The Top 6 finalists will take on the classic music of rock super group Queen tonight.
Bohemian Rhapsody was a huge hit for Queen not just once but twice. The first time around it peaked at #9 in 1976, but after it was used in the movie Wayne's World it went all the way up to #2 in 1992. The song is a vocal roller coaster that allowed for Jessica Sanchez to rise to the challenge and take us on a wild ride. She was able to display her range and versatility by veering away from her usual R&B ballad style and completely embody the role of rocker chick.
Country girl Skylar Laine made a sincere effort to get out of her comfort zone and try something different with her performance of The Show Must Go On. The production was grand, hard rocking and over the top, but there were times in the song when the strength of her voice couldn't keep up with the drama in the song.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love spent 4 weeks at #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1980. Joshua Ledet used this fun and bouncy rockabilly number to completely take over the stage and own it. But to be honest, the song was better than the singer.
It is quite likely that Elise Testone is thrilled to have this opportunity to sing I Want It All as she perceives herself as a true classic rocker. The problem is that all the hard rock energy in the world isn't going to make up for her limited vocal range. Every note she tries to sing is forced and strained.
The song Fat Bottomed Girls that hit #24 in 1978 displayed the refreshing sense of humor and entertaining style that Queen brought to the pop music scene. Phillip Phillips took this playful anthem and dragged it down to an unpleasant level where he seemed much more angry than festive. This guy has no range at all.
Hollie Cavanagh just makes it look so easy. She performed the 1980 song Save Me with a powerful and passionate vocal range that put all the others to shame. This very sweet and attractive young woman knows how to sing and leaves us wanting to hear more.
Dance With My Father was a Grammy winning Song of the Year for Luther Vandross in 2003. This could be an even bigger huge smash with the outstanding vocals of Jessica Sanchez. She did an amazing job and told the heartfelt story in the lyrics with genuine grace and beauty.
Jason Aldean has been riding high at the top of the Country charts for the past two years singing hits like Tattoos On This Town. Skylar Laine played it safe with this selection. She's good, but she seems to be coasting in her comfort zone.
Joshua Ledet showed some unexpected restraint on his rendition of Ready For Love by India Arie. It was nice to see he can put the screaming aside and give the audience something different. It was an emotional interpretation of the song.
Jimi Hendrix is an iconic guitar legend, but he's not known for his iconic vocals. Elise is purposefully positioning herself as a thing of the past with this performance of Bold As Love. There was nothing here to convey that she is interested in being a current artist on the scene.
Phillip Phillips is stuck in his limited rut of serving up more of the same. This time it was a dreary reading of a Dave Matthews song and it was completely forgettable.
Miley Cyrus is one of the hottest teen stars around having a #4 hit in 2009 with The Climb. It's an inspirational ballad that was improved exponentially with the impressive vocals of Hollie Cavanagh. She looks stunning standing center stage and then she opens her mouth and the voice comes out that is sweet, crystal clear, and pure pleasure for your ears.
If the voting goes the way it should, there are three very good singers who should easily be safely coming back next week: Hollie, Jessica and Skylar. With that being stated, my prediction for the bottom three is Phillip, Elise and Joshua. That fact is that Elise did nothing this week to change my opinion that she should be the one going home.
Showing posts with label Luther Vandross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luther Vandross. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The Top 11 sing their beginnings
Tonight the top 11 finalists will sing a song from the year they were born. That's right, I said 11 and not 12. Jermaine Jones has been disqualified from the competition because he failed to disclose FOUR criminal warrants out for his arrest! it doesn't really matter because he had no chance at getting very far anyway.
1990 is the year the Phillip Phillips was born and also the year that The Black Crowes had a hit with Hard To Handle. Phillip sounded like he was trying to pass a kidney stone while he was screaming out the lyrics to this song.
1995 is the year that Jessica Sanchez was born and also the year that Gloria Estefan had a hit with Turn The Beat Around. Jessica has already proven that her amazing voice sounds pitch perfect on a dramatic ballad, but tonight she wanted to show she can do a disco dance jam as well. While this may not be her ideal style, she was still fantastic. And she looked absolutely fabulous in is sparkly silver pants!
1989 is the year that Heejun Han was born and also the year that Richard Marx spent three weeks at #1 with Right Here Waiting. This performance was completely dreary and boring.
1983 is the year that Elise Testone was born and also the year that Tina Turner started her big comeback with Let's Stay Together. This was a wonderful song choice to showcase her unique voice and really highlight her talents at their best.
1994 is the year that Deandre Brackensick was born and also the year that Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross hit #2 with Endless Love. Deandre's vocal skills can easily handle the multiple layers in this duet all by himself. His range is outstanding and he sounds awesome.
1995 is the year that Shannon Magrane was born and also the year that Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men spent 16 weeks at #1 with One Sweet Day. Shannon is completely out of her league in this competition and with this song. She was totally unable to handle the complex vocal demands of this song because of her limited breath control.
1991 is the year that Colton Dixon was born and also the year that White Lion released Broken Heart. Colton completely made this song his own with his passionate vocals and captivating stage presence.
1985 is the year that Erika Van Pelt was born and also the year that Bryan Adams spent one week at #1 with Heaven. Erika was able to make the power ballad even bigger with her big voice and a big dramatic arrangement.
1994 is the year that Skylar Laine was born and also the year that Bonnie Raitt had a hit with Love Sneaking Up On You. While Skylar has been able to really shine on other songs, tonight she was pretty "by the book", but for her that's still very good.
1992 is the year that Joshua Ledet was born and also the year that Michael Bolton hit #1 for one week with When a Man Loves A Woman. Joshua put out all the stops with his soulful and over the top performance of this R&B classic. He worked the stage and brought the house down.
1993 is the year the Hollie Cavanagh was born and also the year that Celine Dion spent four weeks at #1 with The Power of Love. Hollie was up there in her red carpet ready long gown and made it look easy to sing notes with crystal clear perfection. She was completely lovely on stage as the best was obviously saved for last.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Phillip, Heejun and Shannon. If any of them went home this week they wouldn't be missed at all, but I think that it's going to be Shannon.
1990 is the year the Phillip Phillips was born and also the year that The Black Crowes had a hit with Hard To Handle. Phillip sounded like he was trying to pass a kidney stone while he was screaming out the lyrics to this song.
1995 is the year that Jessica Sanchez was born and also the year that Gloria Estefan had a hit with Turn The Beat Around. Jessica has already proven that her amazing voice sounds pitch perfect on a dramatic ballad, but tonight she wanted to show she can do a disco dance jam as well. While this may not be her ideal style, she was still fantastic. And she looked absolutely fabulous in is sparkly silver pants!
1989 is the year that Heejun Han was born and also the year that Richard Marx spent three weeks at #1 with Right Here Waiting. This performance was completely dreary and boring.
1983 is the year that Elise Testone was born and also the year that Tina Turner started her big comeback with Let's Stay Together. This was a wonderful song choice to showcase her unique voice and really highlight her talents at their best.
1994 is the year that Deandre Brackensick was born and also the year that Mariah Carey and Luther Vandross hit #2 with Endless Love. Deandre's vocal skills can easily handle the multiple layers in this duet all by himself. His range is outstanding and he sounds awesome.
1995 is the year that Shannon Magrane was born and also the year that Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men spent 16 weeks at #1 with One Sweet Day. Shannon is completely out of her league in this competition and with this song. She was totally unable to handle the complex vocal demands of this song because of her limited breath control.
1991 is the year that Colton Dixon was born and also the year that White Lion released Broken Heart. Colton completely made this song his own with his passionate vocals and captivating stage presence.
1985 is the year that Erika Van Pelt was born and also the year that Bryan Adams spent one week at #1 with Heaven. Erika was able to make the power ballad even bigger with her big voice and a big dramatic arrangement.
1994 is the year that Skylar Laine was born and also the year that Bonnie Raitt had a hit with Love Sneaking Up On You. While Skylar has been able to really shine on other songs, tonight she was pretty "by the book", but for her that's still very good.
1992 is the year that Joshua Ledet was born and also the year that Michael Bolton hit #1 for one week with When a Man Loves A Woman. Joshua put out all the stops with his soulful and over the top performance of this R&B classic. He worked the stage and brought the house down.
1993 is the year the Hollie Cavanagh was born and also the year that Celine Dion spent four weeks at #1 with The Power of Love. Hollie was up there in her red carpet ready long gown and made it look easy to sing notes with crystal clear perfection. She was completely lovely on stage as the best was obviously saved for last.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Phillip, Heejun and Shannon. If any of them went home this week they wouldn't be missed at all, but I think that it's going to be Shannon.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The Top 13 boys take their first shot...
Tonight we get to know what these top 13 boys can really do - they can pick any song they want to present themselves to America for the first time:
Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera took Moves Like Jagger to #1 in 2011. Reed Grimm reinvented this piece of dance pop and turned it into a freestyle jazz extravaganza. It was an impressive example of his fun showmanship and style.
Aretha Franklin took Think to #7 in 1968. Adam Brock did his best to channel the black woman that he believes is trapped inside of him with this performance, but the reality is that he's just a white guy with limited vocal talent.
Earth Wind and Fire never released Reasons as a single. Deandre Brackensick sang this album track in his falsetto with some pretty good skill and he belted out a great note at the end.
Paramore's Decode was included on the 2008 Twilight soundtrack. Colton Dixon expressed that he is the height of teen fashion with his hair and style, and his vocals were pretty good also.
Sara Bareilles included Gravity as the closing track on her 2007 release Little Voice. Jeremy Rosado is a very sweet young man with a good vocal range. It's a nice combination.
The Jackson 5 took Never Can Say Goodbye to #2 in 1971. Aaron Marcellus provided a pretty standard reading of this wonderful R&B jam, but he failed to elevate it to a higher level.
Hunter Hayes released Storm Warning in 2011. Chase Likens is a very handsome guy who could be a big country star. He has a great voice and performed this recent hit very well.
Cyndi Lauper took True Colors to #1 in 1986. Creighton Fraker is an outstanding talent who can convey an impressive depth of emotion with every beautiful note that he sings.
Phil Collins took In The Air Tonight to #19 in 1981. Phillip Phillips took a risk and re-interpreted this song as a bluesy guitar driven jam. He is very like-able so even though it was almost unrecognizable it still worked.
Adele just hit #1 a few weeks ago with Set Fire To The Rain. Eben Franckewicz is only 15, but he has a smooth and clear vocal range. He may have bitten off more than he could chew with this current and familiar hit, but he managed to pull it through.
Heejun Han takes the description "bad personality" to a whole new level as working with special needs kids and singing about angels doesn't help to dig him out of the hole at all.
Season 3 Miss American Idol finalist and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson included You Pulled Me Through on her Grammy winning debut album. Joshua Ledet belted out this anthem with his best gospel wail and brought the house down.
Luther Vandross won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2003 for Dance With My Father. Jermaine Jones has a very deep voice and served up a pretty good version of the song.
Now it's up to America to vote and you can go online to support your favorites at http://www.americanidol.com/.
My top 5 will be: Reed Grimm, Deandre Brackensick, Colton Dixon, Creighton Fraker, and Eben Franckewicz.
And Creighton Fraker is my early favorite. :)
Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera took Moves Like Jagger to #1 in 2011. Reed Grimm reinvented this piece of dance pop and turned it into a freestyle jazz extravaganza. It was an impressive example of his fun showmanship and style.
Aretha Franklin took Think to #7 in 1968. Adam Brock did his best to channel the black woman that he believes is trapped inside of him with this performance, but the reality is that he's just a white guy with limited vocal talent.
Earth Wind and Fire never released Reasons as a single. Deandre Brackensick sang this album track in his falsetto with some pretty good skill and he belted out a great note at the end.
Paramore's Decode was included on the 2008 Twilight soundtrack. Colton Dixon expressed that he is the height of teen fashion with his hair and style, and his vocals were pretty good also.
Sara Bareilles included Gravity as the closing track on her 2007 release Little Voice. Jeremy Rosado is a very sweet young man with a good vocal range. It's a nice combination.
The Jackson 5 took Never Can Say Goodbye to #2 in 1971. Aaron Marcellus provided a pretty standard reading of this wonderful R&B jam, but he failed to elevate it to a higher level.
Hunter Hayes released Storm Warning in 2011. Chase Likens is a very handsome guy who could be a big country star. He has a great voice and performed this recent hit very well.
Cyndi Lauper took True Colors to #1 in 1986. Creighton Fraker is an outstanding talent who can convey an impressive depth of emotion with every beautiful note that he sings.
Phil Collins took In The Air Tonight to #19 in 1981. Phillip Phillips took a risk and re-interpreted this song as a bluesy guitar driven jam. He is very like-able so even though it was almost unrecognizable it still worked.
Adele just hit #1 a few weeks ago with Set Fire To The Rain. Eben Franckewicz is only 15, but he has a smooth and clear vocal range. He may have bitten off more than he could chew with this current and familiar hit, but he managed to pull it through.
Heejun Han takes the description "bad personality" to a whole new level as working with special needs kids and singing about angels doesn't help to dig him out of the hole at all.
Season 3 Miss American Idol finalist and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson included You Pulled Me Through on her Grammy winning debut album. Joshua Ledet belted out this anthem with his best gospel wail and brought the house down.
Luther Vandross won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2003 for Dance With My Father. Jermaine Jones has a very deep voice and served up a pretty good version of the song.
Now it's up to America to vote and you can go online to support your favorites at http://www.americanidol.com/.
My top 5 will be: Reed Grimm, Deandre Brackensick, Colton Dixon, Creighton Fraker, and Eben Franckewicz.
And Creighton Fraker is my early favorite. :)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Top 7 sing the 21st Century
The Top 7 finalists were able to select any song recorded since the turn of the century:
Leann Rimes won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1996, and as recent as 2010 she was nominated for a Grammy for her high energy performance of Swingin'. Scotty McCreery tried to give his own spin to this hot song. He slowed down the arrangement and essentially sucked the life out if it. There was no personality in his tepid rendition.
Current hitmaking rockers, Muse, had a hit in 2010 with Uprising and it was the perfect song to allow James Durbin to show that he can just as easily be fresh as he is classic. He displayed amazing vocal range and personality.
Adele won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2008, but it wasn't until this year that she hit the top of the Billboard albums chart with her second release 21. She also earned her first top 10 hit on the Billboard HOT 100 with Rolling In The Deep and Haley Reinhart provided her least messed up performance of the season so far with her cover. She didn't totally butcher it, but you could tell she was really trying to with her totally awful growl thrown in there just to remind us that she's more of a comedy routine than anything else.
Luther Vandross won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2003 for Dance With My Father and Jacob Lusk actually interpreted it very well. He showed some amazing vocal restraint for a change and was more watchable than usual.
Maroon 5 won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2004 and Casey Abrams chose to sing their very first hit, Harder to Breathe. In his case he is just getting harder to watch and harder to listen to. Creepy does not even begin to describe his unpleasant stage presence. He belongs in the background as a musician - if that.....
Ne-Yo hit #7 in 2008 with his pop smash, Closer. Stefano Langone took our breath away with his vocally fantastic performance. He is completely ready to be in the spotlight on stage and in front of the camera for hot music videos. He gave us American Idol perfection! His dance moves are slick and impressive and he belts out the big notes with effortless ease. Not to mention the fact that he looks so handsome in the most stylish fashions. :)
Sara Evans had a big hit with Born To Fly in 2000. It's a fun song, but Lauren Alaina failed to give any personality to her take on it. Her voice is mildly good, but nothing exceptional. She doesn't seem to know what do with herself on stage so she just stands there appearing to be scared and nervous.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk and Scotty McCreery. I'm giving Haley a free pass this week because she restrained herself to do a respectable job on a song that I really like. If we're really lucky, by my not predicting her to be in the bottom three we may finally get rid of her! So of the three boys I predicted to be in the bottom, I think Casey and Scotty will be safe because they have enough fans who will stick by them no matter how creepy or boring they are. That leaves Jacob to be the one going home this week.
Leann Rimes won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1996, and as recent as 2010 she was nominated for a Grammy for her high energy performance of Swingin'. Scotty McCreery tried to give his own spin to this hot song. He slowed down the arrangement and essentially sucked the life out if it. There was no personality in his tepid rendition.
Current hitmaking rockers, Muse, had a hit in 2010 with Uprising and it was the perfect song to allow James Durbin to show that he can just as easily be fresh as he is classic. He displayed amazing vocal range and personality.
Adele won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2008, but it wasn't until this year that she hit the top of the Billboard albums chart with her second release 21. She also earned her first top 10 hit on the Billboard HOT 100 with Rolling In The Deep and Haley Reinhart provided her least messed up performance of the season so far with her cover. She didn't totally butcher it, but you could tell she was really trying to with her totally awful growl thrown in there just to remind us that she's more of a comedy routine than anything else.
Luther Vandross won the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2003 for Dance With My Father and Jacob Lusk actually interpreted it very well. He showed some amazing vocal restraint for a change and was more watchable than usual.
Maroon 5 won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2004 and Casey Abrams chose to sing their very first hit, Harder to Breathe. In his case he is just getting harder to watch and harder to listen to. Creepy does not even begin to describe his unpleasant stage presence. He belongs in the background as a musician - if that.....
Ne-Yo hit #7 in 2008 with his pop smash, Closer. Stefano Langone took our breath away with his vocally fantastic performance. He is completely ready to be in the spotlight on stage and in front of the camera for hot music videos. He gave us American Idol perfection! His dance moves are slick and impressive and he belts out the big notes with effortless ease. Not to mention the fact that he looks so handsome in the most stylish fashions. :)
Sara Evans had a big hit with Born To Fly in 2000. It's a fun song, but Lauren Alaina failed to give any personality to her take on it. Her voice is mildly good, but nothing exceptional. She doesn't seem to know what do with herself on stage so she just stands there appearing to be scared and nervous.
My prediction for the bottom three this week is Casey Abrams, Jacob Lusk and Scotty McCreery. I'm giving Haley a free pass this week because she restrained herself to do a respectable job on a song that I really like. If we're really lucky, by my not predicting her to be in the bottom three we may finally get rid of her! So of the three boys I predicted to be in the bottom, I think Casey and Scotty will be safe because they have enough fans who will stick by them no matter how creepy or boring they are. That leaves Jacob to be the one going home this week.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Top 12 boys take their first shot...
Tonight we get to know what these top 12 boys can really do - they can pick any song they want to present themselves to America for the first time:
Stevie Wonder took Superstition to #1 in 1972. Clint Jun Gamboa used this funky jam to belt out some big notes. He did a pretty good job, but not sure if it will be enough to win over votes after he turned off the fans during the group portion of the Hollywood round. He just doesn't seem like a very nice guy.
Edwin McCain took I'll Be to #5 in 1998. Jovany Barreto thoroughly and completely impressed with vocals that were pure and powerful. Combined with his stunning good looks he elevated this song to higher heights with an amazing crescendo at the end of the song that was a million times better than the original.
Usher took OMG to #1 in 2010. Jordan Dorsey missed the mark with his awkward efforts at dancing and this song choice did not showcase any interesting vocals at all.
Tim Halperin doesn't have a chance based on this performance of Rob Thomas' Come On Over. It was clunky and vocally choppy. This didn't inspire any interest.
The Doors took Light My Fire to #1 for three weeks in 1967. Brett Loewenstern has that skinny rock star thing going for him along with a dynamic and bold vocal range. His youth comes through, though, with the lack of maturity and intensity that this song requires.
Judas Priest became classic heavy metal rockers with songs like You've Got Another Thing Coming. James Durbin tried to set himself apart from the original glam-rock standard set by the Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner-Up, Adam Lambert. While he's very talented vocally, James does not do Judas Priest better than Adam could.
Sarah McLachlan took Angel to #4 in 1999. Robbie Rosen's rendition of this sweet ballad was painful to listen to. His voice is very plain and lacking any personality and his huge smile didn't help at all to convey the appropriate emotions for the lyrics.
John Michael Montgomery took Letters From Home to #24 in 2004. Scotty McCreery is up there doing an imitation of what other singers have already done better. He's a talented deep-voiced country boy, but he doesn't really add anything new to the mix.
Bruno Mars took Just The Way You Are to #1 in 2010. Stefano Langone has a sweet and smooth tenor voice that fits into what is happening in pop music right now. In addition, he's very young and cute and ready for music videos.
Rod Stewart took Maggie May to #1 for five weeks in 1971. Paul McDonald recreated this classic tale of love into a quirky slice of hipster delight. He has a warm personality that pulls you in and keeps you engaged.
Luther Vandross gave the world a legendary version of A House is Not A Home. Jacob Lusk was clearly trying very hard to over-sing his way into our hearts, but it was all a lot of loud screaming effort without the emotional pay-off.
Casey Abrams puts on a great show when he closes his eyes tightly and screams at the top of his lungs. It looks impressive on stage, but it is very reminiscent of what made Taylor Hicks the Season 5 Miss American Idol winner. The fans loved him on stage, but they didn't buy his albums.
Now it's up to America to vote and for the first time you can go online to support your favorites at http://www.americanidol.com/.
My top 5 will be: Jovany Barreto, Brett Loewenstern, James Durbin, Stefano Langone, and Paul McDonald.
And Jovany is my early favorite. :)
Stevie Wonder took Superstition to #1 in 1972. Clint Jun Gamboa used this funky jam to belt out some big notes. He did a pretty good job, but not sure if it will be enough to win over votes after he turned off the fans during the group portion of the Hollywood round. He just doesn't seem like a very nice guy.
Edwin McCain took I'll Be to #5 in 1998. Jovany Barreto thoroughly and completely impressed with vocals that were pure and powerful. Combined with his stunning good looks he elevated this song to higher heights with an amazing crescendo at the end of the song that was a million times better than the original.
Usher took OMG to #1 in 2010. Jordan Dorsey missed the mark with his awkward efforts at dancing and this song choice did not showcase any interesting vocals at all.
Tim Halperin doesn't have a chance based on this performance of Rob Thomas' Come On Over. It was clunky and vocally choppy. This didn't inspire any interest.
The Doors took Light My Fire to #1 for three weeks in 1967. Brett Loewenstern has that skinny rock star thing going for him along with a dynamic and bold vocal range. His youth comes through, though, with the lack of maturity and intensity that this song requires.
Judas Priest became classic heavy metal rockers with songs like You've Got Another Thing Coming. James Durbin tried to set himself apart from the original glam-rock standard set by the Season 8 Miss American Idol 1st Runner-Up, Adam Lambert. While he's very talented vocally, James does not do Judas Priest better than Adam could.
Sarah McLachlan took Angel to #4 in 1999. Robbie Rosen's rendition of this sweet ballad was painful to listen to. His voice is very plain and lacking any personality and his huge smile didn't help at all to convey the appropriate emotions for the lyrics.
John Michael Montgomery took Letters From Home to #24 in 2004. Scotty McCreery is up there doing an imitation of what other singers have already done better. He's a talented deep-voiced country boy, but he doesn't really add anything new to the mix.
Bruno Mars took Just The Way You Are to #1 in 2010. Stefano Langone has a sweet and smooth tenor voice that fits into what is happening in pop music right now. In addition, he's very young and cute and ready for music videos.
Rod Stewart took Maggie May to #1 for five weeks in 1971. Paul McDonald recreated this classic tale of love into a quirky slice of hipster delight. He has a warm personality that pulls you in and keeps you engaged.
Luther Vandross gave the world a legendary version of A House is Not A Home. Jacob Lusk was clearly trying very hard to over-sing his way into our hearts, but it was all a lot of loud screaming effort without the emotional pay-off.
Casey Abrams puts on a great show when he closes his eyes tightly and screams at the top of his lungs. It looks impressive on stage, but it is very reminiscent of what made Taylor Hicks the Season 5 Miss American Idol winner. The fans loved him on stage, but they didn't buy his albums.
Now it's up to America to vote and for the first time you can go online to support your favorites at http://www.americanidol.com/.
My top 5 will be: Jovany Barreto, Brett Loewenstern, James Durbin, Stefano Langone, and Paul McDonald.
And Jovany is my early favorite. :)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Top 7 sing Movie Music
Quentin Terentino, the director of movie hits Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill, is a HUGE American Idol fan and he worked with each of the finalists as they prepared to perform music from the movies.
Alison Iraheta chose to sing the song I Don't Want To Miss A Thing from Armageddon that Aerosmith took to #1 for four weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1998. It started out kinda slow, but as it went on she proved she has one of the strongest voices in the competition. I would have liked to hear her sing a different more interesting song, but she really made the best of the material.
Anoop Desai chose to sing the song Everything I Do, I Do It For You from Robin Hood that Bryan Adams took to #1 for seven weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1991. As we have heard in the past, Anoop has a pleasant vocal quality, but the fact is that he has no stage presence whatsoever. While it sounded nice, there was nothing special about it.
Adam Lambert chose to sing the song Born To Be Wild from Easy Rider that Steppenwolf took to #2 for three weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1968. Week after week Adam has stepped apart from the crowd with his dynamic and energetic style. Whether it's a ballad or a rock anthem, like it was tonight, he has complete command of the stage and totally entertains.
Matt Giraud chose to sing the song Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman from Don Juan DeMarco that Bryan Adams took to #1 for five weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1995. Matt sat at the piano and brought his strained and weak vocals to this song that isn't very catchy to start with. The combination of his boring song choice with his drippy vocals made for a very forgettable effort.
Danny Gokey chose to sing the song Endless Love from the movie of the same name that Lionel Richie and Diana Ross took to #1 for nine weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1981. It's such a huge hit and popular favorite that Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey brought it back to the charts in 1994 taking it all the way up to #2. Danny is so far from being in the same league as these accomplished artists there was no where to go but down with his version. It was boring, flat and uninteresting. He brought nothing except bad vocals and dreary stage presence to this wonderful love song.
Kris Allen chose to sing the song Falling Slowly from Once that won the Oscar for best Original Song in 2008. He has the same things working for him every week. He looks great and he brings a warm sensitivity to everything he does. This song is very low key, so it didn't give him much to work with. His limited vocal range ended up becoming a more prominent factor as a result, but he can still out shine much of the competition.
Lil Rounds chose to sing the song The Rose from the movie of the same name that Bette Midler took to #3 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1980. Just like I never want to hear Lil do another song by Celine Dion again, I never thought I'd hear her do Bette Midler. The fact is that Lil can do these songs very well, but you don't necessarily imagine them being on her first album. With this adult contemporary ballad, she added some more gospel and R&B style than Bette Midler ever could. It worked out pretty well, but her chances to really steal the competition are running out.
My favorites are continuing to impress me while the others are sinking deeper and falling flatter. While they should be stepping up and offering some surprises we are getting more bland efforts. The biggest culprits who seem to be the laziest are my prediction for the bottom three this week. They just seem to be coasting at this point: Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai and Danny Gokey. None of these three have done anything exceptional so far and all should be afraid that this week could be their last. I predict that Anoop will be the one sent packing
Alison Iraheta chose to sing the song I Don't Want To Miss A Thing from Armageddon that Aerosmith took to #1 for four weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1998. It started out kinda slow, but as it went on she proved she has one of the strongest voices in the competition. I would have liked to hear her sing a different more interesting song, but she really made the best of the material.
Anoop Desai chose to sing the song Everything I Do, I Do It For You from Robin Hood that Bryan Adams took to #1 for seven weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1991. As we have heard in the past, Anoop has a pleasant vocal quality, but the fact is that he has no stage presence whatsoever. While it sounded nice, there was nothing special about it.
Adam Lambert chose to sing the song Born To Be Wild from Easy Rider that Steppenwolf took to #2 for three weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1968. Week after week Adam has stepped apart from the crowd with his dynamic and energetic style. Whether it's a ballad or a rock anthem, like it was tonight, he has complete command of the stage and totally entertains.
Matt Giraud chose to sing the song Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman from Don Juan DeMarco that Bryan Adams took to #1 for five weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1995. Matt sat at the piano and brought his strained and weak vocals to this song that isn't very catchy to start with. The combination of his boring song choice with his drippy vocals made for a very forgettable effort.
Danny Gokey chose to sing the song Endless Love from the movie of the same name that Lionel Richie and Diana Ross took to #1 for nine weeks on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1981. It's such a huge hit and popular favorite that Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey brought it back to the charts in 1994 taking it all the way up to #2. Danny is so far from being in the same league as these accomplished artists there was no where to go but down with his version. It was boring, flat and uninteresting. He brought nothing except bad vocals and dreary stage presence to this wonderful love song.
Kris Allen chose to sing the song Falling Slowly from Once that won the Oscar for best Original Song in 2008. He has the same things working for him every week. He looks great and he brings a warm sensitivity to everything he does. This song is very low key, so it didn't give him much to work with. His limited vocal range ended up becoming a more prominent factor as a result, but he can still out shine much of the competition.
Lil Rounds chose to sing the song The Rose from the movie of the same name that Bette Midler took to #3 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1980. Just like I never want to hear Lil do another song by Celine Dion again, I never thought I'd hear her do Bette Midler. The fact is that Lil can do these songs very well, but you don't necessarily imagine them being on her first album. With this adult contemporary ballad, she added some more gospel and R&B style than Bette Midler ever could. It worked out pretty well, but her chances to really steal the competition are running out.
My favorites are continuing to impress me while the others are sinking deeper and falling flatter. While they should be stepping up and offering some surprises we are getting more bland efforts. The biggest culprits who seem to be the laziest are my prediction for the bottom three this week. They just seem to be coasting at this point: Matt Giraud, Anoop Desai and Danny Gokey. None of these three have done anything exceptional so far and all should be afraid that this week could be their last. I predict that Anoop will be the one sent packing
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Top 10 sing their beginnings
Tonight the top 10 finalists had to select a song that was a hit the year they were born.
Ramiele Malubay was born in 1987 when Heart spent three weeks at #1 with Alone. This song has become an American Idol favorite clearly because it allows the finalist to show off their entire range. Ramiele probably gave us her best vocal so far, but she doesn't have much of a gimmick to make her extra memorable.
Jason Castro was born in 1990 when Sting released Fragile. Rather than pursuing the haunting introspection of the original, Jason stuck with his limited abilities and made this song into a laid back spanish bilingual salsa. Because of his immaturity it was the same old gimmick with the guitar and the weak vocals.
Syesha Mercado was born in 1987 and for some reason she selected a song that Gladys Knight took to the top 10 in 1971, If I Were Your Woman. It's a great song but this arrangement wasn't as interesting as the original. Syesha still found a way to let her voice take center stage and sound as good as we always thought she could.
Chikezie was born in 1985 when Luther Vandross released If Only For One Night. For the past couple of weeks Chikezie has strutted his stuff showing a full range of performance versatility, but tonight he fell back into a rut. This was a very bland imitation of the original.
Brooke White was born in 1983 when the Police spent eight weeks at #1 with Every Breath You Take. Those were eight long boring weeks back then so it wasn't much for Brooke to work with, but it was actually a good fit for her performance limitations. She sat behind the piano and played in her comfort zone, even after a shaky start.
Michael Johns was born in 1978 when Queen hit the top 5 with We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions. It was a very good choice that Michael decided to sing a medley of both songs because he had the chance to truly entertain the crowd with rocking energy. He knows what he does best and this song allowed him to do it.
Carly Smithson was born in 1983 when Bonnie Tyler spent four weeks at #1 with Total Eclipse Of The Heart. This is a dramatic power ballad that allowed Carly to exhibit everything she can do better than the other finalists. It was passionate, intense and completely entertaining.
David Archuleta was born in 1990 and for some reason he picked an obscure song called You're The Voice by John Farnham. This was not a good song choice at all so he had to completely depend on that adorable cute face and sincere personality to make it work. It goes without saying that he has enough cuteness and sincerity to make anything work.
Kristy Lee Cook was born in 1984 when Lee Greenwood first served the world his patriotic anthem God Bless The USA. Kristy is a sweet talented young woman, but if she wants to have a chance in this competition she's going to need a much bigger gimmick to keep her alive. This was a blatant attempt to appeal to the audience that no one else is playing to and it will most likely work.
David Cook was born in 1982 when Michael Jackson took the world by storm and dominated the top of the charts for seven weeks with Billie Jean. David truly has the gimmick that is gonna take him to the finals. He has once again reinvented an oldie by turning it into an electrifying rock jam. David could easily be topping the charts very soon.
This season has proven itself to be very unpredictable. It doesn't matter if your the best vocalist in the competition, like Carly, you can still end up in the bottom three. Syesha found herself there as well, but I'm still gonna predict who I think SHOULD be in the bottom three. Brooke made up for her stammering start, but I don't think well enough. Chikezie should be joining Brooke because he settled back into bland. Ramiele's lack of a distinctive identity will not only have her in the bottom three with Brooke and Chikezie, but it should be sending her home.
Ramiele Malubay was born in 1987 when Heart spent three weeks at #1 with Alone. This song has become an American Idol favorite clearly because it allows the finalist to show off their entire range. Ramiele probably gave us her best vocal so far, but she doesn't have much of a gimmick to make her extra memorable.
Jason Castro was born in 1990 when Sting released Fragile. Rather than pursuing the haunting introspection of the original, Jason stuck with his limited abilities and made this song into a laid back spanish bilingual salsa. Because of his immaturity it was the same old gimmick with the guitar and the weak vocals.
Syesha Mercado was born in 1987 and for some reason she selected a song that Gladys Knight took to the top 10 in 1971, If I Were Your Woman. It's a great song but this arrangement wasn't as interesting as the original. Syesha still found a way to let her voice take center stage and sound as good as we always thought she could.
Chikezie was born in 1985 when Luther Vandross released If Only For One Night. For the past couple of weeks Chikezie has strutted his stuff showing a full range of performance versatility, but tonight he fell back into a rut. This was a very bland imitation of the original.
Brooke White was born in 1983 when the Police spent eight weeks at #1 with Every Breath You Take. Those were eight long boring weeks back then so it wasn't much for Brooke to work with, but it was actually a good fit for her performance limitations. She sat behind the piano and played in her comfort zone, even after a shaky start.
Michael Johns was born in 1978 when Queen hit the top 5 with We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions. It was a very good choice that Michael decided to sing a medley of both songs because he had the chance to truly entertain the crowd with rocking energy. He knows what he does best and this song allowed him to do it.
Carly Smithson was born in 1983 when Bonnie Tyler spent four weeks at #1 with Total Eclipse Of The Heart. This is a dramatic power ballad that allowed Carly to exhibit everything she can do better than the other finalists. It was passionate, intense and completely entertaining.
David Archuleta was born in 1990 and for some reason he picked an obscure song called You're The Voice by John Farnham. This was not a good song choice at all so he had to completely depend on that adorable cute face and sincere personality to make it work. It goes without saying that he has enough cuteness and sincerity to make anything work.
Kristy Lee Cook was born in 1984 when Lee Greenwood first served the world his patriotic anthem God Bless The USA. Kristy is a sweet talented young woman, but if she wants to have a chance in this competition she's going to need a much bigger gimmick to keep her alive. This was a blatant attempt to appeal to the audience that no one else is playing to and it will most likely work.
David Cook was born in 1982 when Michael Jackson took the world by storm and dominated the top of the charts for seven weeks with Billie Jean. David truly has the gimmick that is gonna take him to the finals. He has once again reinvented an oldie by turning it into an electrifying rock jam. David could easily be topping the charts very soon.
This season has proven itself to be very unpredictable. It doesn't matter if your the best vocalist in the competition, like Carly, you can still end up in the bottom three. Syesha found herself there as well, but I'm still gonna predict who I think SHOULD be in the bottom three. Brooke made up for her stammering start, but I don't think well enough. Chikezie should be joining Brooke because he settled back into bland. Ramiele's lack of a distinctive identity will not only have her in the bottom three with Brooke and Chikezie, but it should be sending her home.
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