chaka Khan cover - and it was her worst performance to date. Let's see if she's able to turn things around and deliver a performance we're all used to seeing her do. And while it certainly was an improvement over last week, I wouldn't quite call it great. I do agree with the judges that the performance was a bit sleepy and boring. However, I did like that she stayed away from singing that big note at the end of her performance; which she's accustomed to doing. So, better than last week but still not on par. Her vocals were quite good, it was just the song that kind of let her down this week.
Lee Dewyze - "Hey Jude" : Lee put together a great performance last week with his cover of "Treat Her Like a Lady" that really placed him as a front-runner for the males. I would not be surprised if the competition came down to Lee and Crystal in the end (with Lee possibly winning - who knows?). Lee needs to keep the positive momentum going with another strong performance this week. And I will say that his song choice was stellar - another great, popular Beatles' song. However, I did not love the performance overall. The bagpiper was too much of a gimmick and it took away from Lee on stage. He also sang too many of the "na na na's" in the song and it really became quite cheesy to me. It became too sing-songy for me and I think Lee could've made some better decisions with the song.
Top 9 Performance Rankings:
1.) Casey James
2.) Katie Stevens
3.) Michael Lynche
4.) Crystal Bowersox
5.) Tim Urban
6.) Siobhan Magnus
7.) Lee Dewyze
8.) Andrew Garcia
9.) Aaron Kelly
Going Home : Andrew Garcia. As much as I believe Aaron Kelly delivered the worst performance overall last night, Andrew's is probably the least memorable and his overall record this season hasn't been good. Even though last week he delivered a decent performance, I don't think that momentum will be enough to save him this time around. And yet, he hasn't even appeared in the bottom three yet! But tonight, he'll earn a trip to the bottom three, and his first appearance will definitely be his last. It's a shame because he had so much potential earlier on. But he just hasn't showed up. He's truly a one-trick pony.
Aaron Kelly - "The Long and Winding Road" : Aaron has had some pretty strong performances as of late, so let's see if he's able to continue the momentum. Unfortunately last night was an off-night for Aaron. Right from the start, he sounds rather flat. I don't know what it is, but he appears to be lacking energy. I do not like the sound of the background singers during his performance - they are not helping matters much! I am partial to David Archuleta's rendition of this song during season seven and Aaron just doesn't compare. He definitely wasn't on his "A" game tonight and that's unfortunate. It was a less-than-inspiring performance from Aaron this week.
Katie Stevens - "Let it Be" : So it's quite obvious that Katie has been taking a beating on her Idol journey thus far. However, I think she's slowly beginning to turn the corner. Her Fergie cover a couple of weeks ago was decent, and last week's Aretha song while not great, wasn't terrible. How will she do with a Lennon/McCartney song? Well, it turns out, quite great! She chooses possibly the best Lennon/McCartney song of them all - one of the most famous, and sings the heck out of it. This is the Katie we've all been waiting to see during this season! She was passionate, she connected with the song, and turned it into a believable performance. Well done, Katie.
Andrew Garcia - "Can't Buy Me Love" : Andrew has mirrored Katie's Idol journey thus far quite similarly. He, too, appears like he's turned the corner of his mediocre performances and has finally become the contestant we saw during Hollywood Week. His cover of Chris Brown's "Forever" was such a huge improvement over the past few weeks. Now, that doesn't mean there wasn't room to improve, but it was a step in the right direction. Last night, Andrew took a few steps back again. He gave the song a big-band feel and made the performance quite sleazy sounding. He just didn't give the song a great sound and the performance felt off for me. Andrew may be in trouble this week.
Michael Lynche - "Eleanor Rigby" : Michael, a strong contender for the guys, took a few hits from the judges the past few weeks. Although his most recent performances weren't spectacular, they were still very good. One thing is for sure, you can expect Big Mike to be on pitch. I was a little concerned at first with the way the song started, but my concerns were quickly put to rest. Michael delivered a soulful, confident, and enjoyable performance of this Beatles' classic. Again, his enunciation of some of the lyrics is a bit much at times, but that's relatively minor. He is a polished performer and once again excelled this week.
Crystal Bowersox - "Come Together" : Last week, Crystal took a bit of a risk by stepping away from the guitar and playing the piano. You could tell she was nervous during the performance, but it hardly affected her vocals. Crystal is back strumming to her guitar this week, playing the instrument that gives her the most comfort while performing. I would not say this was her best performance to date. You could definitely tell she was struggling with a cold this week. And apparently she messed up the lyrics to the song a bit at one point, but I couldn't tell much. She's entitled to have an off-night, and even in this case, she wasn't off that much. Still another solid performance from Crystal.
Tim Urban - "All My Loving" : Up next is the contestant who's always smiling, Tim Urban. Despite all of the flack he's received since the live shows began, Tim is certainly a trouper. He has yet to pout, whine, or complain about the lack of positive reviews by the judges. He really enjoy singing for his fans - and yes, he has fans. Last night, he finally delivered a solid performance on the big Idol stage. I wouldn't say it was perfect, but it was definitely his best to date (even better than "Hallelujah"). I liked him playing the guitar and I also liked a few of the changes he did to the song and some of the runs that he sang during the performance. Now that's what I like seeing from Tim.
Casey James - "Jealous Guy" : So Casey has been kind of stuck in the middle of the pack for awhile. His cover of classic '80's songs have been good, but not spectacular. He hasn't really delivered on any memorable performances to date, so I am really looking to see if Casey can jump towards the top of the heap. And I must say, Casey finally delivered on a memorable performance. His cover of "Jealous Guy" was so smooth and soulful. I loved the acoustic feel of the song and I thought it was especially great that it was a song never-yet-covered on the Idol stage. Yes, there were a few off-pitch moments, but those pale in comparison to the overall feel of the performance. It was spectacular.
Siobhan Magnus - "Across the Universe" : Last week, Siobhan had a bit of a stumble with her Chaka Khan cover - and it was her worst performance to date. Let's see if she's able to turn things around and deliver a performance we're all used to seeing her do. And while it certainly was an improvement over last week, I wouldn't quite call it great. I do agree with the judges that the performance was a bit sleepy and boring. However, I did like that she stayed away from singing that big note at the end of her performance; which she's accustomed to doing. So, better than last week but still not on par. Her vocals were quite good, it was just the song that kind of let her down this week.
Lee Dewyze - "Hey Jude" : Lee put together a great performance last week with his cover of "Treat Her Like a Lady" that really placed him as a front-runner for the males. I would not be surprised if the competition came down to Lee and Crystal in the end (with Lee possibly winning - who knows?). Lee needs to keep the positive momentum going with another strong performance this week. And I will say that his song choice was stellar - another great, popular Beatles' song. However, I did not love the performance overall. The bagpiper was too much of a gimmick and it took away from Lee on stage. He also sang too many of the "na na na's" in the song and it really became quite cheesy to me. It became too sing-songy for me and I think Lee could've made some better decisions with the song.
Top 9 Performance Rankings:
1.) Casey James
2.) Katie Stevens
3.) Michael Lynche
4.) Crystal Bowersox
5.) Tim Urban
6.) Siobhan Magnus
7.) Lee Dewyze
8.) Andrew Garcia
9.) Aaron Kelly
Going Home : Andrew Garcia. As much as I believe Aaron Kelly delivered the worst performance overall last night, Andrew's is probably the least memorable and his overall record this season hasn't been good. Even though last week he delivered a decent performance, I don't think that momentum will be enough to save him this time around. And yet, he hasn't even appeared in the bottom three yet! But tonight, he'll earn a trip to the bottom three, and his first appearance will definitely be his last. It's a shame because he had so much potential earlier on. But he just hasn't showed up. He's truly a one-trick pony.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
American Idol 8 - Top 9
The weeks just go by so fast, don't they? We're down to the final nine contestants on this season's American Idol. I have to say that this week's theme is rather vague, wouldn't you say? Top downloads, top iTunes downloads - whatever it is. Any case, the contestants basically have free-reign to do whatever they want. The smart thing to do would to perform a song that's mostly current, like a few of the contestants did this week. However, if one of these contestants can turn a song from the past 20 or 30 years into their own, that could also pay-off quite well. We may be in for a few surprises this week as we get closer and closer towards that big Idol finale in May. But there's still plenty of competition left, so let's get on with this week's recap!
Anoop Desai - "Caught Up" : So after last week's snooze-fest, Anoop is going with a high energy song. Uh oh, following the judges (specifically Randy) advice! That doesn't usually work out the best. I think Brooke White said it best recently that it's always good to be yourself. Don't go trying to please the judges! And I'm not overly enthusiastic about this performance. His cheesy dance moves aren't helping either. It's just kind of middle-of-the-road for me. The song doesn't do Anoop any justice and what's worse is that he seems more cocky than ever! He's got to be careful.
Megan Joy - "Turn Your Lights Down Low" : Megan is performing a song she "absolutely loves." That makes me chuckle because that doesn't always work out, either! Like the judges commented, you might love a song, but that doesn't mean you sing it well. I am beginning to wonder if any of this season's contestants have watched the show in the past? Megan's performance is painfully bad. Her singing isn't terrible; basically just mediocre. But the song isn't giving her any love! I am finding it to be very dull and it does not fit her jazzy tone. And I have to ask, this song is current?
Danny Gokey - "What Hurts the Most" : Danny is toning it down and singing his heart out this week. This is the direction I wanted to see him go because I feel he hasn't met expectations the past few weeks. His performance is better than the previous two before him, but it's still nothing spectacular. I feel the judges over-praised Danny's performance - no surprise since he's the "chosen one." The front part of the song was actually quite enjoyable when he was much more controlled. However, I felt he was trying too hard with the back end of the song and over-shouted a lot. There were definitely some pitchy moments, as well.
Allison Iraheta - "Don't Speak" : Wow, Allison is going to be playing the guitar this week - I didn't know she could play any instruments. I am really digging the opening of this performance where she's more restrained and concentrating on playing the guitar. We get to hear her vocals better this way. Allison does her usual thing on the back-end of the song and it's as good as always. I don't particularly believe she had a "moment" like she did last week, however. There was too much criticism of her outfit and not enough discussion on her performance by the judges. After all, isn't this a singing competition?
Scott MacIntyre - "Just the Way You Are" : I bet Scott was just dying to get a chance to perform a Billy Joel song if he ever had a choice - and he got his wish! It's not a pitch-perfect performance by any means, as Scott tends to struggle the most with the higher notes in his registry. However, this is the best he's sounded in awhile. I like the arrangement of this performance where it's stripped down and he's just playing the piano. This should definitely spare him from ending up in this week's bottom three.
Matt Giraud - "You Found Me" : So far, this is the most current song choice by a contestant this week. I think this song should suit Matt well because the piano plays an integral part of the original version by The Fray. He's placed oddly in the audience with a keyboard - which was probably his doing. And the opening of the performance is terribly off-pitch. He's struggling to find his place with the song but he's finally able to recover. However, he reverts to making the song sound more like the original and not doing enough to make it his own. I wouldn't say it's as bad as his Coldplay performance, but definitely not his strongest.
Lil Rounds - "Surrender" : It sounds like Lil is doing everything she possibly can to pick a song that will please the judges. Well, she'll have to try again next week because she picked a song that does not suit her. She is seriously losing her edge in this competition and is falling back to being a middle-of-the-pack performer. I would tend to agree that this was a safe song to pick for Lil, however, she has to be able to hit the right notes in the song, too. She really seemed to struggle when she was building up to hit the big notes towards the end of her performance. Still not where Lil needs to be to be considered this season's winner.
Adam Lambert - "Play That Funky Music White Boy" : Wow, this is a pretty bold song choice for Adam. But then again, he's definitely one for the dramatics! I wouldn't perceive this song as being well-suited for Idol and for anyone else attempting to sing it, this performance would be a trainwreck. However, Adam really makes this watchable and doesn't do a half-bad job with it. He is definitely back to being a funky rocker this week. Whatever the case, whether he performs a ballad or an up-tempo song, he displays amazing control when he sings. He very rarely hits an off-pitch note.
Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" : Kris says he loves to make a song current and to make it his own. He's hoping to have a performance considered memorable. Well I think he achieved just that. I loved the stripped-down opening to this performance with Kris on the keyboard. Then the song opens up with more of an up-tempo feel and stringed instruments are added. Kris continues to play the keyboard and this is absolutely fantastic. He clearly made this song his own. And he's just oozing with confidence on that stage! What an amazing transformation from when we first saw him during the semi-finals. Great, great job.
And how do this week's performances rank? Well, here's your answer (from best to worst):
1.) Kris Allen
2.) Adam Lambert
3.) Allison Iraheta (actual bottom three - 4/2/09)
4.) Danny Gokey
5.) Scott MacIntyre
6.) Lil Rounds
7.) Matt Giraud
8.) Anoop Desai (actual bottom three - 4/2/09)
9.) Megan Joy (actual eliminee - 4/2/09)
This week I predict Megan to be sent packing. I think her time is up and with two sub-par weeks in a row, the American public won't look too favorably upon that. However, don't be surprised to see someone unexpected in this week's bottom three, either - especially Allison. The judges haven't done enough to support this girl and she could wind up in the bottom three again. However, I don't believe she'll be going home quite yet. I mean look at her, she's 16 years old and she's already like a pro. Her fanbase is still relatively weak, but if she continues to sing solidly week after week - and with more people getting voted off, her fanbase should gain members. One could only hope!
Don't forget to watch the results tonight - should be another good one!
(UPDATE: Megan is the one to leave American Idol this week.)
Anoop Desai - "Caught Up" : So after last week's snooze-fest, Anoop is going with a high energy song. Uh oh, following the judges (specifically Randy) advice! That doesn't usually work out the best. I think Brooke White said it best recently that it's always good to be yourself. Don't go trying to please the judges! And I'm not overly enthusiastic about this performance. His cheesy dance moves aren't helping either. It's just kind of middle-of-the-road for me. The song doesn't do Anoop any justice and what's worse is that he seems more cocky than ever! He's got to be careful.
Megan Joy - "Turn Your Lights Down Low" : Megan is performing a song she "absolutely loves." That makes me chuckle because that doesn't always work out, either! Like the judges commented, you might love a song, but that doesn't mean you sing it well. I am beginning to wonder if any of this season's contestants have watched the show in the past? Megan's performance is painfully bad. Her singing isn't terrible; basically just mediocre. But the song isn't giving her any love! I am finding it to be very dull and it does not fit her jazzy tone. And I have to ask, this song is current?
Danny Gokey - "What Hurts the Most" : Danny is toning it down and singing his heart out this week. This is the direction I wanted to see him go because I feel he hasn't met expectations the past few weeks. His performance is better than the previous two before him, but it's still nothing spectacular. I feel the judges over-praised Danny's performance - no surprise since he's the "chosen one." The front part of the song was actually quite enjoyable when he was much more controlled. However, I felt he was trying too hard with the back end of the song and over-shouted a lot. There were definitely some pitchy moments, as well.
Allison Iraheta - "Don't Speak" : Wow, Allison is going to be playing the guitar this week - I didn't know she could play any instruments. I am really digging the opening of this performance where she's more restrained and concentrating on playing the guitar. We get to hear her vocals better this way. Allison does her usual thing on the back-end of the song and it's as good as always. I don't particularly believe she had a "moment" like she did last week, however. There was too much criticism of her outfit and not enough discussion on her performance by the judges. After all, isn't this a singing competition?
Scott MacIntyre - "Just the Way You Are" : I bet Scott was just dying to get a chance to perform a Billy Joel song if he ever had a choice - and he got his wish! It's not a pitch-perfect performance by any means, as Scott tends to struggle the most with the higher notes in his registry. However, this is the best he's sounded in awhile. I like the arrangement of this performance where it's stripped down and he's just playing the piano. This should definitely spare him from ending up in this week's bottom three.
Matt Giraud - "You Found Me" : So far, this is the most current song choice by a contestant this week. I think this song should suit Matt well because the piano plays an integral part of the original version by The Fray. He's placed oddly in the audience with a keyboard - which was probably his doing. And the opening of the performance is terribly off-pitch. He's struggling to find his place with the song but he's finally able to recover. However, he reverts to making the song sound more like the original and not doing enough to make it his own. I wouldn't say it's as bad as his Coldplay performance, but definitely not his strongest.
Lil Rounds - "Surrender" : It sounds like Lil is doing everything she possibly can to pick a song that will please the judges. Well, she'll have to try again next week because she picked a song that does not suit her. She is seriously losing her edge in this competition and is falling back to being a middle-of-the-pack performer. I would tend to agree that this was a safe song to pick for Lil, however, she has to be able to hit the right notes in the song, too. She really seemed to struggle when she was building up to hit the big notes towards the end of her performance. Still not where Lil needs to be to be considered this season's winner.
Adam Lambert - "Play That Funky Music White Boy" : Wow, this is a pretty bold song choice for Adam. But then again, he's definitely one for the dramatics! I wouldn't perceive this song as being well-suited for Idol and for anyone else attempting to sing it, this performance would be a trainwreck. However, Adam really makes this watchable and doesn't do a half-bad job with it. He is definitely back to being a funky rocker this week. Whatever the case, whether he performs a ballad or an up-tempo song, he displays amazing control when he sings. He very rarely hits an off-pitch note.
Kris Allen - "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" : Kris says he loves to make a song current and to make it his own. He's hoping to have a performance considered memorable. Well I think he achieved just that. I loved the stripped-down opening to this performance with Kris on the keyboard. Then the song opens up with more of an up-tempo feel and stringed instruments are added. Kris continues to play the keyboard and this is absolutely fantastic. He clearly made this song his own. And he's just oozing with confidence on that stage! What an amazing transformation from when we first saw him during the semi-finals. Great, great job.
And how do this week's performances rank? Well, here's your answer (from best to worst):
1.) Kris Allen
2.) Adam Lambert
3.) Allison Iraheta (actual bottom three - 4/2/09)
4.) Danny Gokey
5.) Scott MacIntyre
6.) Lil Rounds
7.) Matt Giraud
8.) Anoop Desai (actual bottom three - 4/2/09)
9.) Megan Joy (actual eliminee - 4/2/09)
This week I predict Megan to be sent packing. I think her time is up and with two sub-par weeks in a row, the American public won't look too favorably upon that. However, don't be surprised to see someone unexpected in this week's bottom three, either - especially Allison. The judges haven't done enough to support this girl and she could wind up in the bottom three again. However, I don't believe she'll be going home quite yet. I mean look at her, she's 16 years old and she's already like a pro. Her fanbase is still relatively weak, but if she continues to sing solidly week after week - and with more people getting voted off, her fanbase should gain members. One could only hope!
Don't forget to watch the results tonight - should be another good one!
(UPDATE: Megan is the one to leave American Idol this week.)
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
American Idol 7 - Top 9
Here we are - a new month and a new week, which means another American Idol review. It's hard to believe we are in the month of April and at least where I live, it STILL looks like winter outside. AMAZING! That's after nearly 25 inches of snow fell from our latest end-of-winter storm. As depressing as that is, at least we have American Idol to lift up our spirits as we try to cope with another blast of winter. This week it was "songs of Dolly Parton," with Dolly herself being the mentor. I've never been a big follower of Dolly and of country music for that matter, so this week was going to be a bit of a challenge for me to stay interested. All in all, I think I did a good job of keeping it together and staying focused at what I do best - giving you guys a review of last night's performances. And off we go!
Brooke White - singing "Jolene": She is on the guitar for this week's performance and she's battling pitch problems right from the start. I think it had a nice country vibe with it; something we hadn't seen from Brooke yet this season. It was a bit different from her usual routine yet she managed to stay pretty consistent with her singing and performing style. I thought the last half of the song was much stronger than the first as she was much more in tune and got rid of any pre-performance jitters that she had out of her system as the song concluded. Overall, a nice job from Brook this week.
David Cook - singing "Little Sparrow": I thought it was great that the first thing David did was address the arrangement controversy that he had gotten himself into the past three weeks or so. He gave the individual singers and groups their proper credit for him using their arrangements and hopefully David was able to put this whole deal past him. I think the criticism against him was unjust as it was. Tonight he mixed things up and put together his OWN arrangement of a song and I thought it was superb. Last week I was not jumping out of my seat over his rendition of "Billy Jean" like most people, so I thought this week was much better for him. He put his own twist on the song and made it very interesting to listen to. He was great with his falsetto notes and continued to shine with his originality.
Ramiele Malubay - singing "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind": It was a pretty nice, upbeat song for Ramiele this week. I think she is trying to stay upbeat with her songs rather than going to ballads which tend to make her seem boring. She injected some personality into the song and was overall a decent performance for her. But probably the biggest obstacle Ramiele faces this week is whether or not that was a performance to remember. For me personally, I didn't think so. I think she is quickly becoming forgettable and she really hasn't done anything to get excited over since she's been in the top 12. I think the end of the road is coming up very soon for Ramiele.
Jason Castro - singing "Travelin' Thru": Jason seems to be staying with the guitar a lot more lately which is probably a good move since he tends to seem awkward without it in his hands. Another thing I've noticed with Jason is that he picks songs that have more of an upbeat flair to them which seems to work the best for him. I really enjoyed Jason's performance this week and I thought it was a great song that he picked. He definitely seemed more serious about being in the competition this week as opposed to the last couple of weeks where it looked like he was just breezing through. For me, he stepped it up with this performance and seemed very confident in his singing abilities.
Carly Smithson - singing "Here You Come Again": Carly picked a very slow song to sing with little, if any tempo to it. It was kind of boring at times but Carly displayed her amazing vocal skills with this performance. Her singing was definitely on-par with no pitch irregularities at all. She is certainly no amateur when it comes to singing as she's able to hold notes for a long period of time with such relative ease. She also looked much more comfortable on stage and a lot more confident than she's been. Certainly another solid performance from Carly this week.
David Archuleta - singing "Smoky Mountain Memories": David is back with a vengeance this week as he puts together a very solid performance with a ballad that suits him nicely. After a questionable song choice a week ago, he picked a perfect song this week and you could definitely tell he felt a connection with it. He sang it with such conviction and emotion and did a marvelous job with the runs throughout the song. It seems like when he's not feeling any pressure and can go up on stage and sing with his heart, he does the absolute best. And seeing that last week David didn't appear to be as comfortable up on that stage singing "You're the Voice," it was completely the opposite this week. He owned the stage and was in his element.
Kristy Lee Cook - singing "Coat of Many Colors": This is definitely the right genre of music for Kristy and if she doesn't do well this week, then there's no hope for her at all. Overall, I thought she was pretty solid this week. No obvious pitch problems like there were last week. However, I didn't think she did anything truly exciting with the song and it was probably quite similiar to Dolly's version. This could've been her week to shine and be the top performer of the night, but she lags back towards the bottom of the barel. Again as I've said before, her time on the American Idol stage will soon be coming to an end.
Syesha Mercado - singing "I Will Always Love You": So Syesha takes on the biggest challenge of the night, that being the song made most famous by Whitney Houston. Usually those who take on Whitney fair quite poorly in the competition but Syesha did a very smart thing, at least in the first half of the song anyways. She kind of mixed things up for awhile, mostly using Dolly's version of the song in the beginning but then in the last half, she switched it over to Whitney's version and how can you not compare it to Whitney? Syesha is definitely no Whitney Houston. Overall I thought it was a decent performance from her but not spectacular - especially considering she encountered a few pitch problems towards the end of the song.
Michael Johns - singing "It's All Wrong, but It's All Right": Michael experienced a major boost in motivation last week after a stellar performance of a Queen medley. It was a very nice, soulful performance this week which he seemed to build upon last week's success. Obviously this song was more laid back than the rock tunes of Queen, but this is the Michael Johns we've been waiting for to show up during most of the top 12. He is definitely back in contention to be the American Idol champ and if he keeps it up, he'll definitely stay until at least the top three. It proved to be the perfect way to end tonight's show and seemed very into the performance from the beginning to the end.
Overall, I'd have to say that after last week's sub-par "year you were born" week, this week was a lot better. I'd give last night's show a rating of 8.5 out of 10. Like I stated earlier, I am no expert on Dolly Parton songs but it ended up being a very enjoyable night of performances. Nothing that was terribly bad, yet a few that will end up being quite forgettable. I will say this, I believe we have three of four singers left that have average singing talent. Once we whittle those people out of this competition, things look to get very interesting as we close in on the top five. With that being said, here are tonight's rankings:
#1: David Archuleta
#2: Michael Johns
#3: David Cook
#4: Carly Smithson
#5: Jason Castro
#6: Syesha Mercado - bottom three
#7: Brooke White (actual bottom three - 4/2/08)
#8: Kristy Lee Cook - bottom three (actual bottom three - 4/2/08)
#9: Ramiele Malubay - eliminated (officially eliminated - 4/2/08)
I do genuinely believe that Ramiele will be voted off this week. But I do not remember a week where she's been in the bottom three (okay, maybe one week she was), so her fan base might keep her in this another week. But the usual bottom dwellers of Kristy Lee and Syesha should wind up there again and quite possibly one of them may be out. As I've found this year, it's really difficult to pick who exactly is being sent home week after week. It's all in the hands of the voters!
YES! Finally predicted the right person to be eliminated for a change. -4/2/08
Brooke White - singing "Jolene": She is on the guitar for this week's performance and she's battling pitch problems right from the start. I think it had a nice country vibe with it; something we hadn't seen from Brooke yet this season. It was a bit different from her usual routine yet she managed to stay pretty consistent with her singing and performing style. I thought the last half of the song was much stronger than the first as she was much more in tune and got rid of any pre-performance jitters that she had out of her system as the song concluded. Overall, a nice job from Brook this week.
David Cook - singing "Little Sparrow": I thought it was great that the first thing David did was address the arrangement controversy that he had gotten himself into the past three weeks or so. He gave the individual singers and groups their proper credit for him using their arrangements and hopefully David was able to put this whole deal past him. I think the criticism against him was unjust as it was. Tonight he mixed things up and put together his OWN arrangement of a song and I thought it was superb. Last week I was not jumping out of my seat over his rendition of "Billy Jean" like most people, so I thought this week was much better for him. He put his own twist on the song and made it very interesting to listen to. He was great with his falsetto notes and continued to shine with his originality.
Ramiele Malubay - singing "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind": It was a pretty nice, upbeat song for Ramiele this week. I think she is trying to stay upbeat with her songs rather than going to ballads which tend to make her seem boring. She injected some personality into the song and was overall a decent performance for her. But probably the biggest obstacle Ramiele faces this week is whether or not that was a performance to remember. For me personally, I didn't think so. I think she is quickly becoming forgettable and she really hasn't done anything to get excited over since she's been in the top 12. I think the end of the road is coming up very soon for Ramiele.
Jason Castro - singing "Travelin' Thru": Jason seems to be staying with the guitar a lot more lately which is probably a good move since he tends to seem awkward without it in his hands. Another thing I've noticed with Jason is that he picks songs that have more of an upbeat flair to them which seems to work the best for him. I really enjoyed Jason's performance this week and I thought it was a great song that he picked. He definitely seemed more serious about being in the competition this week as opposed to the last couple of weeks where it looked like he was just breezing through. For me, he stepped it up with this performance and seemed very confident in his singing abilities.
Carly Smithson - singing "Here You Come Again": Carly picked a very slow song to sing with little, if any tempo to it. It was kind of boring at times but Carly displayed her amazing vocal skills with this performance. Her singing was definitely on-par with no pitch irregularities at all. She is certainly no amateur when it comes to singing as she's able to hold notes for a long period of time with such relative ease. She also looked much more comfortable on stage and a lot more confident than she's been. Certainly another solid performance from Carly this week.
David Archuleta - singing "Smoky Mountain Memories": David is back with a vengeance this week as he puts together a very solid performance with a ballad that suits him nicely. After a questionable song choice a week ago, he picked a perfect song this week and you could definitely tell he felt a connection with it. He sang it with such conviction and emotion and did a marvelous job with the runs throughout the song. It seems like when he's not feeling any pressure and can go up on stage and sing with his heart, he does the absolute best. And seeing that last week David didn't appear to be as comfortable up on that stage singing "You're the Voice," it was completely the opposite this week. He owned the stage and was in his element.
Kristy Lee Cook - singing "Coat of Many Colors": This is definitely the right genre of music for Kristy and if she doesn't do well this week, then there's no hope for her at all. Overall, I thought she was pretty solid this week. No obvious pitch problems like there were last week. However, I didn't think she did anything truly exciting with the song and it was probably quite similiar to Dolly's version. This could've been her week to shine and be the top performer of the night, but she lags back towards the bottom of the barel. Again as I've said before, her time on the American Idol stage will soon be coming to an end.
Syesha Mercado - singing "I Will Always Love You": So Syesha takes on the biggest challenge of the night, that being the song made most famous by Whitney Houston. Usually those who take on Whitney fair quite poorly in the competition but Syesha did a very smart thing, at least in the first half of the song anyways. She kind of mixed things up for awhile, mostly using Dolly's version of the song in the beginning but then in the last half, she switched it over to Whitney's version and how can you not compare it to Whitney? Syesha is definitely no Whitney Houston. Overall I thought it was a decent performance from her but not spectacular - especially considering she encountered a few pitch problems towards the end of the song.
Michael Johns - singing "It's All Wrong, but It's All Right": Michael experienced a major boost in motivation last week after a stellar performance of a Queen medley. It was a very nice, soulful performance this week which he seemed to build upon last week's success. Obviously this song was more laid back than the rock tunes of Queen, but this is the Michael Johns we've been waiting for to show up during most of the top 12. He is definitely back in contention to be the American Idol champ and if he keeps it up, he'll definitely stay until at least the top three. It proved to be the perfect way to end tonight's show and seemed very into the performance from the beginning to the end.
Overall, I'd have to say that after last week's sub-par "year you were born" week, this week was a lot better. I'd give last night's show a rating of 8.5 out of 10. Like I stated earlier, I am no expert on Dolly Parton songs but it ended up being a very enjoyable night of performances. Nothing that was terribly bad, yet a few that will end up being quite forgettable. I will say this, I believe we have three of four singers left that have average singing talent. Once we whittle those people out of this competition, things look to get very interesting as we close in on the top five. With that being said, here are tonight's rankings:
#1: David Archuleta
#2: Michael Johns
#3: David Cook
#4: Carly Smithson
#5: Jason Castro
#6: Syesha Mercado - bottom three
#7: Brooke White (actual bottom three - 4/2/08)
#8: Kristy Lee Cook - bottom three (actual bottom three - 4/2/08)
#9: Ramiele Malubay - eliminated (officially eliminated - 4/2/08)
I do genuinely believe that Ramiele will be voted off this week. But I do not remember a week where she's been in the bottom three (okay, maybe one week she was), so her fan base might keep her in this another week. But the usual bottom dwellers of Kristy Lee and Syesha should wind up there again and quite possibly one of them may be out. As I've found this year, it's really difficult to pick who exactly is being sent home week after week. It's all in the hands of the voters!
YES! Finally predicted the right person to be eliminated for a change. -4/2/08
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)