Idolites -
Shania Twain, eh? Well, I can't say that I'm a fan of her music, but Shania always proves to be a solid contributor to Idol. Despite not loving a lot of the songs performed last night, Shania seemed to bring out the best in the contestants. With just six remaining, it's now becoming more a matter of taste for the voters, as no one was so obviously bad that they need to go...yes, that's right, Tim is gone.
Gotta give the producers props. When they introduced each contestant with a description of what they are: Lee, a painter...Aaron, a high school student...with Michael, they went with a father, officially ending his career as a trainer.
Did anyone else notice Blake Lewis sitting behind Randy Jackson? Oh my! Looks like he was out to see a Flock Of Seagulls concert. Just goes to show you that finishing second on Idol is no guarantee of recording success.
LEE - "Looks Like We Made It" What Lee has done over the past few weeks is define himself through increased self confidence. He has a look. He has a sound. He has a style. He gives another solid performance and has the judges and voters on his side. If I had to pick my pool over again starting today I'd have two things: 1) a perfect pool to date and 2) Lee as my winner.
MICHAEL - "It Only Hurst When I'm Breathing" Why do the wardrobe folks insist on putting him in tight clothing. When he stood up from sitting on the stairs, I was half expecting a groan. Overall, it was a nice job on the vocals. Again, not my cup of tea on the song or the vocals, but it was delivered clean. Kinda boring for me. Leah actually commented, like Simon, that it felt a little feminine. She did not say 'wet', but who does besides Simon? I think Big Mike's in trouble again...this time without a safety net.
CASEY - "Don't" Not often you have someone make it to the top 6 and admit they "haven't really sung yet". Casey called himself out last night, which was kind of refreshing. On the heels of admitting he hadn't really featured his voice yet, he goes out and delivers a great vocal performance. My only confusion is that if he admits that his guitar playing last night was just rhythm guitar, why play it at all? I think he would have had an even more memorable performance if he just sat up there alone on the mic. Love how Ellen cites the Seger in his voice!!
CRYSTAL - "No One Needs To Know Right Now" The judges mirrored my comments during her performance. Crystal is never not good. This could be her ultimate downfall and why many early favorites on Idol never win. The problem is that when she isn't spectacular, it stands out. That was a nice, fun, catchy tune done well. But when compared to the rest of her performances, it was just OK. Plus, the rest of the performances tonight were all pretty good, so it puts her in a vulnerable position.
AARON - "You Got Away" Aaron, the balladeer. Like Aaron. Hate his style of singing. He's kind of like a white, teen version of Anoop. Aaron is clearly the least polished one left, but may still carry forward since Tim is now gone and the young teen girls need someone to vote for. In a surprise, I say Aaron is safe tonight...and NOT in the bottom 3.
SIOBHAN - "Any Man Of Mine" I like the fact that she went with an upbeat song. I hate the fact that she seems to have lost her creative edge. She is singing all of the songs these days without switching up the arrangement or making them her own. She did go back to the scream and the long note, which works well when you're in the last spot of the night. This one she seemed to crack on the end, though. She's one of just two girls left (here in the season of the Girl...Simon?), so I think she'll last another week or two. However, unless she pulls out another "Paint It Black"-style performance soon, I think Siobhan is done soon.
RECAP:
Best Look - Lee (hip, clean)
Worst Look - Crystal HM - Siobhan
Best Performance - Lee HM - Casey & everyone else...no one was bad tonight
PREDICTIONS:
Bottom 3 (should be) - Aaron, Siobhan, Michael
Bottom 3 (will be) - Siobhan, Michael, Lee
Out (should be) - Aaron
Out (will be) - Michael
That's all folks!
Enjoy the show tonight!!
Pool Boy Out!