AMERICAN IDOL Top 10 Performances
March 25, 2009 by Kath Skerry
Can you believe we are at the Top 10 of IDOL already? It was such a slow start and now BAM! we’re here. Tonight the wannabes are performing the hits of Motown and they’ll be getting a little help from the legendary Smokey Robinson.
I’ll be sharing my commentary on each of the performances before checking in to see what the judges had to say. Rounding out the critique will be YOU, so chime in on the performances in the comments below.
Let’s do this.
Matt Giraud
“Let’s Get It On”
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My Take: My #1 kicked things off tonight with a great performance. Not only were the vocals strong but his whole performance was really well done. I liked how he started off on the piano and then left to play to the audience. It felt very professional. Can’t shake the JT vibe and I think that’s only going to work in his favor. And as a side note, if any of my college friends are reading this (and I’m sure you are not), I have to say that Matt totally reminds me of Chris R., right? (Oh yeah, and is Matt on a diet? He has definitely has lost weight since last week.)
Judges: Randy thinks Matt is challenging the other guys for the top spot. Kara liked it and said it was a solid performance. Paula loved it and said he was respectful of the melody. Simon thought it was a cool performance and said that Matt is for sure one of the front runners in the competition.
Kris Allen
“How Sweet It Is”
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My Take: Going in order, my #2 guy was up next. I love the texture of Kris’s voice. It’s very smooth. I enjoyed the performance and liked the way he changed it up – I heard a little country, blues and rock in there. It was a tiny bit safe but not boring at all. Another underdog, Kris is quietly climbing up to the front of the pack.
Judges: Kara praised his artistry and said he did everything right with the song. Paula thought he picked a great song and said the performance was brilliant. Simon said it was smart to do his own version of the song, but encouraged Kris to have a little more confidence on the stage. Randy loved it and said it was all good.
Scott MacIntyre
“You Can’t Hurry Love”
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My Take: I can’t say that Scott did enough tonight to change my opinion of his place in the competition. He just doesn’t have the vocal chops. He’s obviously a talented guy but not talented enough to hang with the rest of this group. He seems like a sweetie but he doesn’t have the star quality to make it.
Judges: Paula thought it was nice. Simon thought it was a complete mess. He doesn’t think Scott is very relevant. Randy said he doesn’t agree with Simon often (what?!) but he does agree that Scott has to take risks. Kara thought he had some good ideas but thought the execution was wrong.
Megan Joy
“For Once in My Life”
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My Take: A complete train wreck. She hit maybe one out of every six notes. The rest were completely sharp. And her voice was cracking all over the place. I’m sure she’s still getting over her illness, but she was pushing the vocals tonight. Awful. And the dancing? Once again bizarre.
Judges: WOW! Randy must have been listening to me because he too said it was a “train wreck”. Kara thought it was all over the place…phrasing, rhythms. She felt the song was dominating her. Paula too thought it was the wrong song for her. Simon said it was horrible and he thinks she could be in some serious trouble after that performance.
Anoop Desai
“Ooh Baby Baby”
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My Take: Anoop’s vocals weren’t as strong as they were last week. Some of the falsettos were just a little off. He actually sounded better in the pre-video when he was practicing with Smokey. Come on Anoop. Step it up next week!
Judges: Kara overall thought he did a pretty good job despite some shaky moments in the falsetto. Paula thought his phrasing and delivery were spot on, but she would like to see more confidence. Simon thought it was a great vocal but he thought Anoop was a little boring. He’d like him to have more showmanship. Randy thought it was nice but he’s hoping he turns it on next week.
Michael Sarver
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”
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My Take: Please do good. I love this song! Eh. There were a lot of vocal inconsistencies that held me back from me loving it as much as I had hoped to. He certainly gave it all but I don’t think it was enough. Far from it. The ending had potential but it was kind of all over the place. He just doesn’t have the voice to make it past this week. I think it’s Michael’s time to go.
Judges: Paula thought it felt loungey. Yikes, if Paula was trashing it then he really has no hope to move on. Simon couldn’t wait for it to end. He said he has no chance of winning the competition. Randy thought the song was too big for him. Kara thought he lacks artistry – “artistry” is clearly Kara’s word of the week.
Lil Rounds
“Heatwave”
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My Take: Lil has a great look tonight. Very old school classy. Here’s my thing with Lil, she is a fantastic singer – there’s no denying that – but I have to wonder if she would stand out in the music industry. She’s got a big voice, but she’s not as good as a Mary J. and not hip enough for the Rhianna crowd.Tonight’s performance was all on one level – screaming almost. Clearly she’ll move on and she should, but I don’t think she’s going to be making it to the Final 4.
Judges: Randy thought the front of the song was torturous at times. Kara led with complimenting her look so that can’t be good. She thought she picked the wrong song and that it didn’t show off her voice. Kara also noticed the screaming. Paula disagreed (she always disagree with Kara…Kara is silently mocking Paula), and she thought it worked well. Simon thought she missed an opportunity to have a moment.
Adam Lambert
“Tracks of My Tears”
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My Take: Before I listen to Adam’s performance I have something to confess – I downloaded Adam’s version of “Black & White” from iTunes a few weeks ago and I’ve been listening to it non-stop. I can’t say that I’m a fan of the whole Adam “package” but his voice is incredible. I’d like to hear him go after a song with a sweet melody (without the screaming) because he has the voice to do something special. But since I’ve publicly a little down on Adam, I wanted to let you know that I think I’m officially in the Adam fan club.
As for tonight’s performance, well first off…whoa, was that Adam? He kind of looked like a Ken doll. Anyone else thought he looks really fake…plastic almost? But I liked it. Bravo for giving us something different with the look and the softness of the vocal. That’s exactly what I was hoping to get from Adam tonight. This performance was something special. He has a beautiful falsetto and he has amazing control. Color me all kinds of impressed. Perhaps a little tear from me.
Judges: Kara gave him a standing out. Paula thinks Adam is “it”. Simon thought it was the best performance of the night. He said that tonight Adam emerged as a star. Randy said he was unbelievable.
Danny Gokey
“Get Ready”
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My Take: It was a little awkward when his pre-video was all about following a specific piece of Smokey’s advice and then he ignored the advice completely in the performance. Interesting. Another strong performance from Danny, but I’ll say this – he’s got some serious competition with the other guys. Tonight Kris, Matt and Adam brought us something different while Danny gave us more of the same. He was good, no doubt, but his level was the same as it’s been since day one. He needs to do more. He was an early favorite but he really needs to step up his game if he wants to compete with what the other guys are doing in terms of “artistry” (that was for you Kara).
Judges: Paula thought he was incredible as usual. Simon thought it was clumsy and amateurish. Randy loved the energy and feeling of the performance. Kara thought it was good not great but she’s still a big Danny fan.
Allison Iraheta
“Papa Aas a Rolling Stone”
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My Take: Closing out the night is the youngest of the competitors. This performance alright, but just alright. I’m not sure the youngins’ voting will get it. It was a little too much in some spots and a bit sloppy in others. I’m waiting for the spark we saw in Allison the first week.
UPDATE: As promised, I went back and watched Allison’s performance again. While I still wasn’t on my feet, it was definitely better than my first impression. When I’m wrong I say I’m wrong…you looked wonderful out there.
Judges: Wow, I guess the judges saw something I missed tonight. Randy thought it was blazing hot. Kara was out of her mind thrilled – lots of yelping. Paula praised her. Simon thought it was one of the best performances she’s ever done.
…and that’s it for tonight! Be back tomorrow to see who will be going home.
Based on a whole lot of everything, I’d give MY top three votes to: Matt, Kris, Adam
My bottom three predictions: Michael, Scott and Megan
Going home? Michael
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Filed under #1 featured, American Idol, American Idol Recap
I just don’t understand what people see in Gokey? Sure he’s a great singer, but haven’t we heard that performance, I dunno, every other single time he’s sang on that stage. Tool.
But on a positive note, Team Pumped for Allison!
Might point exactly on Gokey. It’s always the same.
I’ll go ahead and give Allison another look tomorrow. Maybe I missed something.
I continue to love Matt. I thought Kris was great this week – he stood out for me in a way he hadn’t in the last few weeks. I thought Anoop was solid.
I’m firmly in the anti-Adam camp. I really liked his arrangement, but I hated his vocal – something about him just turns me off. It’s all just too much – too over the top, too dramatic, even when he tries to do something more understated, like this week. I’m also pretty anti-Danny – he’s okay, but I don’t get the adulation. I find him totally mundane.
I hope it’s Megan’s time to go – as much as I agree that Michael can’t win, at least listening to him sing doesn’t make me cringe. Megan continues to make bizarre choices, and that twee trill in her voice makes me crazy.
Being a geezer I loved tonight because I love Motown. Okay so I warmed up to Adam a bit, he is good looking under that hair. He looked like a young elvis which was perfect for the time period. My only vote went for Allison – I like many of the guys (Matt and Kris are my favorites right now) but am just trying to save the one girl with real talent. I’m kind of over Danny, he peaked too soon. I hope Megan goes home I . do . no . get . her . never have.
Loved your Dirty Dancing quote. Loved it.
Still don’t like Adam. But yes, he was very good last night. Still DO like Kris. And he was also very good last night. And there’s something about Allison I’m just not loving. It’s certainly not her mad talent, though. What IS it?
Thought Kris, Allison, and Matt were all awesome. Adam’s package as a whole has been somewhat off-putting to me, but tonight he gave a beautiful performance. I loved it!
Megan, Scott, and Sarver were all horrid. Lil wasn’t very good, and Gokey really needs to step it up. Anoop was just okay.
Megan, Scott, and Sarver should be the bottom three, and I think they will be.
Scott should go home, but I think Sarver will.
I think Meghan was horrible and should go home but I wouldn’t be surprised by Meghan or Scott’s departure
Completely agree with you on L’il Rounds. Maybe she will have “her moment” next week. I loved Allison, Matt, and Adam. I just don’t quite get Kris, though. What was the point of the guitar? It just seemed like a crutch for him and didn’t add anything to the performance. I think he has a great voice and is adorable, but I wish I could see a little more risk from him.
I love Adam Lambert even more now! I think that people need to go to iTunes and download his singles like Kath did because honestly, I think it’s looking at him that gets to people. Remember that these people will be recording artists and will be performing in concert venues with lots of light effects and darkness. American Idol has the camera shoved way up in their faces which is kind of off putting if the singer isn’t gorgeous.
I thought Anoop was fantastic and I really like Kris Allen’s tone. Matt Giraud’s tight pants bugged me, I kept looking at places I shouldn’t have. I’m not into Danny Gokey at all, mostly because he seems like he’s extraordinarily full of himself but tries to hide it. Adam may be full of himself but at least he acts like he is!
Based on last night, Megan needs to go! I wanted Scott gone until I heard her sing and I really don’t think I can bear another night of whatever she does. I wish that Jorge was here in her place, and that’s saying something!
#1. Love Ain’t too proud to beg
#2. Nice Dirty Dancing reference
#3. I think you’re right on!
I did not want to like Adam but man that was really something last night! And Kath, his performance of Black and White was the only one a watched a couple of times. The guy can perform.
As a rule, I’m usually put off by guys that obviously spend more time on their hair than I do. I think the plastic look last night comes from wearing too much face make-up. I think he either had/has bad skin and tries to cover that up with too much foundation. Coupled with Randi’s point that they do these really extreme close-ups…I wouldn’t want a camera that close on me!
I LOVED his version and you could tell Smokey did too!