We have reached the Season 11 Miss American Idol final face-off between Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips.
Jessica went first and started with a performance of Whitney Houston's #4 hit from 1993, I Have Nothing. Her voice is perfect for this type of ballad that requires a singer with an impressive vocal range like hers. She looked very classy as she delivered a wonderful rendition. For the next round Jessica tackled another song from an accomplished diva. This time it was The Prayer by Celine Dion. Once again, this young 16 year old finalist proved that she can easily rise to the vocal challenge. It was simply beautiful. Her final song was an original composition called Change Nothing. This mid-tempo pop selection allowed Jessica to connect her outstanding voice to some new material and genuinely make it her own. She belted out some amazing power notes that clearly proclaimed that she is the best singer left in the competition.
Phillip took on the classic Ben E. King song Stand By Me that originally hit #4 in 1961. As usual, Phillip lacks the vocal range, skill and talent to actually sing the song well. The lyrics were merely spoken with no melodic inflection at all. He then decided to musically mutilate the Billy Joel song, Moving Out as he had done earlier in the season as if once wasn't enough. The saving grace of his performances was the last one as he stood center stage for an original song called Home. And stand center stage is all that he needed to do as the band played loudly and the background singers did all the work to drown out his minimal voice. He was also upstaged by a marching band that thankfully pulled focus away from his clumsy awkwardness.
As showcased tonight, Jessica Sanchez should easily win the Season 11 Miss American Idol Crown. She has the looks, style, stage presence and most importantly, the outstanding and impressive vocal range to take her time from this competition and translate it into a long career in the music industry.
Showing posts with label Ben E. King. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben E. King. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Final Four - Rock - n - Roll Hall of Fame
Tonight the remaining four finalists had the opportunity to select songs from artists who have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
David Cook opened the show with his take on the very first song Duran Duran charted with in 1983, Hungry Like The Wolf. Their era defining original went all the way to #3, but David didn't seem very sure about what he wanted to with it. He didn't add anything extra special to this performance so it was pretty straightforward while still strong. For his second song David decided to leave his mark on the Who's classic anthem Baba O'reilly (commonly referred to as Teenage Wasteland). This classic rock album track is legendary so David took on a big challenge when he decided to play with the arrangement. He did a very good job stripping it down and re-working it to the kind of teenage angst that is being sung about on current rock radio. He lived up to the Final Four expectations.
Syesha Mercado is proving once again that she is not one to shy away from a fight. As the only girl left in the competition she stepped up with her entire arsenal ready for action. Her first weapon of choice was the Tina Turner staple Proud Mary. While it peaked at #4 in 1971, this song is the showstopper every time Tina performs live. Syesha looked and sounded amazing as she recreated the incredibly athletic dance choreography. It was quite a work out, but it was worth it. Syesha's line of attack came from another direction for her second song. She selected Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come which cracked the top 40 in 1965. This time she stood center stage in a glamorous long gown and let her emotional vocals out shine all of the boys. She is getting better and better each week proving that it is no mistake that she is still here.
Jason Castro quit trying weeks ago. He's still all wide-eyed and surprised that he made it this far and he's finally starting to be afraid because he has no other tricks up his sleeve or hidden in his dreads. He took what should have been the perfect match for him, Eric Clapton's 1974 #1 smash, I Shot The Sheriff, and squandered yet another opportunity. He seemed completely disconnected and off of the beat. For his second song, he made another selection that should have been a breeze for him, The Byrd's 1965 #1 hit Mr. Tambourine Man, but his lack of commitment showed through again. Jason does not put any time into rehearsing the songs and it is evident in how he forgets the lyrics. His vocals are completely bland and unimpressive and he shows no passion or energy in the performance.
Thankfully we have David Archuleta, who is still taking the competition seriously. He chose to perform one of the most beloved songs of all time, Ben E. King's Stand By Me. Two generations of fans brought this song to the top 10. It hit #4 in 1961 and then it came back again 25 years later to hit #9 in 1986. David's pure vocals reminded the audience of this treasured song. But that was just a small taste of what David had to present. For his second song, David pushed every button that he has to push. He sat center stage to sing Love Me Tender. Elvis kept this song at #1 for 5 weeks in 1956 and David used everything he had to relate this love song to his fans. His sweet voice pleaded to them to love him tender and when he made eye contact there was no resisting him.
This Final Four is pretty much a joke. It's clear that Jason Castro does not belong there. The other three finalists are genuinely putting their hearts and efforts into this and he clearly doesn't even care. Keeping my fingers crossed for no surprises, my prediction is that Jason will finally be sent packing tomorrow night.
David Cook opened the show with his take on the very first song Duran Duran charted with in 1983, Hungry Like The Wolf. Their era defining original went all the way to #3, but David didn't seem very sure about what he wanted to with it. He didn't add anything extra special to this performance so it was pretty straightforward while still strong. For his second song David decided to leave his mark on the Who's classic anthem Baba O'reilly (commonly referred to as Teenage Wasteland). This classic rock album track is legendary so David took on a big challenge when he decided to play with the arrangement. He did a very good job stripping it down and re-working it to the kind of teenage angst that is being sung about on current rock radio. He lived up to the Final Four expectations.
Syesha Mercado is proving once again that she is not one to shy away from a fight. As the only girl left in the competition she stepped up with her entire arsenal ready for action. Her first weapon of choice was the Tina Turner staple Proud Mary. While it peaked at #4 in 1971, this song is the showstopper every time Tina performs live. Syesha looked and sounded amazing as she recreated the incredibly athletic dance choreography. It was quite a work out, but it was worth it. Syesha's line of attack came from another direction for her second song. She selected Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come which cracked the top 40 in 1965. This time she stood center stage in a glamorous long gown and let her emotional vocals out shine all of the boys. She is getting better and better each week proving that it is no mistake that she is still here.
Jason Castro quit trying weeks ago. He's still all wide-eyed and surprised that he made it this far and he's finally starting to be afraid because he has no other tricks up his sleeve or hidden in his dreads. He took what should have been the perfect match for him, Eric Clapton's 1974 #1 smash, I Shot The Sheriff, and squandered yet another opportunity. He seemed completely disconnected and off of the beat. For his second song, he made another selection that should have been a breeze for him, The Byrd's 1965 #1 hit Mr. Tambourine Man, but his lack of commitment showed through again. Jason does not put any time into rehearsing the songs and it is evident in how he forgets the lyrics. His vocals are completely bland and unimpressive and he shows no passion or energy in the performance.
Thankfully we have David Archuleta, who is still taking the competition seriously. He chose to perform one of the most beloved songs of all time, Ben E. King's Stand By Me. Two generations of fans brought this song to the top 10. It hit #4 in 1961 and then it came back again 25 years later to hit #9 in 1986. David's pure vocals reminded the audience of this treasured song. But that was just a small taste of what David had to present. For his second song, David pushed every button that he has to push. He sat center stage to sing Love Me Tender. Elvis kept this song at #1 for 5 weeks in 1956 and David used everything he had to relate this love song to his fans. His sweet voice pleaded to them to love him tender and when he made eye contact there was no resisting him.
This Final Four is pretty much a joke. It's clear that Jason Castro does not belong there. The other three finalists are genuinely putting their hearts and efforts into this and he clearly doesn't even care. Keeping my fingers crossed for no surprises, my prediction is that Jason will finally be sent packing tomorrow night.
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