Round of 20 - Boys: February 27th, 2007
It's dedication night on American Idol.
Phil Stacey got the guys started with "Since You've Been Gone". I really like Phil, but found this particular performance to be pretty boring and uninspired. He has a great voice though, and the song came together pretty well.
The Verdict:
Randy: Hot. Showing his power.
Paula: Great tone. Can hear him on the radio.
Simon: Nice guy. Unoriginal Voice.
Buzz Score: 8
Jared Cotter was next, dedicating Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" to his Mom and Dad. It started off great, and then regressed a little over the course of the song. His falsetto was very good however, and overall, it was a good performance. He drove the ladies (and Randy) wild at the end by slowly covering and then revealing his face with his hand.
The Verdict:
Randy: Loved the face move.
Paula: Good looking guy.
Simon: Reminded him of a cabaret singer on the Love Boat.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Third on the night was A.J. Tabaldo, dedicating "New Day" to his Mom and Dad. The whole performance was very different from the norm, and was quite refreshing. Jazzy, funky, and with a great vocal range, he really worked it out. Will America like it, though? I'm sure Ryan Seacrest would love for him to stick around, since A.J. appears to be the only male contestant shorter than he is.
The Verdict:
Randy: So much better than last week.
Paula: Real real real real real good voice.
Simon: Nearly very good. He looked strangely comfortable.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Sanjaya Malakar was next, dedicating "Steppin' Out" to his late grandfather. I like Sanjaya a lot, because he seems like a genuinely nice guy, but his performance left much to be desired. He has a very weak voice, and rarely brings out a nice smooth tone. It almost seemed like he was whispering half the song. I really felt like I was watching a high-school musical. The pitch was more or less fine, but the overall performance was completely uninteresting.
The Verdict:
Randy: Really weird. Bad high school talent show.
Paula: Pick songs that sound great for you.
Simon: Like a child dressing up and singing. Weak, weird.
Buzz Score: 6.5
It appears that some of the contestants took the idea of dedicating a song to someone seriously when choosing a song, and others definitely did not. Sanjaya chose a song from his grandfather's era - his dedication probably played a part in his song choice. Jared Cotter dedicated "Let's Get It On" to his parents - his dedication most likely did not play a part in his song choice.
Chris Sligh chose a song called "Trouble", and dedicated it to his wife. Simon comments later that he thought it was an odd song title to dedicate to your wife, but the lyrics late in the song were seemingly appropriate, and he sang them directly to his wife who was in the audience. Save for an unexciting ending, the song was very good, with great vocals. Chris will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming weeks.
The Verdict:
Randy: He's got skills. Better than last week.
Paula: Watch your pitch. Real Awesome.
Simon: Very good singer.
Buzz Score: 9
Nick Pedro dedicated "Fever" to his girlfriend Caitlin. I've seen this song sung many times on American Idol, in the earlier rounds, but it's always been sung by a girl. I though Nick brought a refreshing interpretation of the song, and was pretty good overall. One thing I worry about though, is that it was very forgettable. I had already forgotten about his performance when they rolled the summary at the end of the show. I like him a lot, but will America?
The Verdict:
Randy: Returned to his vibe. Kinda nice.
Paula:Loved it.
Simon: Lacked Charisma.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Blake Lewis was next with a great song by Jamiroqui, "Virtual Insanity", dedicated to his parents. It was hard to dislike this performance. The vocals were spot on, he brought a little remix in the middle, his energy was high, his falsetto was awesome. It's hard to have a more entertaining performance. Not only can he sing, but he's very likable. I see him sticking around for a while.
The Verdict:
Randy: So good to see you return to form. I like you, man!
Paula: Smart choices, unique. Way to go!
Simon: 1st part - Complete copycat. 2nd part - original. 3rd part - pitchy.
Buzz Score: 9.5
Brandon Rogers was up next, dedicating "Time After Time" to his grandmother. I really like how he is taking a song sung by a female, and making it his own. Unfortunately, his version was slow and not very original. His vocals were good, and the song was fun. I think his performance is another easy one to forget though.
The Verdict:
Randy: Didn't do enough for him. Vocally boring.
Paula: Felt your heart. Didn't need to oversing.
Simon: "Feeling the song" is nonsense. You need to show off your voice.
Buzz Score: 8
Chris Richardson dedicated "Geek in the Pink" to his grandma. An odd choice for grandma, perhaps, but a great choice for him. His vocals were great. He brought high energy to the stage, and ended up with a very unique performance that America will remember. A little pitchy in spots, but overall a very good song for Chris.
The Verdict:
Randy: In it to win it. Hotter than the original.
Paula: Loved it.
Simon: Best tonight by a male. (Didn't only males sing tonight? Maybe I missed something ;)
Buzz Score: 9
Fnally, the final performer of the evening. Sundance Head dedicated the song to his 2 1/2 month old son, Levi. His intro really showed a 'softer' side of Sundance when he shed some tears while talking about how much he missed his son. When he bust out with "Mustang Sally", I was ready for another boring, unoriginal performance, but I think he really brought a lot of energy to the song. The vocals were very good, and he really 'made the song his own' as Paula would say. Good performance overall.
The Verdict:
Randy: Dropped the bomb on it tonight. Hot.
Paula: Bring it like that every week.
Simon: Glad Sundance is back. You can do better.
Buzz Score: 9
So that's it. Who will go home? It's certainly not always the worst singers. It's usually the contestants who are easiest to forget between the time they sing and the time voting starts.
My prediction: Sanjaya Malakar and Jared Cotter will go home Thursday night
Phil Stacey got the guys started with "Since You've Been Gone". I really like Phil, but found this particular performance to be pretty boring and uninspired. He has a great voice though, and the song came together pretty well.
The Verdict:
Randy: Hot. Showing his power.
Paula: Great tone. Can hear him on the radio.
Simon: Nice guy. Unoriginal Voice.
Buzz Score: 8
Jared Cotter was next, dedicating Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" to his Mom and Dad. It started off great, and then regressed a little over the course of the song. His falsetto was very good however, and overall, it was a good performance. He drove the ladies (and Randy) wild at the end by slowly covering and then revealing his face with his hand.
The Verdict:
Randy: Loved the face move.
Paula: Good looking guy.
Simon: Reminded him of a cabaret singer on the Love Boat.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Third on the night was A.J. Tabaldo, dedicating "New Day" to his Mom and Dad. The whole performance was very different from the norm, and was quite refreshing. Jazzy, funky, and with a great vocal range, he really worked it out. Will America like it, though? I'm sure Ryan Seacrest would love for him to stick around, since A.J. appears to be the only male contestant shorter than he is.
The Verdict:
Randy: So much better than last week.
Paula: Real real real real real good voice.
Simon: Nearly very good. He looked strangely comfortable.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Sanjaya Malakar was next, dedicating "Steppin' Out" to his late grandfather. I like Sanjaya a lot, because he seems like a genuinely nice guy, but his performance left much to be desired. He has a very weak voice, and rarely brings out a nice smooth tone. It almost seemed like he was whispering half the song. I really felt like I was watching a high-school musical. The pitch was more or less fine, but the overall performance was completely uninteresting.
The Verdict:
Randy: Really weird. Bad high school talent show.
Paula: Pick songs that sound great for you.
Simon: Like a child dressing up and singing. Weak, weird.
Buzz Score: 6.5
It appears that some of the contestants took the idea of dedicating a song to someone seriously when choosing a song, and others definitely did not. Sanjaya chose a song from his grandfather's era - his dedication probably played a part in his song choice. Jared Cotter dedicated "Let's Get It On" to his parents - his dedication most likely did not play a part in his song choice.
Chris Sligh chose a song called "Trouble", and dedicated it to his wife. Simon comments later that he thought it was an odd song title to dedicate to your wife, but the lyrics late in the song were seemingly appropriate, and he sang them directly to his wife who was in the audience. Save for an unexciting ending, the song was very good, with great vocals. Chris will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming weeks.
The Verdict:
Randy: He's got skills. Better than last week.
Paula: Watch your pitch. Real Awesome.
Simon: Very good singer.
Buzz Score: 9
Nick Pedro dedicated "Fever" to his girlfriend Caitlin. I've seen this song sung many times on American Idol, in the earlier rounds, but it's always been sung by a girl. I though Nick brought a refreshing interpretation of the song, and was pretty good overall. One thing I worry about though, is that it was very forgettable. I had already forgotten about his performance when they rolled the summary at the end of the show. I like him a lot, but will America?
The Verdict:
Randy: Returned to his vibe. Kinda nice.
Paula:Loved it.
Simon: Lacked Charisma.
Buzz Score: 8.5
Blake Lewis was next with a great song by Jamiroqui, "Virtual Insanity", dedicated to his parents. It was hard to dislike this performance. The vocals were spot on, he brought a little remix in the middle, his energy was high, his falsetto was awesome. It's hard to have a more entertaining performance. Not only can he sing, but he's very likable. I see him sticking around for a while.
The Verdict:
Randy: So good to see you return to form. I like you, man!
Paula: Smart choices, unique. Way to go!
Simon: 1st part - Complete copycat. 2nd part - original. 3rd part - pitchy.
Buzz Score: 9.5
Brandon Rogers was up next, dedicating "Time After Time" to his grandmother. I really like how he is taking a song sung by a female, and making it his own. Unfortunately, his version was slow and not very original. His vocals were good, and the song was fun. I think his performance is another easy one to forget though.
The Verdict:
Randy: Didn't do enough for him. Vocally boring.
Paula: Felt your heart. Didn't need to oversing.
Simon: "Feeling the song" is nonsense. You need to show off your voice.
Buzz Score: 8
Chris Richardson dedicated "Geek in the Pink" to his grandma. An odd choice for grandma, perhaps, but a great choice for him. His vocals were great. He brought high energy to the stage, and ended up with a very unique performance that America will remember. A little pitchy in spots, but overall a very good song for Chris.
The Verdict:
Randy: In it to win it. Hotter than the original.
Paula: Loved it.
Simon: Best tonight by a male. (Didn't only males sing tonight? Maybe I missed something ;)
Buzz Score: 9
Fnally, the final performer of the evening. Sundance Head dedicated the song to his 2 1/2 month old son, Levi. His intro really showed a 'softer' side of Sundance when he shed some tears while talking about how much he missed his son. When he bust out with "Mustang Sally", I was ready for another boring, unoriginal performance, but I think he really brought a lot of energy to the song. The vocals were very good, and he really 'made the song his own' as Paula would say. Good performance overall.
The Verdict:
Randy: Dropped the bomb on it tonight. Hot.
Paula: Bring it like that every week.
Simon: Glad Sundance is back. You can do better.
Buzz Score: 9
So that's it. Who will go home? It's certainly not always the worst singers. It's usually the contestants who are easiest to forget between the time they sing and the time voting starts.
My prediction: Sanjaya Malakar and Jared Cotter will go home Thursday night
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