Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Copyright 2007, Fox Broadcasting

Gina Glocksen and Jordin Sparks

On American Idol last night, the ladies stepped up the game, proving they're in it to win it.

Two more of them will go home tonight, leaving America with the top 12 finalists. Several of the contestants proved they truly deserve to be there.

Jordin Sparks kicked off the evening. Like the guys the night before, the woman revealed secrets about themselves. She revealed she's a big football fan and once wanted to play. She performed the Pat Benatar song "Heartbreaker." Unlike her previous performances, she gave it plenty of energy, though she was often a little flat on the high notes.

Judge Randy Jackson said tonight was a different show from the guys. He said it was a great way to start off the night. Nice judge Paula Abdul complimented her energy and said she's getting better and better. Tough judge Simon Cowell said it was manic and shrieky but complimented her for showing her personality and asserting she'd be here next week.

Sabrina Sloan revealed she once aspired to be a TV anchor. She sang “Don’t Let Go (Love)” by En Vogue. She started out with a beautiful opening, sounding like a real professional, although she often fell victim to the sin of overreaching. Plus, her tight metallic, crinkled dress wasn't that flattering. She looked like she was wrapped in a trash bag.

Randy said it was not his favorite but solid. He said she showed her big voice. Paula said, "You can sing." She said she has a gorgeous voice and looked beautiful. Simon called her a great singer but said she was lacking emotion and a little robotic. He said it reminded him of a hotel resort performance.

Surprisingly, Antonella Barba revealed that she plays violin and gives lessons. She demonstrated for the camera, which shows she's not quite the airhead we might have thought she was. She sang the Corinne Bailey Rae song “Put Your Records On”. The beginning was better than last week, but she completely fell apart in the chorus, and I was left thinking that, if not for her cool Mod ensemble of a black shirt dress with boots, she'd be completely forgettable.

Randy said it was a nice song but pitchy in the middle and called the performance "just OK." Paula said it was the right song for her range but she should watch her bottom notes. Simon said that she's gone as far as she can go. "Your voice won't get better." He said he was sorry she'd faced media criticism (because of the nude Internet photos), but he just wished she could sing better.

Forgettable Haley Scarnato revealed that she was once a gymnast. She sang the Faith Hill song “If My Heart Had Wings”, giving a lackluster performance that, if it were a movie, would go straight to video and then straight to the discount bin.

Randy called it an interesting song choice but said he wasn't jumping up and down over the performance. Paula said she sang well but it wasn't her favorite song. Simon said he thought it was horrible, a high school musical performance. He said he doesn't think she's made an impression and confessed he didn't even remember her last name.

Stephanie Edwards confessed that she used to be really shy and would hide when her mother tried to get her to sing for relatives. She performed the Chaka Khan song “Sweet Thing”. She was miles above the girls who preceded her, although she shouted a little in the middle of the song. Her turquoise and blue dress with a sweetheart neckline and empire waist was really classy and up-to-date.

Randy gave her an A for a valiant effort but said the performance couldn't compare to Chaka Khan. Paula said it was darn near flawless but she should watch falling behind on the music. Simon called her one of the best but cautioned her about her tendency to copycat singers. He said she's 100 percent into the final 12.

LaKisha Jones just keeps getting more likable. Her videotaped confession that she was afraid of animals was entertaining, as was her reaction to her enthusiastic mom and aunt in the audience, who wore LaKisha T-shirts and were screaming and cheering. "I told them not to act up," she said, looking a little embarrassed.

She sang the Whitney Houston song “I Have Nothing”, and I have to say, she's one of the few performers who can dare to take on a diva. She sounds so seasoned she could sell out a stadium today. What's more, she listened to Simon's advice the week before and wore a lovely black A-line halter dress that suited her figure. Her hair, with flirting bangs and a kick at the ends, also looked very contemporary.

Randy said he liked it and that it was "another great performance by the great LaKisha." Paula said, "You're going to stay right here and work on being the next Idol." Simon said that she brought passion, talent and believability to her performance and that she looked beautiful.

Proving once more that she's an overgrown teenager, 22-year-old Gina Glocksen shared the fact that she has a lucky troll doll and a lucky plush pickle. Then she put aside the cutesiness and belted out the Evanescence song “Call Me When You’re Sober”. I thought it was a strange song, and the performance reminded me of a second rate bar band. Her outfit was more her, but some viewers might have problem with the fact that you could see through her shirt to her pink bra.

Randy said that we're finally seeing the real Gina, though she had some pitch problems. Paula agreed, saying this was more or less who she thought she was. She told her to watch oversinging and to stick to this style of song. Simon said it was the first time she'd looked comfortable on-stage. He said she'd screamed much of the song but he hoped she made it through because she's a breath of fresh air.

After revealing some OCD tendencies, Melinda Dolittle proved she was nevertheless one together person when she sang the Peggy Lee standard, “I’m a Woman”. She is the woman. Whatever she's doing is clearly working for her. Both her vocals and her look were impeccable.

Randy said it was the hottest performance of the night and that she's a pro. Paula said she is phenomenal and brilliant on stage. Simon teased, "You little tiger. I thought we had a pussycat," referring to her timid backstage demeanor. He said it's a million percent lock that we'll see her next week.

Kudos this week go to Melinda and LaKisha for showing they're consistently strong. Stephanie and Sabrina also turned in strong performances, but from the ease it took me to place my vote for Sabrina, I'm worried for her. Jordin stepped up her game this week and should roll into the top 12. Gina's gutsy performance may have also saved her.

If the votes were purely based on vocal performance, Haley and Antonella would be singing their good-byes. Let's hope America agrees.

More on American Idol:

Musings on American Idol Season 6 (2007)

Musings on American Idol Season 5 (2006)

Musings on American Idol Season 4 (2005)

Musings on American Idol Season 3 (2004)

Copyright 2006 by Alyce Wilson

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