This week on "American Idol", the Top 24 contestants will be narrowed down to the Top 20. Performing in front of a "public" audience for the first time -- and, more importantly, now at the mercy of votes from the TV audience -- the Top 12 guys gave it their all on Tuesday, and the Top 12 girls strutted their stuff on Wednesday. As I said last week, this is an impressively talented crop of would-be pop stars, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the voting is close ... with one or two exceptions, perhaps.
First up, the guys. My opinion is slightly skewed, but through no fault of my own: the local Fox affiliate screwed up and transmitted a black screen for about 15 minutes, so I missed the performances by Chikezie Eze and David Cook. The rest of what I saw, though, was mighty entertaining. David Hernandez kicked things off to a promising start with a rousing rendition of "In The Midnight Hour". Two of the competitors I hadn't really taken notice of before caught my attention this time: Robbie Carrico delivered a strong rendition of the Three Dog Night classic "One"; and Jason Castro stood out from the crowd by strumming his own guitar (the only contestant of the Top 24 to play his own instrument at this stage) to a thoroughly pleasant take on the Lovin' Spoonful song "Daydream".
But, as impressed as I was with some contestants, I was unexpectedly disappointed with others. Danny Noriega tried his best with the Elvis tune "Jailhouse Rock", but even though his pitch was fine he had problems keeping up with the tempo -- I'd have to agree with the judges' opinion that it just wasn't the right song for him. And for the first time, Michael Johns left me only lukewarm with his rendition of "Light My Fire" -- perhaps it was because I was expecting to be wowed by him as usual, or maybe it was because I had seen some excellent performances already that night, or it could have been the song itself that left me cold (goodness knows, I've heard plenty of people sing it).
Who I think ought to be eliminated: Luke Menard (I really can't remember his performance at all, and I paid attention to the entire show ... leaving so little of an impression on me doesn't bode well for a pop singer) and Garrett Haley (sure, he's kind-of cute -- reminds me of Canadian Idol Kalan Porter, actually -- but he too was just okay ... nothing outstanding about him). Danny really does deserve another chance, and I think he's too popular and likeable to be voted off so early.
Who I think will be eliminated: Colton Berry and Luke Menard.
Who I voted for: David Archuleta -- This will come as little or no surprise to those of you who read my "Idol" entry last week, but David really was truly the best performance amongst the guys, hands down ... or, to put it a different way, one or two of the other guys may have edged him out strictly on vocal talent, but he more than makes up for it with his charisma and cuteness. As Simon pointed out, David has "got it" ... that indescribable combination that makes for a real pop star.
My other favorites: Jason Castro and David Hernandez.
And now, on to the ladies. I'll admit (and I've mentioned at least once before in this blog) that I don't care for female vocalists nearly as much as male vocalists, but I must say I had more fun watching the ladies than I thought I would. Sure, the vast majority of the girls are the pop-diva type, and they do kind-of blur together after awhile, but when the raw talent is this good, I just can't get bored. Alaina Whitaker impressed me with her take on "More Today Than Yesterday"; Ramiele Malubay totally knocked my socks off with a gorgeous Dusty Springfield number; and Asia'h Epperson and Alexandrea Lushington both electrified me (and the crowd) with their confidence and energy.
Alas, there were missteps amongst the ladies as well. I think Amanda Overmyer was really good, but I couldn't tell for sure: her voice kept getting drowned out by the music, and it probably wasn't the best choice of song to begin with, since you really have to go with a tune that showcases the singer's voice. And then there's Amy Davis ... she appeared to let her nervousness get the best of her, and her song was littered with hesitant delivery and off-key notes. (If you looked closely, you could even see her lip quivering nervously as she was standing beside Ryan Seacrest after her performance.)
Who I think ought to be eliminated: Carly Smithson (I'm probably gonna get hated for this ... but I found myself in agreement with Simon in that there just wasn't anything really special about the performance -- it was very good, but not terribly unique) and Amy Davis (for her aforementioned tragic performance).
Who I think will be eliminated: Amy Davis and Kristy Lee Cook.
Who I voted for: Syesha Mercado -- Possibly taking a cue from Amanda, Syesha eschewed any syrupy or inspirational pop ballad and positively wowed me with a bluesy rocking rendition of "Tobacco Road". Much like David Archuleta, Syesha's a natural born pop star; if she doesn't go the distance, I'll be shocked and disappointed.
My other favorites: Alexandrea Lushington and Ramiele Malubay.
So, let's tune in tonight and see how accurate my predictions are...!
Jackie Cooper: 1922 - 2011
12 years ago
I can't believe you didn't remember Luke's performance...
ReplyDeletenot only is he the best looking out of that bunch of young men but he is very talented. I thought he did very well, true he was not the best of the night. I think you should give him another chance and this time really pay attention to the show. there were performances a lot worse and more boring.
Okay, in watching the results show last night, I was reminded of Luke's performance. I can't say he's much more memorable than before, but perhaps I should have picked someone else as my choice/prediction for elimination. I didn't name Chikezie or David, only out of fairness because I didn't see their full performances.
ReplyDeleteI gotta hand it to myself, though ... I called three out of four of the eliminations!! ;-)