Tonight the contestants went “country” for a series of mildly entertaining performances. Martina McBride mentored everyone this week on their journey to find their inner cowboy (or cowgirl).
Yee Haw! Scoreboard time!
Phil
“Where the Blacktop Ends”
Intonation: A
Vocal: A-
Comfort: B
Stage: B-
Fashion: B+
Overall: B+
“Yo” Factor: B
It was a solid vocal performance from Phil tonight, but he was still a bit boring. A sparkly black shirt couldn’t make his Keith Urban song more interesting or save him from the death spot- going first. All of the judges supported Phil, and Randy told him that he could have a career in country music. Simon gave glowing praise, though warned that he’s not sure if this song was enough to get Mr. Stacey through to next week.
Jordin
“Broken Wing”
Intonation: A-
Vocal: A
Comfort: B+
Stage: A
Fashion: C-
Overall: B+
“Yo” Factor: A
Jordin chose to sing a Martina McBride song for tonight’s show. Her performance was transfixing. With a dynamite vocal, Jordin stood perfectly still and sold the verses with effective use of her eyebrows. Yep, her eyebrows. Never moving an inch, she projected her voice and cut through the mix, past an awful microphone, and above a handful of poorly rehearsed background singers. Though she was clad a dress that was 40% table cloth and 60% sushi restaurant décor, Simon told Jordin that she could actually win American Idol this year. You know what? I believe him.
Sanjaya
“Let’s Give Them Something to Talk About”
Intonation: B-
Vocal: D
Comfort: A++
Stage: F
Fashion: B+
Overall: C
“Yo” Factor: F
Sanjaya chose to sing a staple from Bonnie Raitt’s catalogue. This only proved that he woefully underestimated her for the vocal powerhouse she is. She can whisper, wail, and emote a cavalcade of emotions with minimal effort. Sanjaya mistakenly chose Bonnie’s approach as the route to follow, and fell on a sharp sword of disaffected-ness.
I’ve never heard a vocal performance this weak in the top seven. Ever. Sanjaya proved that he was on his own planet, and completely disconnected from everything, including the backing band. He didn’t even try to enunciate! Sanjaya’s love of polarizing the nation has finally backfired, as the judges and audience have chosen to laugh at him instead of with him. His feeble attempts to work the crowd tonight failed, and came off as egotistical, self-involved, and desperate. The joke has worn off, and I strongly think this was Sanjaya’s last week.
(P.S.: His flirting with the background singers didn’t convince anyone that Sanjaya was a straight arrow.)
LaKisha
“Jesus Take the Wheel”
Intonation: B-
Vocal: B
Comfort: B-
Stage: B
Fashion: A-
Overall: B
“Yo” Factor: B
I give LaKisha 15 bonus points for covering up “the girls” tonight. While she delivered a stunning vocal on this heart-warming Carrie Underwood song, I still think her time left on the ‘Idol’ clock is tick-tick-ticking away. She is on par with Mandisa, a similar singer from last season. Mandisa didn’t survive as long as anyone thought she would on ‘Idol’ as she made many of the same mistakes LaKisha made tonight: over-projecting and ambitious song choices.
Chris
“Mayberry”
Intonation: B
Vocal: B-
Comfort: C-
Stage: C
Fashion: C
Overall: C
“Yo” Factor: C
Chris has a naturally thin voice. When he shouts, it almost comes across at an audible level. Chris was out of his element this week, and proved that he has limitations. I don’t know the song he chose, but it wasn’t able to withstand his “J. Timberlake” treatment and riffing. In the race for worst performance of the night, Chris quickly caught up. In one of the more interesting moments of the show, Chris fought back after receiving a harsh dose of criticism from Simon. Chris then became emotional as he gave heartfelt condolences to his friends and others at Virginia Tech.
Melinda
“Trouble is a Woman”
Intonation: A
Vocal: A
Comfort: A
Stage: A
Fashion: A
Overall: A
“Yo” Factor: A
If Melinda doesn’t pick a well-known song in the near future, she won’t have a shot at winning this competition. She impresses us week after week with songs outside of the mainstream vernacular, and because we don’t know them (or know them well), we have nothing to compare her too. It’s a clever strategy, as Melinda is a consummate professional. She gave an impressive vocal on a song that no one else in the contest could handle. Simon told her that it’s in her best interest to lose the surprised “affectation” that has annoyed me, personally, for several weeks now. It’s frustrating to watch her go from a vixen with Olympic- quality vocal gymnastics to confused little girl, as it’s just not a believable dichotomy. Melinda is safe for this week, and unless she does something horrible in the near future, has eased her way into the final four.
Blake
“Stars Go Blue”
Intonation: D
Vocal: C
Comfort: C
Stage: C
Fashion: B+
Overall: B-
“Yo” Factor: C
Well, that was a surprisingly weak vocal from Blake tonight. He often went flat at the end of his phrases, and revealed a fragility I never knew was there. All of that said, Blake proved that he is very much his own man. He has his own sensibilities when it comes to music, how it should sound, and how he should deliver it. I acknowledge the difficulty of the song that Blake chose, and the vocal gymnastics required to deliver that chorus. That is why his scores aren’t lower. Though I am not an expert in the world of country music, “Stars Go Blue” is one of my favorite songs and under the right circumstances (in a studio with a crap load of auto-tune,) I think Blake could do it justice. I mean, he’s no Tim McGraw, but who (other than Mr. McGraw himself) is?
Tonight’s MVP: Jordin
Predictions:
Bottom Three: Chris, Phil, Sanjaya
Who should go home: Sanjaya
Who will go home: Sanjaya (or Chris, if America is still listening to Howard Stern...)
Tonight proved that it has been a difficult week for the contestants, just as it has been for the country. Here at Shoutmouth, our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech.
Idol returns tomorrow night with a performance from Martina McBride, and the voting results.
