Tonight our six finalists will discover who ends up in the bottom two this week, and which one will eventually go home. After last night’s performances of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway classics from the likes of Evita and Phantom of the Opera, there should be a few predictable performances slated to be on the chopping block. Namely, Brooke White, who stopped and started for the second time last night, followed by a very under-whelming performance, and Jason Castro, who whispered his way through yet another performance. He’s been mediocre at best for the last month or so. But everyone else, honestly, was pretty good. The Davids, Archuleta and Cook, did very well, respectively. Syesha and Carly were both phenomenal. So, we’ll see.
Surprisingly, miraculously, amazingly, Brooke is safe and Syesha is in the bottom two once again. This season is getting ridiculous; nothing makes sense. But it’s okay. Even if Syesha is voted off, as we’ve seen with past AI alumni like Tamyra Gray and Clay Aiken, there is life after American Idol, a good life at that. She’ll be okay.
Next inducted into the bottom two is, wonder of all wonders: Carly Smithson. She gave a phenomenal performance last night and has absolutely no business in the bottom two, with Syesha Mercado of all people. And the one going home is Carly Smithson, our Irish songbird whose voice is ten times better than several of the six finalists left onstage. But, like several of the alumni from past seasons who also didn’t take the top honors, she too will be fine. Carly Smithson – you will be missed.
By Deb Porter-Jones
Tonight’s show features the music of Broadway legend Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Sir Andrew has created beautiful music with lyricist Tim Rice for some of Broadway’s most memorable tunes from shows such as “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, “Evita”, and “Cats!”
Syesha Mercado sang “One Rockin’ Road Too Many” and she did a wonderful job with this song! She was animated and full of personality, something that, strangely enough, most of her songs were pretty devoid of in the past. It’s not surprising that she did so well, however, when you consider that her background is in the theater and acting. All the judges absolutely loved her performance and thought it was her best yet. I give her a well-deserved A+.
Jason Castro is up next and he opts to perform “Memories”, a song from the play “Cats!” What’s interesting is that in the play this song is sung by a female cat and Sir Andrew proceeded to give Jason pointers on what the play is about, how he should sing it, what the scene is about where the song is sung, etc. Sir Andrew felt that Jason would not take any of his pointers, and thought he was an unlikely person to sing this song; a young guy with dreadlocks. In the play the song is sung by a female balladeer that’s actually a cat. Interesting choice for Jason, and his performance was interesting as well. Not good, just interesting. I think this performance will be Jason’s downfall. He was clearly scared to death to sing this song and it was painfully obvious, even to the judges. He sang in his usual breathy way and no one liked it. Randy thought it was a “train wreck”, Paula thought it was brave for him to sing a song that was penned for a female balladeer (didn’t say she liked it, just that it was brave) and Simon said he appeared miserable and it was obvious he couldn’t wait until the song was over. I agree. I give him a C.
Brooke White is up next and she chooses “You Must Love Me”, from the movie “Evita”. Sir Andrew thought at first she didn’t have a clue what the song or the scene was about. After he gave her some background on the song, the story and the scene, he felt that she may be a natural actress and could be quite good if she kept up the emotion. Well, she did it again, folks. Brooke started the song, and a few words into the performance, she faltered, and started again. It was painful to watch but, truthfully, you couldn’t tell if she meant for that vulnerability and feeling to come through, or if she was truly feeling that away because of her gaffe. I think she did a pretty good job considering she forgot the words and appeared to be scared to death the entire time. I like Brooke, but I wonder if she’s actually done it this time. Randy thought she did a good job taking the advice of Sir Andrew regarding the emotion of the song, Paula said “you must never start and stop” but she did a good job picking up the pieces. Simon thought she would be disappointed when she watched the tape. I think so, too. But hopefully, she’ll get another chance. I give her a B.
David Archuleta chooses to sing “Think of Me”, from “Phantom of the Opera, ” a song that Sir Andrew composed for a woman, specifically a diva. His biggest advice was for David was to sing the song with his eyes open. David sang this song with only a guitar and some strings in the background. It was a pretty good performance, although in my opinion, it was a bit bland. Randy thought David is now “the one to beat”, Paula thought he turned the song into a pop ballad and was really good, Simon thought it was a “bit forgettable”. I’m sorry, but I agree with Simon; we may not remember this song tomorrow. He gets a B.
Carly Smithson started to sing “All I Ask of You” and Sir Andrew said it was absolutely the wrong song for a “girl with a big voice in her chest”. He suggested “Jesus Christ Superstar”. Carly did a phenomenal job with this song! Her big voice was perfect for this song; Sir Andrew definitely knew what he was talking about. Paula gave her a standing ovation and the judges loved her performance! Randy didn’t know if it was her best performance but it was definitely good. Paula loved what she did with the chorus and Simon said it was his “favorite performance of the night.” I agree, next to Syesha Mercado, she was excellent. I give her a well-deserved A+.
David Cook is up next and sings “Music of the Night”. Sir Andrew thinks this is the most sensual song he’s ever written. He has to imagine he’s singing to a gorgeous young woman and he may be okay. I think it was his weakest performance of the competition and I think he chose the wrong song this time. It’s a very Broadway type of song, but I don’t think it was the right one for David. However, Randy thought it “was molten hot”, Paula thought it was fantastic. Simon thought he made the most of the song he was given, this is not the side of him that Simon likes, he prefers the grittier, more raw side of David (so do I). But he did what he could with it. I give him a B.
I think the ones to beat are Syesha and Carly. They clearly took to the Broadway genre a bit easier than most of the others. We’ll see what tomorrow night brings!
Tonight’s show includes more footage from various stars’ visits to Africa last year. We begin with Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, best known for his phenomenal portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Whitaker is joined by his wife, Keisha, in Rwanda where they visited the family of a man who was blinded by a land mine. This man lives as a beggar on the streets of Rwanda, and is assisted by his 6-year-old son as they walk through the streets begging for coins on a daily basis to pay for food to feed the family. Whitaker and his wife were invited into the home of this man and his family, three children in all, who sleep in a hut on a dirty mattress. Whitaker and his wife also visited an orphanage where not enough children are taken in, children who have been orphaned by the ravages of HIV/AIDS. The people who run the orphanage are angels who have made it their life’s work to make a difference in the lives of children who would have ended up lost. Idol fans were again encouraged to donate in an effort to also make a difference in the lives of people who are in such great need.
Idol fans were also treated to a special treat tonight. Chart-topping R&B youngster Chris Brown performed a duet with last season’s American Idol winner, Jordin Sparks. They performed a song currently running up the charts, “No Air”, and I must say, if I didn’t know better, I’d think there was a more than just a little chemistry there! Of course, I don’t know better, so, was there something there? Either Jordin is a pretty good actress, or I’d say she was a little smitten with Chris – but who could blame her? He’s cute as a button, ultra-talented and, I believe, not dating anyone right now… Go, Jordin!
On to the eliminations: Unfortunately, our bottom three this week makes no sense. The three performers with the least amount of votes include Carly Smithson, Syesha Mercado and Michael Johns. Yes folks, a travesty has occurred. Now, mind you, I don’t believe that all of these three singers could have gone on to win the whole thing. But I also certainly don’t believe that they belonged in the bottom three this week: not with Kristie Lee Cook, Jason Castro and Brooke White safe. That makes no sense. Syesha’s performance of “I Believe”, a Fantasia song, was really good. It wasn’t the quality that Fantasia would have turned out, but it was still really good. Michael Johns’ performance of “Dream On” by Aerosmith was “blazing hot!” to borrow a phrase from Randy Jackson. So that makes no sense. But Carly Smithson’s performance of “The Show Must Go On” left a little to be desired. I think she’s good, but not phenomenal.
It turned out that Michael Johns was sent home tonight. Ryan Seacrest teased us (and Michael) with the reminder that last year’s elimination was cancelled because everyone was in such a charitable mood with “Idol Gives Back”. But that same consideration was not extended to Michael Johns this year, and he was let go. I think with the exception of David Cook and David Archuleta, he was the most consistent of all the performers left. But I have to believe that some influential record promoter (Clive Davis, pay attention) will get a clue and give Michael Johns a call. Michael’s an awesome talent and I think this elimination is just a blip in the lifetime of his singing career.
Tags: American Idol, Brooke White, Carly Smithson, Chris Brown, Forest Whitaker, Jason Castro, Jordin Sparks, Kristie Lee Cook, Michael Johns, Ryan Seacrest, Syesha Mercado
by Deb Porter-Jones
Tonight’s focus is “inspirational themes” and Michael Johns is up first!
His is an inspirational story in that he is from another country and has come to America in search of the American Dream. So far, it seems like he’s close to finding it. He sings “Dream On” by Aerosmith and boy, does he rock it! He even attempted a really high falsetto portion of the song; even though Randy thought he had “some pitch problems”, typical Randy critique. I think he clinched it, and so did Paula. She thought it was a perfect song; she also thought he sounded “as good as he looks”. Simon thought it was “a very good performance.” He also slightly agrees with Randy, but he thought it was a “little bit wannabe-ish,” and he thinks Michael’s really a bluesy singer, not so much a rocker. I think Michael Johns rocks no matter what genre of music he tries his hand at. Great performance. I give him an A.
Next up is Syesha Mercado. The inspirational song she chooses is “I Believe” by Fantasia. Syesha did a really good job with this song. I had never heard the song before and while I’m certain Fantasia sang the hell out of it, Syesha really did a good job, too. Randy and Simon both thought she did a really good job, but she didn’t do as well as Fantasia, of course. Paula was a bit more realistic and felt that she did a great job and in some ways her performance tonight was much better than last week. I thought Syesha did a great job, but I don’t know why she insists on choosing songs that will cause everyone to compare her to phenomenal singers. I think she deserves a B.
Jason Castro attempted the impossible tonight: Jason played a ukulele while singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. It was perfect for him, very simplistic and pure. Really interesting choice of instrument, but this is Jason we’re talking about. I’m surprised he didn’t play the ukulele in his skivvies and barefoot. For Jason, it was a good performance, he did a good job, but I’ll say it again: he’s out of his league. He won’t make it to the final three but he’s a good performer. I give him a B.
Kristie Lee Cook sang “Sing It Anyway” by Martina McBride and I thought it was a good performance for her. Still, not at the level of a David Cook or Michael Johns, but good. All of the judges thought her performance was very, very good. Worlds better than she usually performs. I agree, she deserves a B.
David Cook sang “Innocent” by Our Lady of Peace. I don’t know this song either, but I’m a huge fan of this guy. While I think it may not have been his best performance (the last 3 weeks’ awesome performances truly must be difficult for him to duplicate), I still think he rocks. All of the judges felt the same way, but I think he rates a B+.
Carly Smithson sang “The Show Must Go On”. She did a great job; it was a really big song for her, but it was unanimous that she really didn’t connect with this song. She performed it well enough, but it just wasn’t her best performance. Simon even thought she should be worried after this performance and thought she seemed angry. I give her a B.
David Archuleta sang “Angels” and played piano, too. David did an exceptional job with this song. His voice was pure and sweet and so innocent. Randy thought it was “blazing hot”, Paula thought it was “fantastic” and Simon thought it was “amazing” but somehow not his best vocal, but he would, nonetheless, “sail through to the next round”. David did a phenomenal job and he deserves an A+.
Brooke White sings “You’ve Got a Friend” by James Taylor. She did a really good job with this song and it was a typical “Brooke” performance. Randy thought it was “okay, not his best”. Paula thought she was “definitive” and Simon thought it was “a pleasant walk in the park, nice, and pleasant”. I feel so sorry for Brooke; she always looks so beaten, like she’s anticipating getting kicked in the head every time she performs. Poor thing. Anyway, I think she did a good job with this song; it was rather safe and easy, again, she’s not in the same league as a Michael Johns and a David Cook. But she held her own. I give her a B.
The elimination show on Wednesday includes footage from “Idol Gives Back” and airs a half hour earlier at 7:30 pm EST. We look forward to seeing who makes it past tomorrow night!
By Deb Porter-Jones
Tonight American Idol has invited country music legend Dolly Parton to share some of her wisdom gained from more than four decades in the music business. The singers will all be performing Dolly’s own country songs.
Dolly is such a warm, inspiring performer (just like Paula, right?) and she said she finds it difficult to critique other singers. She knows what it’s like to be a singer and have your performances judged – so most likely she’ll be taking it easy on our young performers.
Tonight we begin with Brooke White who sings “Jolene” – and of course plays guitar. Randy thought her performance was just “alright, a little pitchy”. Paula gave some rather obscure and ambiguous comments that didn’t give you a clear idea of what she thought – I suspect that means she thought the performance was not very good but was just too darn nice to say so. Simon thought the performers onstage with her “looked very odd,” but the rest of the rest of his comments were kind of drowned out by Paula and Randy’s protests. I think she did an okay job. I hate to say it, but I agree with something that Randy said several weeks ago. She’s in grave danger of being considered “musical wallpaper”. I give her a C.
David Cook was up next. He talks about how he is able to put his own spin on the songs that he performs. He chose “Little Sparrow” and Dolly was very impressed with his voice. I must admit I don’t think I’ve ever heard this song before but I gotta admit; it didn’t matter. David Cook is always able to make a believer out of me – no matter what song he chooses to sing. He brought out the falsetto aspect of his voice that I didn’t know he had and paired it with the smoky, guttural tones of his voice that I loved anyway. Randy appreciated that he was able to embrace the falsetto while still staying true to the rocker that he is. Paula loved his rendition of “Little Sparrow”, which she had never heard sung by a man before. Simon didn’t like the performance as much as last week, but conceded that David had done a good job. I give him an A.
Ramiele Malubay was positively awe-struck by Dolly, and Dolly loved that she is also a “little person”. Dolly thought Ramiele’s choice of the song “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?” was a “good little choice” for her. Randy thought it was a 6 ½ out of 10. Paula thought she really connected with the audience and she had fun. Simon thought, “we’re not gonna remember this in 10 years time” and was “forgettable and reminiscent of something you’d see on a cruise ship.” Sorry, I agree. I give her a C.
Jason Castro received a bunch of postcards in the form of fan mail from the same girl (stalker material, no doubt). Dolly loved his dreads and thought he had a “funky, cool, relaxed” way about him so the “Travelling Through” song was appropriate for him. I think he did an okay job. It wasn’t anything earth-shattering vocally, but Jason did a good job. And he played guitar for the performance. Randy thought he did a good job, Paula thought it was his best performance yet, and Simon didn’t like it at all. I give him a B.
Next up was Carly Smithson who sang “Here You Come Again”. Dolly thought it was a perfect song choice for Carly and that her voice is the perfect voice for this song. I think she did a really good job with this song. Randy thought it was one of the better performances of the night, great job”. Paula thought it was excellent; she looked great, all good stuff. Simon thought it was, “good, not great, and she’s gotta have a word with who’s dressing her”. I give her a B+.
David Archuleta chose “Smoky Mountain Memories”. Dolly was blown away and said she thought he, “has the voice to become a great, great singer”. He did a wonderful job with this song; so much feeling. Randy thought it was the best performance of the night. Paula agreed and so did Simon! I give him an A.
Syesha Mercado chose “I Will Always Love You”, which was originally performed by Dolly and then re-arranged by Whitney Houston, whose version really skyrocketed. Dolly thought she’s a pretty girl, and a good singer and she, “did real well.” I think she did an okay job. She didn’t sing it like Dolly did originally, nor did she sing it like Whitney did. Randy thought she “took on the biggest tiger of the night” and he thinks she did pretty good, “it was alright.” Paula thought her voice was velvety and she’s “growing and connecting with the audience much more.” Simon said he almost wished she hadn’t chosen that song because her performance was not as good as the original singers (either of them). But she did okay. I think we saw another side of Syesha when Simon was giving his comments. Her face clouded over and she just looked like she could murder him. She wasn’t really happy with what he had to say. But, Simon was right. You can’t sing a song that is probably the most loved ballad in pop music history and think you’re not going to be compared to the original singer or singers. And by her being an amateur, technically, it was a bit of a stretch for her to think she could pull it off. I think she deserved a B.
Dolly loves Michael Johns’ voice, and she hopes he does become a star because she “could write some great songs for him”. He sang “It’s All Wrong But It’s Alright”, and he did a great job, too. I think he was the best performer tonight! The arrangement was kind of bluesy and sexy, just a piano, electric guitar, backup singers and Michael, with his effortless, sexy raspy voice. Awesome performance. I don’t even know this song but he rocked it! And of course the judges loved his performance as well. I give him a well-deserved A+!
After tonight’s episode, I feel more strongly than ever that the ones who SHOULD be in the final three are David Cook, David Archuleta and Michael Johns. These three have been the most consistent (actually David Cook and Michael Johns more so than Archuleta) week after week. I think if the show doesn’t end with these three in the top three, somewhere, America’s got a problem. Looking forward to the results show tomorrow night!
Tags: Brooke White, Carly Smithson, David Archuleta, David Cook, Dolly Parton, Jason Castro, Paula Abdul, Ramiele Malubay, Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell, Syesha Mercado
by Deb Porter-Jones
Tonight’s elimination show starts out showing the Idol kids preparing to film a commercial. It’s amazing how Idol never fails to pimp out these poor kids for marketing purposes. This time, the kids were shown filming a commercial for some type of Ford vehicle.
Kellie Pickler, the dumb blonde from last season, performed a track from her sophomore album. She has proven to be the same sweet, clueless airhead girl that she always was “but with a better job.”
Carly Smithson was first to be inducted into the bottom three and Kristie Lee Cook and Amanda Overmyer eventually joined her. Whoever’s sent home will not be part of the Idol Tour.
It made sense to me that Kristie Lee Cook was in the bottom three. It kinda made sense that Carly Smithson was also in the bottom three. But it made no sense that Amanda Overmyer was there. It made even less sense that Amanda was the one going home.
From day one, Amanda’s been the rocker chick who had to try to change her style to accommodate the different genres of music they make these kids perform. But, strangely enough, I knew she wouldn’t last long. Her style and stage presence, to me, was so different from everyone else. She consistently performed with a measure of confidence and professionalism that the others just don’t have it. She’s like the female Elvis! Her performances were always very interesting and fun to watch. And her rocker style was so different from the others. Regardless, she should be fine. I think there are people who would pay to see her perform and buy her records. Amanda, you will be missed.
Loading ...