Thursday, March 15, 2012

American Idol Top 11 Perform Songs from the Year of Their Birth

By now we are all aware that Jermaine Jones - otherwise known as the Gentle Giant - was disqualified from American Idol because of outstanding warrants, but the story indeed may go much deeper than that with TMZ reporting how the absent father cried fowl on Jermaine's emotional back story.

All I know is they brought back a contestant, which they have never before done, adding a "spare" to the top 24 and it is that "spare" who gets eliminated the same night we'll whittle the group down to the Top 10, i.e. the official tour lineup.

Had Idol not televised this confrontation between Jermaine and the producers we might have brushed it off as business as usual, but this time it sounds more like a cheap marketing ploy to get some extra ratings. It was all very sensationalistic, even for Idol.

Forgive me for being skeptical but I don't buy it. Surely these folks have been burned enough in the past to do a thorough background check on these folks prior to the live shows.

AT ANY RATE...

The YOB theme is always iffy given the huge wealth of songs each contestant has to choose from. Anything can happen, but generally one brave soul will sing a song we're not so familiar with, some will sing older songs that technically qualify because they were made in the year of their birth and some will take on songs from singers they have no business trying to emulate.

In other words, we're in for a more critical review of tonight's performance show.

Phillip Phillips started the festivities with "Hard to Handle" by the Black Crowes. That I didn't pick it yesterday was a total oversight on my part, it is kinda the perfect song for him. Given the dude just had surgery he really rocked his choice and started the show off right. But even still, I haven't connected to him emotionally yet. I can't tell you why. There's no real reason. Without his guitar he looks a bit awkward, but it may be just a Joe Cocker type of spastic that just comes with that type of performer. I guess I'll have to get used to it.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 5
Total: 21
Probability of moving on: Strong

Jessica Sanchez chose wisely (i.e. sang a song off my wish list from yesterday) with "Turn the Beat Around." TECHNICALLY it's a disco hit but Gloria Estefan breathed some flavor into it in 1995 when our youngest contestant was born. She came out belting it out just like disco diva in her sparkly pants. She also owned that stage with a prowess way beyond her tender 16 years. This girl is a major contender because she can do more than the ballad, no matter what the judges say. LOVE this girl. Let her spread her wings however she wants, guys.

Vocals: 5
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 25
Probability of moving on: Strong

Heejun Han picked "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx. Another ballad. Color me surprised. Instead of telling me how funny this guy is, why can't we see his personality on the stage? My patience is wearing thin. If he gets through to next week and does another ballad, I'm afraid he'll earn himself a zero.

Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 3
Individuality: 3
Song Choice: 1
Total: 14
Probability of moving on: Questionable

Our 1983 baby, Elise Testone, picked "Let's Stay Together" and had an impromptu sing-off with President Obama. That was kinda righteous and made my whole night, frankly. I loved that she went back to her songstress roots with this song. She had a lot more confidence with this song than the Whitney debacle of last week. It was good to see. By the end I really didn't see much to criticize. Let's hope her fans rally to keep her in the competition.

Vocals: 5
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 25
Probability of moving on: Good

Oh, DeAndre. My sweet little DeAndre Brackensick. I love you. I do. But you just committed a Geevie Idol Sin by singing one of my most hated songs, EVER. NO. NO NO NO. They should have let him sing Disney. Blame Jimmy Iovine but... I had to fast-forward.

Vocals: 4 (Based on past performances)
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 0
Total: 12
Probability of moving on: It's in his fans' hands now.

(Dre, hon, if you stay, next time check my blog. I won't steer you wrong, sweetie.)

Shannon Magrane had the choice to do No Doubt's "Don't Speak" but opted to take on Mariah Carey and Boys II Men.

:-|

Another ballad. Surprise, surprise. She could have done something more youthful and exciting but no. She took on Mariah Carey. BIG mistake. You should never attempt to sing a Mariah song UNLESS you can sing it better than Mariah. And Shannon can't. Another misstep.

But at least she dressed young. Progress?

Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 1
Total: 16
Probability of moving on: Questionable

Colton Dixon sang White Lion and stayed true to some harder rock roots, which is always good to hear. But he, like Phillip, leaves me cold for some unknown reason. I'm missing the star quality of Adam Lambert and swagger of Daughtry. Colton sounds the same on every single song he sings, no matter what he sings. At this point it's really take it or leave it with me, but at least it was more exciting than a ballad, which makes him invaluable to this season.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 4 (White Lion = good. Unknown song = risky.)
Total: 20
Probability of moving on: Good

Erika Van Pelt, our EVP, chose - guess what - ANOTHER BALLAD.

:-|

I just really don't even know what to say. She's just not living up to the potential she alone has to be a standout artist this year. I'm so frustrated. Like Heejun, if she gets through to next week and does another ballad, it's zeroes from here on out.

Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 3
Song Choice: 1
Total: 15
Probability of moving on: Questionable

Jimmy tried to steer Skylar Laine away from her 1992 Bonnie Raitt pick, "Love's Sneaking Up On You." I'm not really thrilled by her original choice given the material she could have picked, including Faith Hill's "Piece of My Heart" - which would have given her a chance to rock with southern flavor. Pretty boring overall. Another missed opportunity.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 2
Total: 19
Probability of moving on: Good

Thank God for Joshua Ledet. My hair is STILL tingling. Serve that man crawfish before each and every performance. It didn't hurt his song was my fantasy pick, "When a Man Loves a Woman," which puts me two for two for the evening. And two of my favorite performances at that.

Go figure.

This boy evokes ghosts of Sam Cooke or Jackie Wilson on stage. I think the only thing I've ever thanked Michael Bolton for was that he released this remake in the year Joshua was born so he could sing it.

Vocals: 5
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 25
Probability of moving on: Strong

Hollie Cavanagh sang a ballad but she can. And she should. She picked Celine Dion which is risky business for any lesser singer, but Hollie can pull something this epic off almost effortlessly.

*Almost.*

This is one of my favorite Celine Dion songs of all time and it has deep personal meaning to me, so I've heard (and sung) "The Power of Love" quite a lot since 1994. That's why it was easy for me to tell whenever she slid off-key, which is easy to do with that kind of monster song. For that reason I had to ding her, but I still believe she has a long Idol journey ahead of her.

Vocals: 4
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 24
Probability of moving on: Strong

I think the Heejun, DeAndre, Shannon and EVP have the most to worry about tomorrow. So I guess we have to ask ourselves: who do we want to see live in concert?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

American Idol Top 12 (11?) Songs from the Year of Their Birth (Wish List)

So I hear our Top 12 will be cut prematurely this week with the departure of Gentle Giant Jermaine Jones, who (possibly?) has a criminal history he left out of his bio when he applied/participated in the show. Sad, but the show must go on.

As the contestants get younger and younger I get further away from my music of choice (1970s/80s.) It's hard to narrow down an entire year's worth of music when I was too busy raising small kids to even worry much about Billboard's Top 40. But this is a pretty wide open theme night with tons of possibility and fortunately for several of our girls the whole Whitney Houston thing is out of the way for the season (I hope.)

We'll start with our oldest contestant, Elise Testone, who was born in 1983. Like any 13-year-old I was plastered to my radio and I had several favorites I think she could do serious justice to with that smoky voice of hers. Hits like Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart"



Or Laura Branigan's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You"



are tailor-made for a contestant like Elise. Call me crazy but I kinda want to see her take on more of a vocal challenge - maybe someone like.... Steve Perry?



Whatever it is I think it needs to be light years away from any kind of uptempo dance tune. That's not who Elise is, and she desperately needs to remind us this week who exactly that is.

(Song she's not allowed to sing: "True" by Spandau Ballet. It will result in an Instant 0 I don't care how good she sings it.)

Erika Van Pelt, or EVP, was born in 1985. Fortunately she already burned through a Heart tune and I hope she steers clear of any of the other Heart hits from that era because it is clear that does not resonate with the audience. Instead she needs to rock. Fortunately for her Pat Benatar had a big hit that year with "We Belong:"



If she wants to go a little rougher around the edges vocally, she could lay down the law with Tina Turner's "Better Be Good to Me"



Anything by Heart or Whitney Houston will earn her an Instant 0.

Heejun Han was born in 1989, which is a year I strongly connect to Guns N' Roses. I have to admit the thought of his tackling a GNR hit kinda makes me chuckle to spite myself. There was also a lot of fun music that year, which I would really desperately like him to incorporate into his stage persona. He's the class clown, but he gets behind that mic and he's a serious crooner. Too serious, actually. It's kinda Dr. Chuckle and Mr. Bored Stiff.

It's kinda ... confusing.

It's a challenge to get him out of the box and perform but I kinda think maybe he should tackle Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative."



He could also have a little fun with Milli Vanilli (no DeAndre hair jokes please) or even Tone Loc.

If he absolutely HASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS to do a slow one, let him try to conquer the last note of this ballad by Sheriff:



(It was actually released in the early 80s but re-released and hit the charts in 1989, so... it qualifies.)

Phillip Phillips was born in 1990, which makes him as old as my son Timothy.



I didn't get a whole lot of sleep that year, so I don't remember much of it. He's a hard one to predict even if I remembered every single song released that year. He has shown the propensity of taking a song you wouldn't expect and doing something you wouldn't expect him to do with it.

The impish part of me wonders with Mr. Steven Tyler would say if he Phillified something like..."Janie's Got a Gun:"



Talk about your challenge. He could also tackle something like "Epic" by Faith No More. With all the balladeers this season it may do him some good to do something that rocks in order to set himself apart from the pack.

Colton Dixon is a child of 1991, and the biggest hit that year was "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," by Bryan Adams. I kinda heard that enough the 90s so he'd really have to knock it out of the park for me to get behind it again. Another oldie but a goodie, if not exceedingly slow, is "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak.



How he could totally win my favor? Do a little Queensryche.



Joshua Ledet has some good R&B tunes he could choose from in 1992, including a couple of old soul remakes:







Hollie Cavanagh has some serious vocal chops, that much is clear. She could close the show with a gospel-infused rendition of the MJ classic "Will You Be There." (I get chills just thinking about it.)

She could also branch out and appeal to one of the judges with her rendition of "Crazy."



Skylar Laine can use this opportunity to bring some of that fiesty fun that made her an early favorite for me, and fortunately for her 1994 had some big hits from country powerhouses like Martina McBride:





Reba McEntire:



and Patty Loveless:



I think DeAndre Brackensick should play to his base with something for thah ladies...



or maybe... if Prince is feeling especially generous...he could allow DeAndre to sing "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World."

(As you know we can't link or embed songs from his Royal Badness. But DeAndre was tailor made to sing his music, so let's hope our favorite eccentric musical genius lets go of the reigns *a little.*)

Shannon Magrane
survived to fight another day and God only knows we'll get another ballad to show for it. Maybe something Disneyfied:



Or take on the King of Pop with one of his ballads:



But she could amp up the tempo just a tad and still give us something inspirational:



Jessica Sanchez
is our youngest contestant, and unlike her toughest competitor Hollie, Jessica has shown a bit of versatility when it comes to music selection. She does ballads really well but she doesn't HAVE to do ballads, which makes it more fun to see what she is going to do.

I'd love to see her do something more upbeat with a little attitude.





And though I'd normally caution anyone away from Mariah, she could do something a little more youthful with:



This is my fantasy list for tomorrow's idol. Which means NONE of the songs I chose will likely be picked.

But it sure is fun trying to put a singer to a song, isn't it?

Thursday, March 8, 2012

American Idol Top 13 Perform Whitney and Stevie

You'll have to forgive me that I have an involuntary gag reflex whenever I face any Whitney or Stevie theme night because these two artists are so iconic Idol contestants have pretty much run through their discography ad nauseam. No disrespect to the most recently departed Whitney Houston by any stretch - in fact it is out of the knowledge she IS so iconic that trying to duplicate her enormous talent usually ends up poorly for the contestant who dares to take her on.

On this 400th episode of AI Ryan tells us that the girls will be performing in competition with the boys. At the end of the results show tomorrow both the guy with the lowest votes and the girl with the lowest votes will go before the judges, who will ultimately decide their fate.

The girls were up to the challenge, sort of. Two knocked it completely out of the park, whereas two fell completely out of place. For the boys they were mostly consistent but a little ho hum. I knew that this Whitney/Stevie mash-up would be a regularly snooze-fest for the Fast Forward King (my dear hubby) but when all was said and done he watched two performances straight through and was mad that one of the three up-tempo songs was mangled beyond all recognition.

Jimmy Iovine brought Mary J. Blige in to help coach the Idols this week and for the most part they were helpful. It hurt me to see Jimmy throw poor Elise under the bus but what can you do? The producers have their favorites too.

(As you could tell by the placement of all the singers tonight. There's a reason Phillip Phillips is the Vegas favorite to take home the title.)

One of my favorites kicked off the show with the fun Stevie tune, "I Wish." Joshua Ledet brought a little gospel into the peppy song and gave it his all as he performed, which made his unfortunate position as first a little less forgettable. His performance reminded me of some R&B greats who had come before him and I found his groove infectious. I truly couldn't find any real fault with it. I had a good time, and that's something I wasn't even sure was possible on this particular theme night.

Vocals: 5
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 25
Probability of moving on: Good*
(His placement as first is the only thing that downgrades his chances from Strong.)

As I said before, I was not happy that Jimmy Iovine threw a different song choice at Elise Testone out of her comfort zone. I was, however, very glad he steered her away from that particular ballad for a peppy upbeat number, "I'm Your Baby Tonight." I love her voice but she really has to amp up the confidence to tackle these challenges. Her uncertainty caused her to lose her way in the song, which never fit her properly in the first place. I would have really loved to see her approach that song from another perspective, like jazz. The arrangement she ended up using either was out of whack or she has a misstep right out of the gate. I don't think she was able to recover after that. Couple this with her early placement in the lineup and this could spell trouble.

Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 3
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 3
Total: 17
Probability of moving on: Questionable

Jermaine Jones took on "Knock Me Off My Feet" with that big deep voice of his. While it was a sleepier number than the first too there was a swagger there I don't think had been there before. His voice however is pretty stylized so I'm not sure how polarizing he will ultimately be as a contestant. If you were already a fan of Jermaine this performance gave you another dynamic to enjoy. It depends now if voters will remember this performance by the end of the show. I found it nice but forgettable.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 4
Total: 20
Probability of moving on: Fair to Good

Erika Van Pelt (or EVP as she will now be called) apparently didn't learn her lesson last week. After nearly being sent home for singing a ballad (and saved by the skin of her teeth singing something with more of an edge,) she opted to take on Whitney's ballad "I Believe in You and Me."

:-|

This chick obviously has a sadistic streak. It's not enough she almost got booted on her fanny LAST week she wants to remind us all that she doesn't have the strongest ballad voice, she can just make it a little edgier when she does it. She could have chosen a song to stand out all on her own ("It's Not Right But It's Okay" for instance, which is Whitney's most badass recognizable tune.) (And she's a DJ... should should know it.) Instead she just decided to blend in with the pack. Yeah her voice was cool and all but this was yet another missed opportunity for her. I'm not sure how forgiving the voting public will be with her for doing the same unoriginal karaoke two weeks in a row.

I'm annoyed and I like her. EVP, darling, you're a rocker. Let everyone else bore my husband to tears with a ballad. STAND. OUT.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 2
Total: 18
Probability of moving on: Fair to Good*
(She earns the "good" because chances are higher she'll get a boomerang of votes to keep her out of jeopardy again this week, and honestly two other girls performed worse.)

Colton Dixon sang "Lately." This alt rocker also slowed things down, but I really couldn't presume to pick a song that would better suit him. Most of the songs he sings sound the same to me. When he performed I didn't hear shades of Stevie in the background. I suppose that's a good thing? I just haven't been wowed by Colton yet. I think this will appeal to his fan base. How substantial that is will determine his placement overall, but I can't see this particular performance sending him home.

Vocals: 4
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 4
Total: 22
Probability of moving on: Good to Strong

Shannon Magrane is another contestant who hasn't yet learned that truly talented singers have more in their back pocket than just a pat ballad. Instead of keeping it young ("I Wanna Dance With Somebody" for instance,) she TOO opted for a ballad - one way older than her tender age of 16. She couldn't sell it emotionally nor vocally. "I Have Nothing" is a huge Whitney tune and unlike EVP before her, she doesn't necessarily have the chops to carry this kind of song. This was evident in the number of notes she missed. Her vocal was really the the weakest of the night.

If the nicest judges on TV are telling you it's bad, it's bad. That they actually identified her as bad is her only hope for votes to get into the next round.

Vocals: 2
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 3
Song Choice: 1
Total: 14
Probability of moving on: Questionable

My sweet little DeAndre Brackensick. What can I say? I find just about everything about him endearing, even the way he uttered, "Lawd have mercy" when he saw video playback of how emotional last week was for him. I wasn't crazy about the wild "up-do" he had going on but it spared him from the hair flip of doom. His performance of the Reggae flavored "Master Blaster" let him let his hair down a little (figuratively speaking) and he got to be what he is: a 17 year old kid. It was youthful and fun but still gave him an opportunity to show his range a little bit. I was able to watch it three times and enjoy it as much every single time. I can't always understand what he's singing, but I sure like the sound of his voice while he's doing what he does so effortlessly. I remain unabashed in my bias, but this week he earned it.

Vocals: 5
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 24
Probability of moving on: Strong

Skylar Laine is so country it hurts. I've always found it interesting that British performers can sing a song and we'll never hear a hint of their accent but when it comes to southern performers it hits you in the face like a cold blast of water. So it really didn't matter what Whitney song she sang tonight, it was going to come across like be-dazzling rhinestones on haute couture. I did appreciate both Jimmy and Mary "reigning" her in to deliver her version of "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" with a softer touch. It really prevented her from taking it over the top, which could have sunk her.

As our only real country contestant this year, I think odds in her favor that she'll advance.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 4
Total: 22
Probability of moving on: Strong

I still don't know what to make of Heejun Han. He can sing but his personality is a bit... quirkier than we normally see on Idol. But I guess since Reed Grimm didn't make the cut, he does fill a comedy niche. My only problem is that he sings boring songs. He opted for "All is Fair in Love." He sings like a balladeer while maintaining the backstage presence of a class clown. I'd love to see him bring a little bit more of that personality to the stage.

(Which I believe was my complaint last week as well.)

Either way, boring, forgettable performance.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 4
Total: 20
Probability of moving on: Fair to Good

Hollie Cavanagh sang "All the Man That I Need" - which happens to be my favorite Whitney tune of all time. It's a HUGE song, but she has a HUGE voice - so it fit. Many times when we hear Whitney songs on Idol I miss actually hearing Whitney. Hollie, tonight, performed a miracle. Not only did she give me goosebumps hitting these big notes (especially that doozy at the end) but she made me want to hear HER version again rather than the original. It's a shame it was slow, my husband Speedy McSpeederson FF'd right on by.

I think she's definitely one to watch. I can see her going all the way to top 3 (at least) if she keeps this up.

Vocals: 5
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 25
Probability of moving on: Strong

Jeremy Rosado won us over last week by being the kid who wears his heart on his sleeve. He brought J-Lo to tears and earned her Wild Card pick with a voice that she commented was straight from the heavens. Despite this ringing endorsement his performance of "Ribbon in the Sky" didn't do much for me. It was... pleasant. It was nice. But it didn't stand out the way I had hoped it would. I think odds are good that he'll experience that boomerang vote effect where his fans will vote this week where they didn't last week. (He may have even won a few more with his emotional journey thus far.) IF by any stretch he does wind up in the bottom two going against one of the girls I doubt he'll be sent home, especially if Jennifer has anything to say about it.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 4
Total: 20
Probability of moving on: Fair to Good

You knew when we heard it was Whitney week SOMEONE would sing "I Will Always Love You." This is risky because Whitney sang the hell out of this song to the point, especially now that she has passed, it's almost sacrilege to try and put a different, individual spin on it. This inevitably vaults it into karaoke territory for lesser singers. Fortunately Jessica Sanchez is not a lesser singer. She's got a big ol voice for such a little girl, and she really did deliver.

Having said that I think Hollie may have outsung her tonight, if only by a smidge. I think Jessica's rather cliche performance of this predictable song (under a spotlight much like J-Hud sang at the Grammys) did not do her any real favors to set her apart from Whitney or even J-Hud. Unless you can surpass them, not just draw neck and neck, it's best not to draw those comparisons.

I still think she's the girl to beat, although after tonight I think Hollie is right on her heels.

Vocals: 5
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 5
Total: 24
Probability of moving on: Strong

Phillip Phillips closed the show and we all know what that means. It would seem he's a producer favorite as well as a Vegas favorite, though I swear I still don't see why. I get that he takes songs and puts an individual spin on the song - but it all sounds like the same thing to me and that's not really that original at all. Every time he performs I am reminded of the likes of David Cook - and then I want to hear David Cook.

"Superstition" is my favorite Stevie Wonder song hands down. I usually like it when most people do it, as long as they do it fairly close to the Stevie Wonder version. That's how much I love it. So I wasn't crazy about this gruff rock switcharoo much like I didn't care for what he did last week. I don't think he's going home anytime too soon but I have yet to see in him what everyone else does.

Maybe next week.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 4
Total: 21
Probability of moving on: Strongest

(Has anyone ever gone home who performed in the pimp spot? I can't recall.)

If voting follows performance then Elise and Shannon are in the most trouble. For the guys it will just depend on where the fan allegiances lie as no one really dropped the ball vocally. Some performances were more memorable than other, but never underestimate the power of the judges and the lineup in which they sang. According to my grades Jermaine, Jeremy and Heejun tied with the lowest boys scores at 20, but poor Joshua is fighting the dreaded curse of first.

(It didn't help the judges gave him props for standing out several times, which could lull his fanbase into a false sense of security. We have seen this happen many times before.)

That means it's anybody's game for the guys.

My pick to go home: Elise.

Friday, March 2, 2012

American Idol Top 13 - Season 11

Normally I don't do a Results Show recap but I'm pretty excited about the Top 13, especially the last contestant to slide in by the skin of his teeth. In fact I didn't know how much I cared about this UNTIL it was announced and I deafened my entire family with my whoop of joy.

In fact the entire Wild Card segment just brought me to tears and invested me in the whole dang season that there's no turning back now.

The first member to make it into the Top 10 based on popular vote was Phillip Phillips.


As predicted, Chase and Jeremy suffered from their lack of exposure and Phillip moved right on through.

The results show included comments from Jimmy Iovine, who typically renders a harsher critique than the Kinder, Gentler Judges. Some things I agreed, some things I didn't. I wasn't on board with his assessment of Phillip. I don't find him all that original. I get a real David Cook vibe off of the artist Phillip is setting himself up to be.

The girls were brought up four at a time, and the first two to make it into the Top Ten were Hollie Cavanagh and Jessica Sanchez.


Jimmy commented that Brielle's pick of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was too old fashioned and he was right on... especially since he echoed what I already said in my blog yesterday. She still justified it, speaking of herself once again in the third person. I wasn't particularly heartbroken nor surprised when she didn't make it into the Top Ten.

He also stated that Jessica is the one to beat, which I also alluded to in yesterday's blog pegging her the One to Watch for Season 11. If there's a girl to win this thing, breaking a streak of male winners since Carrie Underwood, it's this girl.

By no surprise another favorite guy of mine, Joshua Ledet, joined Heejun Han over in the coveted stools for the Top Ten.


I agreed with Jimmy that Heejun is a bit of a confusing pick for the show, but not really surprised with all of the screen time that he got he made it through with the votes.

But Heejun maintains he'll keep things light with the comedy as his Idol journey continues.


The next four ladies who came up to the chopping block gave me a little bit more of what I wanted in Skylar Laine:


It also gave Shannon Magrane really good news that her inspirational ballad won the hearts of American voters.


But Jimmy also echoed my complaint from yesterday about the high school pageanty look by saying she looked more like she was dressed for the prom. I hope with the help of a stylist she can be more youthful and fun rather than this too-old-for-her-years songbird she established herself to be last night.

Jimmy also repeated my dissatisfaction with both Baylie and Chelsea, even going so far as to say Carrie Underwood karaoke wouldn't cut it. It looks like we both were right.

The Idol dream also ended for Aaron, whose performance Jimmy considered cheesy. He wasn't any more charitable to Creighton ("screechy") or Reed ("too cabaret") and apparently the audience agreed - even if Steven, J-Lo and Randy all sang their praises.

Elise Testone was joined by Erika, Jen and Haley, but only Elise won her rightful place by America's vote as the last girl chosen for the Top Ten.


Jimmy felt Jen, while the voice was good, didn't have enough soul and praised Erika's restraint despite J-Lo's advice to push herself even further. Meanwhile he underscored Randy's assessment Haley's performance was a "nightmare."

With only two spots left Ryan called down four of the remaining boys, including my DeAndre, Colton Dixon, Eben and the Gentle Giant himself, Jermaine Jones. This is where I got a little nervous. With Jermaine securing not only the pimp spot but having a really emotional journey thus far this season, it seemed likely his fans would vote him through.


Likewise for Colton, whose Idol journey is two years in the making (as is DeAndre's - but Colton's has been way more televised.)


When Jimmy sang the praises of both Jermaine and Colton I knew my little DeAndre was in trouble. And of course he was sent back to wait his fate through the Wild Card stage as he did not secure the top 10 vote. Those final two honors went to the guy who barely missed the Top 24 and the guy who didn't bother to audition.

Thus began the Wild Card round where the judges had to pick 6 out of 15 singers in order to select one Wild Card contestant each. Jen got the first opportunity to sing for her life and sing for her life she did. She selected "Oh! Darling" and did a fantastic job, although lost her breath in a few spots trying to knock it out of the park with her vocal gymnastics.

Jeremy sang second, with a Carrie Underwood tune that brought J-Lo to tears. In fact there probably wasn't a dry eye in the house when he fell apart at the end of the song himself after a performance that brought his fellow contestants to their feet.

Brielle got her second chance and laid it all on the line with a more sedate and serious performance. This gave her mom a little more face time on camera as well, but didn't really do anything for me to reconsider my earlier position (as Jeremy's emotional performance had done.)

Randy made my night by recalling DeAndre for his second chance. He sang "Georgia on My Mind" which showed way more range than the EW&F tune he sang for the live performances on Tuesday. It was another old fashioned tune that I wasn't sure showed the best of what he could do. But the girls loved it - as I was sure they would.

Seeing this baby tremble with the importance of the moment was enough to win over even more than what I was before. Though I wasn't actively conscious of it, the stakes for him to advance shot WAY up.

Erika sang next and FINALLY let it go with Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory." I was practically on my chair for her performance. THIS is what she needed to do yesterday. THIS is what sets her apart. NEVER EVER EVER EVER resort to an 80s pop ballad when you can rock that kind of powerful vocal.

N E V E R.

With that vocal she outshone every other Wild Card wannabe that went before her.

The judges gave the last spot to Reed, a drummer who definitely dances to his very own beat. I thought the audience was screaming for him beforehand and as he performed we could see why. He's definitely entertaining. That said, he's not an idol and the performance ultimately was easy to discard.

I figured at this point the judges would pick Erika, Jeremy and Jen.

Randy announced the first Wild Card pic - Erika Van Pelt.


J-Lo announced her Wild Card pick, and after the tears she shed for him it could be none other than Jeremy Rosado.


That left Steven with the third and final Wild Card pick. I didn't let out a breath until he told him that he could let his hair down and I knew that despite all odds my favorite had skated in by the hair of his chinny chin chin.

My favorite... I wanna adopt him... he made me care about Idol once more... DeAndre Brackensick.


This is shaping up to be a season with a lot of heart, and contestants that wear their hearts on their sleeves. I think both Jeremy and DeAndre won some fans tonight with their earnest gratitude for making it into the Top 13, so I hope we see that reflected in the votes next week.

And for the first time in a LONG time... I'm excited about next week.

Oh American Idol... you did it to me again. I'll even forgive you for making theme nights out of Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston, two artists I usually pray no contestants ever sing because of the high karaoke factor.

Till next week... Geevie OUT.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

American Idol Semifinalist Girls: Live Performances

After last night's love fest from the judges, Randy Jackson decided to own up to the fact that he and his fellow judges had taken it a bit easy on the guys. Maybe he realized what we hear at home isn't as exciting or as perfect as what they hear in the studio, or maybe he just realized that a little Simonesque honesty actually balances all the rah rah cheerleading this particular panel encourages.

While I'm all about positive reinforcement, these performers are vying for the top 13 places in the finals: the top five guys and girls from the popular vote, along with the judges' wild card picks. It's time to "keep it real" as it were. Playing nice now isn't doing anyone any favors. Instead the judges need to give these contestants advice to grow on.

With that in mind, I'm going to aspire to keep my reviews a little more real as well. I apologize ahead of time that the girls are going to get it a little tougher than the guys last night.

But in all fairness, there was more to criticize.

Chelsea Sorrell started off the show performing Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova."


Like I said yesterday I really advise newcomers against singing the material made famous by other idols because it can draw unflattering parallels. This is especially true when those idols have stronger voices. It's impossible to make the song your own unless you drastically change the arrangement, which is always a huge risk. Otherwise it comes across as karaoke. In this case the weaker, less experienced voice is a glaring disappointment. Though she tried, Chelsea was unable to match the fullness of the notes Carrie hits effortlessly, as such the performance can do nothing more than leave the listener unsatisfied.

While Chelsea chose wisely an upbeat tune to help offset the Curse of First, the problem is both she as a contestant and the song itself were rather forgettable. Taking a relative unknown and putting her first in a field of 12 other singers is a producer kiss of death.

Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 3
Song Choice: 3
Total: 17
Probability of moving on: Poor

Erika Van Pelt has been a favorite of mine from the early auditions.


I think she has a strong rocker voice with a presence to match. Which is why I nearly screamed in frustration that she chose "What About Love" as her song. I love Heart and I love Ann Wilson, but please... can't ANYONE sing ANYTHING other than the 80s pop crap? If you want to be electric, if you want to rock it out... choose "Crazy On You" or "Barracuda" or "Magic Man." Ann is a rock GODDESS whose prowess challenges you and demonstrates your talent (if you're lucky) no matter what song you sing. So bring the excitement. Sing something different. MAKE YOUR MARK.

It will confound me till the end of time why everyone sings the same old tired syrupy 80s schlock year after freaking year. It comes across as drunken, ill-advised karaoke that just can't touch Ann's version. The only good thing I can say about it... it wasn't "Alone," which as you diehards to the blog know earns an automatic 0 in the song choice department.

In a spot where Erika HAD to stand out, she just became one of the pack with that song. Worse yet, J-Lo was absolutely right in that she held back in the performance. If you're going to hold back, just back away from the Ann Wilson category altogether.

Very disappointing.

Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 1
Total: 18
Probability of moving on: Questionable

Another early favorite of mine was Jen Hirsh.


Her audition performance of "Georgia On My Mind" was flawless. She soared between notes like a bird in flight, so I was expecting a lot from Jen tonight.



Unfortunately her performance of Adele's "One and Only" made me want to re-watch Georgia. While still good, it wasn't quite as sweet to the ear with some bum notes particularly at the end where she seemed to lose herself a bit. Her stage presence also needs a little work, she has some habits that come across as nervous quirks that are distracting to the performance. Once again J-Lo hit the critique on the nose by pointing out she gave it her all, which I would expect nothing less. So despite the fact I personally didn't see this performance topping her Hollywood audition, I think she's a strong contender with enough audience recognition to move forward.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 4
Total: 20
Probability of moving on: Good

Another recognizable face from both last season and season 11 is Brielle Von Hugel, a rather precocious teenage contestant from New York.


I don't know if the TV exposure both Brielle (who seems to refer to herself in the third person at times) and her mother have done the duo any real favors, especially since her performance tonight didn't do much to live up to the hype she enjoyed during earlier rounds. Her voice just doesn't match her confidence. She tackled the Otis Redding classic, "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay," which underscored her weaker lower register. It's also a highly repetitive song that seemed old fashioned and rudimentary. Here's where Cranky Cowell likely would have compared this over-confident performance to a high school recital.

And he'd be right.

Vocals: 3
Style: 3
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 3
Total: 17
Probability of moving on: Questionable

Former waitress Hallie Day followed with her version of "Feeling Good."


Again, choosing a song that has been conquered by Idols Past is a tricky proposition at best. You can be absolutely competent and still leave the audience longing for that standout performance that came before you.

Whenever I hear "Feeling Good" I want to hear Adam Lambert. Case closed.

Here's what I liked about this performance. It was different. She set herself up as a nostalgic siren. She looks and sounds like she stepped out of the 1940s, which sets her apart in this field of wannabe pop stars. Sadly, however, the song she choose was a bit bigger than her voice. It was by a smidge, but a noticeable smidge. That being said, I would love to see her go forward because she's got a great vibe.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 3
Total: 21
Probability of moving on: Questionable to Fair

Eighteen-year-old Skylar Laine from Mississippi followed with her rocking country version of the Faces classic, "Stay With Me."


There is a lot to like about this girl as far as I'm concerned. She almost embodies the female country badass Reba McEntire all the way from her thick country twang to her down home appeal. She's also very shrewd in ways that other contestants both on the Girls and Guys sides haven't been, which is pretty amazing given she's so young. She carved out a very specific niche for herself no one before her had ever laid claim to. She didn't come out and take on a tired, overplayed ballad or a typical country song. She took something that was distinctly rock and fit it to HER style with a Janis Joplin type of abandon. That style is a whole lot of fun and very entertaining; I have little doubt she'll be one of the performances that stand out when people look back on this particular show.

Vocals: 4
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 24
Probability of moving on: Strong

Country cutie Baylie Brown tackled one of my favorite country ballads. Lonestar's "Amazed" has had a deep personal connection to me through the relationship with my husband, Steven, qualifying it near the top of the list of "our songs."


I've heard this song (and sung my heart out to this song) many, many, many times in the last 13 years so it was just painfully obvious how many notes Baylie missed in her earnest performance. For her to get to this point and have that many bum notes makes me wonder how much her commercial look played into the judges' decision to let her through to the semifinals.

If Paula were still around she'd probably say, "Let me start off by telling you how amazing you look tonight," where Simon would punctuate his critique with a disgusted, "Excruciating."

It just was not good and that song is not vocally challenging enough to justify why it shouldn't have been.

Vocals: 2
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 2
Individuality: 2
Song Choice: 3
Total: 13
Probability of moving on: Poor

Another 18-year-old who appeared in both Season 10 and Season 11 is Hollie Cavanagh.


I don't know quite what to make of Hollie. She has a bit of an accent when she speaks that seems to be having its very own identity crisis. Though born in Liverpool it appears living in McKinney, Texas is driving the Brit right out of her. This inconsistency bleeds over into her singing that can be both off-putting and interesting. It's almost like that Seinfeld character who looked one way at one angle and scared Jerry silly when he saw her from a different angle.

That aside her ambitious version of Christina Aguilera's "Reflection" from the movie "Mulan" was solid. In fact, I think she chose a song that did identify her personality's complexity and she branded herself in a compelling way. She wasn't just singing a Christina song, she was telling her own story. This goes beyond the voice, which was strong even if not Christina, into the area of an artist.

Lots of potential there. I'd like to see where could go.

Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 22
Probability of moving on: Good to Strong

Portland barista Haley Johnsen had the misfortune of following this powerhouse performance the judges hinted could make her competitor a frontrunner.


Even more unfortunately for her, her version of the 80s Eurythmics classic "Sweet Dreams" was a hot mess... not just in comparison but in general. The arrangement was unappealing and quite honestly discomforting. Marilyn Manson tackled this Annie Lennox masterpiece in a way that was sinister and interesting, and it felt as though she was trying to merge the two versions together into some strange alien love child. In the end Haley's was just all over the place with no real definite tone. Worse, her vocals were sub par, which made tolerating her "runs" painful.

Vocals: 3
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 4
Song Choice: 1
Total: 16
Probability of moving on: Poor

Tampa teenager Shannon Magrane chose an inspirational ballad for her first live show introduction with "Go Light Your World."


Once again it felt like a missed opportunity. In the introductory video we saw how playful and youthful this 16-year-old could (and should) be and then she appears in a ball gown with a performance better suited to a beauty pageant than a show seeking the next big pop star.

There was nothing glaringly bad about the performance, it was just generic and ultimately forgettable. The main variable is that the audience she's appealed to with that song choice (the more Christian-oriented) may rally behind her performance for bringing more traditional to the Idol stage.

The judges certainly liked it. (But they like everything.)


Vocals: 4
Style: 4
Stage Presence: 4
Individuality: 3
Song Choice: 2
Total: 17
Probability of moving on: Questionable

I've been looking forward to Jessica Sanchez and her debut performance after she and DeAndre knocked it out of the park with a gospel-fused rendition of "Doesn't Matter Anymore."



I was worried when her performance was foreshadowed with the news she had been having voice trouble throughout the week. Could this early favorite pull it off?


Singing "Love You I Do," Jessica effortlessly pulled off what I missed from other teenage contestants. She kept it youthful and fun while keeping it mature and professional all at the same time. Though you could see her restraint during some notes, if this is what she sounds like when she's slightly impaired that powerhouse performance demonstrates EASILY this is the girl to watch for Season 11.

Vocals: 5
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 25
Probability of moving on: Strong

Elise Testone won the coveted Pimp Spot for the night and capped off the festivities with another version of the Adele tune, "One and Only."


She branded herself well to set herself apart from the crowd, and Adele herself, with sort of an earth-child blues performance. Like J-Lo commented, the smoky tone of her voice is distinctive and interesting. I'm glad she got the last spot because I think it really gives her an advantage to make it on to the next round. I'd kinda like to see what else she can do.

Vocals: 4
Style: 5
Stage Presence: 5
Individuality: 5
Song Choice: 5
Total: 24
Probability of moving on: Good

Like last night's show it's hard to predict with any degree of certainty who will secure those five top spots to make it into the finals. These are steep cuts and there's really no clear cut indicator who will stay or go once the voting turns over to John/Jane Q. Public. Of the two groups the girls had a couple of wayward performances the guys didn't have, which helps me narrow down who I'd *like* to see move forward, Jessica and Skylar tops among them.

Don't hold back. Tell me who you'd like to see move forward.