American Idol Season 10 Top 11 Perform Elton John

You will note that none of the top 11 paid any heed to my kind advice, and though I didn't *forbid* it, the absolute most overplayed, over-hyped EJ song of ALL time was chosen and performed in this overwhelming YAWNER of an episode.

Maybe I came into the whole thing just expecting too much. So much talent and yet with this crop it's proving to be a crapshoot week after week.

Only a handful really understand the concept of a performance, the rest is just nationally televised karaoke that always leaves me yearning to hear the original track (or at least a better version than we were treated tonight.)

It's sad. So sad.

It is, in fact, a sad sad situation.

And it's getting more and more absurd.

With that said, and with Simon gone, this is my Painfully Honest Critique of the Top 11 Redux.

First up was Scotty, which is where I had wanted him on Motown night. He's got a following and there's no way he's not making it to at *least* the top five... but I tire a bit of the judges praising him so much on his steadfastness to his genre while meanwhile skewering the likes of Naima, who at least made "I'm Still Standing" *interesting*.

Taking a country song and making it country... not so interesting. (And am I the only person who had never heard that song before? I would have rather seen him take a more well known song and tried to flip that to country... kind of like what I advised him days ago with "Your Song" but WHATEVER.)

In fact, the judges flip-flopped on so much of their advice (except for Steven, who seems to find the good in anything) that I was the one feeling dizzy. This was especially true for Pia, but we'll get to that in a minute.

But at least the judges were *trying* to find a reason why the first two songs of the night left the audience wanting more.

If Naima had taken my advice with "Circle of Life," who knows? The exotic flavor might have worked.

Again... WHATEVER.

Paul came out and chose "Rocket Man," and I was fairly okay with that. EJ should be his comfort zone since they both have a similar singer/songwriter vibe. And Paul chose a song that he'd performed in the past, so in a way he was "playing it safe" and doing what so many have come to love him to do.

The problem is, at this stage in the game especially, I'm wondering what else is in his repertoire - if indeed anything else is. The judges think that he should push himself a little harder and stretch himself but it's entirely possible what we've seen is really all there is. It could be that he's just a simple singer/musician like the likes of James Taylor and Bob Dylan before him.

Which is *fine.* Not my cup of tea overall... but no one can argue people *can* carve out this niche for themselves if that's their vibe. I don't think, at this point, that we're going to see much more from Paul than he's already given us.

All he can do is follow Scotty's lead until the judges decide that's not good enough anymore because other people actually do listen to their critiques (when given) and attempt to grow.

One of those who has yet to prove to me has this ability is Pia. I very nearly screamed out loud in utter frustration when she opted - ONCE AGAIN - to do an indulgent ballad to - ONCE AGAIN - show us she's the queen diva of the ballads this season.

So been there.

So over it.

Like someone else noted, this is where you lose the wow factor. We've seen you belt out the schmaltz. What else ya got?

And here's the rub... whether it's my utter frustration with her at this point or not... she actually *didn't* do that great of a job. George Michael, probably one of the most amazing voices in pop music, turned out a superior cover (with Elton) that was actually what I yearned to hear after ... scratch that... during her performance.



If I had been scoring these contestants I'd have given her an automatic zero and accuse her of being like Scotty and Paul... just another one trick pony who can do that one trick really well - but it's not something I'm going to shell out money to buy an album for or see a concert of.

At least Scotty and Paul have more than one tempo.

The thing that pisses me off about Pia is that I *know* she can stretch her wings and she just refuses to. This is what the judges were trying to say last week but kind of backed away from this week, which shame on them. They're not helping her by not calling her out on it. She's playing it safe, and every week she does so my tolerance of it slips a notch.

She has promised to do "River Deep Mountain High" next week. As one of my favorite songs, I'm excited to hear it and it may be enough to earn her way back into my good graces.

But I will believe it when I see it.

Stefano is another contestant I just have lost faith can grow any more in the competition. I keep begging that he dig deep and find his inner sex appeal and learn how to connect with what could have been his core audience (i.e., the women.) Instead Scotty, Paul and even Casey have learned what I'm beginning to suspect he never will. He keeps bringing this big, overblown performance to the stage each and every week until they just run together in one big confusing ball of mess. He needed to strip it all away and just sit on a stool or on the steps and *sing* from his heart.

Instead we got "Tiny Dancer" with Broadway indulgence.

He did decide to end his performance by reaching out, literally, to JLo in a pretty suave move that could save his ass if he ever decided to own his own sexual magnetism. Instead he played it safe and sucked up to the judge when he should have been doing that to the audience.

I just don't know if it will be enough.

Lauren sang "Candle in the Wind." I *hate* "Candle in the Wind." My husband brought it up last week when we were tossing around possible tunes and I rejected it out of hand, lumping it up there with "Endless Love" as one of those songs that just should never, ever be sung anywhere in my presence *E*V*E*R.

So I muted her.

I had to. For the safety of my TV.

I didn't even watch the performance - that's how bad an offense I consider choosing that song to be. I read somewhere that she once again smiled her way through what is probably one of the most maudlin songs in the known universe. It was first written to memorialize Marylin Monroe and her tragic demise, then once again to honor Princess Di after HER tragic demise... both of which shocked the world to the core. The sentiment is sad. The words are sad.

DON'T SMILE.

These youngsters could benefit much from an acting class. That's all I'm saying. They don't understand if you don't feel the words you sing there is no way you can touch others with the song you sing. This was done wrong by a following contestant, and done right with a contestant beyond that.

But again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

I'm just going to say it - thank God for James Durbin. This kid brings excitement to the table almost every single week. He didn't do "The Bitch is Back" like I had impishly wanted (but knew it wasn't going to happen.) He did do something rock-ish and over the top with "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting." It wasn't as exciting as his performance last week but his going Hendrix on the grand piano was a neat little effect we've yet to see from Idols past. The kid owns the stage and knows who he is, so Jimmy Iovine needs to just give him the freedom to figure out how and what he's going to do. He's got that innate sense of what works on a creative level; let the boy do his thing. It's not just Idol when he's up there... and that's a good thing, for him and for us.

Earlier in the evening when I saw things going so seriously awry I thought to myself the only way it could get worse was if Thia sang "Daniel."

Me and my big mouth.

Whoever sang the song was up to extra scrutiny with me because I *do* have a very strong emotional connection to this song. My first husband's name was Daniel and I knew fairly early on in our relationship if he ever left or died that would be how I remembered him. We played it at his funeral in 2003. The words have always had a special poignancy to me but even more so after he died. In the hands of Thia, who does *not* have the kind of depth necessary to sell a song like that, it was nothing more than limp karaoke.

I just... I can't even...



Casey took the advice I had saved for Stefano and applied it to his performance, which - unlike Thia - I could connect to and feel emotionally. It was a necessary step back that showed the audience that he could have a little heart in addition to all the craziness. "Your Song" isn't one of my favorite EJ tunes (I can't get past the lyric "if I was a sculptor, but then again.. no...") but he did it justice, especially with that tender high note at the end.

I'm glad to see even with Jimmy's horrible advice (to change everything) Casey stayed true to himself with his performance AND his appearance. The reason he ended up in the bottom three is the reason a lot of season favorites go from never being in the bottom three to being booted off entirely. His audience thought he was safe. He doesn't have to change who he is, he has to GO BACK to who he was before the Nirvana misstep.

(Although my feelings won't be hurt if he ever decides to ditch the beard.)

That being said tonight's performance was much improved over the last couple of weeks, but I think I would have liked to see him play an instrument and show yet another layer of THAT.

Since Pia greedily nabbed "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me," the song I had wanted for last week's superstar Jacob to sing, I was unsure how much he could Jacobfy "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." What I didn't expect was the way he embodied the song. The man looked absolutely tortured by the heartbreaking lyrics and sold me all over again on this song simply by the emotion he conveyed.

THIS is how it's done, people. That is a master class in connecting the words to the emotion... rather than just hitting some notes in key. And that note at the end? I still have chills. This kid has got it and then some. As last week proved anyone can go home at any time, so I hope that doesn't happen with Jacob. He's a master at what he does and deserves to be on that stage all the way to at LEAST the top 3.

Haley closed the show with "Bennie & the Jets." I don't know much more than the first 30 seconds or so because she's another I just can't connect to and didn't dig the arrangement of that song at ALL. By this time I was fairly over EJ night on Idol as a whole and kinda sorry I didn't choose that time to go make dinner or something, thinking my husband had it easy he could just go back and zip through all the boring performances.

Which were all but maybe three or four.

This is why I don't like theme songs that center on one particular artist. Give me genre night any ol day of the week. Broadway. Disco. Country. ANYTHING.

As for who will go home? It won't be who *needs* to go home by simple math. Stefano's and Thia's fans will likely save them from the bottom three this week since they were there last week, which means people like Naima could end up there instead.

At this point as long as it's not Jacob, James or Casey - who at least bring a little spice to the show - I'm okay.

Here's hoping the voters don't disappoint me as much as EJ night did.

(But again... I'll believe it when I see it.)

My American Idol Top 11 Elton John Wish List

After a heart-stopping dramatic moment where fan favorite Casey Abrams almost went home and missed out on the tour, we learned not only did he earn the season's one and only "save" but now the top ELEVEN would be able to hit the road this summer when Idols Live rolls across the nation.

It was a pretty epic results show where such emotional highs and lows are generally reserved for when the stakes are a lot higher - like a finale.

Either way I'm happy with the decision. Two go home next week but the tour is set, and I think it's going to be a fun one.

The next theme our Top 11 get to find their way through is Elton John's songbook. This can be a good thing and it can also be another ballad-heavy snoozefest. Since Paul benefited so much from my wisdom *last* week by following my wish list almost to the letter (and having one of his best performances because of it) (go me!) I figured I'd go ahead and get a head start on my next wish list.

I like Elton John, but I like a lot of ballady EJ - this does not bode well for my ballad-hatin' hubby Steven who - with regularity - zips right on past these performances because they bore him silly.

It also doesn't help that the one with the strongest pipes this season can't do a couple of the stronger demonstrations of vocal prowess located in Elton's discography.

(She shoulda listened to me last week but newwwoooo.)

I will say that no matter who sings Daniel they will make me cry. You'll see why when I plug in the video for it below. (And it's his birthday today - which means it's going to be even tougher.)

So.... let's get a'crackin'.

Stefano has a lot to prove after last week's misfortune of picking an iconic tune from Idol Seasons Past. He has to connect to the song, he has to connect to the audience. He has to go past just singing a song and really deliver a heartfelt performance. Since this was his challenge, I think he needs to strip down all the cheesier performance techniques and just sit at a piano (because he can) and sing a song with his heart on his sleeve.

Lucky for him, EJ is the perfect guy for this.

I'm going to keep begging Stefano to reach his female base by singing something to THEM. This one has always been a favorite of mine:



James has a bit harder row to hoe in that Elton is definitely not what you'd consider "metal." He IS, however, over the top. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE for him to sing this:



BUT... I'd be equally okay if he sang something more substantial to demonstrate yet another layer. This ode to John Lennon doesn't offer much room to scream, but it could be a moment to allow the tenderness he showed in Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" several weeks back. This could also be the time to put him behind a piano (since I read a bio that he does, and that fits this week probably more than any other.)



If I didn't have Pia on a ballad fast for at LEAST two weeks to make up for the three previous ballads we've had to endure, I'd have her sing this EJ/Leann Rimes duet:



Instead she's got to do something more show-stopping. Or at least something that doesn't put us all into a collective coma.

Since "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" will likely be saved for the group number on elimination night, we'll give her:



Thia has already done a tune from a Disney musical - but the Lion King were penned by EJ and have a ton of material that are not only age-appropriate but no doubt songs she must have grown up on.

The trick of course is to find something a little more playful rather than mature.

I'm afraid the only thing that fits would be...



(Which if she actually did perform I'd literally LOL. It'd be a hoot and a half.)

Afraid she's going to have to do a ballad, guys - sorry. For a piece where she can stretch some acting chops AND play piano:



Another youngster in the competition, Scotty is probably going to country-fy anything he gets his little paws on. This would be fairly flexible, and I can see a bit of that Elvis peek out while he makes the young girls he already knows to play to weak in the knees.



Speaking of The Lion King, this may sound cliche but... I can see our girl Naima taking on "Circle of Life" complete with African flavor with backup singers, drummers and dancers.



I don't want to stereotype her, but I am excited to see more of her exotic showmanship spice up what could be a more subtle night of performances.

Lauren is another who is going to be hard to predict because she likes to have fun with her performances, but doesn't always channel the appropriate emotion for some of the more complicated pieces.

She could add a little twang and a whole lotta attitude to:



Jacob is going to have to work REALLY hard to top last week... and there's really only one song that can match that level of potential for greatness. This has the built in crescendo that worked so well for Jacob on Motown night - and is one of the most powerful vocal performances you can have in a EJ song. He can take this one to church with a choir behind him and just nail it.



The temptation is QUITE strong to give "I'm Still Standing" to Casey after his harrowing, emotional roller coaster of last Thursday. Personally I think this fits him better:



But even:



fits and gives him chances to play an instrument.

(Personally I think if you're going to have an EJ night you HAVE to include the instruments.)

As always I'm sort of at a loss for what Haley could do that fits both her personality and the theme. I can definitely hear her growl and see her strut in songs like:



Another option:



If there was anyone who fits the theme of the evening it's Paul, who is still my favorite for taking all my wonderful advice last week. This week I want him behind a piano singing this tune:



Wow I didn't see anyone I wanted to sing "Daniel."

So I guess I'll just have to link it to link it... in honor of my first husband who passed away in 2003... way before I got involved in Idol at all.

That kinda makes me a little sad. I think he would have liked them - and especially our new judges, one of whom shares this special day with him. So happy birthday Daniel and Steven Tyler. <3