Anyway, here are my thoughts, from best of the night to worst…
The Best
Adam Lambert—“The Tracks of My Tears.” Finally, I can say without a doubt in my mind that I am an Adam Lambert fan. He did what I (kinda sorta) knew he could do all along: deliver a song with conviction, passion and stunning vocals without being completely over-the-top. This performance was so good it goes as far as to re-color his previous performances for me—I alter my undecided status to unabashed support! I cannot wait to see what Adam will do next, and he’s right on track to win this sucker.
Allison Iraheta—“Papa Was A Rolling Stone.” Sweet lord, I don’t even know if I should bother because you know what I’m going to say—I LOVE THIS GIRL. All I can see when I look at her is Kelly Clarkson, and when I listen to her, spontaneous ear orgasms ensue. I was out of my seat and cheering by the end of this. American Idol! (Now if only the judges would put down their crayons long enough to see this too).
The Believable
Kris Allen—“How Sweet It Is.” Kris definitely sounded better when it was just his voice, the piano and the guitar, but he still pulled this performance off. His voice is simply as smooth as butter—there’s something immensely pleasing about it, so I know we’ll be hearing a pop album from him no matter where he lands on Idol. But he’s proving slowly that he deserves to stick around for a good, long while. And kudos on the final power note—I don’t know why more Idol contestants haven’t figured out that a little gratuitous belting goes a long way, if appropriately placed…
Matt Giraud—“Let’s Get It On.” Although I don’t want to think of “The Arrogant Forehead” (yes, I just made that insulting nickname up, I’m sad to say) in any kind of sexual context, I didn’t hate him for this. But I didn’t love him either. That being said, Matt certainly deserves to be crooning up there in the Top 10 (who am I kidding, in the Top 7). But then again, let’s be real—there is NO WAY he’s going to win this thing. I may eat those words later, but I just don’t see him taking down Adam, Kris or Danny. Conclusion: Matt remains firmly in the middle, despite his best efforts.
Danny Gokey—"Get Ready." I am a big fan of Danny’s voice, and I still hold he is a perfectly suited Idol contestant. Let’s face it, he’s going to continue to breeze through and there is little to be done about that. But I do have a bone to pick—Kara (and the other judges) keep (over)emphasizing the importance of original artistry this season for every other contestant, yet no one chooses to call Danny on his total lack of musical personality. His song choices are consistently Lite-FM-worthy and he’s made no impact as far as his own musical stylings go. He’s picked nothing but cheese and sap, and I thought Idol had left these things behind with Taylor Hick’s crown. And NEVER hand-roll with the backup singers, Danny. Ever.
Anoop Desai—“Ooh Baby Baby.” Dull indeed. Beautifully sung, yes, but dull. Step it up, Anoop, if you want to crack 7th place! That’s all I really have…
Lil Rounds—“Heatwave.” I want to like you so much Lil, why won’t you let me? Something about her voice simply doesn’t sound right to me, and this is coming from a true Idol diva expert. This performance was wildly overbaked, and Simon was right, she SO could have had a moment here with the right song. Instead, Adam and Allison stole the show, and Lil keeps sinking lower and lower…and quit it with that damn fake laugh, it’s so transparent!
The Broke-Down
Megan Joy—“For Once In My Life.” What the hell is going on? Megan lacks stage presence, rhythm, musical savvy, style and confidence. She does possess one helluva gorgeous face and a semi-interesting tone to her voice, but she does not possess the ability to sing in key, hit big notes or prove that she is even within remote striking distance of the likes of Amy Winehouse, Duffy or Jazmine Sullivan, just to name a few. This needs to end. Soon.
Scott MacIntyre—“You Can’t Hurry Love.” It’s very difficult for me to actually form an opinion about this performance—well that’s not true, it was miserable and amateurish and suited for a sub-par piano bar. What I’m having difficulty with is caring enough to take the time to write about Scott. It’s time. Please release him from this misery.
Michael Sarver—“Ain’t To Proud To Beg.” If Michael were only mediocre this week, I think he’d be a goner for sure. But because this performance was such a complete train wreck, I don’t think he’ll get the (much-deserved) boot just yet. At least he can stand “proud” among the likes of Haley Scarnato, Kristy Lee Cook, Sanjaya Malakar and John Stevens as the plucky-yet-untalented survivor of this season.
Predictions: It’s obvious Scott, Michael and Megan are not on the same level as the other contestants, and not only do they belong in the bottom three, they probably will actually be there based on last night (what a shocker that would be)! I’m pegging Scott for the boot only because he didn’t tank totally like Sarver, which will probably win the latter the pity votes formerly assigned to blindness.
Best,
Z
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