AI: 4/28 - the Top 6
Well, that was pleasant. Not as good as last week, but still pleasantly enjoyable. I attribute the difference between last week & this week’s performances to the themes — last week’s 70’s Dance theme offered a greater treasure trove of solid songs than did this week’s “Songs of the New Millennium” theme. The performances are always better when the singers have high-quality songs to choose from, e.g., AI-3’s Manilow & Elton John weeks. That said, I must confess that this week’s theme left me at a loss, as the only song choice that I even came close to recognizing was Anthony’s choice of Celine Dion’s Surrender. On the positive side, this lack of familiarity leaves me the luxury of no having preconceived baggage with which I must contend in evaluating the performances.
A quick note about the judges this week — they really did a good job at “keeping it real.” Randy was solid & as good as he’s been this season. Simon was his usual stellar self - honestly, he is almost always dead-on in his evaluations. His observations might not always be phrased optimally or delivered tactfully, but they’re usually solidly based in fact. And I liked the fact that Simon demonstrated that he can separate his personal tastes from knowing what the audience will like from a given performer! Paula, amazingly, wasn’t even blowing as much sunshine as usual (perhaps she read the criticism in the newest TV Guide’s Family section, wherein she’s called to task for her absurd optimism & seeming obsession for being liked by the contestants. Heh!).
This week was, I do believe, the last week in which the singers only sing once (next week they should begin singing twice). Thus, as a result of only having 6 songs/performances, there was time to fill, and it was filled by “Hometown Visit” vignettes. These clips were well done and, despite (because of?) the high Velveeta content, quite enjoyable. They were short enough to give us a nice humanizing view into each singer, but not so long as to overwhelm us with type of cloying cheesiness that we’ll get over the remaining weeks of the competition…
All that said, let’s move on to the performances, where I think it became clear that one of the singers has, rightfully & clearly, reached the end of their journey…
Carrie: I liked the country song choice, if for no other reason than this — Carrie was in a comfort zone, was confident, looked great, and enjoyed herself so much that her performance couldn’t help but show it. She had fun, and thus we had fun too. She better not dip into the Country well again, however, as this is not Nashville Star. The upside, though, is that even if she doesn’t win AI, she will get a recording contract, and she will be successful.
Bo: I didn’t like the shades or the poncho and I didn’t know the song. I did, however, like the performance. Bo is genuine. Bo rocks. Bo, to be quite honest, doesn’t need AI any more. Like Clay has outshone & outsold Ruben (to date), Bo will outshine & outsell the others in this group. IMO, the only way that Bo can be hurt is if he listens to anyone who tries to get him to broaden/change what he does so that it could be “showcased” — IOW, Bo doesn’t need special attention or “help” — in fact, too much attention from the producers can only hurt Bo, not help him.
Vonzell: She just keeps improving each & every week. Combining this with the obvious respect that she’s getting from the judges for choosing technically difficult songs, and the blindingly obvious ability she has to connect with the audience, it’s plain to see that Baby V is a force to be reckoned with. Vonzell, at this point, does need that which comes with being the AI winner, at least in a way that Carrie & Bo do not. This is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a bad thing mind you. Vonzell has what Simon refers to as the “X Factor” and has it in spades! As for last night, again, I didn’t know the song but I really did like Vonzell’s performance.
Anthony: Well, Celine certainly was a bold choice for Anthony, wasn’t it? The trouble with Celine’s songs, IMO, is that they cover such a range, with most people not being able keep up with the “power” end of the scale. Anthony, on the other hand, shone brightly once he was able to get past the low/quiet beginning part of Surrender and get into the power vocals part. Anthony has, much like Vonzell (albeit much less noticeably/significantly), improved each week. He’s clearly much more comfortable, both in himself and in the whole AI process, and it’s showing. I don’t think it’s enough for him to win, however, but if he can hang around another week or two, it’ll definitely help him get a recording contract of some sort.
Constantine: Well, Constantine took a couple of steps backwards this week. He regressed into the early stages of the competition when he was fully entrenched in his “rocker” persona. Unfortunately for him, after his recent breakout performances where he showed a wonderful theatrical ability, his “rocker” persona looked even more like that of a non-authentic poseur. As for last night’s performance, I agree with Randy that the vocals were sub-par, and I agree with Simon that the performance was hideous. Even I’ve come to expect better from Constantine, and I certainly hope he gets back on the beam next week (I’d really like to see him do something by The Doors, as I think he had a great Jim Morrison/Lizard King look about him last night…). Fortunately for Constantine, he most likely won’t be hurt to much, as his “step-back” performance happened during a week where nobody truly stood out, and where the final performer had an even shakier performance.
Scott: I like Scott. I respect the difficult row that Scott has had to hoe to get to this point in time. I hope Scott gets a recording contract and/or opportunity to make a good living off of his voice. I also think that it is clearly Scott’s time to leave the competition. Last night’s performance was, as usual, quite heartfelt & evocative — unfortunately, it was also, as usual, a bit sketchy technically. Scott has, over the course of the competition, improved in terms of his comfort level on stage. He has not, though, improved enough technically to be able to hang with, much less surpass, the other talents in this competition. With the right coaching & support, however, he will be successful, and I wish him nothing but the best.
So, all in all, it was an average show with average performances. Now that I’ve written up my impressions, I’m looking forward to reading what other folks have to say about things. I hold off on reading any of that until after I’ve written things up (based on my single viewing of the show), so that I don’t “taint” my observations with what other folks have written.
I feel pretty confident in stating that the results show tonight will give us a nice, heartfelt, “funeral” video of Scott’s journey on American Idol — it’s his time, and I think that this is one of the few times where America will easily make the obvious & correct choice.
-ghp
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