Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts
By Alyce Wilson
March 23, 2005 - Number Ones
Copyright 2005, Fox Broadcasting
Well, by now most people know that the American Idol folks messed up, posting the wrong phone numbers for last night's competition.
This means that tonight they'll have a do-over show, with elements of live performance along with taped repeats from last night.
The results from tonight's voting will determine who advances, with those results announced Thursday night.
So even though last night's performance may no longer be the sole determinant of who stays and who goes, I have some thoughts about what I saw. Each contestant had to perform a No. 1 hit song, from any time period.
Anthony Fedorov started out with "I Knew You Were Waiting for Me," which might have been his weakest performance yet, even falling below his usual mediocre performances. Judge Randy Jackson called the song a good choice for him, and nice judge Paula Abdul said that he was back and strong. Simon, thank goodness, disagreed, calling the performance OK and saying that his attempts at being sexy were "like Randy Jackson on 'Baywatch'."
Next, Carrie Underwood took the stage with a powerful performance of "Say Hello" by Heart. It was refreshing to see her break out of her country roots and take a chance. Randy called the performance "unbelievable" and "beautiful." Paula commended her for taking a risk and said the performance was "brilliant." Simon gushed that Carrie was not just the girl to beat but the person to beat in the competition. He predicted she would win and would sell more records than any other "American Idol" singer. Wow!
Another solid performance from Scott Savol, who sang "Against All Odds" by Phi Collins. Randy said, "You were popping," and Paula said he gets better weak after weak. Simon joked about Scott's performance, where he tossed aside his sunglasses. "Thank God it was only a minute or we would have had a strip tease." He said the vocals, however, were not so great.
Rocker Bo Bice gave a sweet performance of one of my favorite songs, "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce. I actually sang that song in a junior high school talent show, so it brought back happy memories. Randy said the subdued performance didn't show his range but that it was "sensitive." Paula said that Bo is a gift to his fans. Simon said that the best compliment he can give Bo is that when he sees him perform he's so natural he doesn't seem to be in a competition. But he joked that the down side was that Bo's new haircut made him match Paula.
Choosing a Cisco song, "Incomplete," Nikko Smith seemed comfortable with an R&B ballad. Randy said that finally the audience was getting to hear the real Nikko Smith. Paula said it was the best he's sounded. Simon agreed that it was "by far your best."
Attempting to prove she had the stuff, Vonzell turned in an uneven performance of "The Best of My Love" by The Emotions. Randy called it great. Paula complimented Vonzell's personality and her vocals. Even Simon said that for the first time, voters would remember her.
Constantine Maroulis had fun with a rocking version of "I Think I Love You" by the Partridge Family. Randy said it was theatrical but vocally, just all right. Paula said he had great showmanship and was an excellent entertainer. Simon said that the rock version of a Partridge Family song felt odd, like "ordering a guard dog and getting a poodle in a leather jacket."
Despite a choppy beginning, Nadia Turner had fun with Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time." Randy said you are a star. Paula said she looks like a star, pointing out her sky-high mohawk. Simon, though, said it was over the top, like when a cruise ship performer has to wear a different outfit for each song.
Faithfully pitchy and marble-mouthed, Mikalah Gordon gave an indecipherable rendition of "Lovely" by Taylor Dayne. Randy said that he misses the young, fun Mikalah and is tired of the serious ballad. Paula said that Mikalah reminds her of Taylor Dayne but needs to find her own sound. I now know another reason I dislike Mikalah so much. My freshman roommate used to play her Taylor Dayne tape endlessly, dissing my Joan Baez. Simon was right on, calling the song a "complete and utter mess."
Anwar Robinson performed a Chaka Khan song, "Ain't Nobody" starting out warbly and ending stronger. Randy said it was an ambitious song choice but not his best performance. Paula said she was really proud of him for taking on a song by a female performer. Simon said that it was a risky thing to do and that while the ending note was strong, it was inconsistent and lazy at the beginning.
And finally, Jessica Sierra gave one of her best performances with "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler. And despite recently seeing Hurra Torpedo's version and being incapable of getting it out of my mind, it was a strong performance. Randy called it a brave performance. Paula said it was brilliant and that she'd closed the show on top. Simon said that a lot of people had said that this season the girls would be also-rans, but that she and Carrie had outsung everyone tonight.
Normally,
I would give my predictions for who would advance the next week, but given
tonight's re-voting, it's hard to say. If it was based entirely on last
night's performance, the most likely to leave would by Anthony Fedorov
and Mikalah Gordon. But there's no telling what tonight's show will bring,
so I'll reserve judgment. I would, however, be very surprised if either
of them did anything that would grab them too many extra votes.
More Musings on American Idol:
Moral:
Even networks make mistakes.
Copyright
2005 by Alyce Wilson
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