The idols sing their way to the finale--or sing their way home. Possibly with the help of Clive Davis. You can find mp3s of the performances over at Breath of Fresh Ink
Elliott Yamin - "Open Arms." Once again from Elliott we get a performance that is solid but not memorable. I'm not sure what happened to the spark he had last week that exploded onstage, but this performance did not do him justice.
Grade: B-
"What You Won't Do For Love." This was better than Elliott's opening performance, but still not enough to get him through to next week.
Grade: B
"I Believe To My Soul" -sigh- Elliott, honey: I love you, but what happened to you? You gave us another solid but forgettable performance, and now you're going to be voted off. There goes my hope of a Katharine/Elliott finale.
Grade: B-
Katharine McPhee - "I Believe I Can Fly." I'm not sure what Randy and Paula were listening to, but after weeks of being lackluster and off-pitch, Katharine gave a fantastic performance. Like Clive wanted, Katharine put her stamp on the song and made it her own. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if it was a bit difficult to look at the robin's egg blue mermaid outfit. She's gained back a bit of her credibility here.
Grade: B+
"Over The Rainbow." Wow - what an absolutely magical performance. Going in as the underdog tonight, Katharine had a lot to prove. Especially after booting out favorite Chris Daughtry. But boy, did she deliver. Poised, slow and steady - Kat returned to the woman we fell in love with back at the beginning of the competition who knew how to kill 'em with the quiet moments.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - chantal stone
First Chris leaves, now Elliott is probably going to go too. If Taylor Hicks wins this thing, I swear, America needs its hearing checked.
2 - sal m
katherine mcphee put me to sleep with somewhere over the rainbow...i don't care how good her voice is, that is the stuff that can cure insomnia.
if the bluehair/dinner theater vote calls up in numbers, she can win....
3 - Miguel
McPhee's Over the Rainbow was soporific and unrecognizable. If it were on the radio, you'd turn to another station. She is slightly below local bar band lead singer quality. Yamin is a decent lounge singer. From the beginning, the quirky Hicks has had the best vocal performances on the show, but he is lacking in that "Idol" star quality.
4 - Judge Judi
Chris,
Thanks for your “kind and gentle” handling of Elliot’s performances last night. I love Elliot, but I have to agree with you. He WAS forgettable last night. Beautiful voice, great personality, but sadly, he had no ZING this week. (although I really DID like his last song). I thought he got handed an unfair song choice by Clive … “Open Arms?” Come on … give me a break. That was a boring, stupid song choice for Elliot. And then he gives Katharine “I believe I can fly” … what a GREAT song … what a CRAPPY performance by her! I think I would have liked to hear Elliot sing that song?!
I’m just not going to be able to enjoy the finale of American Idol with Katharine and Taylor!!! I agree that Taylor’s ballad voice is much, much, MUCH better than his jerking around and screaming “WHOA” in every single song. But Katharine?? Really? She’s already proven for the last 3 weeks that she either over-sings everything, or has horrible pitch problems.
I’m with you, Chantal … Chris was my favorite … Elliot was my second pick. I guess we’ll have to see tonight? Hope my 145 votes last night make a difference!!! If it’s Taylor and Katharine in the finals, this American Idol fan WILL NOT be tuning in!!!
5 - chantal stone
Ok, I hardly ever vote...but I tried to vote for Elliott last night, and my calls wouldn't go thru. A few times I got a busy signal, but the other times, that call was just dropped...from both my home AND my cell phone. Whats up with that?!?
6 - NR Davis
Oh, well.
This Taylor fan could not get in even ONE vote. I trust the Soul Patrol is taking up the slack. Some may not see, hear or feel it - as inexplicable to me as anti-Taylorites are to me - but the man has real heart, real artistry, real fun, and real star quality. I cvan't get enough of Taylor and think he'll be a great American Idol. If he's not a cookiecutter performer, so much the better.
7 - Ty
It's funny, I think for the first in the history of AI Final 3's, anyone of the three could go home:
Elliott: Could go home because he stills lacks a fanbase (good voice, but ugly)
Katherine: Second lowest vote total last week, Chris fans are splitting their vote among Elliott and Taylor just to get her off, and she did not nail every perf this week
Taylor: Yes he has a large fanbase, and I've always wanted him in the finals, BUT at times his voice does not sound like he should be in the top 10, let alone top 3.
I have no prediction for who will go home, all I know is that from the beginning I wanted an all-guy final (hopefully one better than the great Clay vs. pathetic hack Ruben of AI 2), so I am hoping Katherine (no matter how hot she is, and she is quite the hottie) goes home leaving an Elliott/Taylor final.
8 - Ty
I find it very interesting that chantal hates Taylor, and that Natalie (NR Davis) loves him. Sounsd like it is time for a debate:
"chantal stone
URL
May 17, 2006
10:25 AMFirst Chris leaves, now Elliott is probably going to go too. If Taylor Hicks wins this thing, I swear, America needs its hearing checked."
"#6
NR Davis
URL
May 17, 2006
12:47 PM
I cvan't get enough of Taylor and think he'll be a great American Idol."
9 - Sizzlin
I concur with Chantal & Judge Judi, Elliott was forgettable last nite, bad choice of all 3 songs for him, and regrettably will probably go home tonite.
I would really like to tell Simon, who I really like, to buzz off telling Elliott last nite that he probably will go tonite and telling Taylor he will see him next Tuesday.
If Elliott is voted off, this will end the AI watching for me for this season.
Alas, I sign off greatly disturbed knowing that our sweet and humble Elliott will go and that the 2 stooges will continue :(
10 - Jackie
I personally didn't care for Katharine's performances last night. What the heck is that singing while sitting on the middle of the stage floor bit? Yes, she has a good voice, but I wouldn't be upset to see her go.
As for the remaining two guys, I'll admit to being a Taylor Hicks fan. I think Elliott's voice is better, but it's Taylor's performance I have to watch!
My prediction? Alas...I think Elliott may be saying goodbye.
I just have to figure out how to watch the Amazing Race finale (for enjoyment and blogging), Lost and American Idol all at the same time. Argh! How dare the networks do this to me!
11 - MerlinsElbow
For all of you Chris Daughtry fans - be glad Chris got out of the running! It's no great mystery why Kelly Clarkson is persona non grata when it comes to having anything to do with Fox or 'Idol'. The contract the winner receives is like joining the military - they own your butt for four years not to mention over 50% of the proceeds. It'd be pretty sad to see Chris under communistic rule. He'll make it just fine on his own.
12 - Judge Judi
Ty -
We don't need no stinkin debate!! It appears that people either REALLY like Taylor, or REALLY hate Taylor. If you read the blogs, there aren't many people who are indifferent. For some reason, this season of American Idols are drawing some very STRONG opinions.
I HATE KATHARINE!
I HATE TAYLOR!
I LOVE ELLIOT!
See??
13 - NR Davis
Mr. Ty, why is debate necessary? And why with Ms. Stone in particular?
NR Davis
14 - Chris Evans
It's interesting to me that people say they'd rather their faves not win because of the contract obligations--the entire top 12 all sign the SAME contract--they are just as tied to Idol as the winner.
15 - MerlinsElbow
They are tied for the one year of touring but not for the whole four as the winner will be.
16 - idlerock
Kat was fantastic last night... nothing more true than that.
-idlerock
Best American Idol Spoof of ALL TIME
17 - chantal stone
I don't need to debate, I appreciate differences of opinion.
I don't think Taylor is a horrific singer/performer....he's just way below the caliber of people like Chris and Elliott....and Katharine, too, for that matter.
18 - NR Davis
Your opinion and you are entitled to it. Vive le difference, indeed. As to his ridiculous debate idea, I still don't understand why Mr. Ty picked on you and me.
19 - Judge Judi
Oh come on ... that's easy! One says America should get their hearing checked, and the other can't get enough of Taylor. I personally think that America needs their hearing checked too.
20 - FilteringCraig
One thing that I think we should all agree on is that Katharine, while not without potential, is without the polished vocal control to compete with either Elliott or Taylor. She has the best range out of the three, but she can't control her entrances and exits from the notes that she is trying to hit.
Oh, and from a completely superficial standpoint, she crawled around on the floor AGAIN! That would be like Neil Diamond doing Sweet Caroline twice in one set. Blech!
21 - Ty
"Your opinion and you are entitled to it. Vive le difference, indeed. As to his ridiculous debate idea, I still don't understand why Mr. Ty picked on you and me."
I didn't pick on anyone. I just noticed that chantal has a strong opinion about Taylor, and so do you (NR Davis). And those opinions differ greatly. I had yet to see you debate about it, that's all.
NR Davis: chantal is entitled to her opinion (just like you), but doesn't it bother you when she says that if Taylor wins, America needs their hearing checked? That is not saying simply that she does not like Taylor, but that Taylor absolutely cannot hold a note, and that something is wrong with America if Taylor wins. That doesn't bother you in the least Natalie. chantal went much further than just saying she hates Taylor, she is saying that Taylor is bad AND America is dumb if he wins.
22 - Chris Evans
"They are tied for the one year of touring but not for the whole four as the winner will be."
Actually that's not true. Many past idol contestants have spoken about how they are still tied to Idol contracts--long past the tour.
23 - Judge Judi
Ahhh, in defense of Chantal, maybe she is just saying that America needs its hearing checked because Elliot sings BETTER than Taylor?? That Elliot has ALWAYS sung better than Taylor. Or Elliot has much more SOUL than Taylor does ... could be a number of things.
On another note, I was just watching the show EXTRA, and they did this big build-up saying "Find out what music legend has asked Katharine to sing on his next project." I'm thinking, holy cow, who could this be? It turns out that MEATLOAF is the music legend. MEATLOAF?? I thought he was dead!!!
Have at it, Katharine ... you and MEATLOAF can roll around on the stage together!!!
24 - Kdog
Now does anyone really care now that Chris is gone?
I guess Kat wouldn't be terrible-but if you look at the trends, we need a white male.
1-Kelly Clarkson-white female
2-Ruben Studdard-black male
3-Fantasia Barrino-black female
4-Carrie Underwood-white female
5-??? we need a white male to keep it fair
25 - NR Davis
Mr. Ty: I am not here to debate. As to being bothered, I didn't like the implication, but so what? I can't understand why anyone wouldn't adore Taylor - again, listen to him singing and playing his own stuff. But different strokes: Ms. Stone is entitled to hold whatever opinion she likes about the relative superiority and inferiority of each fanbase's musical knowledge and taste, to state that opinion, and deal with whatever responses come from hubris-filled statement. Are you trying to pick a semantic battle for entertainment's sake or something? Nothing to do now that you can't rant about Paris anymore?