American Idol: Week Two; The Top 11 Compete

Country week.

In American Idol terms, this is the one week every season that almost everyone bombs. Last night, Idol once again visited this season staple, and the results were a bit more surprising than previous years. Perhaps it’s the quality of competitors this year, or the choices in song…but most actually sounded very good. Song choices improved on some contestants, while others are still making the same boring song choices. (looking at you Scott...second week of disappointment this week.)

Randy Travis may be a country legend, but damn, doesn’t this man look like the Cryptkeeper? Is it just me? He was there to mentor the contestants, but from what I was shown, he really did not contribute much at all to “mentor” anyone. I suppose Idol does need its guest artists every season, but it would help if they were there more to help then just stand there and say “that was good”.

A quick word about the new “Judges’ Save” rule, that was just announced at last week’s results show; I’m on the fence about it. Part of me sees the reasoning behind it, because Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry were definitely voted off waaaaay before they should have been. But part of me says that they were voted off for a reason.
Think about it this way; if this rule was in effect from the start, and they “saved” Chris or Jennifer from elimination, would they have gone on to succeed even half as much as they have today? Would Hudson even have been considered for a part in Dreamgirls if she had won her season of Idol? Or Daughtry, who has gone on to form a very successful career and band, and is making the type of music he was born to sing? If he had won Idol that year, would he have had a quarter of the success he has enjoyed if he was labeled as the American Idol winner?
Then of course, there is the flip side; look at the success of Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. It’s a gray area, so who’s to say this new rule won’t be a good thing? Bottom line is, so long as the judges save someone who truly deserves to still be in, and not just their favorite, I think the rule will work. Let’s see what happens as the season progresses in the coming weeks.

I still only see 7 followers, so I know a lot of you haven’t joined up yet. I’m coming close to using bribes people, so please join! I can’t afford to bribe you in this economy!

Like I explained last week, my rating system will still follow the same format I set up from last week; IN THE BOTTOM, POSSIBLY IN BOTTOM, or SAFE.

We have a lot to cover, so let’s get down to it;

1) Michael Sarver – sung "Ain't Goin' Down Til the Sun Comes Up” – This should have been a genre that suited Michael perfectly. He not only has that country look, but his voice lends itself perfectly to a country ballad. So he should have done well, but I think he didn’t. Maybe it was because it was such a fast paced song, but I am leaning towards agreeing with Simon. I didn’t understand a lot of what he was saying, and believe me, I was listening! Simon called his performance clumsy, and I think that is the best way to describe his performance. It almost seemed like he was rushing through it, despite his vocals being on pitch and perfect. It just sounded like a whole bunch of jumbled words to me, so it came off disappointing. Not sure how the fans will react, but I think his clumsy performance put him in danger.
Prediction: IN THE BOTTOM

2) Allison Iraheta - sung "Blame It On Your Heart” - I’m getting more and more impressed with Allison, mostly because her voice is so rich and subtly powerful, it captivates you. Of the judges’ comments, I found myself agreeing with Kara, when she said that Allison could probably sing the alphabet, and it would sound like a hit. I am starting to see what the judges had originally said about her now; she has such raw potential and is growing in experience so quickly, she can easily over take some of the other singers. But alas, we come to Simon, who thinks that her performance was tuneless, and that she was struggling to remember the words. I will disagree with Simon on the tuneless comment, but I am leaning towards agreeing with his sense that Allison was trying hard to remember the words. As much as I loved the performance, I did sense there was something off about it. Once Simon said it, (and Allison’s hesitation at denying it) I think that’s what was bothering me about her performance. Though I don’t think it’s her time to go, I think that her performance, though sung beautifully and powerful, will possibly put her in the danger zone.
Prediction: POSSIBLY IN BOTTOM

3) Kris Allen – sung "To Make You Feel My Love” – I was shocked that this turned out to be as good as it was. No really! As much as I think Kris is a cutie, and could get far on his looks, he actually could really sing too. This performance proved it to me (and Simon) that this guy could actually do well and get pretty far in the season. His ballad was heartfelt, and he gave me the occasional smoldering looks to the camera to cement his “dreamboat” status. Kris has a beautiful soft voice which lent itself perfectly to the tone and emotion of the song. I believe Randy Travis pointed out that Kris’ strong suit is ballads, and in doing so, he went with his strengths. The only thing I worry about it repetition. I hope we’re not going to start to see ballad after ballad every week. For this week at least, I think Kris impressed me and fans enough to make it to next week. Prediction: SAFE

4) Lil Rounds - sung "Independence Day" – Ah, Lil you needed an off week, and my gut instinct was telling me country week was it. First off, song choice; wow, she couldn’t have possibly picked a worst song to sing. This song has been done to death almost every season of Idol. It did not fit Lil’s voice or tone at all. It felt out of place and most of the judges agreed. There are so many other songs she could have chosen to better highlight the amazing range of her vocals. She only saved herself during the chorus of the song, when her powerful pipes got a chance to stretch there legs. The rest of the song was so odd and out of place, I had to agree with Simon’s analogy of Lil’s performance, saying it sounded like a person who was forced to sing a song she didn’t like at a wedding. Weird way to put it, but I get what he was trying to say. I understand trying to keep it fresh, but this is one time Lil should have stuck to what makes her Lil. Despite all this, I don’t think this will put her directly in harm’s way and sent home, but I think it will, at the very least, put her on notice. Prediction: POSSIBLY IN BOTTOM

5) Adam Lambert – sung "Ring of Fire” – Complete and utter confusion. This had to be one of the strangest renditions of this song I’ve ever heard. I’m not sure I liked it, but I didn’t hate it either. I can say this though, and a few of the judges agreed; he stayed true to himself. Bad or good, the song just fit into the type of artist he is, though I wouldn’t go so far as Simon did and say it was terrible. It was, however, very different. Adam himself admitted he wasn’t planning on getting into the Grand Ole Opry, so this was the best he could do under the circumstances. He sounded very good, though like I mentioned before, the rendition of this classic just put me off a little. I don’t know, I walked away very much like Kara did; confused and not knowing whether I liked it or hated it. Still I think the praise Adam received from the rest of the judges, plus his popularity will get Adam a pass to next week. Prediction: SAFE

6) Scott Macintyre - sung "Wild Angels" – I’ve been disappointed with Scott for the last 2 weeks. I’m not sure what makes him choose the songs he does, but this left me pretty much “blah”. I couldn’t say I hated it, because his vocals were, while not extraordinary, were very good. Paula and Simon got into a tiff over Paula’s ridiculous suggestion that Scott not use the piano as a crutch, and he should consider not using the piano a few times. Simon thought that was stupid advice and I couldn’t agree more. Where does Paula get her logic? The man is blind! It’s not like he could do a jig around the stage while he sings. And you know the one night he decides to sing without a piano, the judges will be all over him as to how much better he would have sounded with it. It’s times like this that I wish Paula would just keep things to herself, because this had to be one of the most ill-informed suggestions she’s ever had. Hey Paula, let me name some artists for you; Elton John; Billy Joel; Stevie freakin’ Wonder!! See a pattern here? Regardless of Paula’s insanity, Simon hit it on the nose when he called Scott’s song choice forgettable. He’s right, it was boring and really didn’t spotlight him at all, despite his great vocals. This plus last week’s mediocre performance will land him in the danger zone tonight.
Prediction: IN THE BOTTOM

7) Alexis Grace - sung "Jolene” – This is one of my favorite Dolly Parton songs, and I walk away from Alexis’ performance last night thinking...she didn’t do it justice. I will say up front, I am a huge Alexis fan, and she’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. In saying that, I expected a lot more from her. She didn’t really make the song her own, and though she sung it with the same spirit of the original, that was the problem. She didn’t put her own spin on it, so what could have been unique, became what Simon calls “copycat”. Even when this song was performed by Brooke White last season during their Dolly Parton week, though it wasn’t great, Brooke changed it up enough for it to sound different and unique to her style. Alexis didn’t do that so, popular as she is with me and many fans, this week could possibly place her in danger.
Prediction: POSSIBLY IN BOTTOM

8) Danny Gokey – sung "Jesus Take the Wheel” – I guessed what song Danny was going to sing even before they went into his pre-performance clip. My logic? This guy was a church music director and he said in one of his interviews that all he really sung were church songs. It was only logical it would be this song. I actually really like this song, but it was the completely wrong choice for Danny. I don’t care what the rest of the judges say, Randy got it right; the first half of that song was sung so pitchy, it was all over the place. I don’t think the song suited his voice at all. The only time his really stuck out was when he got to the chorus. But it doesn’t matter what I think, because Danny’s popularity is growing. Add to that the high praise the judges gave him, and you can rest assured you’ll see him next week. Prediction: SAFE

9) Anoop Desai – sung "Always On My Mind" – What a complete turnaround from last week! Not only did Anoop pick the absolute best song for his voice, but it gave him depth, emotion and vocal range we haven’t seen since Hollywood week. I was so impressed with his performance, I actually think it put him ahead of the pack. Simon said Matt (Giraud) out sang Danny, but I disagree; I think Anoop out sang Danny, and Matt out sang them both. (more on that later). It’s the truth, because not only did Anoop sound better, but he showed a completely new level of vocal skill; controlled range, and a connection to the song. I was impressed and completely surprised. Because of this one performance, it has elevated Anoop from the bottom to one of the top places. I have no doubts he made it to next week. Prediction: SAFE

10) Megan Joy Corkrey – sung "Walkin' After Midnight” – I just don’t know about Megan. She is different, I will say that much. But her weird bluesy, soul thing just gets me confused. Not as confused as Adam’s performance left me, but still, her performance sort of out there. I don’t think I hated it, because her voice sounded good. She added a lot of her own inflections which brought the song closer to the type of quirky performer she is. All this, and she had the flu too? I won’t fault her for a mediocre performance, especially since she was super sick (and didn’t look it). But I’m not so sure the television audience is as forgiving. When I place this performance on the same basis as last week’s, I think Megan might be in danger. I hope not, but I can only think that she didn’t impress enough for her to make it to next week. Prediction: IN THE BOTTOM

11) Matt Giraud – sung "So Small" – I’m finally starting to see the type of artist Matt will turn out to be. Simon said Matt reminded him of Michael Buble, and I tend to agree. I can also see him as a Billy Joel type performer. His vocals last night were perfect, on pitch, and completely smooth, and showed great range. I mentioned that Simon said Matt out sung Danny and he couldn’t have been more right. Matt needed to find his comfort zone, and I think singing these types of songs are where he really shines. (and it doesn’t hurt he has a sort of Justin Timberlake-ish look to him. Yes, I know, I mentioned that many times before. Sue me!) At the rate he’s going, he could be that sneaky dark horse that will get to the Top five before you even realize it. Will we see Matt next week? Answers point to yes. Prediction: SAFE

And with that, the Top 11 are done.

What did we think? The competition finally unveils tonight as to who goes on tour. (remember, only the Top ten gets to go on the tour). Was last night what you thought it would be? Were you as surprised as I was? Who was the best of the night?

My predictions:
IN THE BOTTOM: Michael Sarver, Scott Macintyre and Megan Joy Corkrey.

My pick to go home tonight: Megan Joy Corkrey

Am I nuts? Could it be? Or will the judges pull out their “Judges’ Save” tonight, if one of their favorites get put up for the elimination? What do you guys think? Let’s chat it up!

Until next week, faithful readers, I’m out for now!