I don't have anything to say about last week's results show other than, simply... perfect final four.
Also, I don't know why I never put a picture on my Idol posts. #timmfail, I guess. Perhaps I'll go back and add them, to pretty up my blog. Perhaps.
Tonight... more tired Idol themes! Seriously, is it so difficult to find new themes? While they've only done one specific "Leiber and Stoller" week (season 4), their songs are absolute staples of Motown Weeks and 60s week and 50s week and Elvis week and others. Been there, done that. And inspirational songs? Done 3 times. Where is One Hit Wonder week? Songs by the Opposite Gender? Songs from James Bond movies? Songs Never Before Done on American Idol?
Ah well.... you know the drill, after the jump.
James
"Don't Stop Believing" - Journey
There's no way this song can't be completely and utterly cheesy. I don't have any statistics to back this up, but I'm pretty sure everyone in America knows this song, and sings along with it in the car like the guilty pleasure it is. For that reason, it's got to be the most commonly done karaoke song, so its fitting that James did it in true karaoke style. Seriously, the only thing missing was James being tanked and holding another beer. Naturally the judges loved it... but that's what we've come to expect from them this season, no?
Haley
"Earth Song" - Michael Jackson
I am completely sick of the judges this season, and it's clear Haley is as well. The girl goes out and works her great, interesting song choices each and every week, usually turning out some of the best performances of the night... then the judges slam her for a different thing each week. Last week, the song she chose wasn't familiar enough... this week, she didn't make a recognizable song her own. Props to Haley for speaking up to defend herself.... but history shows that when a contestant does just that, they are usually gone. Not saying Haley was lightyears better than James's first performance... but was definitely better. Frustrating.
Scotty
"Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?" - Alan Jackson
First thought: Scotty was... 6? 7? Second thought: I'm old. Anyhoo. Simple, heartfelt performance from Scotty. You saw a visible connection to the song, which isn't usually the case with Scotty. The sound didn't seem quite right for the performance, but no matter... good stuff.
Lauren
"Anyway" - Martina McBride
First off... Lauren looks gorgeous. It seems like Lauren is the victim of awkward song cuts more often than any other contestant this season. Take this week, for example... awkward intro, a big chorus that comes from nowhere, awkward middle verse, big ending that comes from nowhere. I don't know if this is a problem with Lauren or the music director or the song itself (I don't know this song). The vocals for this performance were impeccable, as usual... but I didn't quite get a consistent sense of connection to the song. Considering this round's theme... that's unfortunate.
And just in case you didn't know who the judges didn't like, they bring out all four contestants... for the judges to single out Haley AGAIN. Completely and utterly ridiculous.
Haley
"I (Who Have Nothing)" - Ben E. King (thanks, Wikipedia!)
Gaga's advice to Haley was GREAT. I love Gaga. It kind of seemed that a line or two into the song, it clicked with Haley that the lyrics of the song completely make sense for the shit the judges are putting her through... and the result was BRILLIANT. Oh man. The only way that would have been a better moment was if Haley slammed the microphone to the stage emphatically afterwards, perhaps shouting "how do you like THAT, dawg?".
Scotty
"Young Blood" - The Coasters
Interesting performance. Clearly Scotty was going for the opposite for what he did in his first performance. It worked well enough... not the best vocal, not the best performance, but he accomplished what he apparently set out to accomplish. If he wasn't a frontrunner in the competition, this performance would be a slight cause for concern, but as someone who's almost assuredly safe, it's all good.
Lauren
"Trouble" - Elvis
I tend to view Lauren as running a solid number 2, maybe number 3 (behind Scotty and, at times, James). With this performance, Lauren knocked Scotty to the ground and stormed past. Lauren looked to be confident, sassy and having a blast with that song... three things that aren't always true with her. We've come to expect great vocals, but the rest of the package is sometimes lacking... not so much tonight. A question, however: if she was initially hesitant to call herself "evil"... why choose a song that repeatedly refers to herself as such?
James
"Love Potion No. 9" - The Clovers
I enjoyed this performance, right up until the very end. When James started the song atop the stairs, I had flashes of Adam Lambert's "Feeling Good", with the strut down the stair, the great vocals... and the completely inorganic, over the top ending that completely undermined the entire performance. As James's performance went on, I started to think I was being premature... but then the ending of the song was completely inorganic and annoyingly over the top. Funny how Idol repeats itself, eh? And funny how James continues to emulate Adam Lambert, whether it's intentional or not.
Winner of the Night: Lauren or Haley... based on the performances alone, I'll go with Lauren. While I didn't totally dig her first performance, the song came from the right place, the vocals were great, and she looked fantastic; far more good than bad. Everything about her second performance was great, though. If based on the entire show as a whole, I'll go with Haley. She persevered last week after annoying judge favoritism, and was forced to do it again tonight... and did it in a HUGE way. I also admire her standing up for herself to the judges... though I'm betting that will cost her in the voting.
Loser of the Night: I don't think there was a contestant that lost tonight, really.... so, easily, the judges. My blog, I make my own rules. This is an acceptable loser of the night.
Prediction: I'm going to bet the producers/judges will win the night tonight. They've made it blatantly clear who they want the top 3 to be... and will probably get it, with Haley being eliminated. I definitely wouldn't mind a Haley/Lauren/Scotty top three, though................
