American Idol: Week Six; The Top 7 Compete

Quentin Tarantino.

Really, Idol?

I can understand some of the musical mentors Idol has chosen in the past, but this one did confuse me. A movie director telling prospective singing stars how they can sound better? Surprisingly enough though, I did find I was agreeing with some of his suggestions. Much like me, it was more of a "I think it would sound better/cooler if you could do this", and less technical help. But nonetheless, it was a night of decent surprises last night. I found most of the performances to be pretty good, though six weeks in, some people still can't break out of their niche. (Lil, Anoop)

The theme this week were songs from the movies, and though the contestants had a wide range of songs to choose from, I found they sort of limited themselves a little. Two Brian Adams songs in one night? There were no other songs available? While one Adams song was a good choice (Matt), the other left me bored.(Anoop) One major change last night was the way each contestant was judged. Last week, Idol broadcasted 10 minutes overtime, and to avoid that this week, the contestants were judged in "teams" by the judges; Randy and Kara alternating with Paula and Simon. It was a strange dynamic then what we were used to, and I can't really say if it helped or hindered the contestants. What do you guys think?

All in all a decent night of music, so without me asking you guys to join as a follower (again!), I will get straight to the performances.

Let's begin with one of my favorites last night, which is:

1) Allison Iraheta - sung "Don't Want To Miss a Thing" – I want to see a birth certificate. I want to see some proof that this girl is 16 years old. Allison chose one of the hardest songs to sing, and yet she pulled it off with the maturity and control of a seasoned performer. I said this from day one, but last night, Simon finally saw her as a contender. She poured emotion and heart, and her pitch was almost perfect throughout the chorus. Yes, the song did sound different then the original, but isn't that the point? Allison proved what Simon pointed out; she is the only true hope any of the girls have this season. I can relate to what Paula said (a first), when she said her vocal skills are on par with Adam's. Gee, I'm not even a judge, and I could have told you that a long time ago. My only concern is her fan base; though she is obviously growing in confidence and skill, but I don't know if she has the fan base yet to get her to win. For this week at least, I think she did well enough to get her to next week. Prediction: SAFE

2) Anoop Desai - sung "(Everything I do) I do it For You" - Come on, tell me you weren't surprised. Yet ANOTHER ballad from Anoop dawg. I'm officially bored with Anoop, and it's disappointing because he really has a great soulful voice. I know what you're going to say; everytime he picked an up tempo song, he did horribly. True, but look at the songs he chose; songs that were totally wrong for him, or songs that were a lot bigger then he could handle. This was predictable, and though he sung it well, and got praised for knowing his "niche", I was bored to tears. I thought his vocal, at times were spot on, but I actually thought he went off tune for a couple of lyrics. I need to rewatch it to be sure. I'm not sure Anoop can go much further in this competition. He's falling to the wayside by doing ballad after ballad. He's not only not being original, but he's being forgotten very quickly. I'm not sure he's be around next week.
Prediction: IN THE BOTTOM

3) Adam Lambert - sung "Born To Be Wild" – I've come to expect a lot of Adam, and week after week, though not exactly topping himself, he manages to bring something original. This is what makes Adam stand out and memorable. This was one of the first versions of "Born to be Wild" that hasn't made me cringe. Most of the song had almost a modern vibe to it, and it was sung well enough to be one of the most memorable of the night...but it wasn't a great performance. As Simon pointed out, if we are going to compare week to week, then this was definitely below last week's standing ovation worthy performance. As usual, Adam resorted to screeching parts of the song, which I found unnecessary for the type of song that it was. I know Adam wants to be a rocker, but the screeching was almost bringing the performance down, not enhancing it. That aside, I can start to see Adam as being one of the finalists. Like last year, when I predicted the David/David final, I can see in the distance that one of the figures standing there is Adam. Who the other one is still up in the air. (No, I don't think Gokey should be instantly filling that spot) Prediction: SAFE

4) Matt Giraud - sung "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" - I don't care what the judges thought, I didn't think it was that bad. Unlike Anoop, who also chose a Brian Adams song, I think this was a perfect choice for Matt. I did agree with what the judges said about changing of the melody of the song too much. A classic beautiful song like this doesn't need all the extra riffs and carried notes. (remember how Blake Lewis from 2 seasons ago ruined almost every song he sung by adding too much?) But considering that was his only error, at least from my perspective, I don't think Matt deserved the criticism he got. One thing I will give Matt's performance is that he put so much passion and feeling in the lyrics, that I almost overlooked the changes he added. Unfortunately, I think Matt's visits to the bottom three have not been forgotten. Though Matt was safe last week, I find it hard to see him safe this week. It was a tough judgment, and though I think he deserves to be safe, when matched up against some of the other performances last night, I need to be honest and say he's going to be visiting that bottom spot once again. Prediction: IN THE BOTTOM

5) Danny Gokey - sung "Endless Love" – I could have bet money on Danny, and given a choice I could have easily predicted his song choice tonight. Somehow, Danny seems to pick the same type of, what I like to call "safe" songs. I don't find this a fault per se, because I know it mostly comes from his growing up around church music. But though I may not find it a fault, I don't find it to be quite an asset either. I can tell this song hit Danny pretty close to home (probably because of his back-story - his wife that passed away), and though the emotion and raw feeling behind the song was evident, I found the performance too predictable. Danny sort of lost me as a fan, because I find that he's starting to build what I'd like to call a "quiet arrogance", meaning he's getting a bit over confidant, but is smart enough to not show it too obviously. Last night's performance? It was sung well, performed with passion and emotion, but lacked any originality. Like Simon pointed out, David Cook took several songs last season and twisted and made them sound different. Danny's performance was almost a sound alike, and though sung well, I found it disappointing. Despite this, there's no question, Danny's popularity will pull him through to next week. Prediction: SAFE

6) Kris Allen - sung "Falling Slowly" – Kris surprised me this week, and he split the judges in their assessments. Randy didn't like his performance, but Kara loved it. I thought this was a very risky choice for Kris, not only because it was a very obscure song (never goes well), but it was also from an obscure movie. ( I never heard of it) Kris has grown into one of my favorites, and though I liked his performance a great deal, I thought maybe it was too risky for him to chance it at this stage in the game. I never heard the song before, but Kris made me a fan by singing with strong emotion. I felt the connection, and I think that's what makes Kris stand out. I still don't think he has the chops to actually get to the final, but I don't think he deserves to go home yet. I'm not sure how fans will react, but based on last night's performance and finicky fans, I think Kris might be in danger, despite having, in my opinion, one of his best vocals to date. Prediction: POSSIBLY IN THE BOTTOM

7) Lil Rounds - sung "The Rose" – And yet another week passes where Lil fails to make a good song choice. This has not only become an unending pattern, but this has officially made me drop Lil as a favorite. A Bette Midler song...Really, Lil? Really? Of all the countless movie songs that you could have sung, from acclaimed R&B artists, you choose...Bette Midler. Don't get me wrong, I love this song, and I dug your take on it. Adding in a few gospel elements definitely changed it enough in my mind to make it your own, so yes, I do disagree with what Simon said about you. But bottom line is Lil made a bad song choice again, choosing a song that doesn't really suit her style or booming vocal talents. It doesn't matter that she tweaked it and added a couple of elements to change it, she could have done so much more with other song choices. Should have, could have, would have; it's the same thing week after week with Lil, and I for one am fed up with putting my faith in her. Looks like Simon is fed up as well, because from his reaction, it's just as frustrating to him as it is to the rest of Lil's fans. (if there are many left). Prediction: IN THE BOTTOM

After a night of hearing famous songs from the movies, my over all assessment is "job well done" in some cases. I don't know if I would have chosen the same standard staples that we know. (although I have to thank the powers that be for guiding all the contestants away from choosing "My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic as their song choice.)

So what did all of you think of the song choices tonight? Could Lil have picked a better song, or is it too late for her regardless? What about Danny? Do you see the "quiet arrogance" I'm talking about? And does Adam screech some parts of the songs he sings, or is it just my imagination?

My predictions:

IN THE BOTTOM: Anoop Desai, Matt Giraud and Lil Rounds.

My pick to go home tonight: Lil Rounds. (however, don't be surprised if there is a curve ball tonight, and Kris Allen is put in place of one of the three above, AND winds up being eliminated. If he does, I can only hope the judges finally utilize their "judges' save".)

Do you guys agree with my review? Am I wrong? Tell me! Take the poll below!
Until next week, faithful readers, I’m out for now!