One week does not a star make. However, on American Idol, a good first performance could propel you all the way to the finals, and a poor one could mean you're finding yourself trying to catch up for weeks.
So how will the first week of performances impact this week's results? I'd say, based on the strength of their 60's performance (in addition, of course, to what they did during their initial auditions and Hollywood week), David Archuleta, Michael Johns, Carly Smithson and Ramiele Mulabay will all cruise into the Top 12. Jason Castro, who had no screentime coming into last week, will also most likely be a finalist, barring a major meltdown in the next two weeks.
David Cook, Brooke White, Syesha Mercado and Asia'h Epperson also performed well last week, and with ample airtime during the initial stages of the competition, they are also looking good to make it at least one more week. Alaina Whitaker was a wildcard coming into last week, and she really delivered, so if she follows it up with another strong performance she should be okay as well.
David Hernandez, Robbie Carrico, Danny Noriega, Amanda Overmyer and Alex Lushington are all on the fence -- they could slip through the cracks if they don't come out and give memorable performances. While any one of them could go home, I'd say there's a few other contenders in more serious danger.
Yep, I'm talkin' about Jason Yaegar, Luke Menard, Chekezie Eze, Kristy Lee Cook and Kady Malloy. While Yaegar's biggest sin was being boring, Menard and Eze were borderline painful (despite Luke's cutie patottie-ness). Jason's going to have to prove he's more than a cheesy cruise-ship singer with a B-grade voice, while Chekezie better remind us all that he can really sing. As for Luke, I can't imagine a scenario in which he does enough to impress -- basically he's gotta hope for a Jason and Chekzie meltdown.
On the girls side, both Cook and Malloy were pretty much trainwrecks last week (with Kristy Lee being the slightly worse of the two), so they'll both have to step it up this week to survive. Hopefully Kristy Lee has recovered from her "illness" (and learned a song other than "Amazing Grace"), while Malloy one more chance to prove she has personality beyond a killer Britney Spears impresion.
So, going into the performances I'm guessing Luke, Jason, Kristy Lee and Kady are most in danger. Of course, anything could happen, and all of this could be irrelevant in less than 24 hours. Guess we'll have to wait and see...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Who Are the Next Four to Go on American Idol?
Monday, January 28, 2008
Four Cities In: American Idol 7's 15 Best Auditions So Far
We're about to head into the third week of initial American Idol auditions, and believe it or not, we've actually seen some talented folk! If past seasons are any indication, several of the contenders who seem strong in their initial auditions will collapse upon reaching Hollywood, while others who we have yet to see will soon step into the limelight.
Note: In making this list, I have not consulted the recently revealed alleged list of Top 24 Finalists -- click here to read that spoiler-ific list.
All we have to go on is what we've seen so far, though, so here's a look at my 15 favorite auditions from the first four cities:
1. Carly Smithson (San Diego)
Ladies and gentlemen, I think we've found a frontrunner. This girl is amazing! Part Kelly Clarkson, part Pink, she sounded awesome singing "I'm Every Woman," hitting notes that the other girls we've seen so far wouldn't even dream of trying to hit, a capella no less. And how lovely and genuine does she seem? Speaking up for her tattooed boyfriend, and declaring how hard she's going to work and how she hopes that this is her year? I love her already.
2. Perrie Cataldo (San Diego)
Sure he has a rap sheet, but who cares when he's got a voice like that! In fact, this single father's voice as he sang "I'll Make Love To You" vaguely reminded me of Elliott Yamin, which I mean as a very high compliment. His heartbreaking backstory (and his adorable son) won't hurt him one bit -- this guy seems like a definite Top 10 contender.
3. Michael Johns (San Diego)
I've never heard Otis Redding's "I've Been Loving You Too Long," so I have no idea if that is what the song is actually supposed to sound like, but to my ears (and eyes), this guy is the real deal. He also seems like he'd be versatile -- he'd nail the country and soul themes, and could probably rock out as well. And that Australian accent? I approve.
4. Kristi Lee Cook (Philadelphia)
After the success of Carrie, Bucky and Kellie, you'd think last year would have been flooded with country hopefuls, but there was nary a country crooner in the bunch. Perhaps this year will be different, especially with Kristi, who is a bit like Carrie Underwood with more of an edge, in the mix. Clearly the producers think she's something special, as they teased this "cage fighting singer" throughout the Philadelphia episode. It was worth the wait -- her gorgeous rendition of "Amazing Grace" easily made her the city's best audition. Expect to see this girl in the Top 10.
5. Colton Swon (Dallas)
If Bucky Covington and Josh Gracin can get country music careers out of Idol, there doesn't seem to be any reason Colton won't be successful. Belting out Little Big Town's "Boondocks," he has a natural talent that could take him far. Now he's just gotta figure out how to stand in one place while he sings!
6. Kady Malloy (Dallas)
I was more impressed with her Britney impression than with her "Unchained Melody," but this girl definitely showed glimpses of potential, along with a very nice tone to her voice. She didn't high-belt, however, which makes me a bit nervous. 'Cause really, if you can't high-belt, what use do I have for you?
7. Junot Joyner (Philadelphia)
Wrapping his silky smooth vocals around Elton John's "The Blues," this guy showed raw talent and lots of potential. Good thing -- there hasn't been a good male R&B voice on the show in a few years now.
8. Jonathan Baines (Philadelphia)
Showing excellent musicality and possessing a contemporary, folk-y voice, this kid could be the real deal. And he's cute and charming, in a gawky way, which doesn't hurt. Keep an eye on this kid.
9. David Archuleta (San Diego)
Loved his audition, but I'm wondering why they didn't mention that this kid won Star Search a few years back. Weird. Anyways, he sounded great singing "Waiting for the World to Change," and he's adorable, which means, pretty much, he's a shoo-in for the finals. We could do worse.
10. Samantha Musa (San Diego)
Love Samantha -- hate her sister! Upstage much? Samantha sounded great singing "Until You Come Back To Me," but her sister's hogging of the spotlight totally distracted from Samantha's talent. And that comment about overcoming her earlier obstacles? Yuck!
11. Jessica Brown (Dallas)
This former meth-addict, who is amazed at how far she has come, gave a pretty strong rendition of "I'll Stand By You." Will she work her twang to her benefit, or will it pigeonhole her as "just another Carrie wannabe"?
12. Brooke White
There is something sincere about Brooke, as the judges kept saying, and her rendition of "Like a Star" was charmingly lowkey, but what's with the "no R-rated movie" shlock? Gimme a break.
13. Joey Catalano (Philadelphia)
There's an endearing quality to the dorkiness of this former fattie, and he does a killer Adam Levine impression, but is he versatile enough to survive in this competition? And how long until Simon starts telling him his voice is too nasal?
14. Beth Stalker (Philadelphia)
This stay-at-home mom crooned "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" in a manner that crossed Barbra Streisand and Fiona Apple -- and it kinda worked. Sure, she's old-fashioned, but there's something about her that allowed her to pull it off.
15. Chris Watson
With cheekbones like Chris' he didn't need to sound great, but he went ahead and did anyways. Granted, "Follow Me" is not the hardest song to sing, but he pulled it off with a suave confidence. But does he have a range?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Ranking Idol: Dallas' Five Best Auditions
Let's be honest -- even though I hate the bad auditions on American Idol, the star of the show during the Dallas portion of the process was clearly the guy in the silver fedora and feathers that crooned "We Are Brothers Forever" with unadulterated abandon. I mean, the guy is a lyrical genius.
Overall, however, it was a pretty uninspiring night of hopefuls, with even tonight's batch of talented contestants possessing a same-same quality to them. I mean, if I saw one more Carrie Underwood wannabe come through the door, I thought I was going to scream!
Having said that, here are my choices for Dallas' Top 5 auditions:
1. Colton Swon
If Bucky Covington and Josh Gracin can get country music careers out of Idol, there doesn't seem to be any reason Colton won't be successful. Belting out Little Big Town's "Boondocks," he has a natural talent that could take him far. Now he's just gotta figure out how to stand in one place while he sings!
2. Kady Malloy
I was more impressed with her Britney impression than with her "Unchained Melody," but this girl definitely showed glimpses of potential, along with a very nice tone to her voice. She didn't high-belt, however, which makes me a bit nervous. 'Cause really, if you can't high-belt, what use do I have for you?
3. Brandon Green
That bag of nail clippings is one of the most disgusting and disturbing things I have ever seen, but I have to admit this guy sounded pretty awesome singing "Rich Girl." But why, oh why, did he have to give us that visual image?
4. Jessica Brown
This former meth-addict, who is amazed at how far she has come, gave a pretty strong rendition of "I'll Stand By You." Will she work her twang to her benefit, or will it pigeonhole her as "just another Carrie wannabe"?
5. Drew Poppelreiter
This corn fed farm boy certainly has the face to do well in the competition, but does he have the voice? Though charmed by his sweet looks and demeanor, I was less than impressed with his voice. I have a bad feeling that in about two months time he is going to be the cute boy who can't sing but keeps getting votes. Guess we'll see...
American Idol 7 Spoilers With Photos and Myspace Pages'
Read 'Ranking Idol: Philadelphia's Eight Best Auditions'
Read 'Ten Best Initial American Idol Auditions of All Time'
Read 'Am I Wrong For Dreading the American Idol Audition Episodes?'
Read 'Daughtry Passes Underwood on Album Sales Chart; Sparks Barely Hangs in Top 50'
Play IDOL MADNESS: THE GAME To Determine the Best Idol of All Time
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