Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Copyright 2006, Fox Broadcasting

Elliott Yamin and Gedeon McKinney

Last night, the men on American Idol proved they're the force to be reckoned with.

Taylor Hicks started off with the Lionel Richie song, "Easy." I'm rapidly determining that he and I have very similar musical tastes.

His delivery was mellow, but he threw in some flavor. Bo Bice, last year's runner-up, who was in the audience, clapped with his hands over his head.

Judge Randy Jackson said it wasn't his favorite performance and that he'd had some pitch problems. But he said Taylor is like a throwback to earlier performers. Nice judge Paula Abdul complimented his pinstriped suit and said she loves his enthusiasm but that it's not her favorite song choice. Tough judge Simon Cowell said that it didn't work because it was the wrong choice of a song, and that the performance was just average.

Elliott Yamin sang James Moody's "Mood for Love," a jazzy song that showed off his smooth, controlled vocals.

Randy called him a natural and said he has an amazing gift. He gave him a standing ovation. Paula said the song was difficult to sing and that he'd been brilliant. Simon noted that he's grown in confidence and started to believe in himself. He cautioned that to win on this show, he's got to turn in a really great performance.

Pretty boy Ace Young performed "If I'm Not Made for You" by Daniel Bedingfield. His performance this week was not as strong, and the high parts were off.

Randy said the song showed his sensitive side but that he should pick more challenging songs. Paula called it another good week and said the song selection was on point. Simon said he thought Ace had struggled and didn't do very well. He said he has to find a song that suits his vocals.

Next up, perpetually smiling Gedeon McKinney pulled out all the stops for the Sam Cooke song, "Change is Going to Come." While his facial expressions can be distracting, if you close your eyes, the voice is great. What's more, he grew more comfortable over the course of his performance and ended powerfully.

Randy called him a natural performer and said that by the middle of the song he'd grown more comfortable and that the ending was amazing. Paula called him unique and said he'd been smart about his selection. She said he was awesome. Simon said that while he often doesn't know what to make of Gedeon and his facial expressions, he's brilliant in his comfort are of '60s soul. He called the performance very good.

Youngster Kevin Covais did Marvin Gaye's "Heard It Through the Grapevine." He loosened up on stage this time around and even danced a little, showing off his very pleasant vocals.

Randy said that he enjoyed it and that Kevin can sing. Paula called him "infectious" and joked that he'll be the next sex symbol. She said she loved the performance. Simon said that while he's very likable, if he'd heard it on the radio, he'd turn it off.

Jose "Sway" Penala did "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder, a song that was simply too large for him. His performance was wobbly.

Randy said it was not as good as last week but that he still believed in him. Paula said he felt disconnected, not in the zone. Simon said that he'd shown exactly how not to do well. He said the performance was nothing more than pure karaoke and that it was utterly forgettable.

Teeny bopper Will Makar tried to prove he was grown up by singing the Kenny Rogers song "Lady." He was very stiff on stage, over enunciating, looking so much like Bobby Brady I thought his voice was going to crack.

Randy said that to stay on, he has to be amazing and that performance was just all right. Paula said that he had nice tone but the song was too safe and bland. Simon said that it sounded like an audition for "CATS," but conceded that his target audience of "11-year-old girls" will love it.

Bucky Covington paid homage to his country roots with a Garth Brooks song, which he was much more comfortable performing than he had been last week.

Randy said that it was a great song for him despite a few pitch problems. Paula said he hit every note and that he was finding his place in the competition. Simon said he likes him and that he's sincere, but that he comes over as a support act. He said he doesn't see him as a star.

Crooner David Radford sang "The Way You Look Tonight," sounding very much like a young Frank Sinatra without the charisma.

Randy said that he'd definitely been in his comfort zone but that he was bored with the performance. Paula said that this was David's zone but that they'd seen him do better. Simon said that he's got the right voice for this material but needs charisma and confidence.

Chris Daughtry brought down the house with the Fuel song "Hemorrhage," which he said he chose because of how well it depicts the heartbreak of love. He gave a much more passionate and raw performance than the previous week, and really seemed like a rocker on stage.

Randy said he loved it and that it was the right song choice. He complimented Chris for knowing "who you are." Paula asked him, "Do you know how good you are?" She called him amazing and the performance magic. Simon said that there had been a lot of compliments during the show but that this was the only performance that stands up in the real world. He said Chris is in a different class.

The standout performances of the evening came from Chris and Gedeon, who proved that, despite his anime hero look, he's got the stuff. I was also impressed with Elliott Yamin, who's coming into his home and shows great potential. Taylor and Ace stumbled, but they've both got enough of a fan base already that it shouldn't prevent them from advancing. Let's hope next week they step up the game.

In most danger of leaving this week are David Radford and Sway. Sway's had two shaky performances so far and is so quiet that his charisma factor is virtually nil. David's got a nice voice but is so cheesy and fake on stage that he's probably not winning any fans. Reading through the online buzz, it certainly seems likely. Most of the others who gave weaker performances, such as Will and Bucky, seem to have enough of a fan base to stay with us at least another week.

Tonight, we shall see.

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

Musings Index

What do you think? Share your thoughts
at Alyce's message board (left button):