The two themes for the American Idol Top 6 were "Burt Bacharach - Hal David Song Book," in other words songs that are too old for most people to care, and "Songs I Wish I Had Written." The second theme should pretty much just be renamed, "Hell, I’ll just lie and sing whatever the #@$% I want." Personally, I felt like the second round was WAY stronger than the first round and I’m pretty sure most would agree with me.
I mean, the first round was an awful theme considering that the show is actually trying to find a music star in 2013. It really brought me to tears - mostly due to utter frustration.
So, here we go!
ROUND 1: BACHARACH-DAVID SONG BOOK
Wow. Why does Lazaro hate humanity? What did we do to him? This was so bad it seemed like revenge. His version of this song was so bad that there were flat moments, there were sharp moments, and then there were moments where Lazaro defied all music theory and messed up in an entirely new way. Oh, and when the judges started ripping you apart and the audience clapped in agreement, there's something awfully wrong. Moreover, if Mariah's comments were longer than your actual performance. Haha. To me, this was possibly one of the worst - if not THE worst - performance in the history of American Idol - and to think we're past midway of the season. Have mercy on this kid and just send him him. 0/10
Not my favorite Janelle performance in a while. I thought the performance was cheesy and it just went nowhere. It's too sweet and subtle for my taste, but not memorable enough to make a lasting impact. To be honest, I'm scared for Janelle just because with someone as polarizing as Lazaro, boring is worst than being terrible. 6/10
I’m continuously perplexed by Angie’s song choices and she is really missing the opportunity to carve a niche for herself. To be fair, Angie was vocally on point for the most part, but her interpretation of the song felt a little disjointed. She didn’t invoke any emotion, her version was too clean, too vanilla, and sounded too bland to make a difference. 6.5/10
This was actually pretty fantastic. The emotional connection, the phrasing, the vocals, the a capella bit, and the ability to connect to the material - all of it were spot on. It was such an effortless showing and she actually looked comfortable the entire time she was standing on that stage. Not a fan of the arrangement after the key change, but that's me nitpicking. Oh, and was it just me or was her performance seemed short compared to the others? 8.5/10
Amber's version of I Say A Little Prayer was nowhere as strong as the judges made it out to be, but this was still a pretty stellar performance. The last few bars, in particular, had an energetic spark that was quite compelling. To me, Amber is becoming a dangerous contestant. I actually believe that she is more dangerous than Candice because we expect her to be amazing every week; there was no growth. Amber, on the other hand, doesn’t have that issue. She doesn’t give off the "I’m already a pro" vibe that Glover seemed to have in spades, and because of that she has allowed the viewers at home to watch her grow in this competition. Don’t ever discount that. 8.5/10
Candice is a freak of nature! Don't Make Me Over was yet another impeccable vocal. It was stunning, amazing, and unreal. I liked that she confidently put her own stamp on it and just murdered everyone who came right before her. This girl is full throttle awesome. I have nothing more to say. 9/10
ROUND 2: SONG I WISH I HAD WRITTEN
I wanted to violently grab Lazaro by the shoulders and explain to him like I would a child, "Lazaro, sweetie, just stop!!" Sure, this was better than his abysmal first performance, but that's a pretty low bar - non-existent even - for him to clear. He started in an awkward key, which made his diction terrible as usual, and when he started to go up his upper register, he just showcased the limits of his voice. I don't know. 2/10
The Dance was Janelle's second song of the night, and it was a solid vocal, but it was a bit too simple of a song choice for her. She sang the song exactly as it should have been sung and it was pleasant. But again, nothing remarkable. Keith’s suggestion to simply do the song with just herself and a guitar with nothing else was spot on. This performance would've been so much better. 7/10
While I agree that this was not Amber's best vocal on the show - the last few bars were a tad rough - this was possibly one of her more interesting performances. I liked that it's fun, perky and youthful and she, for once, proved that she can actually go uptempo. Again, it wasn't over-the-top great, but it's refreshing to hear something upbeat and current - something that was written at least in the last five years. 7.5/10
This was another solid Kree Harrison performance, but I’m also left wondering if the excitement is dying and if this performance was more forgettable than purposeful. Don't get me wrong, I thought she sounded wonderful, but what exactly is her game plan? Everything is just becoming a little too safe for my taste, and I’m thinking that she might have peaked way too early in the competition. 8/10
This seemed effortless. When it comes to marketability and stagecraft, Angie is in a different league. Love Came Down, though pretty obscure, allowed her to play to her strengths, which is absolutely what this stage of the competition is meant for, by showcasing superior connection to the material with her piano. Her performance sounded a lot like her original song - and even her cover of Colton Dixon's Never Gone - from the vocal choices to the progression of the arrangement, but this was still a perfect fit for her. Good job. 8.5/10
Just when I thought Don't Make Me Over would be Candice's shining moment in this episode, she sand Lovesong and absolutely obliterated it. I sat there in stunned silence as I watched an incredible singer that American Idol was lucky to find stand there and take a song and make it her own. Viewers of this show are often looking for a water cooler moment and they found one tonight. This was by far the strongest performance I have seen all season. The vocals were powerful and impeccable and the liberties she took with the melody was like watching a vocal masterclass. If Candice Glover were to leave before the Finale, I would be beside myself with frustration. Heck, even the demon couldn't contain itself from reacting during her performance. 9.5/10
PREDICTION
Who should go?
Lazaro Arbos
Who will go?
Lazaro Arbos
5 comments:
Candice Holcomb? hehe, looks like someone is sleepy... :D
Oops. My bad. Haha. Thanks. :)
I haven't been commenting much this season, but I 1000% DISagree (with you and the judges) with Candice being the best of the night. I honestly don't get it. I thought her first performance was boring (although technically good) and the arrangement of the 2nd performance was awful (and she seemed to be channeling Bernell a bit, which also subtracted points in my book).
I personally loved Angie's 2nd performance and thought it blew away anything else in the show.
All the rest of the night's performances were forgettable or awful (of course, I'm talking about Lazaro here).
Overall ranking for the night for me:
1. Angie
2. Kree
3. Janelle
4. Candance
5. Amber (don't understand the love for her either...technically good voice, but I feel nothing from her).
7912. Lazaro (yes, really that low =) ).
This must be Candice's revenge for not being picked as the judges' top 3(except for Mariah)! Haha!
I have the same ranking and comments regarding their performances but my prediction of who will go is either Janelle (will not be saved) or Amber (will be saved).
Anyway, I'm looking forward to your April playlist. :)
Lazaro is out! Happy Dance!
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