AI: Top 12 - the 60’s

March 16, 2005 · Filed Under popmedia

Well, now that was interesting, wasn’t it?

Mario’s gone (Why? Officially: “personal reasons” — eventually, the “real” story will come out…), and Nikko’s back. Doesn’t really bother me all that much, as I wasn’t a big Mario fan, although I could objectively see that he was/is quite talented, subjectively I didn’t really “get” him. So, from a purely subjective standpoint, I like Nikko better.

The theme this week: The ’60’s — rather broad, but opens up some interesting possibilities, in terms of giving folks enough rope to hang themselves if they aren’t careful…

Judges’ state of mind: IMO, cranky, Randy in particular. I mean, even Paula got some boos for being critical! I didn’t always agree with the crankiness, esp. from Randy, but I can’t say that I think it was out of line.

Performances: Overall, I must say I was disappointed. Or, at the very least, underwhelmed by the majority of the 12. Picking the bottom 3 is actually kind of tough this week. It would be much easier for me to pick a top 3, as I thought there were 3 performances that were head and shoulders above the rest. With that said, here’s the breakdown as I see it:

Awesome: These folks have nothing to worry about this week… Bo - Dude just rocks the house! He’s authentic, talented, and comfortable in knowing what/who he is and what he wants to do. Honestly, if he keeps it up he will build the fan base necessary to win, and he will win! I will buy his album. Nadia - She is, I think, the female Bo, albeit a hair less talented. Her sense of self, and stage presence, however, easily make up for any minor lack of sheer vocal talent. Scott - If he just learns to let a little more warmth/emotion filter through his vocals, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with. In terms of sheer vocal talent, I think he’s up there with Anwar as the best of the guys.

Middle of the Pack: These folks should be ok — they weren’t great, but neither were they horrific… Anwar - Honestly, he should be in the top group talent-wise, but his performance just didn’t quite get it done. I attribute it to song choice. AI fans associate A House Is Not A Home with, IMO, Tamyra Gray and the unbelievable rendition she gave this song in AI-1. It’s not necessarily fair, but current Idol-wannabes are up against both the original artists and previous Idol performances (e.g., Clay’s Solitaire, Ruben’s Superstar, and Fantasia’s Summertime…). He’s safe though. Nikko - His fans will see him through the next week or three, in the aftermath of the controversy. Ok performance, but not good enough to keep progressing deep into the competition. Constantine - Still not a favorite of mine, but compared to previous weeks, he didn’t suck. He’s still a poseur, but his looks, and the weakness of the girls, will keep him safe. Anthony - IMO, the guy most at risk this week. I liked his performance more than the judges did. Again, his looks and the relative weakness of the girls will keep him safe this week.

At Risk for Bottom 3: Whether for performance or fan base reasons, these folks are facing a very stressful evening tonight… Carrie - I don’t think she’s in trouble, really, but based on her performance last night, I think she should be. She needs to step it up, and really start using that awesome vocal instrument of hers. Vonzell - Performance-wise I think she should be safe; however, I think she might be at risk because of fan base related reasons. I just don’t think she’s distinctive enough to garner unwaveringly proactive support. Jessica - She should be safe based purely on performance; however, depending on how things shake out (not withstanding about “the boys” from last week ), I think she’s a possibility for the bottom 3. Lindsey - I like Lindsey, and I want her in the competition for a few more weeks. That said, I just don’t think she’s going to garner the fan base necessary to stay around for long, and if I had to pick who I think America will vote out, it would be her. Sad but true.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE BE GONE: You know that I can only mean one person — Mikalah! At least she looked better this week. Unfortunately, she ruined the mood by opening her mouth & singing. I saw a potential teen hottie, but once again I heard Fran Dresher! Please put her out of our misery, America!