AI:7 - Top 3 x 3
Once again, the circumstances of day-to-day life (read: redhead #1’s first softball game of the season) precluded my preferred live-blogging approach of writing up my thoughts on the performance show. Now that were at the penultimate performance show, however, and I (along with most folks & the AI show itself) am running out of steam & enthusiasm for this edition of AI, I’ll take this break in the routine as a positive opportunity, rather than a negative.
In other words, I’m gonna change up my format & try to keep things reasonably readable.
Round 1 - Judges’ Song Choice - Winner: David Cook
This round was sadly predictable in that Randy & Paula did (respectively) Syesha & David A. no favors in their song choices. I guess Paula sort of gave David a chance to stretch himself, but he failed miserably. Randy pandered to his own ego, and let Syesha fall back into the trap of imitating a current star - something that caused her all sorts of trouble back when she was on the brink of elimination many weeks ago prior to her recent resurgence.
Simon was the only one who got it right, with his choice of song for David Cook. Yes, it was a tiny bit old fashioned. But, more important, it gave David a chance to show (yet again!) that he is a talented and versatile artist, one who is capable of stretching & growing, and of bending & molding the music, such that both he and the music both end up in new & exciting places.
Perhaps the most frightening part of the first round was that Paula spoke truth, when she correctly observed that it wasn’t about Randy & Simon dumping testosterone on each other, but rather about the singers & what they did with the songs. Scary…
Round 2 - Singers’ Song Choice - Winner: David Cook
This was the weakest of the three rounds, and the one where I think the 90 second time limitation was the most obviously evident.
Syesha, well, I’m not quite sure what she was thinking, but I don’t think her choice was as damaging as the judges did. Frankly, I was expecting Simon & Randy’s reactions - it was Paula’s that surprised me. That’s about as close to a verbal bitch-slap as we’ll ever see from Ms. Abdul - I think it’s pretty clear that she didn’t like that song choice. At all.
David Archuleta’s song choice was, quite honestly, illuminating & baffling. Baffling, because I don’t know why he would decide to go outside his wheelhouse now, of all times. Illuminating because it proves my earlier point about David Cook, re: versatility. This type of versatility is something that David Archuleta has proven himself singularly incapable of doing! It is why he should not win the competition. Yes, he is talented. No, he is not versatile. Yes, he has skills. No, he is not a complete artist.
David A.’s failure in stepping out of his talent zone was so obvious that even Paula & Randy couldn’t lob the usual praise bombs his way after his 90 second crapfest. They didn’t eviscerate it like they did Syesha’s (superior) performance, but neither did they risk a visit from the Special Victims Unit, like they do after the “normal” Gnome-boy warbling session.
David Cook’s second song was merely OK. He got hosed by the 90 second time limitation. I’ll say he won the round only because the other two did worse - it’s a backhanded compliment, but a compliment nonetheless.
Round 3 - Producers’ Song Choice - Winner: David Cook
Honestly, the producers screwed over Syesha. Big time. A song from the Happy Feet soundtrack? Really? Who’d she piss off? Wow…
And, despite Simon’s protestations about the cheeziness of Longer (of course it’s cheezy - that’s what makes it great!), I thought it was actually a great choice for Gnome-boy. It actually solidified in my mind what his niche is. He’s a balladeer in the Dan Fogelberg/Christopher Cross mold. He’s just not quite that good yet. Some day he might be, and he will probably make a nice bit of money from it, as long as his dad doesn’t suck the will to perform and/or live out of him before then.
Closing the show in the pimp slot was David Cook, and he did it up right, proving that he is the one David who belongs to be in the finals next week NO. MATTER. WHAT.
Should Go Home: David “The Gnome-Boy” Archuleta
Will Go Home: Syesha
I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that it will be an all-David finale, or that Archuleta is a/the lock to be there. I think it’s quite possible that Syesha could sneak into the finale, and that she could do it at Gnome-boy’s expense. It’s a gut feeling I have, based on equal parts of my personal preference & my take on how the voting blocs could break down - i.e., Syesha has a unique & potentially significant voting bloc, while the Davids split some demographic groups in such a way that I see the majority going to Cook because he’s more completely/versatilely talented (and the folks who like/respect that will get out the vote to protect that against the tween vote for Gnome-boy).
Or, I could be full of crap. We’ll see…
-ghp
Comments
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I disagree with you slightly, TK. In the past, I agreed about the idea that the "real" winner didn't need to win & be saddled with the 1st place contract & all that came with it. I'm not sure that's true anymore, if it ever really was.
Here's what/who changed my mind - Carrie Underwood. By all rights, she should've been chewed up & spit out by the 19 Entertainment machine because she was Country/Western; however, she's been the biggest star AI's produced - even bigger than Kelly Clarkson. Daughtry's big too, but I wouldn't argue that you can't become a star/be successful if you don't finish first.
The biggest factor is having true, real, actual, distinctive, saleable, you know - talent. That's the key to making a go of a career in show business & establishing some longevity in it. That's what's gotten Clay, Tamyra, & Fantasia onto Broadway. It's what keeps Taylor touring & filling up the clubs. It's what keeps Bo making albums & touring, etc...
So, I guess my point is this - I now want to see the best talent win out. No compromises. Archuleta is compromised and would be a compromise. Cook is not, and would not be one.
Agreed. Your points have changed my mind. Besides, Cook wants to win, so I'll be happy to cheer him on to victory. I do think he's got the momentum at this point in time, which should drive the voting.
David Cook is the clear best performer this season. I like that he is reliable, talented, creative, emotionally steady and youthful-looking. That being said, I hope he does not win. I would like him to be the runner-up to Archie. I don't think he's a good match for that too-good-to-be-true $1,000,000 AI contract. He could have lost a couple of weeks ago and still be a top seller. I agree that Sayesha will go home tonight.