And the feeling's right
Oh yes it's ladies night
Oh what a night (oh what a night)
(*Repeat)
Oh, wait. That was Kool and The Gang. Or the Atomic Kittens. Or Barry Manilow, whatever.
Anyway, was it really Ryan Seacrest who came out and opened American Idol Season Five by intoning, “Ladies First?”
Never mind. It’s show time.
Ryan takes the Shakespearian-in-the-round stage, Randy Jackson predicts it’s a boy’s year on American Idol, and Paula Abdul looks like the long-lost cousin of Morticia on The Addams Family.
But with 38 minutes of show time to cram into two hours, we get right down to business. And what business it is!
First, the highlights.
Mandisa — saying she wants to prove that “sistahs can rock, too” — came out, channeled Annie Wilson, and did exactly that. She lit up her version of Heart‘s “Never” and even lit up Simon Cowell, who pronounced that she had “thrown down the gauntlet” to the other contestants and that he thought she’d make it all the way through.
The irrepressible Paris Bennett — whom Paula charmingly christened "The Little Firecracker” — came out and rode the “Midnight Train to Georgia” all the way to AI glory. With a little Gladys Knight groove on, Paris rocked and talked and blew the house down.
Lisa Tucker, hailing from the birthplace of No Doubt, wrestled with Jennifer Holliday’s “I Am Changing” - and won. Like Jeff Corwin wrestling a three-ton gator, this wasn’t a perfect performance, but it certainly vaulted Ms. Tucker into the top four.
Finally, Katharine McPhee. Katharine McPhee. Katharine McPhee.
Nope. Nothing’s coming to me.
PAGING CHRIS BERMAN: Boomer, dude, this girl needs a nickname and she needs one fast! CALL ME. I MEAN IT. AND DON’T MAKE IT RHYME WITH ME AND BOBBIE McGEE.
Really, people, you can’t be a pop star and be named Katharine McPhee. Or . . . caaaaannnn you?
What was this girl's mother thinking?
But, okay.
Apart, from the serious pop star stage name deficit, Katharine McPhee was awesome. She owned the stage. Her vocals were mesmerizing. She took a song, “Since I Fell For You,” and made it sassy and brassy and sultry.
The only thing she has to worry about is the fact that, for whatever reason, she may not be hitting a home run in the likeability department. Just a little iffy-ness there, sorry to say. If, however, the likeability thing breaks her way in the weeks ahead, Katharine McPhee will be unstoppable.
Article comments
1 - Trinket
Ah ha! someone else that caught Brenna's expression! I agree with your top 4 completely!
2 - Ty
"Can't say who will join her in getting the boot tomorrow night, but it won't be Mandisa, Paris, Lisa or Katharine McPhee."
I wish it was PARIS especially and Mandisa, but we can't all have our way.
Then again, you do vote for who you want on, not off, and as game theory and AI seasons past will tell you, that tends to effect everything.
3 - -E
Oh Paris and McPhee are my two faves. And I can't help but smile from ear to ear and just wanna cry from joy every time I see Paris. She's stinkin adorable!
4 - Sticker
Hey, Trinket.
Yep, ole Brenna can't help herself. Poor thing, though: so obvious Simon was stirring her up simply for the "TV" value, with no idea that she actually can go places in the competition.
Unfortunately for Brenna, had she not played into the hands of the prods casting about for someone to play the witch, she might not have overshadowed her singing and basically pleasant good looks.
5 - I love Katharine!
I love Katharine and she will be unstoppable. I just went to her fan site at KatharineFans.com and it seems like she has a billion fans! Go Katharine!