Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Copyright 2006, Fox Broadcasting

Kelli Pickler and Lisa Tucker

This is the last week of semifinalist competition on American Idol, with the top 12 being selected based on this week's performances.

The women had a stronger week, with a couple outstanding performances. In their videotaped segments, they revealed little known secrets about themselves.

Paris Bennett, who in her videotaped segment admitted to being a tomboy, performed a quirky version of a Gloria Estefan song, "Conga." Her version was upbeat but the melody was clearly different than the original.

Judge Randy Jackson said he was surprised by the choice but that she can sing and urged her to challenge herself. Nice judge Paula Abdul said she prefers it when Paris does up tempo songs and said she was surprised by some of the melodic choices. Tough judge Simon Cowell praised her for taking their advice to choose a younger song and said that while she'd clearly been nervous during her performance, people love her and she should make it through.

Lisa Tucker, in her videotaped segment before her song, showed she has a little bit of rocker in her, playing a Jimi Hendrix lick on electric guitar. But then she sang the same sort of bland pop ballad she seems to prefer. Notably, her makeup was unusually harsh this evening, and her hair looked a little greasy, which ruined an otherwise nice look with a fitted dress that had a knee-length flirty hemline.

Randy said he loved the Jimi Hendrix thing and that the song was a little old for her. He called the performance "not great." Paula called her a seasoned performer and praised her poise. She advised her to sing a song that the audience would be more familiar with. Simon called her super talented but said the songs sound like her mum's picking them. Still, he predicted she would sail through.

Perhaps not realizing just what was at stake, Melissa McGhee used her videotaped segment to reveal the fairly boring fact that she likes fast cars. She sang the Heart song "What About Love," and while she's amped up her look, her performance was lacking. She started strong but she went really pitchy on the ending.

Randy called it a good song for her but said she's been very sharp at the end. Paula said that each week she's been improving and called her a powerhouse. Simon said that the last note booked her plane ticket home. He also said she'd shouted the song: "You've blown it."

Similarly to Melissa, Kinnik Sky revealed the bland fact that she loves chitlins. Wearing a really strange skirt that looked a little like a shredded tablecloth stuck onto her by static, she sang an unrecognizable ballad.

Randy called the performance off. Paula agreed, though she said the song was her style. Simon said that she'd messed up: that while she'd started OK, midway it was appalling. He predicted she'd also booked her plane home.

Strangely, host Ryan Seacrest chose to clear up some unfounded rumors about Katharine McPhee. Apparently, some fans had rumored that she was quitting because she was pregnant, neither of which are true. In her videotaped segment, she revealed that she'd attended the Boston Conservatory, the same school as last year's contestant, Constantine Maroulis, which is where, she joked, she learned her smoldering look. Ryan, introducing her, coined a term, asking if the audience had the "McPhever."

Katharine did justice to the Aretha Franklin song, "Think." She really knocked it out, being much more relaxed than last week and putting a lot of emotion into the song.

Randy said he liked the term "McPhever" and praised her performance: "We got a hot one!" Paula said that it was fun to see her have fun and complimented her vocal control. Simon agreed that she'd taken a risk but pulled it off and made it seem effortless.

Ayla Brown's videotaped segment was hilarious, where she revealed that she used to think her dad was Elvis because he sang Elvis songs to her all the time. She performed a Natasha Bedingfield song, "Unwritten," that's currently on the charts and, despite the distraction of a really strange piled up hairdo, gave it her all and made a splash.

Randy called the song choice OK and said that it wasn't a great song to show off her vocals. Paula complimented her for fighting the fight and for "working your butt off." She said she'd risen to the challenge. Simon called it pretty good and said that she needs to be herself on stage more so that the person who comes across in the videotaped segments also appears on stage.

Mandisa revealed, much to her mother's chagrin, she said, that she sucked her thumb until she was 24. She really took control of the Chaka Khan song, "I'm Every Woman", making everyone in the audience believe it.

Randy gave her props for the best vocal this season and called her "the one to beat." Paula said she sounded amazing. Simon said that everyone of the girls in the competition would now hate her because she made everyone else seem ordinary.

Finally, cute as a button Kellie Pickler, whose videotaped segment featured her dog, sang "I'm the Only One" by Melissa Etheridge. While it was a good song choice for her, she sounded like she'd shouted part of it.

Randy said that every week she's been very consistent and called it a good song choice. Paula said she got her groove on and that the guys are in love with her. Simon, strangely, called her a "naughty little minx," and pressed to explain said that she was a nice bad girl. He confessed that he really liked her, because she's interesting even if she's "not the best singer." He even said that he preferred her to last year's winner, Carrie Underwood.

This week's outstanding performances were clearly by Mandisa and Katharine McPhee, though I'll give props to Ayla Brown for keeping her performance at a high quality, though her song choice was questionable.

Paris faltered, though not as badly as the week before. She certainly deserves to stay in the competition, but her chances of making it all the way seem to be dimming. Lisa Tucker, similarly, needs to find the "wow" factor if she wants to compete with stronger personalities.

Without a doubt, Simon was right that the weakest performances this week were turned in by Melissa McGhee and Kinnik Sky. According to the buzz on the Internet, Ayla Brown also might be on the bubble, if people decide to give Melissa one more chance.

And Paris might find that her votes are lower than she probably deserves, so she better step it up if she makes it into the final 12 or her days, despite her talent, could be numbered. Similarly, Lisa Tucker might be talented, but so far her song choices and her performances haven't won her many fans, and that will be more and more important as the competition progresses.

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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