American Idol Recap: Round of 7 - April 17th, 2007
The field is down to seven as Martina McBride leads us into Country night. Surprisingly enough, over the past several seasons, American Idol contestants have probably been more successful in the country genre than any other, with Carrie Underwood, Joshua Gracin, and Kellie Pickler releasing country albums, among others.
There doesn't seem to be a "country" contestant this year, but both Joshua Gracin and Amy Adams broke out on country night, seemingly finding a style they had never considered. Let's see if anyone will shine tonight!
Phil Stacey is first and he hails from Kansas, just like Martina McBride. He comes out without a hat, singing "Where the Blacktop Ends". At first, it was hard to completely buy into the country style for Phil, but his pitch was on target, and his energy was good. He really got the crowd into it by walking through the audience. Nigel Lythgoe was clapping and dancing along with everyone else.
The more he sang, the more I liked it, and he ended it really well. As I mentioned just a second ago, several contestants have found their niche on country night, and Phil might be the next singer added to that list.
Randy: You gonna have a career in country music.
Paula: You sound good from the beginning to the end.
Simon: It's only taken 10 weeks. This is the only time I've heard you in a long time where I think you've chosen a good song, and most surprisingly, we actually saw some personality.
Buzz Score: 8.5
During the break, we see a commercial for KFC that's always bothered me. A Mom is talking to her babysitter about her picky kids, and she stops on the stairs to talk to her son. The conversation continues, but somehow, now they're in the doorway to the kitchen. Then, they're back on the stairs somehow. It just doesn't make sense.
Jordin Sparks sings Martina's very own "Broken Wing". Her voice is even better than usual tonight, and is well suited for a country song. She really brings a good vibe to the stage. As the song progresses, she gets a little pitchy, but she finds herself by the end, and brings it home. Overall, a very good performance. One of her best, I would say.
Randy: Probably one of the most difficult songs to sing. At 17, I like the way you started it slow and took your time. That was the bomb.
Paula: I love you too, and I think you did a fantastic job. You told a story.
Simon: This is the first time since we have met where I actually believe you could win American Idol.
Buzz Score: 9
Since we're on the subject of commercials, the Visa commercial with the woman who breaks her heel, and then decides to buy hundreds of dollars worth of new clothing and a makeover always bothers me too. It says to me "If you're down, don't worry. You can always use your credit card to buy whatever you want. You can worry about the massive interest you'll owe another day. Keep spending because buying things makes you happy!"
Anyway, back to Idol.
Sanjaya, is up next, singing the Bonnie Raitt hit "Something to Talk About". Sally from Cincinatti asked him which judge he would make sing if he had the option. He would choose Simon to sing "Shiny Happy People". 20 bucks says that we'll see this happen in the finale. He sounds pretty good in the rehearsals, and Martina gives him the (very good) advice to project more and not sing so quietly.
The song starts out pretty well. Nothing overly special, but good none the less. Although he stays on pitch and his voice is good, he doesn't sell the song very well. At the risk of sounding cliched, it really sounds like someone performing karaoke at a bar. If I was watching this performance at a bar, I would think it was good. On American Idol, it just didn't measure up.
Randy: That was really just like karaoke. It was very bland and boring.
Paula: We're watching somebody who loves adversity. You're having fun.
Simon: Utterly horrendous. As bad as anything we've seen since the beginning of American Idol.
Buzz Score: 6.5
I rarely comment on commercials, but now that I've started, I just can't stop. The "Sponge Bob No Pants" commercial for Burger King is the dumbest ad I've ever seen. Is it supposed to make me want to eat at Burger King? I just don't understand. Why is the Dad taking a bubble bath? Why does his son just walk in to the bathroom without knocking? We'd better get back to American Idol...
LaKisha Jones is up next with "Jesus Take the Wheel" from Season Five's Idol winner Carrie Underwood. She chose the song because she felt like she could really connect with the song and "tell the story." It's hard to listen to the song without comparing it to the original, but LaKisha really does a good job of making it her own. When she came to the chorus though, it sounded a little out of tune, and I didn't like the style nearly as much as the rest of song. I expected a little better, but overall it was a good performance.
Randy: This had some pitch problems and for me, it wasn't my favorite vocal.
Paula: I'm gonna have to agree with Randy. You're still brilliant.
Simon: It's like eating a hamburger for breakfast. It doesn't go together.
Buzz Score: 8
Chris Richardson sings "Mayberry" by Rascal Flatts. He says he's more confortable with country than people might think. Martina McBride says he could be a country singer if he wanted to be. As the song starts, I don't quite agree with Martina. While Chris sounds fine, he doesn't sound completely comfortable with the style. When he gets to the chorus, he gets into his groove a little more. Then the pitch problems start. To be fair, I think the violin is out of tune more than anything else, but Chris definitely sings off key on several notes.
Randy: I just didn't feel any sense of connection or any emotion.
Paula: The joy and love that you have on stage didn't come through.
Simon: I heard a very non-descript nasally vocal which had no impact on me. Completely and untterly insignificant.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Tracy asks Melinda Doolittle if she had ever run into a crazy fan on the street. She tells the story of when a fan saw her, and she got scared and started running away, not realizing that it was a fan. I guess she's still not used to stardom. She's singing "Trouble is a Woman" tonight, and Martina is impressed, saying it's the "perfect song choice for her."
As she starts her performance, she sounds great! Surprisingly enough, she fits perfectly in this country song. I've never heard this song before, and I already like it. In fact, I can't find a single flaw in this performance. She gets the second perfect BuzzScore of the year tonight! Great performance!
Randy: Another solid performance from our resident pro Miss Melinda Doolittle.
Paula: A girl who knows how to pick the right song and sing her heart out.
Simon: It was fantastic. great choice of song. I saw a little Tina Turner there as well. I saw some attitude as well.
Buzz Score: 10
Blake picked "When the Stars Go Blue" by Tim McGraw. Martina said that Tim had mentioned the other day that he hoped someone would sing that song on the show, and he's gotten his wish. Sporting his trademark sweater vest, Blake sounds good to start, when he gets to some of the higher notes, he strains a little bit, and then gets off pitch. His stage presence is very nice, and I liked to performance overall. There's just no getting around the pitch problems though. Not Blakes best performance.
Randy: I love your sense of style. I love that you picked the right song for yourself. You know who you are.
Paula: You kinda have the whole package.
Simon: It wasn't a jumping out of my chair performance. It was okay.
Buzz Score: 8
It's hard to make any predictions about who will go home. Will this finally be the week that Sanjaya makes the bottom three, and maybe even the bottom one? It's possible, but I'm going to have to go with Phil. Not only did he perform first, but his performance, though good, was forgettable. I think we'll see Phil go home tomorrow night. Chris Richardson is another possibility for getting the boot tomorrow night.
There doesn't seem to be a "country" contestant this year, but both Joshua Gracin and Amy Adams broke out on country night, seemingly finding a style they had never considered. Let's see if anyone will shine tonight!
Phil Stacey is first and he hails from Kansas, just like Martina McBride. He comes out without a hat, singing "Where the Blacktop Ends". At first, it was hard to completely buy into the country style for Phil, but his pitch was on target, and his energy was good. He really got the crowd into it by walking through the audience. Nigel Lythgoe was clapping and dancing along with everyone else.
The more he sang, the more I liked it, and he ended it really well. As I mentioned just a second ago, several contestants have found their niche on country night, and Phil might be the next singer added to that list.
Randy: You gonna have a career in country music.
Paula: You sound good from the beginning to the end.
Simon: It's only taken 10 weeks. This is the only time I've heard you in a long time where I think you've chosen a good song, and most surprisingly, we actually saw some personality.
Buzz Score: 8.5
During the break, we see a commercial for KFC that's always bothered me. A Mom is talking to her babysitter about her picky kids, and she stops on the stairs to talk to her son. The conversation continues, but somehow, now they're in the doorway to the kitchen. Then, they're back on the stairs somehow. It just doesn't make sense.
Jordin Sparks sings Martina's very own "Broken Wing". Her voice is even better than usual tonight, and is well suited for a country song. She really brings a good vibe to the stage. As the song progresses, she gets a little pitchy, but she finds herself by the end, and brings it home. Overall, a very good performance. One of her best, I would say.
Randy: Probably one of the most difficult songs to sing. At 17, I like the way you started it slow and took your time. That was the bomb.
Paula: I love you too, and I think you did a fantastic job. You told a story.
Simon: This is the first time since we have met where I actually believe you could win American Idol.
Buzz Score: 9
Since we're on the subject of commercials, the Visa commercial with the woman who breaks her heel, and then decides to buy hundreds of dollars worth of new clothing and a makeover always bothers me too. It says to me "If you're down, don't worry. You can always use your credit card to buy whatever you want. You can worry about the massive interest you'll owe another day. Keep spending because buying things makes you happy!"
Anyway, back to Idol.
Sanjaya, is up next, singing the Bonnie Raitt hit "Something to Talk About". Sally from Cincinatti asked him which judge he would make sing if he had the option. He would choose Simon to sing "Shiny Happy People". 20 bucks says that we'll see this happen in the finale. He sounds pretty good in the rehearsals, and Martina gives him the (very good) advice to project more and not sing so quietly.
The song starts out pretty well. Nothing overly special, but good none the less. Although he stays on pitch and his voice is good, he doesn't sell the song very well. At the risk of sounding cliched, it really sounds like someone performing karaoke at a bar. If I was watching this performance at a bar, I would think it was good. On American Idol, it just didn't measure up.
Randy: That was really just like karaoke. It was very bland and boring.
Paula: We're watching somebody who loves adversity. You're having fun.
Simon: Utterly horrendous. As bad as anything we've seen since the beginning of American Idol.
Buzz Score: 6.5
I rarely comment on commercials, but now that I've started, I just can't stop. The "Sponge Bob No Pants" commercial for Burger King is the dumbest ad I've ever seen. Is it supposed to make me want to eat at Burger King? I just don't understand. Why is the Dad taking a bubble bath? Why does his son just walk in to the bathroom without knocking? We'd better get back to American Idol...
LaKisha Jones is up next with "Jesus Take the Wheel" from Season Five's Idol winner Carrie Underwood. She chose the song because she felt like she could really connect with the song and "tell the story." It's hard to listen to the song without comparing it to the original, but LaKisha really does a good job of making it her own. When she came to the chorus though, it sounded a little out of tune, and I didn't like the style nearly as much as the rest of song. I expected a little better, but overall it was a good performance.
Randy: This had some pitch problems and for me, it wasn't my favorite vocal.
Paula: I'm gonna have to agree with Randy. You're still brilliant.
Simon: It's like eating a hamburger for breakfast. It doesn't go together.
Buzz Score: 8
Chris Richardson sings "Mayberry" by Rascal Flatts. He says he's more confortable with country than people might think. Martina McBride says he could be a country singer if he wanted to be. As the song starts, I don't quite agree with Martina. While Chris sounds fine, he doesn't sound completely comfortable with the style. When he gets to the chorus, he gets into his groove a little more. Then the pitch problems start. To be fair, I think the violin is out of tune more than anything else, but Chris definitely sings off key on several notes.
Randy: I just didn't feel any sense of connection or any emotion.
Paula: The joy and love that you have on stage didn't come through.
Simon: I heard a very non-descript nasally vocal which had no impact on me. Completely and untterly insignificant.
Buzz Score: 7.5
Tracy asks Melinda Doolittle if she had ever run into a crazy fan on the street. She tells the story of when a fan saw her, and she got scared and started running away, not realizing that it was a fan. I guess she's still not used to stardom. She's singing "Trouble is a Woman" tonight, and Martina is impressed, saying it's the "perfect song choice for her."
As she starts her performance, she sounds great! Surprisingly enough, she fits perfectly in this country song. I've never heard this song before, and I already like it. In fact, I can't find a single flaw in this performance. She gets the second perfect BuzzScore of the year tonight! Great performance!
Randy: Another solid performance from our resident pro Miss Melinda Doolittle.
Paula: A girl who knows how to pick the right song and sing her heart out.
Simon: It was fantastic. great choice of song. I saw a little Tina Turner there as well. I saw some attitude as well.
Buzz Score: 10
Blake picked "When the Stars Go Blue" by Tim McGraw. Martina said that Tim had mentioned the other day that he hoped someone would sing that song on the show, and he's gotten his wish. Sporting his trademark sweater vest, Blake sounds good to start, when he gets to some of the higher notes, he strains a little bit, and then gets off pitch. His stage presence is very nice, and I liked to performance overall. There's just no getting around the pitch problems though. Not Blakes best performance.
Randy: I love your sense of style. I love that you picked the right song for yourself. You know who you are.
Paula: You kinda have the whole package.
Simon: It wasn't a jumping out of my chair performance. It was okay.
Buzz Score: 8
It's hard to make any predictions about who will go home. Will this finally be the week that Sanjaya makes the bottom three, and maybe even the bottom one? It's possible, but I'm going to have to go with Phil. Not only did he perform first, but his performance, though good, was forgettable. I think we'll see Phil go home tomorrow night. Chris Richardson is another possibility for getting the boot tomorrow night.
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