March 17, 2004 - Proving Time

So now the game becomes not determining who turned in the best performance and is most likely to be advancing, but who did the worst.

It certainly wasn't LaToya London. She took the stage first with a soulful performance that the tough judge, Simon Cowell, called amazing. If anyone knows Simon, that's a great compliment. She seemed very comfortable on stage, which bodes well for her.

Amy Adams, the Cyndi Lauper look-alike, performed next. She did "Precious Memories," and once again it was a safe song that really didn't show off her vocal ability. Even nice judge Paula Abdul said she thought the song was a little too safe, and Simon went so far as to call it boring.

Matt Rogers performed "Too Hot to Handle," and this time he stayed on pitch, which is an improvement over his last performance in the competition. Matt had a lot of energy, which might help him to stay for another week. But Simon hit the nail on the head when he said the performance was really a second-rate Tom Jones imitation.

Camile Velasco performed "Son of a Preacher Man," and she seemed more comfortable on stage, more comfortable than the last time she performed. The first word out of judge Randy Jackson's mouth was "Wow." And Simon advised her that she needs to believe in herself like LaToya does. This, he said, was the only thing separating them.

Jon Peter Lewis, a.k.a. the Pen Salesman, was next with "Drift Away." Once more, he gave his performance a lot of punch. Randy said he should let the vocals do the talking. Paula also gave similar advice, and Simon went so far as to call him the dark horse to win the competition, saying he has a "potentially very good voice." High compliments from the tough judge, although he seemed not terribly amused with the pencil sketch Jon Peter then shared, of a bald Simon, insisting that "Randy needs company."

Fantasia Barrino came next. The best word to describe her performance was "excellent." She did "Signed, Sealed and Delivered." All the judges rightfully raved about her. If by some travesty she doesn't advance this week, she could still make it in the music industry.

George Huff performed "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. Simon called his performance his best yet. Paula called his spirit "infectious" and pointed out that he'd shaved his mustache, which made him look younger. This could prolong his life in the competition, since Simon had questioned at the outset whether he looked too old for the competition. Simon said he doesn't think that George is aware of how good he really is. But with compliments like that one, that won't be the case for long.

Jennifer Hudson, for once wearing an outfit that seemed to have been put together with the lights on, turned in a soulful performance that both Randy and Paula called amazing. But Simon questioned her song choice and accused her of oversinging, claiming it was a trend he'd noticed in a lot of performers that night.

Then came John Stevens, who performed "Lately," which is a Stevie Wonder song, but his rendition was very much a crooner's version. Randy was uncharacteristically cutting, saying the performance bored him to tears. Paula called it "safe but classy." And Simon, in a rare move, agreed with Paula, calling John a unique artist who had a middle America quality that would do well for him in the competition. He also expressed his desire to see John continue because he had a unique quality the other singers didn't have and was avoiding the oversinging trend.

Leah LaBelle performed "Keep Me Hanging On," which many may know from the Kim Wilde cover version. Even the nice judge, Randy and Paul, had little good to say, saying it was not her best. Simon did not mince words: "Pack your suitcase," he said, predicting she would be the first casualty in this competition. If you'll remember, Leah is already on borrowed time. She made the final 12 because of Paula selecting her in the wild card competition, at which point Simon said that Leah was lucky she had a fairy godmother.

Jasmine Trias sang "Inseparable," a performance that started out subdued and then grew stronger until it was a tidal wave of vocal strength. Randy said, "You can really sing." Paula called it her favorite performance that night and complimented Jasmine's beautiful spirit. And Simon said the performance was superb. Jasmine has little need to pack her suitcase, I'd guess.

Finally, Diana DeGarmo performed "Think," the Aretha Franklin standard. She struck me, as she has every other time I've seen her perform, as somewhat programmed. There's just something about her that reminds me a little too much of the kind of performance you'd see at a Little Miss beauty pageant, right down to the dazzling but carefully rehearsed smile. Paul called the performance brilliant, but Simon said that he didn't feel touched. He called her a doll, which in his idiom is more of an insult than a compliment, indicating, it seems, that he felt she was a bit of a fake.

So when it comes down to it, the question becomes, who wasn't strong enough to advance? Will voters side with Simon and agree that Leah should pack her bags? I think that's very possible. She's actually not here at this point due to any love from the audience. They didn't vote for her when she participated in an earlier stage of the competition. She advanced in the wild card competition with a wobbly performance, simply because of her fairy godmother, Paula. So unless some Americans out there see in her what Paula sees, she's unlikely to move on.

Also, although it may seem shallow, it probably won't help her that before this performance, she straightened her hair, which made her seem older. This may cost her the sympathy vote she might have received from those who thought she was just a little raw and deserves another week to prove herself.

If Leah squeaks through on a sympathy vote, the next likely one to go would be Amy, who has a great personality off-stage but so far has failed to show it in her song choices and therefore is probably attracting few loyal followers at this moment. If she makes it through, she needs to work on generating some excitement. Just ask Jon Peter what that can do for you.

The other possibility to not advance would be John Stevens, simply because he gave a more subdued performance and seemed a little nervous. Still, he's likely to get votes from people who like his style and are willing to forgive a touch of the nerves in the first round of the finals.

Of course, there's no telling what's going to happen. America has pulled off some surprises so far in the voting. So cross your fingers, fairy godmothers, if you're pulling for one of those who seems less likely to move on.

 

Other Musings by Alyce on American Idol:

American Idol Index

Moral:
When you get your chance on stage, make it yours.