Missed the show, but here's some thoughts from the chronicle blog
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American Idol's top 12 females outsing their male counterparts
Tonight, the girls go for Idol gold. But not before a rehash of last night's (mostly) excruciating male performances.
It's still Blake Lewis and Chris Sligh, by about 100 miles. No other guy came close to their performances.
Simon Cowell makes the first spot-on judgment of the night: Ryan Seacrest is "obnoxious."
But enough of that. On to the women! They'll have to be collectively horrendous to fare worse than their male counterparts.
Stephanie Edwards -- She's got a smooth, soulful vibe on How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore. It's matched by a commanding, sensual stage presence. Absolutely no trace of nerves. A strong start that recalls Latoya London's out-of-nowhere semifinal appearance.
Randy Jackson says "the conviction was unbelievable." Paula Abdul calls her "a star." And Simon calls her "a million times better" than any Tuesday night performance.
Amy Krebs -- Interesting tone, but it's overshadowed by one of the most oversung song choices in Idol history: Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make You Love Me. It doesn't help that the song has been done -- much better -- by Kimberley Locke (who included it on her debut disc) and Carrie Underwood.
Randy labels it "boring," and Paula agrees. Simon says Amy has "the personality of a candle." Not meaning hot, but meaning tall and wax-like.
Leslie Hunt -- She's a dogwalker, and that's more interesting than her performance. Bad move tackling Aretha's Natural Woman, a song that Kelly Clarkson tore up during season one. And come on -- it's Aretha. The cutesy smiles and moves don't help. Bad, bad, bad.
Randy was hoping for greatness but got "just OK." Paula, of course, calls her "great." Simon says Leslie looks "embarassed and ungainly" onstage.
Does anyone -- other than comics looking for a punchline -- actually listen to Paula anymore?
Sabrina Sloan -- Straight-up sassiness from this diva, who vamps it up with a savvy song choice and killer vocals. Take notes, Leslie. This is how you do Aretha proud. Terrific, but the curls are killing me.
Randy calls Sabrina "the one to beat," and Paula is on her feet. Simon echoes the sentiment and calls Sabrina "the best so far."
Antonella Barba -- An odd lifelessness from Antonella, who I was really rooting for. Another overdone song: Aerosmith's I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing. Still, she seems tentative and nervous. The pitch is also all over the place.
Randy calls it "bland," and Paula compliments Antonella's stunning looks -- always a bad sign. Simon says the song was "way, way, way too big" as Antonella struggles to hold back tears.
Jordin Sparks -- I'm not sure what to think about this one. The teen talent-show vet has a big voice. But choosing Tracy Chapman's Give Me One Reason seems a bit like playing dress-up. The original arrangement is much cooler, and -- to these eyes -- Jordin is trying way too hard. The stomping and hand gestures seem way calculated.
Randy and Paula are mostly positive. Simon thinks Jordin may surprise people with her talent. He must mean me. All I see is Lisa Tucker 2.0.
Nicole Tranquillo -- There's a decent voice in there, somewhere. And a few interesting moments. But Nicole's voice seems a bit affected, and she tends to scream the power notes. Kind of a mess, to be honest.
Randy says "it wasn't really working for me." Paula disagrees, labeling the performance "out of this world." Simon calls it "indulgent, aggressive" and "unnatural."
Haley Scarnato -- The San Antonio rose doesn't exactly bloom onstage. (Sorry, had to do it.) She's no match for Celine Dion on dynamic diva ballad It's All Coming Back To Me Now. But who is? Still, Haley has a nice presence and a clear tone. But, as Simon would say, it's a bit cabaret.
Randy isn't terribly excited, and Paula calls Haley on choosing a song she performed during Hollywood week. Simon thinks Haley sounded too old -- and boring.
Melinda Doolittle -- The first female of the night with a local connection. Her smile is irresistible -- and that voice! Absolutely fantastic. She positively owns Aretha's Since You've Been Gone. It's the first time tonight that I've felt truly excited. A clear candidate for the finals.
Randy thinks it was "the bomb," and Paula dubs Melinda "a frontrunner." Simon adds "fantastic."
Alaina Alexander -- Not much vocal power here. And a bad song choice in the Pretenders' Brass in Pocket. It shows zero personality. I think she'd be better-suited as the next *****cat Doll.
Randy says it really "wasn't great," and Paula chides Alaina for not "going for it." Simon calls it "a mess."
Gina Glocksen -- An unlikely song choice for a chic in a rock band, Celine's All By Myself. But a strategic move. It showcases her powerful pipes and sets a dramatic tone. Gina's a tad cocky, but I like it and hope she glides into the top 12.
Randy loves it, as does Paula. But Simon doesn't "think she quite got there."
Lakisha Jones -- The second female with a Houston connection is saved for last. Lakisha offers a fiery And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going, which she also performed on the local Gimme the Mike talent contest.
Smart choice because of its current relevance. Risky at the same time because of its strong identification with the Jennifers -- Holliday and Hudson, no less. Lakisha is undeniably, amazingly gifted. But I'd like to see her try something a little less obvious.
Randy and Paula are expectedly rapturous. Simon lays it on even heavier, placing Lakisha's performance "in a different league."
In truth, that's the case with most of tonight's performances. The girls quite simply blew the guys off the stage. I agree with Randy: If the top 12 wasn't required to be an even split of guys and girls, the females would rule.
Best of the bunch: Sabrina Sloan, Melinda Doolittle and Lakisha Jones. Gina Glocksen gets an honorable mention.
It may be buh-bye for Antonella Barba, Amy Krebs or Leslie Hunt.
The first results show of the Idol season airs at 7 p.m. Thursday on Fox. Two guys and two girls will be eliminated.
Posted by Joey Guerra at 08:03 PM | Comments (0)
Chris Sligh and Blake Lewis stand tall among Idol's 12 male finalists
A journalist's work is never done.
Apologies for the late arrival of Tuesday night's American Idol summary. I wasn't being lazy, friends. I was out on a difficult assignment — covering the kickoff of Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics tour at the Toyota Center. Someone has to do it. (Wanna read all about it?)
But on with Idol. My TiVo is rolling, and I'm ready for the mediocrity!
What is with Paula Abdul's dye job?! It frightens me.
Wow, major filler tonight. A recap of what we've seen so far and long intros for each hopeful. I think I've seen the same scenes about three times.
Tonight, the 12 males try to wow you and me. On to the singing!
Rudy Cardenas — He's likable enough, but he's also all head voice. And whiny. And pitchy. It doesn't help that the song arrangement is repetitive. After--what is it, 90 seconds or so — I'm bored.
Randy Jackson calls it "really corny." Paula says it's "fantastic." And Simon Cowell feels the whole thing was unmemorable. Score!
Guy talk: Chris Sligh makes the room uncomfortable by calling several male contestants "pretty." I love this guy.
Brandon Rogers — He's trying, really trying, to kill you softly with his song — and his eyes — at first. Then, Michael Jackson's Rock With You kicks in. This is sounding terribly dated and slightly off-key. Major disappointment.
Randy says it was "pitchy," and Paula agrees. Simon says it was "safe and predictable."
Sundance Head — He goes the crooner route with an odd take on Nights in White Satin, and his enunciation at times recalls Meatloaf. This is pretty bad. The blazer only emphasizes the lounge lizard vibe.
Randy wonders if Sundance was on pitch at all during the song. Paula thinks he picked the wrong song. Simon says he was "old-fashioned and uninspiring."
I can't say I disagree. Aside from his first audition, Sundance has been pretty sub-standard throughout the competition. A fluke, perhaps?
Paul Kim — As he previously vowed, Paul is barefoot onstage as he sings George Michael's Careless Whisper. He has a nice tone, but the performance is severely lacking any punch. And the falsetto? Painful.
Randy calls it "kind of weird and kind of stiff." Paula thinks Paul "oversang the song." And Simon calls it "a third-rate version" of the original.
Chris Richardson — He's apparently taking the Justin Timberlake comparisons to the next level. Chris performs in a suit, a la Sexyback. It ends there, however, when he opens up to sing Gavin DeGraw's I Don't Want to Be. Chris jumps and moves around a lot (classic distraction tactics), but this is easily one of the worst vocals I've ever heard at this level of the competition. It was all over the place.
The judges, however, still see the JT-esque chart potential. Randy says Chris "made it kind of work." Paula praises the arrangement. Simon calls it a bad vocal but thinks the girl vote will save Chris. I'm afraid I agree.
Nick Pedro — What's with the slouching? Stand up straight, Pedro! His breathy, boy-band vocals aren't terrible. But not terrific, either. I predict Nick will languish in these semi-final rounds.
Randy says it was "really, really boring." Paula adds that "the magic kind of fell flat." And Simon — surprise — likes it. He calls Nick "very charming."
Blake Lewis — The beatboxer surprises tonight with a mature, accomplished take on a Keane tune that sounds like a real performance. Major points for song choice. And his vocal is light years ahead of anyone thus far. Emotive, emotional and excellent overall.
Randy "kind of dug it," and Paula says the vocals were "spot on." Simon calls Blake the first person who sounded like a contemporary artist. One of my new favorites.
Sanjaya Malakar — Safe, predictable, average and—ultimately—boring. Sanjaya has plenty of potential, but he's wasting it on performances like this. "I don't want to bore you with this," he sings. Insert joke here.
"Really bad," according to Randy. Paula wanted more personality. Simon calls it the dreariest performance thus far.
Chris Sligh — This performance is everything Sundance Head wanted to be--and everything the judges pretended Chris Richardson was: soulful, assured and solid. And don't forget original. Mute Math? Terrific choice.
Randy "loved it," and Paula agrees. But Simon "felt like he was at some weird student gig." Whatever that means.
Chris gets in a nice dig against Simon via Il Divo and the Teletubbies. But Simon's and Ryan Seacrest's bickering is predictably boring.
Jared Cotter — He hasn't gotten as much screen time as other contestants. Not that I'd remember Jared, anyway. His take on Brian McKnight's Back At One is average, at best. It completely falls apart halfway through the tune. And the hand gestures are way annoying.
Randy thinks it was "pretty good," and Paula is underwhelmed. Simon calls it "unadventurous." But he thinks Jared looks good.
A.J. Tabaldo — He seems like a nice guy. Patient, too. This is his fifth attempt to make the show. But Luther Vandross' Never Too Much is another predictable, dated choice. Still, A.J. has personality and stage presence. Moreso than several previous singers.
Randy thinks it was "pretty good," and Paula thinks he did a "great job." Simon describes it as "kind of a theme park" performance but has high hopes for A.J.
Phil Stacey — And the music of Edwin McCain makes its first regularly scheduled appearance. The intro is way shaky, and Phil seems to be screaming a lot of the chorus. But people often mistake hysterics for soul and power.
Randy inexplicably calls it the evening's best vocal, and Paula seconds that emotion. Simon calls it "OK."
My picks for best of the bunch? Easily Chris Sligh and Blake Lewis. Originals in every way.
The bottom of the barrel is crowded. Sundance, Rudy, Paul, Nick, Sanjaya, Jared — how to choose who will go home? Roll the dice and let your comments be known.
http://blogs.chron.com/tubular/archives/american_idol/
