American Idol - Week Ten - 5/15/07

I think if you can say anything about last night, it’s that all three contestants proved they deserved to be in the final.

What great performances from all of them, and I honestly have to say only one of them barely gave a slightly better performance then the other two. All three contestants are actually starting to look like stars now, and I love the way Melinda has finally come out of her shell. All three contestants had to perform three songs tonight; one chosen by one of the judges, one chosen by the Idol producers and a favorite song chosen by the contestants themselves.

They all truly out-shined themselves. (Even Blake, who kept his beat-boxing to a minimum, and I have to admit, worked for the songs he sang.)

Before I begin the analysis, I ask you readers again for your help. No one really responded to my inquiry last week, and since we’re in the final two weeks of Idol, I need to know; shall I continue my reviews to give my take on a different TV show once Idol is off the air?
The reason I ask you all, is because even though, YES, I can choose to review whatever I want and post it, what’s the point if no one reads it? So I ask you all again, if I were to continue to review a TV show, what show shall I analyze? I think my reviews work best for a reality show or competition, but I’m open to all suggestions. Even if you’ve never left a comment on my review before, do it now! Let me know!!

Okay, enough of that, time to get to the good stuff:

1) JORDIN SPARKS –
Round One – Simon’s Pick - “Wishing On A Star” – One thing that made me feel ancient all of a sudden is when Jordin said she had never heard of this song before.
Sigh.
I’m not really that old that I can remember hearing this song for the first time back in the 80s?
Anyway, she performed this song very well, despite her claim to never have heard it before. She looked elegant, and definitely older then 17. (in a good way though, because I think it worked to her advantage.) Personally, I don’t think this was the best choice in song for Jordin. I’m surprised at Simon, because I was expecting a much better choice from him. And though I usually agree with Simon, I didn’t understand his comment on how he didn’t like the “jazz” arrangement of the song, making it not one of Jordin’s best performances. I have to disagree, because, (and correct me if I’m wrong), but what control does Jordin have on how a song is musically arranged? But regardless it was a solid enough performance.

Round Two – Idol Producer’s Pick - “She Works Hard For The Money” – This was a better choice of song then Simon’s pick. Jordin looked like she was having fun with it, and her voice suited the song very well. Granted, she is no Donna Summer, but she did this classic hit justice, showing her range as a singer.

Round Three – Jordin’s Favorite - “I Who Have Nothing” – This had to be, hands down, one of the best performances I’ve seen from Jordin all season. I know she did this song once before (during the British Invasion week), but tonight’s version blew it out of the park. Simon says this song was too old-fashioned for a 17 year old to be singing. I agree, if she wasn’t able to pull it off, but not only did she pull it off, she completely took off with it. That is the first time a performance this whole season gave me chills.

All in all, Jordin never faltered, despite what Simon had to say about it.

2. BLAKE LEWIS –
Round One – Paula’s Pick - “Roxanne” – I have to admit, I was dreading this performance, because of the way the original song is imbedded in our heads. But you know what? Blake pulled it off. I was pleasantly surprised at how well he sung this Police classic. He kept the beat-boxing mostly out of it, and stuck to the vocals, which actually were pretty spot on. I do tend to agree with Simon’s point, as it wasn’t a stand out performance, only because no matter who sings this song, you’re ALWAYS gonna compare it to the original. Still though, a definite good performance by Blake.

Round Two – Idol Producer’s Pick - “This Love” – Very good choice for Blake. Blake’s voice and style lends itself perfectly with this song, and it showed in his performance. Heck, he added the beat-boxing and I hardly noticed. Maroon 5’s sound is something I can definitely associate with the Blake vibe. Randy said it perfectly when he said when Blake makes an album, this was the type of music he should be making. I agree. If Blake sticks to this type of style, he’ll do very well. Great performance and truly enjoyable.

Round Three – Blake’s Favorite - “When I Get You Alone” – I’ll be the first to admit I was unfamiliar with this song. I know Robin Thicke’s other song, but this one was uncharted waters for me. (on a side note, how freaky is it that Robin looks so much like his Dad, Alan? But I digress…)
Blake seemed very comfortable, though I think the audience’s unfamiliarity with the song worked against him. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good solid performance, but the audience couldn’t connect. I don’t think it hurt him too much, because despite my opposition to his beat-boxing in a singing competition, I agree with Simon when he told Blake that he admires him for always standing out and taking risks.

All in all, for Blake, not a bad night. He definitely proved he deserved to be where he was.

3. MELINDA DOOLITTLE –
Round One – Randy’s Pick - “I Believe In You And Me” – Remember that rule we’ve heard a hundred times on Idol? You know the one, “Never, EVER, do a Whitney, Celine or Mariah song, unless you know 100% sure you can pull it off”. Looks like Randy’s gamble on Mindy Doo paid off. Not only did Melinda do this song justice, but she even put her own little spin on it. It wasn’t a copycat performance, and I think Melinda makes it a point of it not to be. Not just this song, but every song she performed this whole season, she tried to make it her own. This was a fantastic performance.

Round Two – Idol Producer’s Pick - “Nutbush City Limits” – I absolutely LOVE this side of Melinda. She channeled my girl, Tina Turner, and turned this possible copycat performance into her own, but yet still giving people of flicker of the Tina we love.
Personally, I agree with the producer’s choice of giving Mindy Doo a Tina Turner song, but why “Nutbush City Limits”? I would have loved to see Melinda perform “What You Get Is What You See” or even the classic “Better Be Good To Me”, but alas it was not to be. As one of the judges said though, Melinda could have sung the phone book and it would have been amazing.

Round Three – Melinda’s Favorite - “I Am Woman” – Not the best choice in song, but still, a fantastic performance. I actually saw more of Melinda’s personality, and her interaction with the back-up singers was a welcome surprise. At one point I was thinking, who are those girls coming onto the stage with her? Didn’t realize they were the back-up singers at first. Once Melinda brought out the singers behind her, she really churned it out, making this one of her best performances the whole night.

All in all, for Melinda, I have to agree with Simon. If I had the power, I also would give Melinda a cemented place in the finale next week, for delivering nearly flawless performances week after week.

My Bottom Picks?: We’re down to the semi-finals, so there are no “Bottom Two” or “Bottom Three”…it’s just who goes home.

My Pick to be Eliminated Tonight and Facing Off In The Finale:
I have no idea. It’s too even, which gives you an idea on how well each contestant performed last night. So I’m taking guess here, (and not even educated ones, just going with my top two favorites) I’m gonna go with Melinda as a definite finalist, with her facing off against Jordin. I choose Blake to be eliminated tonight.

But ya know what? It could just as easily be Jordin going, despite being my favorite to win. It’s just that close. Let’s see what happens tonight!!

So what do you guys think? Agree? Disagree? Comments?