It feels great to be back on the Idol Beat again. I'm a bit disappointed that Lilly Scott didn't make the top 10 summer tour group. I think she deserved to be. Last night was R&B/Soul week and the top 10 contestants received mentoring advice from great recording R&B artist, Usher. And here's how the soulful performances went: Siobhan Magnus starts the show off with Chaka Khan's Through the Fire. I'm a fan of Siobhan, but I honestly didn't like her performance tonight. And based upon the backstage clip of her after her performance (something new this season), I think she wasn't very happy either (or maybe it was hearing the criticisms from the judges). And I'd have to agree with Simon, I think her scream has become predictable. But I still like her and I hope she moves on.
Casey James performs Sam & Dave's Hold On, I'm Coming and he sang it really well. It was a great song and hair choice (ie., ponytail) for him. I think whether he wins Idol or not he's going to have a really successful recording career.
Michael Lynche sings India.Arie's Ready for Love and I loved it. I also liked the acoustic guitar performance. He has such a great likable personality. I think he'll have a great post Idol career too.
Didi Benami sings Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Brokenhearted and I think she really struggled with it. And why was Ryan pushing the poor thing to reveal the reason she picked this song. It looked like a place that she didn't feel comfortable going to. Kudos to her for maintaining her composure on stage.
Tim Urban sings Anita Baker's Sweet Love. I wasn't a fan of that song choice or of his performance. Unfortunately, there's a whole bunch of young teenage girls who will see otherwise and continue to vote for him.
Andrew Garcia sings Chris Brown's Forever and I thought it was one of his strongest performances since Straight up. Finally! He really connected with the song and the audience completely.
Lee DeWyze sings Cornelius Brothers' Treat Her Like a Lady. Like Kris Allen did last season, I think Lee is really making his way to the front of the pack. He seems to get better and better with each performance.
Katie Stevens sings Aretha Franklin's Chain of Fools and I thought she did pretty good. I'm a fan of Katie but the competition is getting tougher and I think it's going to require her best performance each night for her to go further. She does seem to have a strong following though.
Crystal Bowersox held true to her promise and surprises everyone by laying down her guitar and playing the piano for the first time in the competition performing Gladys Knight's Midnight Train to Georgia. She is the real deal. A true multi talented artist. I loved her song choice and I loved her performance. She is by far the most consistent and naturally talented contestant this season.
Aaron Kelly sings Bill Wither's Ain't No Sunshine. I thought Usher's advice was really good and I think it really helped his performance.
My top performances of the night goes to Cyrstal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Andrew Garcia, Michael Lynche and Casey James. This group could even be shaping up to be in the top 5. So much for my earlier prediction of the girls being stronger this season. :)
My bottom two: Didi Benami and Tim Urban.
And that's my Recap: Keep on Rocking AI . . .
I'm so glad you got back to this - good timing as I hate to admit it but I slept right through this! I have been a bit underwhelmed by this season, and I had great expectations initially for it. Glad to hear that Andrew Garcia has redeemed himself. If there is anyone this show would give a boost to, it seems to be him. I'm becoming a fan of Lee D. I think Crystal (a league of her own), Micheal and Casey are pretty much given contenders unless they really flub it up down the line. Sorry to hear about DeDe. She has a unique timber to her voice, but she does seem to be one of the weaker contestants. And, I totally agree with you about Lilly! I'll have to watch the video...mahalo, K!
ReplyDeleteMissed it...thanks for the recap Kathy.
ReplyDeleteHi M, I don't blame you for sleeping through it. I think the highlight was Crystal's performance. But Lee, Andrew's comeback, and Michael made it worthwhile for me to stay up for it. I watched some of last week's performance on i-tunes before last nights show and read a couple of posts from other AI bloggers to sort of keep up with them. Seems to be an overwhelming agreement that this season isn't as great as last. Crystal is definitely in a league of her own. In some ways even more talented than Adam was from last year. I like Didi but I'm afraid Tim's follower's may hurt her chances to move on to next week by keeping him in. :( I'll have to find the performance that Lilly did that got her few votes too. She was so good the last time I saw her and I still love her Sam Cook song performance. Thanks so much for your comments M.
ReplyDeleteHi Candi, you're welcome. I missed the last couple of weeks myself. :) Thanks so much for your comments.
Me again, I forgot to mention, I downloaded Crystals performance of Me and Bobbie McGee from last week. So good.... Listening to it on the way to work this morning. She already sounds like an established recording artist. I'm happy for her and she seems so humble. She is totally going to get a record deal whether she wins or not.
ReplyDeleteI missed most of it too but I did see Crystal's performance and thought it was great. Saw Didi's and thought it was awful. Sorry I missed the guys since it sounds like they had a very good night! Gonna try to watch the results show tonight.
ReplyDeleteHi Annie, Crystal's performance was probably the highlight of the show so you didn't really miss much. Although my Lee, Andrew, Michael and Casey were also entertaining. But the star was in my opinion Crystal. I'm glad you may get to watch tonight's show. I always have a hard time watching the results show but might tune in for Usher's performance. Enjoy the show if you are able to watch it tonight. Thanks so much for your comments.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter!
ReplyDeleteSo great to read your critiques. I watched it tonight and really enjoy all the young talent. I like
ReplyDeleteCrystal for her knowing who she is and for the way she sings from her sould, no floundering or insecurity here.
Hi Barb, I really agree with you about Crystal which is why I agreed with Simon's comments too. She really has her own style and I don't think she should change who she is which is a great artist.She'll have to adapt to the changing music genres but she should do it in her own style. I downloaded two more of her performances and she sounds so professional and seasoned. She's got a great career and this is what I love about this show besides the music. Giving people like Crystal (a talented artist playing in Chicago subways) a shot. Thanks so much for your insight and comments Barb.
ReplyDeleteHi Leslie, thank you so much. Happy Easter to you and your family too. I'm looking forward to hearing more about you upcoming trip back to Italy. I can't decide myself yet where Trip 2010 will take me this year. Thinking of an old co-worker friend of mine I'm leaning towards the Netherlands but then there's Italy! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Kathy,I'm afraid I haven't been keeping up with AI, but I wanted to say that I like your new header photo from London!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a lovely Easter.
Hi Sandra, I'm glad you like my London Photo. It felt like a spring photo to me and I like it too.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comments. I wish you and your family and friends a very happy Easter too.
I loved Crystal's and Lee's performances the best. I don't think that Crystal was very comfortable at the piano, but she managed to carry it off. These two have huge voices and this time Lee's personality really started to come thru. Crystal's personality has been there since day one. I do miss Lilly, though, somehow it's strange that she did not get thru to this point.
ReplyDeleteHi Diana, I didn't know that you are an AI fan too. That's so great. I thought Crystal's and Lee's performances were the best from last week too and I agree with you that Crystal didn't appear to be as comfortable behind the piano (although she played really well) as she is with her guitar. I think Lee has really improved from day one with his pitch and his confidence and he is now next to Crystal one of my favorites. I also think that Crystal's personality has been there since day one too. And I think the audience always connects with her in each of her performances. She seems so genuine and so nice. Kind of like Kris Allen was last year. I think Lilly should have made the top 10 and its a real shame that she didn't. She has such a unique style and is so talented it would've been great to see what she would've done with the different genres in the competition. Thanks so much for your comments and insights Diana.
ReplyDeleteHi Diana, I did not know that you are also a fan of AI. That is so wonderful. I agree with you. I thought Crystal felt a little uncomfortable with the piano (although she played it really well). She's much more comfortable and confident with her guitar. And I also agree with you that I've always thought she connects really well with the audience. They respond to her with each performance and she responds back. She really is so talented and has such a great personality. She is my favorite. And I think Lee has really gotten stronger as the competition goes further. And his personality is getting stronger and he looks more comfortable and confident on stage. They are both by far the most consistent contestants and they bring something extra special. I really wouldn've loved to see Lilly go further in the competition so I was very disappointed that she didn't move on. She should've made at least the top 10.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your insights and comments Diana. I hope you enjoy the rest of the competition.