American Idol: Round of 11 - March 20th, 2007
British Pop is invading American Idol tonight. For a minute, I thought that Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe was coaching the boys this week. Come to find out, it was his doppelgänger Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits. British 60s pop singer Lulu is helping the girls this week.
Haley Scarnato is trying to break out of her streak of boring performances by singing "Tell Him". She started off in the audience, obviously trying very hard to make her performance one to remember. Since she's going first toinght, that's even more important than usual. At first it looked a little awkward, but as she continued, she seemed to find her groove. The singing was good, but nothing fantastic. Like Simon said, though, people won't be talking about her singing, just her performance as a whole. I think the dancing and the energy she brought to the stage may help keep her around for another week, but we'll have to see how the rest of the performances go.
The Verdict:
Randy: That was the perfect song for you. Haley's back in the competition.
Paula: You have this girlish quality about you. Adorable.
Simon: You naughty little thing. Fun, young, a bit shrieky.
Buzz Score: 8
Chris Richardson (also known as Justin Timberlake's doppelgänger) is slowing it down this week with "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying". I always say ballads and being one of the first performers of the evening don't mix. Ballads can easily be forgettable, and that is a big problem when you're relying on an audience with a 10-minute attention span to keep you in the competition or send you home. You really have to sing well to make it worthwhile. Can Chris pull it off? The guitar player on stage is a nice touch, and the song starts off really well. A few pitchy spots, but overall very good.
I think that he and Haley both did a good job of taking songs several decades old, and making them sound modern without over-modernizing them like Chris and Blake did last week. The judges really liked his performance, even going as far as saying it was his best performance to date. If the audience can still remember him by the end of the show, he'll be on stage next Tuesday.
The Verdict:
Randy: That was another great performance. It showed a different side to you. One of your best vocals yet.
Paula: It's all about being smart with your choices. Very sexy and charming.
Simon: I think that was your best performance so far.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Up next is Stephanie Edwards. She tells Ryan that the hardest part of preparing each week is choosing the best song for her. The song she chose this week is "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", a Dusty Springfield tune. The arrangment starts off really cool, with just the band, the backup singers, and dim lights. When she started off, her performance reminded me of a song from a Broadway show. As the song progressed, her voice got pitchy, and a little warbled. Overall, I didn't like it nearly as much as her previous performances. I think she's probably safe for next week based on her previous performances, but this week didn't do it for me at all.
The Verdict:
Randy: It was a little pitchy for me.
Paula: I love what you're wearing. Some notes fell off. Start going back to having fun.
Simon: I think you are losing your edge/your soul. That song wasn't you.
Buzz Score: 7
Blake Lewis: Loved by youngsters and oldsters alike. He got Paula dancing right away. His vocals were decent, and the beat-boxing added something to the song without being over the top. Much different from last week. His high notes sounded very strained to me. The judges loved him, but I wasn't quite as impressed. I liked it, but it definitely wasn't his best performance. Like Randy, I'm a big Blake fan, and I definitely expect him to be back next week.
The Verdict:
Randy: I'm a huge Blake fan. You made the song really current. Brilliant.
Paula: You have raised the bar.
Simon: A million times better than last week. You found a way to make the song contemporary without messing up the song. Storngest per formance so far.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Lulu tried to convince Lakisha Jones to sing "You're My World", but she decided in the end to sing "Diamonds are Forever". Like Stephanie, the song started out sounding a lot like a Broadway performance. Lakisha can sing very well, and this song was no different from any of her past performances. Very good overall. It's too bad that they showed Lulu's comments before the performance though, because I can't keep from thinking that "You're My World" would have suited her better, and been a song she could really bring the house down with. Randy and Simon agreed with my sentiment. Lakisha can definitely sing, but the performance wasn't as memorable as the others have been.
The Verdict:
Randy: I don't know if it was my favorite performance. Not enough Lakisha.
Paula: You picked the right song.
Simon: You are a fantastic singer. However, this is Lakisha in 50 years.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Phil Stacey was looking for a fun song, and chose "Tobacco Road". Peter Noone said Phil's voice is unique, and is perfect for this song. Coming out on stage sporting the patented Bo Bice microphone-and-stand hold. His vocals were very good, and it looks like Peter was right; his voice is very good for this song. Phil's "look" doesn't match very well with the vibe he was trying for, and as such, it looked a little strange to me. I liked the performance, though, and I hope America does too. I'd like to see him back next week.
The Verdict:
Randy: It was a pretty good performance. I like your upper register.
Paula: Good choice of song. I feel like there were some parts that were pitchy.
Simon: I wasn't crazy about it. A third division bar band performance. You need grit in your voice.
Buzz Score: 8
Jordin Sparks is "so excited" about the performance tonight. Lulu loves her song choice, and thinks Jordin is amazing. The performance starts off like Stephanie's, with the band and the dim lights. Jordin handles the song better than Stephanie, though, almost immediately eliciting cheers from the audience. You can tell right away that this song is perfect for her. I'm not sure what it is about 60s British pop music that reminds me of Broadway musicals, but once again, I can totally envision watching this on a stage in Times Square. I've always liked Jordin, but not until tonight did I think she had any chance against Melinda, Lakisha, or Stephanie. If she can keep this up, she could win the whole thing.
The Verdict:
Randy: Very controlled. One of the best poerformances we'll see tonight.
Paula: You're a good singer and a wonderful performer.
Simon: You sang it beautifully, but I feel like jumping off a bridge. So gloomy.
Buzz Score: 9
When they showed the two songs Sanjaya Malakar was considering singing, I felt like choosing one would just be choosing the lesser of two evils. Unfortunately, he chose the evilest of two evils. We've all seen Sanjaya sing over the past several weeks, and although he's not as good as most of the other singers, there's no doubt that he can sing well. I risk sounding like Simon by saying this, but tonight's performance sounded like a very bad karaoke version of that song. I think I could probably perform that song better than he did, and I am a terrible singer. Everything about the performance made me just wish it would end. He was off pitch, and screamed half the song. Somehow, the judges seemed to like it at least pretty well, which was very surprising to me.
Sanjaya brought at least one audience member to tears. It was hard to tell if they were tears of joy, or if she realized this was probably it for Sanjaya this week. Sanjaya does have VoteForTheWorst.com working in his favor again this week. They might keep him from being voted out, but there's no doubt that he was the worst this week.
The Verdict:
Randy: Usually, you're reserved, but you came out of your shell tonight. Best performance to date.
Paula: You looked like you were having fun up there.
Simon: The little girl's face says it all.
Buzz Score: 6
Gina Glocksen will be singing "Painted Black", a song that seems like it would be very good for her. This song is interesting the way at switches back and forth from mellow to rocked out constantly through the song, and I wondered how she would handle this. I think overall, she did a pretty good job at it. The mellow parts had a tendency to get a little pitchy, but her 'performing' was very good. I was expecting a little bit more for her with this song, but it wasn't bad.
The Verdict:
Randy: I love the edge vibe. It was just alright for me.
Paula: I think it was miles better than last week.
Simon: There were moments of complete torture. Off melody. Not very good. Style over content.
Buzz Score: 8
Chris Sligh revealed to America that Peter Noone was voted sexiest singer alive in 2001. It makes me wonder who voted in that poll. Chris Sligh wins the award for traveling the farthest into the audience during a performance than any other singer in American Idol history. He was 90 seconds into the song before he even got to the stage, Singing "She's Not There" by the Zombies, he managed some great vocals, and the performance was very good overall, especially considering that he was weaving through the audience while he was performing.
The Verdict:
Randy: It started off a little rough, but you wound up good.
Paula: Your vocals were really good.
Simon: I thought it was fun. Not the best vocal tonight, but still very good.
Buzz Score: 8
Melinda Doolitle said that "As Long As He Needs Me" is as far out of her comfort song that any song has been so far this season. Lulu thinks it's the perfect song for her. This time, the song actually is from a musical, rounding out the evening of "Four of six girls singing songs that sound like they're from musicals, including one that actually is from a musical."
The performance was fantastic, as I think everyone probably expected. It wasn't as powerful as previous performances by Melinda, but it was still amazing. It's hard for me to imagine how it would even be possible for Melinda to miss out on making the finals in this competition.
The Verdict:
Randy: We saved the best vocal for last. you have great relative pitch. You are a pro up there.
Paula: You are in your own league. Beautiful.
Simon: Are you really as nice as you seem? A boring song, but you made it sensational.
Buzz Score: 9.5
Alright, this is a tough week to predict who will be voted out of the competition. I think Sanjaya was clearly the worst, but he has VoteForTheWorst.com behind him. Even so, he was in the bottom three last week, and VFTW had just been mentioned on Howard Stern that day.
Phil Stacey might still be in trouble, but I think if it's not Sanjaya, it's most likely to be Haley. Basically, my prediction comes down to whether or not VoteForTheWorst will be able to keep Sanjaya in or not. I'm going to guess no, and go with Sanjaya.
Voting Prediction:
Sanjaya Malakar will be voted off Wednesday night.
Haley Scarnato is trying to break out of her streak of boring performances by singing "Tell Him". She started off in the audience, obviously trying very hard to make her performance one to remember. Since she's going first toinght, that's even more important than usual. At first it looked a little awkward, but as she continued, she seemed to find her groove. The singing was good, but nothing fantastic. Like Simon said, though, people won't be talking about her singing, just her performance as a whole. I think the dancing and the energy she brought to the stage may help keep her around for another week, but we'll have to see how the rest of the performances go.
The Verdict:
Randy: That was the perfect song for you. Haley's back in the competition.
Paula: You have this girlish quality about you. Adorable.
Simon: You naughty little thing. Fun, young, a bit shrieky.
Buzz Score: 8
Chris Richardson (also known as Justin Timberlake's doppelgänger) is slowing it down this week with "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying". I always say ballads and being one of the first performers of the evening don't mix. Ballads can easily be forgettable, and that is a big problem when you're relying on an audience with a 10-minute attention span to keep you in the competition or send you home. You really have to sing well to make it worthwhile. Can Chris pull it off? The guitar player on stage is a nice touch, and the song starts off really well. A few pitchy spots, but overall very good.
I think that he and Haley both did a good job of taking songs several decades old, and making them sound modern without over-modernizing them like Chris and Blake did last week. The judges really liked his performance, even going as far as saying it was his best performance to date. If the audience can still remember him by the end of the show, he'll be on stage next Tuesday.
The Verdict:
Randy: That was another great performance. It showed a different side to you. One of your best vocals yet.
Paula: It's all about being smart with your choices. Very sexy and charming.
Simon: I think that was your best performance so far.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Up next is Stephanie Edwards. She tells Ryan that the hardest part of preparing each week is choosing the best song for her. The song she chose this week is "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", a Dusty Springfield tune. The arrangment starts off really cool, with just the band, the backup singers, and dim lights. When she started off, her performance reminded me of a song from a Broadway show. As the song progressed, her voice got pitchy, and a little warbled. Overall, I didn't like it nearly as much as her previous performances. I think she's probably safe for next week based on her previous performances, but this week didn't do it for me at all.
The Verdict:
Randy: It was a little pitchy for me.
Paula: I love what you're wearing. Some notes fell off. Start going back to having fun.
Simon: I think you are losing your edge/your soul. That song wasn't you.
Buzz Score: 7
Blake Lewis: Loved by youngsters and oldsters alike. He got Paula dancing right away. His vocals were decent, and the beat-boxing added something to the song without being over the top. Much different from last week. His high notes sounded very strained to me. The judges loved him, but I wasn't quite as impressed. I liked it, but it definitely wasn't his best performance. Like Randy, I'm a big Blake fan, and I definitely expect him to be back next week.
The Verdict:
Randy: I'm a huge Blake fan. You made the song really current. Brilliant.
Paula: You have raised the bar.
Simon: A million times better than last week. You found a way to make the song contemporary without messing up the song. Storngest per formance so far.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Lulu tried to convince Lakisha Jones to sing "You're My World", but she decided in the end to sing "Diamonds are Forever". Like Stephanie, the song started out sounding a lot like a Broadway performance. Lakisha can sing very well, and this song was no different from any of her past performances. Very good overall. It's too bad that they showed Lulu's comments before the performance though, because I can't keep from thinking that "You're My World" would have suited her better, and been a song she could really bring the house down with. Randy and Simon agreed with my sentiment. Lakisha can definitely sing, but the performance wasn't as memorable as the others have been.
The Verdict:
Randy: I don't know if it was my favorite performance. Not enough Lakisha.
Paula: You picked the right song.
Simon: You are a fantastic singer. However, this is Lakisha in 50 years.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Phil Stacey was looking for a fun song, and chose "Tobacco Road". Peter Noone said Phil's voice is unique, and is perfect for this song. Coming out on stage sporting the patented Bo Bice microphone-and-stand hold. His vocals were very good, and it looks like Peter was right; his voice is very good for this song. Phil's "look" doesn't match very well with the vibe he was trying for, and as such, it looked a little strange to me. I liked the performance, though, and I hope America does too. I'd like to see him back next week.
The Verdict:
Randy: It was a pretty good performance. I like your upper register.
Paula: Good choice of song. I feel like there were some parts that were pitchy.
Simon: I wasn't crazy about it. A third division bar band performance. You need grit in your voice.
Buzz Score: 8
Jordin Sparks is "so excited" about the performance tonight. Lulu loves her song choice, and thinks Jordin is amazing. The performance starts off like Stephanie's, with the band and the dim lights. Jordin handles the song better than Stephanie, though, almost immediately eliciting cheers from the audience. You can tell right away that this song is perfect for her. I'm not sure what it is about 60s British pop music that reminds me of Broadway musicals, but once again, I can totally envision watching this on a stage in Times Square. I've always liked Jordin, but not until tonight did I think she had any chance against Melinda, Lakisha, or Stephanie. If she can keep this up, she could win the whole thing.
The Verdict:
Randy: Very controlled. One of the best poerformances we'll see tonight.
Paula: You're a good singer and a wonderful performer.
Simon: You sang it beautifully, but I feel like jumping off a bridge. So gloomy.
Buzz Score: 9
When they showed the two songs Sanjaya Malakar was considering singing, I felt like choosing one would just be choosing the lesser of two evils. Unfortunately, he chose the evilest of two evils. We've all seen Sanjaya sing over the past several weeks, and although he's not as good as most of the other singers, there's no doubt that he can sing well. I risk sounding like Simon by saying this, but tonight's performance sounded like a very bad karaoke version of that song. I think I could probably perform that song better than he did, and I am a terrible singer. Everything about the performance made me just wish it would end. He was off pitch, and screamed half the song. Somehow, the judges seemed to like it at least pretty well, which was very surprising to me.
Sanjaya brought at least one audience member to tears. It was hard to tell if they were tears of joy, or if she realized this was probably it for Sanjaya this week. Sanjaya does have VoteForTheWorst.com working in his favor again this week. They might keep him from being voted out, but there's no doubt that he was the worst this week.
The Verdict:
Randy: Usually, you're reserved, but you came out of your shell tonight. Best performance to date.
Paula: You looked like you were having fun up there.
Simon: The little girl's face says it all.
Buzz Score: 6
Gina Glocksen will be singing "Painted Black", a song that seems like it would be very good for her. This song is interesting the way at switches back and forth from mellow to rocked out constantly through the song, and I wondered how she would handle this. I think overall, she did a pretty good job at it. The mellow parts had a tendency to get a little pitchy, but her 'performing' was very good. I was expecting a little bit more for her with this song, but it wasn't bad.
The Verdict:
Randy: I love the edge vibe. It was just alright for me.
Paula: I think it was miles better than last week.
Simon: There were moments of complete torture. Off melody. Not very good. Style over content.
Buzz Score: 8
Chris Sligh revealed to America that Peter Noone was voted sexiest singer alive in 2001. It makes me wonder who voted in that poll. Chris Sligh wins the award for traveling the farthest into the audience during a performance than any other singer in American Idol history. He was 90 seconds into the song before he even got to the stage, Singing "She's Not There" by the Zombies, he managed some great vocals, and the performance was very good overall, especially considering that he was weaving through the audience while he was performing.
The Verdict:
Randy: It started off a little rough, but you wound up good.
Paula: Your vocals were really good.
Simon: I thought it was fun. Not the best vocal tonight, but still very good.
Buzz Score: 8
Melinda Doolitle said that "As Long As He Needs Me" is as far out of her comfort song that any song has been so far this season. Lulu thinks it's the perfect song for her. This time, the song actually is from a musical, rounding out the evening of "Four of six girls singing songs that sound like they're from musicals, including one that actually is from a musical."
The performance was fantastic, as I think everyone probably expected. It wasn't as powerful as previous performances by Melinda, but it was still amazing. It's hard for me to imagine how it would even be possible for Melinda to miss out on making the finals in this competition.
The Verdict:
Randy: We saved the best vocal for last. you have great relative pitch. You are a pro up there.
Paula: You are in your own league. Beautiful.
Simon: Are you really as nice as you seem? A boring song, but you made it sensational.
Buzz Score: 9.5
Alright, this is a tough week to predict who will be voted out of the competition. I think Sanjaya was clearly the worst, but he has VoteForTheWorst.com behind him. Even so, he was in the bottom three last week, and VFTW had just been mentioned on Howard Stern that day.
Phil Stacey might still be in trouble, but I think if it's not Sanjaya, it's most likely to be Haley. Basically, my prediction comes down to whether or not VoteForTheWorst will be able to keep Sanjaya in or not. I'm going to guess no, and go with Sanjaya.
Voting Prediction:
Sanjaya Malakar will be voted off Wednesday night.
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