Sunday, March 13, 2016

American Idol 15: Top 6

I. AM. SCARED. Somehow, I can't get into the competition this season especially with how fast everything's happening. Seriously. In less than a month, we're crowning the final American Idol and this beloved - or maybe not? - show is done and yes, I still can't wrap my head around that idea. We're down to six and I can't seem to put my finger as to who will win the season. It's exciting, but stressful, nonetheless.

Enough of that though. This week, the theme was "Most Overdone". Haha. No kidding. Everyone tackled songs that were covered over and over again in the last fourteen (14) seasons for their solos. Just for fun reference - before I go on with my usual rating - let me enumerate the most covered songs on American Idol History! Are you ready?

  • I Don't Want To Miss A Thing and I Have Nothing both covered 9 times
  • When A Man Loves A Woman covered 8 times
  • Against All Odds, Come Together, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, I'll Be, Piece of My Heart, and Superstition were all covered 7 times
Interesting that three (3) songs were actually covered this week alone and another one was picked as Trent's song last week. Just fantastic! Haha. Do you want me to post a "Who sang it better?" blog soon?
    On with the show!

    ROUND 1: DUETS

    04. Tristan McIntosh & Lee Jean
    I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
    Yikes. Terrible song choice. Awkward duet. Bad vocals. No, Jennifer Lopez! Tristan didn't hit all the notes. 3

    03. Dalton Rapattoni & MacKenzie Bourg
    I Want It That Way
    So. Much. Cheese. 5

    02. Sonika Vaid & Avalon Young
    Rise Up
    This was a lot better than I anticipated. It's not perfect - some of their vocal choices were a bid odd - but I can't deny the fact that Sonika and Avalon actually sounded good together. 6.5

    01. La'Porsha Renae & Trent Harmon
    See You Again
    Was it just me or La'Porsha held back on this performance to give Trent his moments? I did appreciate that because she has a pretty overwhelming voice and the restraint made this a good duet. 7


    ROUND 2: SOLOS

    06. Tristan McIntosh
    A Broken Wing
    Tristan is definitely finding her confidence. A Broken Wing suited her voice perfectly and allowed Tristan  to send in a much needed solid performance before the Top 5. Her voice was definitely on point, and while I couldn't shake this awful karaoke vibe when I listened to the performance again, her ability to somehow connect with the material saved Tristan. This was not as good as last week, but another step to the right direction. 7

    05. Dalton Rapattoni
    Eleanor Rigby
    When I learned that Dalton would be singing Eleanor Rigby, I silently applauded him. With it's stirring anthem chorus, chilling string section, and epic drum part, this song couldn't be more dramatic if it tried. Wait, no. It's Dalton. It could certainly be more dramatic.. and it was! The song choice and arrangement was quite the fit and the fog added to the effect. His vocals were a little too thin for the song though given how powerful the band was - his voice was overpowered by the music in parts - but how he stretch his range was admirable. 7

    04. Sonika Vaid
    I Have Nothing
    This was a rather predictable song choice for Ms. Vaid - I somehow knew she'd go diva on us this week - but that didn't make it any less impressive. The vocals were impeccably strong and consistent and the staging was well-crafted. The fire and passion was severely lacking though. Sonika, please show me some heart, because whenever I hear you sing I'm taken on a beautiful journey, but whenever I watch you sing, I'm utterly bored. 7.5

    03. MacKenzie Bourg
    You Are So Beautiful
    You Are So Beautiful was a wise choice and exactly what MacKenzie needed to do this week. He needed to just stand, abandon the guitar, and deliver an intimate vocal performance. This felt like a pure MacKenzie performance! The fragile quality of his tone was front and center, he tried to push his vocals a lot further than usual, and there's emotional deft to his delivery. 8

    02. Trent Harmon
    Stand By Me
    This was one of Trent's most dynamic performances yet and it allowed him to continue connecting with a song on a visceral level. It started off brilliantly with a magnificent acapella that heats to a full boil until he ended the song with a chaotic mass of soulful and impassioned wailing. It was quite riveting to watch. 8

    01. La'Porsha Renae
    Come Together
    La'Porsha is pulling the Candice Glover strategy and it's working wonders for her. Come Together gave her the opportunity to expand out of her comfort zone. She was playful, she was sassy, and she easily delivered the best vocal performance of the night. I was actually floored by her technique and her phrasing was mostly brilliant. She's certainly in a comfortable groove in the competition and this further sealed her status as the frontrunner. 8.5


    ELIMINATED

    Avalon Young
    P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing)
    For the most part, Avalon sold PYT with her typical natural swagger. She had an outrageous amount of fun and her stage presence was infectious. This was a worthless competition song, sure, but it allowed her to showcase what Sonika was sorely missing. Showmanship. She connected with the audience, the cameras, the musicians, and the judges. She turned a mediocre throwaway number into a legitimate argument as to why she should be saved over Sonika. She fell a little too short as it seemed - at least to the judges - too laidback, but I digress. Both girls didn't deserve to be in the Bottom 3 to begin with. 7.5

    Lee Jean
    Let It Be
    This was a perfect example of a kid out of his element! There were sharp and flat notes littered throughout the performance and it was just absolutely boring. 5


    WHO SHOULD GO HOME?
    Tristan McIntosh

    WHO WILL GO HOME?
    Sonika Vaid

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