Which week is this? Top 16? Coulda fooled me. This week sounded suspiciously like the top 24. Generally, the guys sucked and the girls were pretty good with a few standouts. I think Paula was being generous when she said only 4 guys deserved to be in the top 12. By the way, is it just me or did Paula change her prescriptions somehow? Did she take something different? Stop taking something? Take everything all at once? She seemed especially coherent the last two nights. It's scaring me.
The Boys:
Blake - All Mixed Up (311) - Once again, Blake manages to pick a song I've never heard before by a band I've never heard of. And once again, I don't mind a bit. He's got a surprisingly pleasant voice, with a nicer lower register than I realized. I would love it if he would stop with the beatboxing though and just sing.
Sanjaya - Waiting on the World to Change (John Mayer) - I just don't know what to say about this kid anymore without being really mean (a little mean? I can live with that), which he doesn't deserve. It was closer to being in tune than ever before? He seemed to try to inject some life into the performance? For me, it was still very, very bad. He just doesn't have any energy. If this kid gets any more mellow, he's going to melt into a big puddle of goo.
Sundance - Jeremy (Pearl Jam) - Pretty soon he's going to make me stop liking him. I'm not a Pearl Jam fan, so I can't really compare this to the original. G. said it wasn't that bad, but all I could hear was yelling. How do you yell and mumble at the same time. Sigh.
Jarred - If You Really Love Me (Stevie Wonder) - Could this guy get any more predictable? However, I do have to give him points for being generally in tune. At the risk of sounding like Simon, I feel like I could hear this exact same performance from any decent wedding singer in the country. Meh.
Chris R. - Tonight I Want To Cry (Keith Urban) - Good and bad ran right smack into one another with this performance. The good: He sang something with an actual melody that allowed us to really hear his voice. The bad: his voice. Just as nasal as ever, and flat throughout. I don't get what the judges see in this kid.
Phil - I Need You (LeAnn Rimes) - Once again, Phil proves that he can't start a song well. It was really rough. Once again, Phil proves that once he gets going, he's got a decent voice. I think it's more a matter of learning to support his voice even when he's singing softly. It's easier to have good breath support when you are belting a note. The difficulty is learning to have the same control when singing quietly. Hopefully, he'll get a chance to learn this.
Brandon - I Just Want To Celebrate (Rare Earth) - It was upbeat and fun and he still sounds like a 14 year old boy who has yet to hit puberty. I want his voice to match his looks. I keep expecting a fuller, richer sound to exit his mouth and every week it doesn't happen. How old is Brandon? Maybe he can come back and try again after he starts shaving.
Chris S. - Wanna Be Loved (DC Talk) - What is with all of these songs I don't know? Best vocal of the night by a long shot. This is the type of voice I want Brandon to grow. A man's voice. I would love for him to sing a great ballad so I could swoon a bit.
The Girls:
Jordan - Heartbreaker (Pat Benetar) - Why don't more people sing Pat Benetar on this show? Anyway, Jordan is just adorable and it's really hard to say anything negative about her performance. She's very polished and she's almost always in tune. I liked it very much.
Sabrina - Don't Let Go (I have no idea?) - I can't deny that the girl's got a powerful voice. I'd actually like her not to use next time she sings. I want to see if she can. The screamy was back in full force tonight and it's starting to wear on me a bit. She's a good performer, though and I want to like her more than I do.
Antonella - Put Your Records On (Corrine Bailey Ray) - This was possibly the best Antonella has ever sounded. Much, much better than previous weeks. That ain't saying much considering how terrible she's been in weeks previous. Her higher register is sometimes really quite nice, but she refuses to stay in it. Also, she has absolutely no stage presence. She's gone farther than she should have and needs to leave.
Haley - If My Heart Had Wings (Faith Hill) - Possibly the dumbest contestant ever. I don't understand her obsessive need to sing songs that have already been sung by some of the best voices in the industry. She's not a bad singer and she didn't sound terrible tonight. Just completely out of her league.
Stephanie - ???? (????) - I don't know why she continues to not impress me, but she does. She was about half way through her song when I realized I wasn't listening anymore. At one point, Simon mentioned "LaKisha, Melinda and Stephanie" and G. and I both said "Stephanie who? I don't think there's anyone named Stephanie left." Oops. She's clearly a talented singer and a good performer, but everything she sings sounds the same to me.
LaKisha - I Have Nothing (Whitney Houston) - Remember all that I said about not singing songs by the Divas. LaKisha needs to come over here and smack me. She can sing anything she damn well pleases. This was a lovely, strong vocal accompanied by an emotional performance. Loved it.
Gina - Call Me When You're Sober (Evanescence) - I like that Gina was back to singing the songs she loves and clearly feels comfortable with. It's not my favorite genre of music, but she sounded pretty good and was obviously having some fun. Good for her.
Melinda - I'm A Woman (???) - Cute, meek little Melinda vamped it up tonight in fine form. Looked great, sounded great. She's proven she has power, versatility and great presence (I almost typed mad skillz, but then I remembered who I am). I love everything about her.
Who should go home: Sanjaya, Brandon, Antonella and Haley.
Who will go home: Jarred, Phil, Antonella and Haley.
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