the daily slap
'Idol' 11: 'I Knew You Were Waiting' for the 80s
Apr 11 2012 Filed in: American Idol | Reviews
When compared to weeks prior, tonight’s “Idol” was lacking in a strong theme. Tunes were covered published in the last two years - and we had some mixed results. Here we go:
Skylar Laine
“Didn’t you know” was decent but not as good as the judges thought. She was under the notes in certain places and I’m wondering if we were listening to the same song. And no Randy, it wasn’t pitch-perfect - listen to it again. When people talk about how the judges are out of touch and cheerleading, this is why. Grade: B-
Colton Dixon
“Love the Way You Lie” was stellar. He was actually in tune, which says something for him. Good direction from Jimmy and Akon in coming out of the bridge, too. Sparsely arranged, and a nice departure from the heavily produced version by Rihanna. Kinda sleepy, actually, but I liked it overall. He, however, irritates the hell out of me - but at least we only had to hear “blessed” once in the piece before the performance. Randy was right about his unique interpretation of the song. Grade: B+
Duet: Phil & Elise
A forgettable song sung pretty well. Pretty good harmony but lacking in performance quality or chemistry. Grade: B
Jessica Sanchez
I feel like a broken record with her, but “Stuttering” was, once again, phenomenal. Each and every week this petite thing comes out on stage and knocks it out of the hall - and this week is no different. The emotion of this performance, too, is what will last far above her incredible phrasing and scatting. Incredible, awesome, one of the best of the season for its uniqueness. Grade: A
Joshua Ledet
For the record, Bruno Mars irritates the hell of me. So, Joshua “Mantasia” Ledet had a high bar to cross. Still, he did a great job - he brought Tina Turner flava to a super-ordinary joint. More than anything he SOLD the song in such an awesome way that he has way more believability than many of the other contestants. I like some of his other performances more than this one, but still, good job. Love his calm, cool and collected personae, too. Grade: A-
Duet: Colton & Skylar
Unlike that Bruno Mars song, I love the tune, “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” But this had more a feeling of a college assembly talent show than anything else - more because you just can’t cover Kelly Clarkson and get away with it. Skylar has not even close the range that Kelly does, so, yeah. Agree with Randy - just OK. Hence the grade: C
Hollie Cavanaugh
‘Fuckin’ Perfect’ is just not the same without the “F” bomb, and when you couple that with a performance that skirted along pageantry lines, it was just like, meh. I feel bad for this girl because she’s a good singer that seems out of place in certain situations. She seems timid and lacking that fire needed to go a long way in this competition. Grade: D+
Phil Phillips
Not his best. But he’ll sail through because the tweens will light up those phone lines like bad billboard in Vegas. “Underwhelming” is the right note from JLo, because the song choice was lackluster and didn’t show anything new. Grade: C-
Trio: Hollie, Joshua & Jessica
“Stronger” does not work as a trio. No, no, no. What the hell was Hollie wearing in this bit? there were some cool moments, but overall, it was stilted and strange. A duo would have been better.
Elise Testone
Elise has a great fan base because she’s a mad-awesome singer - and a beautiful girl. “You and I,” arguably Gaga’s best song, was a great choice for Elise. And she delivered it about 90% - it’s just the phrasing for it was just a little off. And that may be because Gaga’s phrasing is so singular that it’s hard to rise above it without sounding weird. The open was great and she showed her restraint that the song calls for, and it was current. Grade: B+
Best performances: Colton, Joshua and Jessica:
At risk: Hollie, Skylar, Elise (outside shot: Phil, for his lackluster choice and performance)
JLo fashion grade, mostly for the odd, S&M mesh thing: C-
See you tomorrow for screen caps, video & results!
Skylar Laine
“Didn’t you know” was decent but not as good as the judges thought. She was under the notes in certain places and I’m wondering if we were listening to the same song. And no Randy, it wasn’t pitch-perfect - listen to it again. When people talk about how the judges are out of touch and cheerleading, this is why. Grade: B-
Colton Dixon
“Love the Way You Lie” was stellar. He was actually in tune, which says something for him. Good direction from Jimmy and Akon in coming out of the bridge, too. Sparsely arranged, and a nice departure from the heavily produced version by Rihanna. Kinda sleepy, actually, but I liked it overall. He, however, irritates the hell out of me - but at least we only had to hear “blessed” once in the piece before the performance. Randy was right about his unique interpretation of the song. Grade: B+
Duet: Phil & Elise
A forgettable song sung pretty well. Pretty good harmony but lacking in performance quality or chemistry. Grade: B
Jessica Sanchez
I feel like a broken record with her, but “Stuttering” was, once again, phenomenal. Each and every week this petite thing comes out on stage and knocks it out of the hall - and this week is no different. The emotion of this performance, too, is what will last far above her incredible phrasing and scatting. Incredible, awesome, one of the best of the season for its uniqueness. Grade: A
Joshua Ledet
For the record, Bruno Mars irritates the hell of me. So, Joshua “Mantasia” Ledet had a high bar to cross. Still, he did a great job - he brought Tina Turner flava to a super-ordinary joint. More than anything he SOLD the song in such an awesome way that he has way more believability than many of the other contestants. I like some of his other performances more than this one, but still, good job. Love his calm, cool and collected personae, too. Grade: A-
Duet: Colton & Skylar
Unlike that Bruno Mars song, I love the tune, “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” But this had more a feeling of a college assembly talent show than anything else - more because you just can’t cover Kelly Clarkson and get away with it. Skylar has not even close the range that Kelly does, so, yeah. Agree with Randy - just OK. Hence the grade: C
Hollie Cavanaugh
‘Fuckin’ Perfect’ is just not the same without the “F” bomb, and when you couple that with a performance that skirted along pageantry lines, it was just like, meh. I feel bad for this girl because she’s a good singer that seems out of place in certain situations. She seems timid and lacking that fire needed to go a long way in this competition. Grade: D+
Phil Phillips
Not his best. But he’ll sail through because the tweens will light up those phone lines like bad billboard in Vegas. “Underwhelming” is the right note from JLo, because the song choice was lackluster and didn’t show anything new. Grade: C-
Trio: Hollie, Joshua & Jessica
“Stronger” does not work as a trio. No, no, no. What the hell was Hollie wearing in this bit? there were some cool moments, but overall, it was stilted and strange. A duo would have been better.
Elise Testone
Elise has a great fan base because she’s a mad-awesome singer - and a beautiful girl. “You and I,” arguably Gaga’s best song, was a great choice for Elise. And she delivered it about 90% - it’s just the phrasing for it was just a little off. And that may be because Gaga’s phrasing is so singular that it’s hard to rise above it without sounding weird. The open was great and she showed her restraint that the song calls for, and it was current. Grade: B+
Best performances: Colton, Joshua and Jessica:
At risk: Hollie, Skylar, Elise (outside shot: Phil, for his lackluster choice and performance)
JLo fashion grade, mostly for the odd, S&M mesh thing: C-
See you tomorrow for screen caps, video & results!
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'Idol' 11: 'I Knew You Were Waiting' for the 80s
Apr 05 2012 Filed in: American Idol | Reviews
Ryan Seacrest’s epic travel schedule showed not only in his hosting - but it seemed the contestants were a bit loopy, too. Ryan had been on the Today show earlier that morning talking about his new gig with the Olympics for NBC. Was it throwing him a bone in lieu of succeeding Matt Lauer? Who knows. Who cares?
The performances:
DeAndre Brackensick
I actually liked this joint. Finally, after getting feedback, DeAndre worked his chest voice longer and chose a good song for him. He’s still not a top contender, but for this week, he did a great job and chose well. Grade: B+
Elise Testone
Ironically, “Hallelujah,” was a better choice than “I Wanna Know What Love Is.” The mentors fuck it up again - Elise should have stuck to her guns. I really like this girl even despite her flat moments in this song. I’m hoping she makes it another week because we need to see her more. Grade: C
Phil Phillips
“That’s All” was terrible for me. Where DeAndre chose the perfect song for his style of singing - and even though the Genesis tune technically was in his wheelhouse - it didn’t allow him to do anything with it. He’s a good performer but this missed the mark. Grade: C
Joshua Ledet
Joshua is turning out to be the biggest surprise of the season thus far. “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” was not only a great choice for him, but it was up there with the “moments” other contestants have had (i.e., “Summertime” by Fantasia and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Katherine McPhee). Randy is right - it was mature beyond belief, and didn’t descend into vocal acrobatics like past weeks. Controlled and powerhouse. Great job. Grade: A
Jessica Sanchez
Oh sorry, “B.B. Chez.” “How Will I Know” is an iconic if fluffy song that doesn’t show us any new territory with what we know Jessica can do. Although it was not the best song choice, she had a different command of the stage this week. She’s beyond her time and her age, for sure, but this wasn’t her best. Having said that, the judges are right about her maturity. Grade: B-
Hollie Cavanaugh
The technical glitch with the keyboard might have thrown off other performers, but Hollie stuck to it. Why is it that she seems so bummed after each performance? She was so busy hitting her staging marks that she missed many of her pitch points - and JLo is right. She doesn’t let herself go most times, and it was evident here. Great song, middling performance. Grade: C
(Don’t usually comment on the cheesy duets or trios, but let me say that “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)” should be a record, now. I’d have Joshua and Jessica record that and send it back to the top of the charts. That’d be a No. 1 record, period. Get that done folks. TIA.)
Colton Dixon
Our resident Bible thumper tackled the oft-covered “Time After Time” with good results. With a Coldplay-esque arrangement, it was a good flavor for him. Make no mistake, though: Colton sings flat. All the time, actually. He’s more style than substance. He’s not as good a technical singer as they give him credit for, even though he finished strong with some great runs. Grade for arrangement: A. Grade for performance: B
Skylar Laine
“Wind Beneath My Wings” needed a new flavor, and a country feel it worked well. The judges loved it, and I was not quite as ga ga for it, particularly given the whimper that the song ended with. Still, a nice way to end the show and Skylar captured the feeling of the song and took it to a new place. Grade: B+
Best of the night: DeAndre, Joshua, Skylar
At risk of bottom three: Elise, Hollie, Phillip (DeAndre may not rise out of the bottom three given his performance position, and we could see Jessica in this slot, too, because of the tepid “How Will I Know” performance.)
JLo fashion grade: B. Waist up was an A, below the waist was like, huh?
See you for results tonight!
The performances:
DeAndre Brackensick
I actually liked this joint. Finally, after getting feedback, DeAndre worked his chest voice longer and chose a good song for him. He’s still not a top contender, but for this week, he did a great job and chose well. Grade: B+
Elise Testone
Ironically, “Hallelujah,” was a better choice than “I Wanna Know What Love Is.” The mentors fuck it up again - Elise should have stuck to her guns. I really like this girl even despite her flat moments in this song. I’m hoping she makes it another week because we need to see her more. Grade: C
Phil Phillips
“That’s All” was terrible for me. Where DeAndre chose the perfect song for his style of singing - and even though the Genesis tune technically was in his wheelhouse - it didn’t allow him to do anything with it. He’s a good performer but this missed the mark. Grade: C
Joshua Ledet
Joshua is turning out to be the biggest surprise of the season thus far. “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” was not only a great choice for him, but it was up there with the “moments” other contestants have had (i.e., “Summertime” by Fantasia and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Katherine McPhee). Randy is right - it was mature beyond belief, and didn’t descend into vocal acrobatics like past weeks. Controlled and powerhouse. Great job. Grade: A
Jessica Sanchez
Oh sorry, “B.B. Chez.” “How Will I Know” is an iconic if fluffy song that doesn’t show us any new territory with what we know Jessica can do. Although it was not the best song choice, she had a different command of the stage this week. She’s beyond her time and her age, for sure, but this wasn’t her best. Having said that, the judges are right about her maturity. Grade: B-
Hollie Cavanaugh
The technical glitch with the keyboard might have thrown off other performers, but Hollie stuck to it. Why is it that she seems so bummed after each performance? She was so busy hitting her staging marks that she missed many of her pitch points - and JLo is right. She doesn’t let herself go most times, and it was evident here. Great song, middling performance. Grade: C
(Don’t usually comment on the cheesy duets or trios, but let me say that “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)” should be a record, now. I’d have Joshua and Jessica record that and send it back to the top of the charts. That’d be a No. 1 record, period. Get that done folks. TIA.)
Colton Dixon
Our resident Bible thumper tackled the oft-covered “Time After Time” with good results. With a Coldplay-esque arrangement, it was a good flavor for him. Make no mistake, though: Colton sings flat. All the time, actually. He’s more style than substance. He’s not as good a technical singer as they give him credit for, even though he finished strong with some great runs. Grade for arrangement: A. Grade for performance: B
Skylar Laine
“Wind Beneath My Wings” needed a new flavor, and a country feel it worked well. The judges loved it, and I was not quite as ga ga for it, particularly given the whimper that the song ended with. Still, a nice way to end the show and Skylar captured the feeling of the song and took it to a new place. Grade: B+
Best of the night: DeAndre, Joshua, Skylar
At risk of bottom three: Elise, Hollie, Phillip (DeAndre may not rise out of the bottom three given his performance position, and we could see Jessica in this slot, too, because of the tepid “How Will I Know” performance.)
JLo fashion grade: B. Waist up was an A, below the waist was like, huh?
See you for results tonight!
American Idol Recap: Twitter Goes Out Front
Mar 29 2012 Filed in: American Idol | BentBlog
Evangelicals rejoice! “Idol” led its broadcast with its resident Bible page-turner - and sported, as so many programs do now, both hashtags and contestant handles from the Twitters. The remaining nine contestants, helped on by mentor Stevie Nicks, did a bang-up job tonight. Here goes:
Colton Dixon (“Everything” - by Lifehouse)
For sure, Colton’s faith is stepping in front of himself as a performer, and I now understand why producers had been (unsuccessfully) trying to back him off of mentioning it so much. Having said that, a “Christian Rock” American Idol would be a first, and not out of the realm of possibility. Still, the front end of the “worship” song was flat and untethered; really pretty bad, actually, the rest of the way, too. He was off-key most of the time and probably felt the song more than we did. The judges were SO off with their praise; Simon would have roundly panned that performance. Grade: D
Skylar Laine (“Gunpowder & Lead” - by Miranda Lambert)
Skylar was able to stay in her wheelhouse with this country joint, but the choice was a bit indulgent in that it didn’t show any new territory with her vocals. She’s a good entertainer, there’s no doubt about that, especially following the boring and uninspired Colton. It was a fun ditty, though, if uninteresting. Grade: B-
Heejun Han (“A Song for You” - Donnie Hathaway)
A newly serious Heejun hit the stage with the oft-covered, classic tune. The Asian Michael Bolton was tonally back on target, but he still irritates me with terrible - I mean awful - diction. But this was quite a week-to-week comeback from the train wreck he had with “My Life” last week. I thought it was good but I’m still checked out on Heejun from last week’s awful Billy Joel song. Seacrest was right: “Which Heejun are we gonna get?” Grade: B
Hollie Cavanagh (“Jesus Take the Wheel” - Carrie Underwood)
Really personal moment with Stevie Nicks here - she lost her mother recently and urged Hollie to sing from her heart - and it visibly moved both of them. There’s something about this girl I can’t put my finger on - she’s gorgeous and obviously can sing. But her lower register, and possibly her nerves, get the better of her, as they did this week and last. Grade: B-
DeAndre Brackensick (“Sometimes I Cry” - Eric Benet)
I brought the same baggage in this week with DeAndre as I did with Heejun, with basically the same impressions. The falsetto is just… exhausting. I’m sure it makes many of the ladies swoon, but I don’t get it. Again, the judges are standing for him and they are just totally off. Prince’s annoying affect is safe - for now. Grade: C
Jessica Sanchez (“Sweet Dreams” - Beyonce)
You can really see the technician in this girl - very controlled and disciplined. Nice job on this song, even though I think the choice itself was a bit boring. I think she was going for nuanced, but it was not the best choice for that. Still, Randy was right in her “resolve” in turning the song into a ballad and being so deliberate each week. Well done, but there’s better stuff coming from her in later weeks. Grade: B+
Phil Phillips (“Still Rainin’” - Jonny Lang)
Are we looking at the next member of Fleetwood Mac? Stevie Nicks basically offered it him, so who knows. Looking dapper in a jacket, Phil is always his own man on that stage, which is to be commended. And I agree that covering Jonny was a great choice, but I wouldn’t have chosen that song. He’s great though, even singing a one-dimensional tune. Grade: B
Joshua Ledet (“Without You” - Mariah Carey)
Again, a consistent performer and looking dapper just like Phil. He really pulled the emotion out of the song - no small task given the material. A great arrangement with a terrific, emotional delivery. I guess I’m a bit partial to gospel, so take that with a grain. But he did a great job. JLo called Joshua a “phenom,” and she’s right. Grade: A-
Elise Testone (“Whole Lotta Love” - Led Zepplin)
Part of the challenge of this competition is to win over folks with performances week-over-week, which is no small task in the age of small attention spans. Elise won over a ton of fans this week with this cover - unbelievable. She made a very difficult song look effortless - by far, by a freakin’ mile, the best of the night (sorry Joshua). This was the best of the season so far. She looked great, too. Grade: A
Predicted bottom three: Colton, Hollie, DeAndre (possibly Heejun as a wildcard)
JLo fashion grade: once again, A. Understated and unfussy. We dig that.
See you tonight for results.
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Colton Dixon (“Everything” - by Lifehouse)
For sure, Colton’s faith is stepping in front of himself as a performer, and I now understand why producers had been (unsuccessfully) trying to back him off of mentioning it so much. Having said that, a “Christian Rock” American Idol would be a first, and not out of the realm of possibility. Still, the front end of the “worship” song was flat and untethered; really pretty bad, actually, the rest of the way, too. He was off-key most of the time and probably felt the song more than we did. The judges were SO off with their praise; Simon would have roundly panned that performance. Grade: D
Skylar Laine (“Gunpowder & Lead” - by Miranda Lambert)
Skylar was able to stay in her wheelhouse with this country joint, but the choice was a bit indulgent in that it didn’t show any new territory with her vocals. She’s a good entertainer, there’s no doubt about that, especially following the boring and uninspired Colton. It was a fun ditty, though, if uninteresting. Grade: B-
Heejun Han (“A Song for You” - Donnie Hathaway)
A newly serious Heejun hit the stage with the oft-covered, classic tune. The Asian Michael Bolton was tonally back on target, but he still irritates me with terrible - I mean awful - diction. But this was quite a week-to-week comeback from the train wreck he had with “My Life” last week. I thought it was good but I’m still checked out on Heejun from last week’s awful Billy Joel song. Seacrest was right: “Which Heejun are we gonna get?” Grade: B
Hollie Cavanagh (“Jesus Take the Wheel” - Carrie Underwood)
Really personal moment with Stevie Nicks here - she lost her mother recently and urged Hollie to sing from her heart - and it visibly moved both of them. There’s something about this girl I can’t put my finger on - she’s gorgeous and obviously can sing. But her lower register, and possibly her nerves, get the better of her, as they did this week and last. Grade: B-
DeAndre Brackensick (“Sometimes I Cry” - Eric Benet)
I brought the same baggage in this week with DeAndre as I did with Heejun, with basically the same impressions. The falsetto is just… exhausting. I’m sure it makes many of the ladies swoon, but I don’t get it. Again, the judges are standing for him and they are just totally off. Prince’s annoying affect is safe - for now. Grade: C
Jessica Sanchez (“Sweet Dreams” - Beyonce)
You can really see the technician in this girl - very controlled and disciplined. Nice job on this song, even though I think the choice itself was a bit boring. I think she was going for nuanced, but it was not the best choice for that. Still, Randy was right in her “resolve” in turning the song into a ballad and being so deliberate each week. Well done, but there’s better stuff coming from her in later weeks. Grade: B+
Phil Phillips (“Still Rainin’” - Jonny Lang)
Are we looking at the next member of Fleetwood Mac? Stevie Nicks basically offered it him, so who knows. Looking dapper in a jacket, Phil is always his own man on that stage, which is to be commended. And I agree that covering Jonny was a great choice, but I wouldn’t have chosen that song. He’s great though, even singing a one-dimensional tune. Grade: B
Joshua Ledet (“Without You” - Mariah Carey)
Again, a consistent performer and looking dapper just like Phil. He really pulled the emotion out of the song - no small task given the material. A great arrangement with a terrific, emotional delivery. I guess I’m a bit partial to gospel, so take that with a grain. But he did a great job. JLo called Joshua a “phenom,” and she’s right. Grade: A-
Elise Testone (“Whole Lotta Love” - Led Zepplin)
Part of the challenge of this competition is to win over folks with performances week-over-week, which is no small task in the age of small attention spans. Elise won over a ton of fans this week with this cover - unbelievable. She made a very difficult song look effortless - by far, by a freakin’ mile, the best of the night (sorry Joshua). This was the best of the season so far. She looked great, too. Grade: A
Predicted bottom three: Colton, Hollie, DeAndre (possibly Heejun as a wildcard)
JLo fashion grade: once again, A. Understated and unfussy. We dig that.
See you tonight for results.
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American Idol's Top 10 Tackles Billy Joel
Mar 21 2012 Filed in: American Idol | BentBlog
With the catalog of Billy Joel week hitting American Idol’s Top 10, we must resist the temptation to use “car wreck” metaphors to describe bad performances (see DeAndre, below). Tackling Billy Joel is no small undertaking; as someone who performed “New York State of Mind” way back in the day, he’s got complex melodies and iconic phrasing. Still, his songs offer great material for everyone - and it showed in many cases. Here is my take (in order of appearance):
DeAndre Brackensick - “Only the Good Die Young”
Is MilliVanilli trending yet? (Answer: yes.) The judges are smoking the funny stuff on this one - DeAndre was terrible. DeAndre danced like Debbie Gibson and sang about as well, too. Seems like a sweet kid, but not in the top tier. Will be in the bottom three tomorrow night. Grade: D+
Erica Van Pelt - “New York State of Mind”
F*cking HOT. Dig the new look, too. We’ll wait and see how the rest of the folks did, but one of the best of the night. Randy’s note about going for runs is right, too, in that she’s got terrific phrasing and is perhaps pulling some punches for later. JLo’s note about her being more expressive was great as well. This is a tough song to cover and she did it up nice. Grade: A-
Joshua Ledet - “She’s Got a Way”
As Randy said, “never feel defeated” when you have talent like this. Really strange arrangement actually; I’ve been a fan of Joshua since the beginning, but I feel like this was an opportunity for subtlety that he didn’t take. I’m a huge gospel fan, too, but I really connected with what JLo said about the lyric - we as singers are obliged to tell the story, not just sing the song well. Decent job. He should get through to next week. Grade: B
Skylar Laine - “Shameless”
Forget the song: I’d still like to know who the twink was in the trucker cap at the open. But I digress… Terrible style change fashion-wise - totally out of touch with her country roots. The song felt screechy to me and not all that interesting, and was flat at the front end. It leant itself to the country vibe, given the other covers of the song in that vein, but not delivered all that well. Grade: C+
Elise Testone - “Vienna”
Bluesy, stellar, yummy. Talk about being rewarded for sticking to your guns… These mentors, largely, don’t know what the shit they’re talking about. Let’s not forget that they *almost steered her away from this song, and I still think - after a standing ovation from the judges - she may not garner boffo votes because of it. Still, one of the best of the nights and mad props for making an unfamiliar song personal and emotional. “I’m so happy for you! I just want to shake you and squeeze you.” Another nod to VAS from JLo. We appreciate your support of BentBlog and The Daily Slap. Best arrangement of the season thus far, too. Well done. Grade: A
Phil Phillips - “Movin’ Out”
Everyone is staying true to themselves tonight - and it’s one of the takeaways from the evening. Excellent job on this joint. Phil rebuked the mentors and did a great job putting his spin on the song - and stayed on his mark style-wise. I might break from the pack a bit and say that he changed it up a bit too much for me. The song has so much groove in it already… some of it wasn’t needed. He can keep on being gray - it looks great on him. Grade: A-
Hollie Cavanaugh - “Honesty”
Whoever dressed Hollie last week should be pounding the pavement for a new job this week. Regardless, she’s a bit of a frump so packaging that great voice seems like a challenge. Much better this week though, which gave her a leg up on a terrible arrangement. The performance did not survive that arrangement though, and it was hard to tell if it was her phrasing or what - but it wasn’t her best job. Grade: D+
Heejun Han - “My Life”
Whoever is advising this kid, if anyone, should be on the street with last week’s dresser for Hollie. Bad Karaoke. Sharp, flat, bad diction, terrible arrangement. Entertaining doesn’t walk the dog in a singing competition - the judges were too kind. In danger of going home tomorrow. Grade: F
Jessica Sanchez - “Everybody Has a Dream”
Once again, stellar. What can you say about a 16-year-old who sings like an established diva? “It takes consistency to win. You have a moment every time you step on that stage.” Randy was right, the mentors and the stylists did a great job all the way around. Fantastic. I’d only caution here that she’s so young, so unseasoned, that it might eventually catch up to her in terms of telling stories week after week. Again, I’m speechless with this budding talent. Stop the presses and give her a contract, now. Grade: A
Colton Dixon - “Piano Man”
This song is ready to made as a cover for the radio. Period. Handsome and confident, he sang the song right in his wheelhouse. My only quibble here is that he squeezed his vocals a few too many times; where that technique should be the “color” of a performance, he went to it too many times. Still, Randy was right, the arrangement was simple and clean. “God use me” was tacky for those atheists among us; he apparently ignored producers’ plea to tone it down. Still, he’ll sail through. Grade: B+
Top performances: Phil, Jessica, Elise and EVP.
Predicted bottom three: DeAndre, Hollie and Skylar.
Other notes: JLo fashions were spot-on tonight. Grade: A. Plain, uncomplicated and beautiful. The mentors should, in large part, take a step back because they are really screwing up the contestants. Stop stepping in front of the performers and leading them down wrong paths.
See you tomorrow for results! This post also appears on BentBlog.com - make sure to check it out. - WP
Update: Well… I got one of three correct. And I meant to change my bottom-three prediction to Heejun, but I got distracted.
Erica Van Pelt is the one who ended up excused from the competish - the wrong choice in my view. She’s a talented singer who didn’t have time to find herself. But like in all past years, one can never predict what America will do. Apparently EVP rejected JLo’s “unbalanced” comments in post-judging interviews. She’ll go on the summer tour, though.
DeAndre Brackensick - “Only the Good Die Young”
Is MilliVanilli trending yet? (Answer: yes.) The judges are smoking the funny stuff on this one - DeAndre was terrible. DeAndre danced like Debbie Gibson and sang about as well, too. Seems like a sweet kid, but not in the top tier. Will be in the bottom three tomorrow night. Grade: D+
Erica Van Pelt - “New York State of Mind”
F*cking HOT. Dig the new look, too. We’ll wait and see how the rest of the folks did, but one of the best of the night. Randy’s note about going for runs is right, too, in that she’s got terrific phrasing and is perhaps pulling some punches for later. JLo’s note about her being more expressive was great as well. This is a tough song to cover and she did it up nice. Grade: A-
Joshua Ledet - “She’s Got a Way”
As Randy said, “never feel defeated” when you have talent like this. Really strange arrangement actually; I’ve been a fan of Joshua since the beginning, but I feel like this was an opportunity for subtlety that he didn’t take. I’m a huge gospel fan, too, but I really connected with what JLo said about the lyric - we as singers are obliged to tell the story, not just sing the song well. Decent job. He should get through to next week. Grade: B
Skylar Laine - “Shameless”
Forget the song: I’d still like to know who the twink was in the trucker cap at the open. But I digress… Terrible style change fashion-wise - totally out of touch with her country roots. The song felt screechy to me and not all that interesting, and was flat at the front end. It leant itself to the country vibe, given the other covers of the song in that vein, but not delivered all that well. Grade: C+
Elise Testone - “Vienna”
Bluesy, stellar, yummy. Talk about being rewarded for sticking to your guns… These mentors, largely, don’t know what the shit they’re talking about. Let’s not forget that they *almost steered her away from this song, and I still think - after a standing ovation from the judges - she may not garner boffo votes because of it. Still, one of the best of the nights and mad props for making an unfamiliar song personal and emotional. “I’m so happy for you! I just want to shake you and squeeze you.” Another nod to VAS from JLo. We appreciate your support of BentBlog and The Daily Slap. Best arrangement of the season thus far, too. Well done. Grade: A
Phil Phillips - “Movin’ Out”
Everyone is staying true to themselves tonight - and it’s one of the takeaways from the evening. Excellent job on this joint. Phil rebuked the mentors and did a great job putting his spin on the song - and stayed on his mark style-wise. I might break from the pack a bit and say that he changed it up a bit too much for me. The song has so much groove in it already… some of it wasn’t needed. He can keep on being gray - it looks great on him. Grade: A-
Hollie Cavanaugh - “Honesty”
Whoever dressed Hollie last week should be pounding the pavement for a new job this week. Regardless, she’s a bit of a frump so packaging that great voice seems like a challenge. Much better this week though, which gave her a leg up on a terrible arrangement. The performance did not survive that arrangement though, and it was hard to tell if it was her phrasing or what - but it wasn’t her best job. Grade: D+
Heejun Han - “My Life”
Whoever is advising this kid, if anyone, should be on the street with last week’s dresser for Hollie. Bad Karaoke. Sharp, flat, bad diction, terrible arrangement. Entertaining doesn’t walk the dog in a singing competition - the judges were too kind. In danger of going home tomorrow. Grade: F
Jessica Sanchez - “Everybody Has a Dream”
Once again, stellar. What can you say about a 16-year-old who sings like an established diva? “It takes consistency to win. You have a moment every time you step on that stage.” Randy was right, the mentors and the stylists did a great job all the way around. Fantastic. I’d only caution here that she’s so young, so unseasoned, that it might eventually catch up to her in terms of telling stories week after week. Again, I’m speechless with this budding talent. Stop the presses and give her a contract, now. Grade: A
Colton Dixon - “Piano Man”
This song is ready to made as a cover for the radio. Period. Handsome and confident, he sang the song right in his wheelhouse. My only quibble here is that he squeezed his vocals a few too many times; where that technique should be the “color” of a performance, he went to it too many times. Still, Randy was right, the arrangement was simple and clean. “God use me” was tacky for those atheists among us; he apparently ignored producers’ plea to tone it down. Still, he’ll sail through. Grade: B+
Top performances: Phil, Jessica, Elise and EVP.
Predicted bottom three: DeAndre, Hollie and Skylar.
Other notes: JLo fashions were spot-on tonight. Grade: A. Plain, uncomplicated and beautiful. The mentors should, in large part, take a step back because they are really screwing up the contestants. Stop stepping in front of the performers and leading them down wrong paths.
See you tomorrow for results! This post also appears on BentBlog.com - make sure to check it out. - WP
Update: Well… I got one of three correct. And I meant to change my bottom-three prediction to Heejun, but I got distracted.
Erica Van Pelt is the one who ended up excused from the competish - the wrong choice in my view. She’s a talented singer who didn’t have time to find herself. But like in all past years, one can never predict what America will do. Apparently EVP rejected JLo’s “unbalanced” comments in post-judging interviews. She’ll go on the summer tour, though.