I said after the first audition night that I wanted to review Idol this year, so I’m going to do just that. I can’t guarantee I’ll do this same thing each week, but as I sit here right this moment, that’s my plan. After the jump, you’ll find my contestant-by-contestant mini-review for the show’s Top 24. Spoiler: it’s a girl’s year.
Boys - Tuesday Night
Disclaimer: I’m writing this on Wednesday night, not as I watch the show.
- Clint Jun Gamboa - Superstition - Clint annoys me… and this performance pretty much fit right in. Clint’s “day job” is a karaoke host, which is completely fitting!
- Jovany Barreto - I’ll Be - could he have picked a more cliche Idol song? He sang it well enough, but major snoozer. Tonight’s starting off in a sleepy fashion…
- Jordan Dorsey - OMG - ok, can we bring in a cliche song? Or, maybe, a song that can be sung period? Absolutely abysmal song choice…. bad vocals, too, but oddly, I liked his performance. I cannot get over the song choice, though. WHY.
- Tim Halperin - Streetcorner Symphony (Come On Over) - ok, I’m going to bet that instruments were banned from tonight’s performances. Why would someone like Tim do a Rob Thomas song… sans piano? The judges tore Tim apart, but I liked the performance…. piano next time, please.
- Brett Loewenstern - Light My Fire - I don’t think I get Brett. Not saying he’s not talented, but he’s just… odd. And awkward. And quirky. And I’m not sure if it’s in a good way or not. Alright performance, I guess.
- James Durbin - You Got Another Thing Comin’ - before this performance, I saw James Durbin as a far lesser Adam Lambert. Well, an Adam wannabe. He came off as trying WAY too hard….. but this performance? Spot on. He used his vocal tricks perfectly, rocking the house. If he can keep this up… look out. I’m not convinced, though.
- Robbie Rosen - Arms of an Angel - very disappointing performance. All the changes to the melody fell flat for me, with the vocals average at best. I’ve liked Robbie to this point, but this did not work.
- Scott McCreery - Letters from Home - I am a HUGE fan of Scotty’s voice. I’d describe it as dreamy, actually. He wraps that gorgeous instrument around this song. I’m concerned with how versatile he’ll be in the competition…. but something tells me he’s going to be just fine.
- Stefano Langone - Just the Way You Are - good song choice…. but he doesn’t do anything with it. There were a few interesting notes at the end that kind of ruined everything, but even without them, it would have been just alright.
- Paul McDonald - Maggie Mae - well, nobody can say this season’s Idol lacks artists that know who they are. Paul’s vocal and physical awkwardness totally work in his favor. Not my favorite song by any means, but perfectly selection for Paul. Great performance.
- Jacob Lusk - A House is Not a Home - I’d be downright lying if I said I was a Jacob Luck fan before this performance. I’d also be lying if I said I was a fan after it, but I’d be getting warmer. I typically hate the oversinging that Lusk employs, but it worked here, for the most part.
- Casey Abrams - I Put a Spell On You - I won’t make a comparison to Taylor Hicks, I promise. I won’t. I really, really won’t. I am intrigued by Casey as an artist… but I don’t think he really demonstrated it tonight. If he had some sort of an instrument, I’d probably feel differently, but he didn’t… so meh. He did remind me of someone, but I won’t make a comparison.
Winner of the Night….. This is tough. I wouldn’t say there were any WOW performances exactly, but a few (Jacob, Paul, Scott, James, Tim) that were quite good. Since I’m going to make a point of choosing a “winner of the night” from here on in, I’ll go with Paul tonight, with James as a runner up. 5 guys are guaranteed to advance… and I have no idea which 5 will.
Girls - Wednesday Night
- Ta-Tynisa Wilson - Only Girl in the World - a bit karaoke, with a few pitch problems, but ultimately I didn’t mind it. Randy hit the nail on the head by saying the performance was just alright.
- Naima Adedapo - Summertime - not my preferred style of music, but Naima is completely owning this performance. Randy says Fantasia Barrino did it better…. thanks for critiquing the current talent, Randy!
- Kendra Chantelle - Impossible - Something of a boring performance, but I really enjoyed it. I can’t put my finger on why exactly, but I dug it. The weird somewhat whiney upper register thing is something that could get really obnoxious really fast, though (but could be awesome if used correctly).
- Rachel Zevita - Criminal - Um, nice cape? Nice song choice. Rachel’s personality kind of annoys me, but I’ve liked all her performances thus far…. this one included. “A little too Broadway”… WHY is that a bad thing? Perhaps that’s why I liked it…
- Karen Rodriguez - Hero - LOVE the dress, LOVE the Spanish lyrics (even if it’s a touch cheesy). Not loving the song choice, though she is completely selling it. I like.
- Lauren Turner - Seven Day Fool - I am totally digging this performance. My only critique would be that she needs to loosen up a bit…. loved everything else, though. Easily the best performance thus far in my book. (and go me, the judges agree)
- Ashthon Jones - Love Over Me - I completely agree with the judges on this one. Ashthon’s confidence on stage is completely appealing… but the song didn’t do anything for her. Going forward, let’s here more attitude (and Diana Ross is a great suggestion by Randy)
- Julie Zorrilla - Breakaway - I’m afraid this performance is boring, and she’s getting lost. Very disappointing, because I’ve liked her to this point. Another one probably better suited to the piano….
- Haley Reinhart - Fallin’ - interesting song choice: it works completely for her voice (which I love), but I’m not sure if it jives with the personality she gives off (so far). Interesting, but I can’t decide if it was a good interesting. Haley reminds me of Anna Camp.
- Thia Megia - Out Here, On My Own - the acapella intro was a nice touch, but the changes to the melody didn’t really work for me (though it might be because I know the song so well). Very simplistic arrangement that showcased her voice… strong performance overall, but it wasn’t as great as the judges made it out to be.
- Lauren Alaina - Turn on the Radio - thinking back to the audition rounds, I remember exactly one audition for vocal reasons: Lauren Alaina. The voice, the presence, the song selection, the look, the feel…. awesome. LOVED everything about this performance.
- Pia Toscano - I’ll Stand by You - Gokey arms! There is a time when cliche songs are completely ok…. like this time. When you can sing it like nobody else…. sing away! Pia bordered on over doing it, but nailed the vocals. Way to close a show, Idol.
Winner of the Night….. Um, yeah, this is a girl’s year. Three performances were head and shoulders above the rest tonight, for me: Lauren, Lauren and Pia. To pick just one as a winner…. I’ll go with Lauren Alaina. As for which 5 will advance… I’ll pick those 3, plus maybe Ashthon and Naima.
Tylerism of the Night (Wednesday): “After Monday and Tuesday, even a week says WTF.”
