With four more contestants left in the competition, the clock is ticking down until we crown our next! American! Idol!
(cue theme music)
First of all, apologies for not putting out posts last week. I had a lot of things on my plate. But I'm back this week, here to provide you all with my brilliant reviews. Okay, maybe they're not so brilliant. But they're at least somewhat witty at times.
This week was Bee Gees Week, and Barry Gibb was the group's mentor. I had no idea that Barry's speaking voice sounds like Sean Connery's. Since he usually sings with a falsetto, I've always been curious as to what he really sounds like. Not surprisingly, Barry will be performing tonight - most likely promoting some new album or tour. Since there are only four singers left, each person got to perform twice. Hey, the producers have got to fill up that hour somehow, right?
Let's get started.
Most of the contestants crashed and burned during the first half of the show, some more than others. Let's take a look.
Performance I
C
I like Blake. I really do. I think it's great that he often puts a spin on a song, making it his own. However, sometimes he overdoes it. Blake took "You Should Be Dancing" and beatboxed the living hell out of it. I thought he murdered Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" last week, and he did it again with this song. I wish that Blake would quit picking classic songs and drastically altering them beyond recognition. None of the judges liked it. Paula said that he was off pitch, while Simon said that it was horrible.
B-
How odd for LaKisha to take what's arguably the ultimate disco song and R & B-ify it. I applaud her for taking a risk, but this was a bit much. Indeed, contrary to what he normally says, Randy didn't like that she made it her own. Paula thought that taking the tempo down brought the audience's mood down.
B
Yes, even Melinda doesn't get a good grade this time. Vocally it was stellar as usual, but I thought that the performance was meh, and the song didn't really work for her. The judges pretty much said the same thing — great vocals, but weren't really wowed.
A
Out of the four first performances, only Jordin's really stood out. She sang "To Love Somebody," which I thought was excellent. The girl is on her way to the finale. All three judges said it had the best vocals and was the best performance so far.
Article comments
1 - Judge Judi
Kaonashi -
Thanks for the review - we missed you last week! I agree with most of your review, and although I am a HUGE Jordin fan, I loved her first song, but hated her second song. I think she even looked kinda scared when she was singing it, like maybe she wouldn't be able to hit the high notes and stay on key. I didn't like her dress either - looked too matronly. At any rate, I'm still guessing she'll win the title of A.I., and I would be very glad for that.
I'm definitely ready for Blake to go, although I kinda liked last week's song. It worked for me, but this week's songs? YUCK
But I'm a little nervous that maybe Blake has more of a fan base than LaKisha?? But one of them will most likely go.
As an overall season, this year just doesn't compare to any of the other seasons. Maybe I'm getting burned out on one of my favorite shows??!!
Go Jordin!!
2 - Phillip Winn
Randy is amazingly inconsistent. Blake probably has gone as far as he can go, but think about this: Randy has said several times that Blake should do more of the beatboxing the judges first fell in love with. So Blake finally did last week, and the judges -- including Randy -- fell all over themselves in praise. I agreed, for that matter.
And now, suddenly, an about-face. To say that the songs didn't work is one thing, but to say "you don't need to do the beatbox thing all the time" is incredibly inconsistent. Do it! Do it! Do it! Ah, you shouldn't have done it. Wha---?
When Blake doesn't beatbox, we realize that his vocals are outclassed by the other competitors still in the competition. Only by beatboxing does he have a chance. And a slim one at that.
3 - Kaonashi
Judge Judi- Aww, thanks! I actually liked Jordin's second song as well, but I do agree with Simon in that it was rather old-fashioned. I'm surprised he didn't criticize her for singing "Woman in Love" when she's just a kid and most likely hasn't been in love yet. Simon usually doesn't like it when a teen sings about subject matter that's beyond their comprehension. As for Blake, I do think that he's got a bigger fan base than LaKisha, but I wonder if it's big enough to save him. Besides, the Vote for the Worst people are backing her up now, so their support just might give her that little edge she needs.
Phillip- Randy has always been inconsistent. For example, one week he's complaining about song choice, the next week he says it has nothing to do with the song. Even Ryan has called him on this. This is why Randy drives me nuts and sucks as a judge. But this time, I think it was a case of Randy growing tired of Blake's beat boxing since he actually has a point.
4 - Grandpa Idol
Blake will be hanging around at least one more week and LaKisha will be out. I believe it will be Jordin and Melinda in the finals and although I don't care which of those two win I would like to see Jordin take it as the youngest winner to date. I do agree with your Blake assessment in that he over beat boxed his selections but do think last week's Bon Jovi selection was a big hit.
5 - Betty Wong
I thought Blake did really well with Bon Jovi's song last week. And I loved what he did with 'This Is Where I Came In' this week. So what if Barry Gibb said it wasn't a hit? Not all hit songs become hits from the original singers, and Blake definitely did a better version of it than the original.
I honestly don't know why people think Lakisha is any good. Sure, she's got a big voice, and it seems a lot of people equate big voices with good singers, but I keep saying, big voices doesn't automatically equal good singers. Lakisha has a big voice, that's all she has. With some training, she could be really great, but now, she's the weakest in this group.
Melinda and Jordin are my favourites. In terms of skill, Melinda wins hands down, but you never know how the votes are going to go. Jordin has the most potential, she's so young, and with some more years of experience, she could get waaaayyy better than Melinda.
6 - Kaonashi
Grandpa - I also think that Jordin will win this year. Melinda is a fantastic singer, but to be honest she doesn't appeal to the young audience that American Idol wants.
Betty - My boyfriend and I must be the only ones who cringed at Blake's performance of "You Give Love a Bad Name" last week. It wasn't bad per se, but that song is a classic and I don't think he should mess too much with the classics. You are right in that big voices don't equal good singers, which is why Melinda is better than LaKisha. Her control is so much better. She knows when to reel that voice in and keep it steady, but she also knows when to just let it all out. LaKisha even admitted that she's had no formal vocal training outside of singing in church. She just knows to sing big.
7 - sean Paul Mahoney
First off, welcome back Kaonashi! I missed your funny AI blog and yes it is brilliant. Unlike last nights show. The Bee Gees have a wealth of amazing material and each contestant picked very safe material. Where was "If I can't Have you", "You stepped into my life",or even "Heartbreaker"(which they penned for Dionne Warwick)? I thought Jordin, Blake, and Lakisha all picked the wrong songs. Sorry.
Blake is nice eye candy and is radio friendly but the best? Hardly.
I've also tired of Lakisha not moving or having any energy. Yeah she can sing but she's BORING. It's like watching a dinosaur impersonate Whitney Houston or every other Idol.
So that leaves Jordin and Melinda. Jordin is the whole package even when she makes mistakes. Melinda is amazing but would I buy her album? Not so much.
Judge Judi- I loved the cameo last night by your namesake! Very funny.
8 - Grandpa Idol
Told you so.
9 - Kaonashi
Sean Paul- Thanks! Yes, most of the songs they picked were relatively safe, though I think that "Stayin' Alive" could have been more daring if LaKisha pushed herself.
Grandpa - Yep, you called it. I think most people thought LaKisha was going home, but Blake was just so bad last night that I figured an upset might occur.
10 - Grandpa Idol
I agree that Blake overstepped his beat boxing bounds this week and therefore will probably refrain from excesses in the future. At this point it's all about fan base because all three could be stars. I think Blake will go next week unless he really knocks it out of the park and one of the others totally flop. Unless that happens, Melinda and Jordin will be in the finals.