With no celebrity mentor to introduce and seemingly in an effort to try and get all the performances done on time the disco party got started immediately:
Lil Rounds has an outstanding voice and a great look and style. Every week she has demonstrated that she has a natural vocal talent. Unfortunately, she has not found a way to showcase that talent with her unique and personal stamp. Tonight she sang the anthem I'm Every Woman, that Chaka Khan took to #21 in 1978 and Lil once again transformed herself into just another disco diva rather than a spotlight superstar. And I didn't put this prediction in writing, but at the lunch table last Thursday I successfully predicted her song selection for tonight's theme!
While the disco era had already reached its end at the start of the 1980's, the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer, was still having big hits like She Works Hard For The Money that hit #3 in 1983. Kris Allen sat with his guitar and rearranged this song into a Latin flavored festival of fun. This risky interpretation totally worked. He showed that he isn't going to be lazy and rely on his good looks to coast through the competition. Even though he doesn't have the greatest voice in the world, he's showing off that he does have some impressive talent behind that pretty face.
Earth Wind and Fire took September to #8 in 1978. What a nightmare that Danny Gokey decided to take on this fantastic song and add his dreadful vocals to it. Making it even worse was having to watch the awkward and clumsy train wreck happen on stage as he fumbled from one side to the other.
In 1979 when Donna Summer spent three weeks at #1 with Hot Stuff, it was always regarded as her successful fusion of rock and disco. Alison Iraheta took that hard rock spirit one step further and blew the roof off the American Idol stage. She stayed true to her personal style and showed off her great raspy vocals while dressed in a fabulous glittery ensemble.
Yvonne Elliman's version of If I Can't Have You, that spent one week at #1 in 1978 came from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack that completely defined the disco era. Adam Lambert threw the original BeeGees production out the window and gave us yet another outstanding and exceptional performance. He stood in a spotlight center stage and performed it as a vulnerable ballad. Every lyric was an expression of raw emotion. Every note was clear and pure. And to top off all of that, he looked incredibly handsome and polished like an American Idol winner.
Matt Giraud was the lowest vote getter last week and he shouldn't even be here tonight. But since the judges had some kind of aneurysm and decided to save him we had to suffer through his sloppy version of the BeeGees huge smash, Stayin Alive, that spent four weeks at #1 in 1977. His vocals were just as flat and bland as we would expect them to be. His dance moves were silly and unoriginal. Matt has already peaked in this competition. He has nothing new or interesting to show us.
Donna Summer hit #2 in 1979 with Dim All The Lights. Anoop Desai completely butchered the arrangement of the song by slowing it down from the uptempo original. His vocals were done as though he was singing a lullaby. Anoop once again showed that he has absolutely no stage presence whatsoever. This was just as bland and boring as usual. Not even his pink sweater could save the audience from falling asleep.
Where are the judges coming from as they continue to shower praise on Danny Gokey and save Matt Giraud? Who do they think is going to buy their albums? Don't they remember Taylor Hicks? The best performances of the night came from Allison and Kris while Adam is continuing his rise apart from all of the others. That leaves Danny, Matt and Anoop who are repeatedly failing to impress me. Sadly, Lil also seems to be using up her chances not to her advantage. My prediction for the bottom three is Matt, Anoop and Lil. With two people going home this week, it should be Matt and Anoop.
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