Wednesday, February 25, 2009

NO, NO NO, NO WAY: I think this week highlighted how the change of format changes hopes -- plenty of singers were competent enough to avoid elimination. Problem, though, is that wasn't their task -- survival requires being at the top of his heap, and not enough of the performers recognized that imperative.
Jasmine Murray - “Love Song,” Sara Bareilles. Not a singer's song. A potentially great singer pisses away an opportunity.

Matt Giraud - “Viva La Vida,” Coldplay. The great thing about the song is its orchestration -- the bombast is earned. But on Idol, you have to focus on the words of the song, and "Roman cavalry choirs are singing" is not going to wow the masses, and there's not enough left in terms of melody or range to demonstrate how good of a singer he might be.

Jeanine Vailes - "This Love," Maroon 5 -- I liked it more than the judges, because it's a song that allows for personality to seep through. But as Jeanine noted (as did Isaac), she needed to blow people away given her under-the-radar status, and she didn't.

Nick Mitchell - Oh, I don't want to spoil it for the West Coasters. I smiled. Send him home? Maybe not yet. Jen: "This is the best thing I've ever seen on Idol." It reminded me of this.

Allison Iraheta - "Alone," Heart -- one of my main rules of Idol is Don't Sing Something Someone Else On The Show Has Defined, especially the defining song of an Idol winner. I guess every rule has an exception -- she kicked ass. Powerful, well-performed, totally in command. And she's sixteen? Dawgs, we got us a pantheon-level semifinal performance tonight.

Kris Allen - "Man in the Mirror," Michael Jackson -- the absence of Jacko's tics was disconcerting. No hee!, no grunts. Also it wasn't very memorable. Like a lesser Chris Richardson.

Meghan Corkrey - “Put Your Records On," Corinne Bailey Rae -- a nice, warm performance, better than Antonella Barba's in season six, but everything's paling in Iraheta's shadow at this point. Bring her back in the wild card. Jen: "She's got one move, and it looks like she's shaking dandruff off her shoulders."

Matt Breitzke - "If You Could Only See," Tonic -- Chris Daughtry could have killed this song. Nice tone to his voice, but Breitzke put me to sleep. No intensity. Think about what Daughtry did to "Hemmorhage" compared to Breitzke's lackluster performance here. That you love the song, Matt, is no reason by itself to perform it for us.

Jesse Langseth - "Bette Davis Eyes," Kim Carnes -- didn't she just die on Lost? After Stevie Wright's "Evangeline Lilly Jr." look last week, this kinda freaked me out. There's a growl one expects in this song which was missing. Did not particularly move me. Jen wants to see her again.

Kai Kalama - "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," Jimmy Ruffin -- and now he's going to find Nadia, because if he's great, we didn't learn why from this. The kind of performance that helps you survive going from 24 to 20 to 16 to 12, maybe, but doesn't distinguish you as one of the best three out of twelve.

Mishavonna Henson - "Drops of Jupiter," Train -- ended well, and okay, I finally accept that the line isn't "Van Halen is overrated" at the end of the chorus. Great she was no, but good enough that I'd want to see again.

Adam Lambert - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,"The Rolling Stones -- the boy's upper range is something to behold. Weird and exciting. Yeah, I'd put him through to the next round.
Worth calling for: Allison.
Hope to see them again: Adam, Meghan.
In a league of his own: Nick.
Would not mind giving another chance: Mishavonna, Jasmine.
Buh-bye: the rest.

Fienberg says, but of whom? "Who? How did this guy get into the Top 36, judges? This is embarrassingly middle-of-the-road, karaoke, talent-show. It's less than middle-of-the-road. At least Nick Mitchell was joking and found ways to get away from his vocal liabilities. [] just sings earnestly, without distinction or self-awareness, blending into the background before my eyes. Generic. He couldn't make the Top 12 on "Canadian Idol.""

Joanna Weiss sides against Nick: "For the men, I think I prefer Adam Lambert. Sure, at times he seemed like he was auditioning for 'Mick! The Broadway Musical,' but boy, can he sing. And beneath the hair and the rings and the boots, he looks like a slightly nerdy guy, which I find inexplicably charming."

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