A BIT LIKE ORDERING A HAMBURGER, AND ONLY GETTING THE BUN: Did the Idols make it happen? Were you feeling emotions deeper than you've ever dreamed of?
Okay, if I try I can let go of this conceit to talk about the show. Jen properly notes that Carly done got swallowed alive by the whale of the song called "Without You," and while she'll be in bottom three I think it's Kristy Lee who's going home with a boring, unmemorable rendition of a Mariah song no one remembers hearing before.
But I really want to talk about Carly, because "Without You" is a song that basically exists as a long setup for some of the biggest glory notes in the pop universe. Kelly Clarkson could hit them, and it felt like Carly instead rearranged the song to avoid them altogether. Oh, and while she was at it, she also completely avoided selling the emotions of the song. (Hint: you're supposed to look like you don't want to live without him.)
Carly failed where all the others more or less succeeded -- you can't hit a Mariah Carey hit straight up; you have to, have to find some other way to approach it. Half the competitors had the advantage of being male, with David Cook and Clifford the Crunchy Muppet having the added plus of having distinct personal styles to swing their songs into. (I liked the Cook more in concept than execution, but still, 'twas fine.) Same with America's Nanny, who I believe is the first performer this season to eschew all band accompaniment altogether, and Syesha who just went to the obscure nether regions of the Carey catalog.
Which means that individually, most of them made good decisions for staying in the competition. But collectively, all that obscuring and rearrangement made for a generally lousy hour of television. In answer to Kim's question below, then, the answer is "you didn't hear the good part of Mariah's oeuvre tonight, done the way she sings it" -- none of these singers can approach her range, and none were going to bring in the hip-hop the way she's done so well. So enjoy Mariah with the O.D.B., because you didn't get anything close to this on Idol tonight.
e.t.a. Fienberg can handle YDA: "I guess this wasn't the week for David to break out of his power balladeering mode, was it? Anybody remember the last time he looked like he was having fun? I only remember his eyes half-closed and his hand raised up urging viewers to follow him on his Children's March. Whether you're viewing David as remarkably consistent or remarkably monotonous is completely subjective at this point. I think he's aware that the only way he can lose is to make a horrible mistake and he has no interest in swaying new fans."
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