Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Copyright 2006, Fox Broadcasting

Mandisa and Ayla Brown

Compared to their performances the previous week, the female American Idol contestants failed to impressed.

While nerves could be blamed for faltering the first week, this time the primary culprit was song choice, and no one was immune, starting with Katharine McPhee, who sang a Stevie Wonder song that was totally mismatched for her vocal range and style. What's more, she looked sad while she was singing it.

Judge Randy Jackson called the song a safe choice and said it was not her best. Nice judge Paula Abdul said that, while she's gifted, the song choice didn't connect. Tough judge Simon Cowell said that at this stage of the competition, it's more than just singing. He said you can't just be in your own world on stage; you have to connect. He said it was "not your best night by a mile."

Next up, Kinnik Sky kicked it up a notch with Gretchen Wilson's "I'm Here for the Party." Those who remember Kinnik's audition know that she's a country music fan, and she was very comfortable with this music. She also looked good in her stylin' cowgirl duds.

Randy said he'd enjoyed the energy and that he liked the song for her but that it just wasn't enough. Paula agreed that it was good to see her having fun but that she has to choose a song that will show her range. Simon said that, on the plus side, she'd done something to stand out, but on the down side, it was the sort of performance he'd expect to see at Disneyland.

Lisa Tucker pulled out all the stops for a performance of a little known Jackson Five ballad. Her delivery was strong, and she showed nice range. The song, however, was somewhat forgettable.

Randy called the performance "just all right," while Paula gushed that Lisa is an amazing performer: "You're a star." Simon said that "a lot of people will vote for you" but cautioned that she doesn't want to seem like a very young girl singing grown-up songs.

Sporting a hair makeover that amped up her previous mousy looks, Melissa McGhee sang the Reba McEntire song, "Why Haven't I Heard from You." This time, she was both smoky and sassy, and she got into the performance much more than the previous week.

Randy said that the song was perfect for her and complimented her smoky voice. Paula said she's coming out of her shell and that she'd loved the tone of the song. Simon disagreed, saying that he loves her voice but that it was the wrong song. He said he didn't believe she was connecting with the audience and that she's got to do something that has a "wow factor."

Self-proclaimed American Idol stalker Heather Cox performed "Hero" by Mariah Carey, because her fanatical viewing of the "American Idol" series assured her it had never been sung in competition before. Well, maybe there's a reason for that. Her rendition was lackluster, and she simply couldn't compete with Mariah's range or passion.

Paula, who'd switched places at the table with Randy in order to get away from Simon, who was working her last nerve, said that she was improved from last week. She warned that with a song like that, you risk being compared to the original singer and that it was "good but not great." Randy, who has worked with Mariah Carey, agreed that with a stylized song like that, you can only come off as pale in comparison. Simon, for once, said that Paula and Randy had spoken some sense. He said it was like a song sung before the pageant finalists take the stage: pointless.

America's least favorite contestant, cocky Brenna Gethers, swished through a ridiculous performance of "Last Dance" by Donna Summer. She was flat, both vocally and in terms of her attempts to connect with the audience.

Paula simply said she doesn't see the magic. Randy added that she always thinks she's good but that she was pitchy and "all over the place." Simon said that you should change the word "dance" to "chance," because he predicted it was her last chance to win America over. He said it sounded like the sort of thing he hears in bars when he's on holiday. "And I normally leave the bar."

Dressed in a drab outfit, buttoned up all the way to her neck, with her hair piled on top of her head, Paris Bennett sang "Wind Beneath My Wings." While she still has a stronger voice than many others in the competition, the rendition sounded more like a precocious contestant in a junior high talent show.

Paula complimented her fashion style and called her an amazing performer. Randy called her a young Lauryn Hill and said that she doesn't have to play it safe with song choice. Simon put his finger on it, though, that the song choice was simply too old for her.

Next up, Ayla Brown sang Celine Dion's "I Want You to Need Me." This was another case where her performance of it was better than the song itself. She did seem much more comfortable on stage than the first week, though.

Paula said she was once more pleasantly surprised and called it the right song for her range. Randy said he loves her back story of being a tomboy and that it was a very good song for her voice. Simon said that she's probably working harder than anyone and is the type of person who always works hard until she succeeds. He said that she needs to work against seeming mechanical.

Country girl Kellie Pickler sang "Something to Talk About," which was a perfect song for not just her voice but also her personality. She held nothing back, showing that she has performance chops.

Paula complimented her for being cute and adorable and said she'd made the audience smile. Randy called the performance hot and said the song was right for her. Simon said that America can't help but like her because of her personality but that the vocal was a little rough.

Taking the stage as the final contestant of the evening, Mandisa chose "Cry" by Faith Hill. She started the song smaller, but that only gave her more room for her performance to grow, and she really brought it home.

Paula said she's one of a kind and that "you're wowing us." Randy noted that the verse was a little rough and said that, while she started shaky she can definitely sing. Still, he wasn't thrilled with the song choice. Simon said that he thinks America will keep her around. His main criticisms were minor: that her clothing was too old-fashioned. He recommended she look for more outfits like her silky red V-neck blouse last week. He also said it wasn't the right song for her yet but that when she's on her game, she's the best female vocalist in the competition.

The standout performances of the evening were definitely Mandisa and Kellie Pickler, both of whom managed to avoid the bad song choice blues. Props also to Ayla Brown and Kinnik Sky, who made strong efforts to emerge from the background. And Paris is simply too good to stick with safe choices, whether in fashion or in musical choice. If she's not careful, she'll be overshadowed by the older contestants.

Most likely to leave this week are Brenna Gethers and Heather Cox, both of whom fail to measure up vocally. Brenna's irritating personality is another huge factor. She was even seen on camera, during Mandisa's performance, watching from the balcony and shaking her head from side to side, as if to say, "Oh, you didn't."

As someone on an "American Idol" blog put it last week, she needs to go before someone drops a house on her.

More on American Idol:

Musings on American Idol Season 5 (2006)

Musings on American Idol Season 4 (2005)

Musings on American Idol Season 3 (2004)

Copyright 2005 by Alyce Wilson

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