The top 4 finalists are once again singing twice. The first time they are selecting a song that inspires them and for the second song they will get guidance from mega-pop performance art superstar, Lady Gaga.
Journey created a timeless classic when they first charted with Don't Stop Believin' at #9 in 1981. The song was already a consistent top download on itunes 30 years later, but then the cast of Glee performed it and breathed even more life into it. Now that James Durbin has done a fantastic job singing it, Don't Stop Believin' isn't going to stop being a fan favorite for a long time.
Michael Jackson had the ability to take a lyric about respect for our fragile planet and make it into a sweet and powerful anthem. Haley Reinhart has no similar capacity whatsoever. Her vocal ability is weak and once again she was more of a caricature than an artist. The screaming was completely unpleasant and her look and style was cartoonish.
Scotty McCreery knows how to appeal to his fans as he selected Alan Jackson's Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning. He did exactly what he had to do to make them happy.
Lauren Alaina finally selected the perfect song to showcase her voice at its best. Martina McBride's Any Way allowed her to have an emotional connection to both the song and the audience. It's a little late in the game, but she finally found herself.
Lady Gaga encouraged Haley to give in to her crazy drama and give the audience an over the top dramatic interpretation of I Who Have Nothing. Lady Gaga could easily see that Haley doesn't really have the vocal skills to pull this song off. It's a fantastic power ballad if you've heard a talented artist sing it, so all Haley could provide was a painfully comical parody.
Lady Gaga really pushed hard to get Scotty to express a sense of humor and have some personality with his rendition of Young Blood. Once he got on stage it was clear that he had taken her advice but still stayed true to his bland and conservative self.
Lady Gaga had the difficult challenge of getting Lauren to transform into the "good girl gone bad" performer for her performance of Trouble. But after all these weeks, Lauren has finally gotten comfortable on stage with her genuine good girl persona that this was all a little too much too soon.
James Durbin was actually pretty apprehensive about getting face to face with Lady Gaga, but in the end she was even able to help him take it up a notch. His arena rock extravaganza of Love Potion #9 was nothing short of amazing. He truly knows what he is doing on stage and his vocal range is simply outstanding.
America has got to get a clue and not allow Haley to make it into the top three. If there is any basis of reality and respect for talent my prediction of the bottom two will be accurate: Haley and Lauren should be in the bottom two and Haley should seriously, finally go home. I mean, Haley was truly awful tonight.
Showing posts with label Martina McBride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martina McBride. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Idol Grammy Nominations
The Grammy nominations were just announced this week and there will be no new Miss American Idol names added to the list of winners this year. Both the Season Seven Miss American Idol winner and first runner up, David Cook and David Archuleta were completely overlooked.
There were only a small handful of American Idol related nominees this year and they are both previous winners. Season One Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson could be adding a third Grammy to her collection if she wins this year for Best Pop Vocal Album for her fun and catchy collection All I Ever Wanted. This is a category where she has won before for her 2005 album Breakaway.
And of course, the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner Carrie Underwood is getting recognized once again by the Academy. For the fourth year in a row she is up for the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She's won it three years in a row, but this year her competition is from that teenage award winning dynamo Taylor Swift so the streak could be broken. Also, she's up against Martina McBride for her performance of I Just Call You Mine which is one of my favorite songs. Carrie is nominated for Just A Dream which is a totally award worthy song, so she has a good chance of overcoming the competition again this year.
Carrie is also nominated for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for her duet of I Told You So with Randy Travis. If she wins in these two categories her total Grammy wins will be at six! But let's not get ahead of ourselves....
There were only a small handful of American Idol related nominees this year and they are both previous winners. Season One Miss American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson could be adding a third Grammy to her collection if she wins this year for Best Pop Vocal Album for her fun and catchy collection All I Ever Wanted. This is a category where she has won before for her 2005 album Breakaway.
And of course, the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four winner Carrie Underwood is getting recognized once again by the Academy. For the fourth year in a row she is up for the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. She's won it three years in a row, but this year her competition is from that teenage award winning dynamo Taylor Swift so the streak could be broken. Also, she's up against Martina McBride for her performance of I Just Call You Mine which is one of my favorite songs. Carrie is nominated for Just A Dream which is a totally award worthy song, so she has a good chance of overcoming the competition again this year.
Carrie is also nominated for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for her duet of I Told You So with Randy Travis. If she wins in these two categories her total Grammy wins will be at six! But let's not get ahead of ourselves....
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Top 11 sing the Grand Ole Opry
Recently the Supreme Miss American Idol, Season Four Winner, Carrie Underwood was invited to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry. It's an honor only given to the biggest and the best Country Music superstars. Tonight the finalists had the chance to work with Randy Travis and see if they can be taught a lesson on reaching the amazing heights that Carrie has achieved.
Michael Sarver has already demonstrated his skills as a country music singer, but tonight when he took on Ain't Going Down Till The Sun Comes Up, he proved himself even more. It has rapid fire lyrics that he mastered perfectly and he worked the crowd in a way that would have made Garth Brooks proud. His look and style was a classic match for the song.
Alison Iraheta has the voice of a great "rock chick". In her interpretation of Blame It On The Heart she stayed very true to her personal style while adding just the right amount of country flavor. She definitely has the potential to get far in the competition.
A great country song tells a heartfelt story that connects with the listener. Kris Allen sat center stage and did so much more than just sing or perform. He conveyed a sincere and genuine expression of emotions as he sang To Make You Feel My Love. It was vulnerable and he made you feel it.
Lil Rounds left no doubt that she can sing any style of music with her showstopping version of Independence Day. Her vocal range is exceptional and she looked stunning. She should be applauded for doing a song that was true to the theme of the week rather than making everything into an R&B song.
Adam Lambert, on the other hand, knows he is not a country artist and he made no effort to try and be one. He took the Johhny Cash song Ring Of Fire and he did it the way he wanted to. It was entertaining and exciting as he performed multiple levels of drama and energy. Just an observation, though, with the nail polish and jewelry you have to wonder how far he is going to go with his androgynous style. This isn't RuPaul's Drag Race!
Scott MacIntyre gave another example of his great emotional vocals coupled with his skillful piano playing. He is an all around wonderful musician who clearly knows all aspects of what he is doing up there. This arrangement of Martina McBride's Wild Angels was masterful.
Alexis Grace chose to slow things down a bit with her version of Dolly Parton's Jolene. This song should have been an opportunity to show off her vocal range, but she didn't take full advantage of it. It was inconsistent and not as impressive as it needed to be.
When Danny Gokey would serve himself better covering a Taylor Hicks song he decided to take on Carrie Underwood's Jesus Take The Wheel. All it did was expose his lack of vocal range and how he screams rather sings. It was just a sloppy mess on all levels. We know he is a fan favorite, but what are they getting? I'm not getting it.
Always On My Mind is a song that has crossed over from Country to high energy Dance hitting #5 by Willie Nelson in 1982 and doing one better at #4 by the Pet Shop Boys in 1988. Anoop Desai performed a slow and subtle version that focused on his ability to sing and interpret lyrics. A very good choice that could turn things around for him.
It was 1957 when Patsy Cline first hit the Billboard HOT 100 with Walkin' After Midnight. Patsy perfectly defines the legend that is the Grand Ole Opry so Meagan Joy Corkery had big shoes to fill. She stayed true to the essence of the original while adding her own flavor that we've come to know. All I can say is that it wasn't a total mess.
Yet another finalist, this time Matt Giraud, has decided to see if he can rise to the challenge of singing a Carrie Underwood song. So Small was her first single off of Carnival Ride and Matt sat behind the piano and did it better than Danny ever could have. Matt's vocals are a strange combination of bland yet still somehow impressive, but no where near the standard set by Carrie.
At this point I have no expectation of seeing my predictions for the bottom three actually be right. Danny Gokey and Alexis Grace definitely failed to impress me tonight so they are taking the first two slots. I can appreciate that they are somehow popular favorites, but they just aren't bringing it each week so I can see it. I think they will be joined in the bottom three by Michael Sarver. After two lackluster performances in a row, Alexis Grace should be the one going home.
Michael Sarver has already demonstrated his skills as a country music singer, but tonight when he took on Ain't Going Down Till The Sun Comes Up, he proved himself even more. It has rapid fire lyrics that he mastered perfectly and he worked the crowd in a way that would have made Garth Brooks proud. His look and style was a classic match for the song.
Alison Iraheta has the voice of a great "rock chick". In her interpretation of Blame It On The Heart she stayed very true to her personal style while adding just the right amount of country flavor. She definitely has the potential to get far in the competition.
A great country song tells a heartfelt story that connects with the listener. Kris Allen sat center stage and did so much more than just sing or perform. He conveyed a sincere and genuine expression of emotions as he sang To Make You Feel My Love. It was vulnerable and he made you feel it.
Lil Rounds left no doubt that she can sing any style of music with her showstopping version of Independence Day. Her vocal range is exceptional and she looked stunning. She should be applauded for doing a song that was true to the theme of the week rather than making everything into an R&B song.
Adam Lambert, on the other hand, knows he is not a country artist and he made no effort to try and be one. He took the Johhny Cash song Ring Of Fire and he did it the way he wanted to. It was entertaining and exciting as he performed multiple levels of drama and energy. Just an observation, though, with the nail polish and jewelry you have to wonder how far he is going to go with his androgynous style. This isn't RuPaul's Drag Race!
Scott MacIntyre gave another example of his great emotional vocals coupled with his skillful piano playing. He is an all around wonderful musician who clearly knows all aspects of what he is doing up there. This arrangement of Martina McBride's Wild Angels was masterful.
Alexis Grace chose to slow things down a bit with her version of Dolly Parton's Jolene. This song should have been an opportunity to show off her vocal range, but she didn't take full advantage of it. It was inconsistent and not as impressive as it needed to be.
When Danny Gokey would serve himself better covering a Taylor Hicks song he decided to take on Carrie Underwood's Jesus Take The Wheel. All it did was expose his lack of vocal range and how he screams rather sings. It was just a sloppy mess on all levels. We know he is a fan favorite, but what are they getting? I'm not getting it.
Always On My Mind is a song that has crossed over from Country to high energy Dance hitting #5 by Willie Nelson in 1982 and doing one better at #4 by the Pet Shop Boys in 1988. Anoop Desai performed a slow and subtle version that focused on his ability to sing and interpret lyrics. A very good choice that could turn things around for him.
It was 1957 when Patsy Cline first hit the Billboard HOT 100 with Walkin' After Midnight. Patsy perfectly defines the legend that is the Grand Ole Opry so Meagan Joy Corkery had big shoes to fill. She stayed true to the essence of the original while adding her own flavor that we've come to know. All I can say is that it wasn't a total mess.
Yet another finalist, this time Matt Giraud, has decided to see if he can rise to the challenge of singing a Carrie Underwood song. So Small was her first single off of Carnival Ride and Matt sat behind the piano and did it better than Danny ever could have. Matt's vocals are a strange combination of bland yet still somehow impressive, but no where near the standard set by Carrie.
At this point I have no expectation of seeing my predictions for the bottom three actually be right. Danny Gokey and Alexis Grace definitely failed to impress me tonight so they are taking the first two slots. I can appreciate that they are somehow popular favorites, but they just aren't bringing it each week so I can see it. I think they will be joined in the bottom three by Michael Sarver. After two lackluster performances in a row, Alexis Grace should be the one going home.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Another group of finalists...
Only three of the next 12 finalists will be moving forward and joining the six who are already moving forward. Here's what they did to win you over...
Von Smith chose to sing a song that went top 10 in 1968 by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, You're All I Need To Get By. Being a duet this song is packed with a full range of notes for both a male and female voice. Von gave his best effort to show that he can tackle the entire spectrum of vocalizations required - some of it worked and some of it seemed forced. He's nice looking and talented so it's possible we will be seeing more of him.
Taylor Vaifanua chose to sing the 2004 top 5 hit from Alicia Keys, If I Ain't Got You. She played it very safe and stayed true to an almost exact recreation of the original. While it sounded good, it didn't give Taylor a chance to step out as a unique new artist. She is destined to be a back up singer who we will not be seeing more of.
Alex Wagner-Trugman chose to sing Elton John's I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues that went top 5 in 1983. Alex is a skinny little guy who used this song to define for us why they call it a tragic hot mess. He was acting like a total goof ball and his vocalizations were much more like screaming than singing. Since only three finalists make it through the odds are that we will not be seeing him again.
Arianna Afsar chose to sing the song Abba took to the top 10 in 1980, The Winner Takes It All. Meryl Streep should have gotten an Oscar nomination for her emotional performance of this anthem in last Summer's Mamma Mia. Arianna is no Meryl Streep. She's got a nice voice, but this performance was vocally inconsistent. There were definitely some sour notes mixed in with the good ones. She may have messed up her chance for us to see her again.
Ju'not Joyner chose to sing the 2006 #1 hit, Hey There Delilah, by the Plain White T's. This song is a plain and simple love song and Ju'not made it even more plain. This is gonna be a matter of taste - you either like this slightly soulful version or you think it's just a drab rendition of the original. His personality is leaning more toward the drab so I don't think we'll be seeing him again.
Kristen McNamara chose to sing Tracy Chapman's top 5 hit from 1996, Give Me One Reason. The original version is a slow and subtle acoustic folk song and Kristen showed that can punch a little life into it. She brought some pop/rock energy to this version as well as showing off her impressive vocal range. She managed to give the surprise that she's more talented than expected. Because she impressed rather than disappointed we should be seeing more of her.
Nathaniel Marshall chose to sing the huge comeback song that Meatloaf took to #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1993, I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't Do That. It's the perfect song for a finalist who is all about the drama. The over the top production allowed him to vocally try to match his vibrantly loud outfit. He's great for some comic relief, but since he's not ready to be taken seriously, we should not be seeing him again.
Felicia Barton chose to sing the 2007 #1 smash from Alicia Keys, No One. Felicia showed that she is perfectly capable of handling the vocals required and she also knows how to dress the part. She looked great and there's a good chance we'll be seeing her again.
Scott MacIntyre chose to sing Mandolin Rain, that Bruce Hornsby took to the top 5 in 1987. It doesn't really matter that this wasn't the most dynamic song choice because Scott knows how to bring out the emotional connection every time he sings. There's a raw vulnerability that comes through when he takes the stage that keeps you captivated. We should definitely be seeing him again.
Kendall Beard chose to sing This Is For The Girls by Martina McBride. After the Supreme Miss American Idol, Carrie Underwood, was crowned in Season Four we were immediately served the cheap knock-off, Kellie Pickler. Are we ready for another pale comparison to Carrie in Season Eight? Kendall is pretty good. She's attractive and has a nice voice so we might be seeing her again.
Jorge Nunez chose to sing a song that was a huge hit for Elton John peaking at #2 in 1974 and going all the way to #1 in 1992, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. Jorge has a very smooth voice and he expresses it on stage effortlessly. He has a very sincere and genuine personality. In addition, he's a very handsome guy. All the necessary pieces are there, so we should definitely be seeing more of him.
Lil Rounds chose to sing the song that Mary J. Blige took to #2 in 2006, Be Without You. You have to say it at least once - her name may be lil', but there's nothing lil about her big voice! And she proved tonight that she can do exciting and contemporary things with that voice. Since she's talented enough to put out an album now, we should certainly be seeing more of her.
Only three of these 12 finalists are moving on in the competition.
Here are my predictions: Scott MacIntyre will be the top boy vote getter and Lil Rounds will be the top girl. Jorge Nunez will then come out ahead of the others to stay in the game.
Von Smith chose to sing a song that went top 10 in 1968 by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, You're All I Need To Get By. Being a duet this song is packed with a full range of notes for both a male and female voice. Von gave his best effort to show that he can tackle the entire spectrum of vocalizations required - some of it worked and some of it seemed forced. He's nice looking and talented so it's possible we will be seeing more of him.
Taylor Vaifanua chose to sing the 2004 top 5 hit from Alicia Keys, If I Ain't Got You. She played it very safe and stayed true to an almost exact recreation of the original. While it sounded good, it didn't give Taylor a chance to step out as a unique new artist. She is destined to be a back up singer who we will not be seeing more of.
Alex Wagner-Trugman chose to sing Elton John's I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues that went top 5 in 1983. Alex is a skinny little guy who used this song to define for us why they call it a tragic hot mess. He was acting like a total goof ball and his vocalizations were much more like screaming than singing. Since only three finalists make it through the odds are that we will not be seeing him again.
Arianna Afsar chose to sing the song Abba took to the top 10 in 1980, The Winner Takes It All. Meryl Streep should have gotten an Oscar nomination for her emotional performance of this anthem in last Summer's Mamma Mia. Arianna is no Meryl Streep. She's got a nice voice, but this performance was vocally inconsistent. There were definitely some sour notes mixed in with the good ones. She may have messed up her chance for us to see her again.
Ju'not Joyner chose to sing the 2006 #1 hit, Hey There Delilah, by the Plain White T's. This song is a plain and simple love song and Ju'not made it even more plain. This is gonna be a matter of taste - you either like this slightly soulful version or you think it's just a drab rendition of the original. His personality is leaning more toward the drab so I don't think we'll be seeing him again.
Kristen McNamara chose to sing Tracy Chapman's top 5 hit from 1996, Give Me One Reason. The original version is a slow and subtle acoustic folk song and Kristen showed that can punch a little life into it. She brought some pop/rock energy to this version as well as showing off her impressive vocal range. She managed to give the surprise that she's more talented than expected. Because she impressed rather than disappointed we should be seeing more of her.
Nathaniel Marshall chose to sing the huge comeback song that Meatloaf took to #1 on the Billboard HOT 100 in 1993, I Would Do Anything For Love, But I Won't Do That. It's the perfect song for a finalist who is all about the drama. The over the top production allowed him to vocally try to match his vibrantly loud outfit. He's great for some comic relief, but since he's not ready to be taken seriously, we should not be seeing him again.
Felicia Barton chose to sing the 2007 #1 smash from Alicia Keys, No One. Felicia showed that she is perfectly capable of handling the vocals required and she also knows how to dress the part. She looked great and there's a good chance we'll be seeing her again.
Scott MacIntyre chose to sing Mandolin Rain, that Bruce Hornsby took to the top 5 in 1987. It doesn't really matter that this wasn't the most dynamic song choice because Scott knows how to bring out the emotional connection every time he sings. There's a raw vulnerability that comes through when he takes the stage that keeps you captivated. We should definitely be seeing him again.
Kendall Beard chose to sing This Is For The Girls by Martina McBride. After the Supreme Miss American Idol, Carrie Underwood, was crowned in Season Four we were immediately served the cheap knock-off, Kellie Pickler. Are we ready for another pale comparison to Carrie in Season Eight? Kendall is pretty good. She's attractive and has a nice voice so we might be seeing her again.
Jorge Nunez chose to sing a song that was a huge hit for Elton John peaking at #2 in 1974 and going all the way to #1 in 1992, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. Jorge has a very smooth voice and he expresses it on stage effortlessly. He has a very sincere and genuine personality. In addition, he's a very handsome guy. All the necessary pieces are there, so we should definitely be seeing more of him.
Lil Rounds chose to sing the song that Mary J. Blige took to #2 in 2006, Be Without You. You have to say it at least once - her name may be lil', but there's nothing lil about her big voice! And she proved tonight that she can do exciting and contemporary things with that voice. Since she's talented enough to put out an album now, we should certainly be seeing more of her.
Only three of these 12 finalists are moving on in the competition.
Here are my predictions: Scott MacIntyre will be the top boy vote getter and Lil Rounds will be the top girl. Jorge Nunez will then come out ahead of the others to stay in the game.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
The Top 8 sing Inspiration
This is Idol Gives Back week and just like last year the finalists have been instructed to sing an inspirational song:
Aerosmith took Dream On to the top 10 in 1976. Michael Johns decided that as long as the word "dream" is in the title a song can be considered inspirational. It's doubtful that very many other music lovers have ever perceived the song for this context, but he gave it his best shot. He performed it like the classic rock anthem that it is giving it his usual smoldering swagger. He even showed off more of his vocal range by throwing in some passionate high notes.
In 2004 when Fantasia was crowned the Season Three Miss American Idol winner, she stood under the falling glitter and performed I Believe. The song ended up hitting #1 on the Billboard HOT 100. Just like last week, Syesha Mercado bravely chose to interpret a song that is bigger than she is. It was very hard to not think of Fantasia as Syesha gave a very capable reading of her song. It was not until she hit some exceptional high notes at the end that Syesha stepped out of the shadow.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow has been a timeless piece of music since it first appeared in 1939 in the film The Wizard of Oz. Numerous artists have successfully reinvented the song from the original arrangement made famous by Judy Garland. Jason Castro found a version to mimic that utilizes a ukulele so he wouldn't have to challenge his limited talents very much. It was a pleasant surprise to hear him actually demonstrate some vocal range this time around rather than simply letting his smile and eyes do all the work.
Kristy Lee Cook took the stage with her strongest vocal performance so far as she sang the Martina McBride ballad Anyway. Kristy genuinely looked and sounded like a star as the emotional power of the song came through very clearly with her sensitive and moving interpretation.
David Cook has been getting better and better each week, but he had to peak somewhere. It looks like he may have done that last week since his performance of Innocent by Our Lady Peace failed to keep him moving up to the next level. While he is still showing off a great personality, his vocals were less than impressive. He should be encouraged to show off some vocal range if he comes back next week.
Carly Smithson has never had a problem with showing off her exceptional vocal range. Tonight she used the Queen song The Show Must Go On to demonstrate that she's better than everyone else. While she sounded great, the song didn't seem the fit the theme very well and that may cause some difficulty in getting the audience to appreciate her superior talents.
Since every note that comes out of David Archuleta is inspirational this was a breeze for him. He propped himself up behind a grand piano and he expressed that radiant sincerity singing words like "love" and "angels". He was surrounded by a warm glow that simply pulls everyone toward him even closer.
In 1971 James Taylor spent one week at the top of the Billboard HOT 100 with You've Got A Friend. This song is a perfect match for Brooke White's talents and personality as it doesn't challenge her to break out of her comfort zone. Her vocal range is still just as limited as usual, but the audience can still see that she's a genuinely nice girl who would be great to have as a friend.
Some of the most talented finalists left in the competition may find out what it's like to be in the bottom three after their uninspired song choices and performances. I'd love to be wrong with my predictions this week as I fear that Michael Johns, Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson will be side by side facing elimination. Worst of all, I am predicting that Michael Johns will be going home too soon after all the votes are counted.
Aerosmith took Dream On to the top 10 in 1976. Michael Johns decided that as long as the word "dream" is in the title a song can be considered inspirational. It's doubtful that very many other music lovers have ever perceived the song for this context, but he gave it his best shot. He performed it like the classic rock anthem that it is giving it his usual smoldering swagger. He even showed off more of his vocal range by throwing in some passionate high notes.
In 2004 when Fantasia was crowned the Season Three Miss American Idol winner, she stood under the falling glitter and performed I Believe. The song ended up hitting #1 on the Billboard HOT 100. Just like last week, Syesha Mercado bravely chose to interpret a song that is bigger than she is. It was very hard to not think of Fantasia as Syesha gave a very capable reading of her song. It was not until she hit some exceptional high notes at the end that Syesha stepped out of the shadow.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow has been a timeless piece of music since it first appeared in 1939 in the film The Wizard of Oz. Numerous artists have successfully reinvented the song from the original arrangement made famous by Judy Garland. Jason Castro found a version to mimic that utilizes a ukulele so he wouldn't have to challenge his limited talents very much. It was a pleasant surprise to hear him actually demonstrate some vocal range this time around rather than simply letting his smile and eyes do all the work.
Kristy Lee Cook took the stage with her strongest vocal performance so far as she sang the Martina McBride ballad Anyway. Kristy genuinely looked and sounded like a star as the emotional power of the song came through very clearly with her sensitive and moving interpretation.
David Cook has been getting better and better each week, but he had to peak somewhere. It looks like he may have done that last week since his performance of Innocent by Our Lady Peace failed to keep him moving up to the next level. While he is still showing off a great personality, his vocals were less than impressive. He should be encouraged to show off some vocal range if he comes back next week.
Carly Smithson has never had a problem with showing off her exceptional vocal range. Tonight she used the Queen song The Show Must Go On to demonstrate that she's better than everyone else. While she sounded great, the song didn't seem the fit the theme very well and that may cause some difficulty in getting the audience to appreciate her superior talents.
Since every note that comes out of David Archuleta is inspirational this was a breeze for him. He propped himself up behind a grand piano and he expressed that radiant sincerity singing words like "love" and "angels". He was surrounded by a warm glow that simply pulls everyone toward him even closer.
In 1971 James Taylor spent one week at the top of the Billboard HOT 100 with You've Got A Friend. This song is a perfect match for Brooke White's talents and personality as it doesn't challenge her to break out of her comfort zone. Her vocal range is still just as limited as usual, but the audience can still see that she's a genuinely nice girl who would be great to have as a friend.
Some of the most talented finalists left in the competition may find out what it's like to be in the bottom three after their uninspired song choices and performances. I'd love to be wrong with my predictions this week as I fear that Michael Johns, Syesha Mercado and Carly Smithson will be side by side facing elimination. Worst of all, I am predicting that Michael Johns will be going home too soon after all the votes are counted.
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