I am still wrestling with being anywhere near excited about this season of Idol. There were only two girls that I enjoyed last night, and the rest were either forgettably mediocre or unbelievably awful. This makes them very hard to rank, because how do you rank crap over crap? We’ll see.
Crystal Bowersox – Perfect song choice for her, and executed impeccably. Crystal has serious soul in her voice that really has come out on this level before. Hers was not the performance I enjoyed the most last night, but it was her best of the season and certainly enough to keep her in the top spot.
Siobhan Magnus – It pains me to not put Siobhan at number one, because I was absolutely enamored with her performance of “House of the Rising Sun.” The a capella beginning made the song sound like an Irish folk tune, and her voice was gorgeous throughout (I got a Sarah McLachlan vibe at times, but not in a bad way). Despite all of that, Crystal’s performance was more commercial, and I don’t think regular audiences will connect with Siobhan as well as they will with Crystal. Regardless, Siobhan has gotten better and better with each passing week, and she could be a contender if she continues this trend.
Lilly Scott – I am losing my patience with Lilly. All of her chosen songs, while very different, end up sounding like the same generically quirky snorefest once she has gotten ahold of them. And you do NOT do that to Patsy Cline. Ever!
Didi Benami – This was Didi’s best performance yet, but it was still kinda boring. Of course, it was Fleetwood Mac, so how could it be anything but boring? Her voice sounded okay, but I wasn’t thrilled.
Katelyn Epperly – Awful, awful song choice. This sounded like a wedding performance, and the marriage ended in divorce. Because of this performance.
Katie Stevens – Katie makes young songs sound old and old songs sound older. She’s like the musical version of the picture of Dorian Gray, and it’s getting old (Boom! Literary reference!).
Lacey Brown – While technically Lacey’s best performance, it still sucked donkey balls. This girl just flat out has no idea how to sing, and how she has lasted this long is one of the great mysteries of the universe. Like the Big Bang. Or people who think Fergie is hot.
Paige Miles – Good freakin’ gravy, what an absolute disaster! Everything about Paige’s performance was wrong. She picked an old song with a cartoony feel, sang it like a funeral dirge, and allowed someone to force upon the song the most misplaced bossa nova arrangement ever. She looked lost, frightened, and maybe a little constipated. If she survives this train wreck, she may truly be immortal.
All of my dreams came true last week as Michelle lost. On the other side, though, I was sad to see Haeley go, even though she sucked really bad last week.
This week, the girls really brought it overall, and a pretty decent shake-up has occurred on this list accordingly. Last week’s ranking for the contestant is in parenthesis after their name.
1. Siobhan Magnus (2) – I could see where many could think that Crystal had the best performance tonight. I disagree, and will explain why in the Crystal section as well. The performance of the night for me once again came from Siobhan Magnus, the new number one. I loved the song choice, “House of the Rising Sun” is one of my all time favorites. The a cappella opening was terrific, and I was emotionally enthralled throughout. An absolutely perfect, heartfelt, on point vocal throughout. Simon Cowell needs to watch the TV recording of this, because he could not have been more wrong, like with Michelle last week but in the opposite direction. Siobhan, not, Crystal, is the one to beat.
2. Crystal Bowersox (3) – That being said, Crystal also moves up one this week. A super authentic feel and delivery of “Gimme One Reason” with an incredibly powerful and impressive finish. My main problem is her song choice this week and, frankly, every week. I’m going to predict her next three songs — “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell, “You Were Meant For Me” by Jewel, and “Come To My Window” by Melissa Etheridge. Regardless, her last two performances were both in the top three of the respective week, and Crystal moves up one to the two spot.
3. Lilly White (1) – Lilly falls two spots after being number one for the first two weeks. And she was still really good, but only fourth best of the week. I love Patsy Cline and was very excited by her song choice. Simon said two words that I had already written down in my notes — cute and quirky. I liked her in a more country context, impressive that she could pull that off. I loved her energy, she was a just a little more off than usual. She’s still terrific, and I can’t wait to see her in the top 12.
4. Didi Benami (6) – And she’s back in the game! I was so happy for Didi this week. On “Rhiannon”, Didi had such good inflection and tone. I loved the intensity in her face. She’s the only contestant who didn’t move and I won’t criticize for it. She had a quiet intensity to her delivery and facial expression that really impressed me. I loved this performance, right up there with Crystal and Siobhan. Welcome back, Didi.
5. Katelyn Epperling (3) – After last week’s awesome performance of Coldplay’s “The Scientist”, Katelyn made it appear that she can only be riveting on ballads. What a poor time to not be energetic, singing a Carol King song. I needed a little more force from her here, a little more performance. It was good but not memorable. I think this week had the clearest cut bottom two of the season, but if there is to be an upset ousting, I’d pick the lackadaisical Katelyn Epperling.
6. Lacey Brown (9) – A big three spot jump this week for Lacey. I’ve never heard the song she sang, but she really nailed it I thought. She was outdueled by Didi, who has a somewhat similar voice, but I think she did enough to stick around. I agree with Kara that this was her best by far, so it would be weird if she survived on mediocrity and lost now. Really nice vocals and inflection, excellent octave transitions. I hope we keep this Lacey and lose the old one.
7. Katie Stevens (5) – And now the bad news. As great as this episode was, it featured two painful performances. The two positive to Katie’s this week are 1) she had two solid though not great performances going into this week and 2) she was only the second worst of this week. It was flat and boring from the start and never got better. By the time she got to the upper register of her voice I was already lost. Katie seemed to have no connection to the song whatsoever. She has a nice little voice, but the other girls really outshine her in every way. She really blew it this week, and I’d be shocked if she’s not gone on Thursday.
8. Paige Miles (8) - I’m not sure anyone has made me more angry this season. At least Michelle did Creed, so it was supposed to suck. No one desecrated a song this year quite like Paige did. I’m a big MJ fan, too, and “Smile” was actually his favorite song, not just one he recorded. The judges nailed the arrangement. Awful. Even if her vocals being off the piano were intentional, it didn’t sound intentional or good. It just sounded messy. I think she’s terrible. Massively overrated. She has a demographic to her own right now, but I hope that doesn’t allow her to take anyone else’s spot in the top twelve because she clearly doesn’t deserve it.
Down with Katie and Paige! Long live Siobhan!
Now, if I can only get a miracle elimination of Lee Dwyze…
Let me open with this: Thank you, ladies! There were some duds, but on the whole, that was a great show.
And how about Lacey Brown? Maybe it wasn’t quite the turnaround that Alex Lambert had, but it was certainly impressive.
How much does this shuffle things up? Not all that much, actually.
Crystal Bowersox. With the exception of last week, song choice continues to be a problem for Crystal. If she doesn’t get more creative, the audience is going to get bored with her. But her singing has been outstanding, so she stays in the top spot.
Lilly Scott hasn’t quite had that “wow” moment, but she’s always solid. However, she’s very close to being jumped by…
Didi Benami, who absolutely nailed her performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.”
I might could have called a three-way tie for second with Lilly, Didi, and Siobhan Magnus. Since I don’t do ties, she’s number four. But barely. And she’s got momentum.
If Lacey Brown delivers another performance or two like tonight’s, she’s right back in this thing.
Katelyn Epperly strikes me as flailing a bit. “I Feel the Earth Move” was an awful song choice, and she’s damn lucky that…
Paige Miles screwed up “Smile” badly. This should have been Paige’s breakout week. Instead, it’s probably her last week.
I don’t know why Katie Stevens was kept around last week. She shouldn’t be kept around any longer.
Two of my bottom three are going home, no question.
Why, hello there! How are you this evening? Welcome to our Episode 19 live blog.
I hated the girls’ song choices last week, with few exceptions (mostly Crystal Bowersox). Will this week be better? Man, I hope so. Picking a song she couldn’t sing cost me my beloved Haeley Vaughn, and I just don’t think I can go through that pain again so soon.
Follow the action (and get your red-hot spoilers) below the fold.
This series is an experiment. If it proves popular, I’ll do it all season. Please let me know if you find it valuable.
After watching the performance shows, I sometimes get a hankerin’ to revisit the original version of one or two of the songs covered, or, on the rare occasions where I don’t know the song already, to find out what it is. I’m sure I’m not the only one, so as a public service, I’m going to gather them up in one post (when available).
This post will cover the girls’ second performance show.
Right on the heels of yesterday’s blockbuster story on the Idol-Stryper connection comes yet another revelation of Siobhan Magnus’ awesomeness (via Idol 360).
CapeCast has a brief story on Siobhan’s punk roots, including video of her performing at The Black Spot in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The second concert snippet (at 0:44) features Siobhan’s band Lunar Valve performing one of my all-time favorites: The Misfits‘ “Astro Zombies.”
(Aside: I once played this song on my college radio show, forgetting completely that it contains a profanity or two. Oops!)
I suppose it’s too much to ask that Siobhan reprise her performance of “Astro Zombies” on Idol, but maybe the producers will consent to a longstanding dream of mine and do a metal night, so she can take a shot at former Misfits’ lead Glenn Danzig’s classic, “Mother.”
This series is an experiment. If it proves popular, I’ll do it all season. Please let me know if you find it valuable.
After watching the performance shows, I sometimes get a hankerin’ to revisit the original version of one or two of the songs covered, or, on the rare occasions where I don’t know the song already, to find out what it is. I’m sure I’m not the only one, so as a public service, I’m going to gather them up in one post (when available).
This post will cover the guys’ second performance show.
In news that almost made me regret slamming her performance of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” earlier this week, I have learned that American Idol season 9 contestant Siobhan Magnus’ uncle used to be in Stryper! This makes me so happy, it’s unbelievable. No, I’m not joking. To Hell With the Devil was one of my first three or four rock cassettes. (Sing “Calling on You,” Siobhan!)
My investigative journalism on this subject turned up another factoid or two. Did you know that…
…everybody’s favorite Season 4 contestant, Constantine Maroulis, once sang with Twisted Sister at the NYSE’s Christmas tree lighting celebration?
Also on the bill for what must have been an awesome Christmas concert…Stryper!
Do the connections end there? They do not.
Did you know that…
Randy Jackson once played bass on a cover of Earth, Wind, and Fire’s classic, “Shining Star?”
I do not yet know what all of this means. In an effort to figure it out, I assembled this handy diagram to show the connections between Idol and Stryper. Whatever it is that’s going on here, I think it’s reasonably safe to conclude that Randy “The Emperor” Jackson is the epicenter–the Stryper Svengali. For good or for ill, I know not.
I shall investigate further.
Figure 1: The Idol-Stryper connection
And, yes. This is the sort of hard-hitting investigative journalism you’ve come to expect from Idolpundit.
–30–
Stryper – “Shining Star” (featuring an invisible Randy Jackson)
Twisted Sister with Constantine “Constantine” Maroulis – “I Wanna Rock”
[Note that Constantine, ever the class act, takes a cheap shot at Stryper at about 3:45.
Dear Constantine: You're not fit to polish Stryper's boots.
♥ ♥ ♥,
Gordon Winslow]
[Update: I have been assured by commenters that my interpretation of Constantine's remarks was incorrect, and that no swipe at Stryper was intended. I regret the error.]
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