Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

Copyright 2007, Fox Broadcasting

The final three American Idol contestants sang three songs each this week: one selected by the judges, one chosen by the producers and one chosen by the contestants.

They had also all been feted by their hometowns in the intervening week, and videotaped footage of the reunions was shown during the program, including Blake doing a beat-box while Sir Mix-a-Lot rapped "Baby Got Back". That has to be one of the coolest moments ever on American Idol, and it wasn't even part of the competition.

Kicking off the night, Jordin Sparks performed the song that Simon Cowell chose for her, "Wishing on a Star" by Rose Royce. This song evoked a disco feel, and for that reason, it might not have been the best showcase for her voice. She made another misstep in her clothing choice, wearing a flimsy above-the-knee charcoal and cream dress with an empire waist and spaghetti straps. This made her look like a little girl who had fallen asleep in her nightgown and magically transformed overnight into a woman, still wearing her nightie.

Judge Randy Jackson said this is the point where he was trying to see who's in it to win it. He called it a hot vocal and compared it to Beyonce (who would, by the way, never be caught dead in that dress). Nice judge Paula Abdul called it a good song choice and a great start. Tough judge Simon Cowell said that she'd sung it brilliantly but bewailed the "weird jazz arrangment" and had to admit it wasn't one of her best.

Next up, Blake Lewis turned in a strangely tepid performance of the Police song "Roxanne", chosen for her by Abdul. I know why Paula chose this song for him: his vocal quality and his range are very similar to Sting. However, he took liberties with the melody and didn't bring anything else new to it, except to throw in a power slide at the end. If he'd wanted to, he could have powered up the whole performance that way, but it felt out of place. He was wearing a sweater vest over a cornflower blue shirt and gray pants, a little too neat to evoke the 60s schoolboy look of some old-school Brit rockers, which is where Sting got his start (as in the movie Quadrophenia).

Randy called it a great performance and a pretty good vocal. He gave him an "A" and said it was hot. Paula said that he did her proud, calling it fantastic and fresh. Simon said he wasn't going to call it earth-shattering. He said it was good, not great and berated Paula for her song choice, saying that it forced him to imitate the original.

Powerhouse Melinda Doolittle lucked out. Randy chose a great song for her: "I Believe in You and Me" by Whitney Houston. Dressed in a simple knee-length cream dress with brown semi-circle patterns, she showed off her rich vocals, truly living up to the challenge.

Randy said that he'd wanted to throw some difficulty at her and that she'd blown it out of the park. Paula called it fantastic, amazing and one of her best. Simon said that it was a very, very difficult song to sing and that it was her best performance in the last four weeks. He awarded round one to Melinda.

In round two, the songs were chosen by the producers. Jordin, after admitting that she loves the Hanson hit "MmBop", sang the song chosen for her, "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer. This song truly showed off the difference between her and Melinda. I'm almost certain that if Melinda had been given this song, she would have worked it, but Jordin was clearly just punching the clock. She wore a very strange blue satin blousy top with extra straps in the front, paired with dark jeans (which fit her properly for once!) and gold platform shoes. This song choice, paired with the first one and the fact that she had to go first tonight made me wonder if the producers were trying to sandbag her. After all, a Blake-Melinda showdown would no doubt generate more excitement, since they're so different from each other.

Randy said it doesn't matter what song she sings, she works it out. Paula said that she'd worked hard and that it was fantastic. Simon called it a very good performance but found the arrangement old-fashioned.

For Blake, the producers chose the Maroon 5 song, "This Love", which was a perfect song choice for him: af contemporary song with soaring vocals over a dance beat. He looked styling, in a white button down shirt under a white hoody and a white jacket, paired with gray flannel pants. He added just a little beat-boxing at the end.

Randy advised him that when he makes a record, he should do songs like this one. He said it was nicely done. Paula said he was totally in his element and that it was a good night for him. Simon said he'd preferred it to the first song, that Blake looked very comfortable and that it was good.

Finishing up the second round, Melinda sang "Nutbush City Limits" by Ike and Tina Turner. It was a great choice, because it wasn't so overplayed that everyone expected it to sound a certain way, but it gave her lots of opportunities to show off her soul-filled rocker side. This is how good of a performance it was: it actually made me forget about the godawful psychedelic shirt dress she was wearing over jeans, which made her look pregnant.

Randy called it a great solo and said that when she records an album she should put some songs like that in her repertoire. Paula said that Melinda had had fun and that "we love you." Simon said he loves that side of her and called it another brilliant performance.

Finally, the contestants got to perform a song they'd done earlier in the competition. Jordin chose "I, Who Have Nothing", which she'd done on British Invasion week. This time around she delivered more emotion than she had the first time, though I was a little distracted by the fact that she was wearing another nightie, this one in pink, cut exactly the same as the first one. Someone needs to tell this girl that she's tall and voluptuous. Baby doll dresses just look silly.

Blake chose to do a reprise of the Robin Blake song, "When I Get You Alone". It's one of those songs I don't know by name but love every time I hear it. A very fun song for him, allowing him to do the breathy, Morrissey style vocals he loves. He wore a white argyle sweater vest over a white shirt with a gray sued hoody and gray checked pants. Of course, if I'd been him, I would have reprised "You Give Love a Bad Name", a ground-breaking performance which a lot of people really loved.

Randy said it was cool but just all right. Paula copped out, saying merely, "All your songs exemplify who you are." Simon said he'd really liked it and that he likes that he doesn't play it safe and he looks like he's having fun. Making me wonder, once more, if he'd rather see Blake in the finals than Jordin.

While she might have cruised on her first two performance, Melinda was leaving nothing to chance, giving a high-amp performance of "I'm a Woman". She added more stage-craft than she had the first time she performed it, wearing a dove gray suit with vest, her jacket slung over her back, which she then dropped on the stage almost like a strip tease. She even brought the background singers out of the shadow to sing it with her, a subtle nod to her beginnings and reminding people how far she's grown.

Randy said that he was seeing range from her and that she can sing anything. Paula praised her for stepping into the spotlight and celebrating her talent. Simon said he'd loved the "strip tease" with the tossed jacket. He said that if he wanted someone in the finals who had consistently delivered, it was her. At the end of the show, he also made a strong statement, saying he want, "My girl Melinda" in the finals.

Kudos go to Melinda for demonstrating her range and, what's more, her star quality. She made the others look like amateurs. As far as who will join her in the final two, it's a coin toss. Many people believe Jordin is a better match for vocal ability, but Blake has a stronger personality and is a fresher, more interesting competitor. While it could go either way, I expect a showdown between Blake and Melinda for the top prize.

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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