Austin360 blogs > TV Blog > Archives > 2010 > March > 11 > Entry
‘American Idol’ week three: Top 8 guys
Wow. Now that was amazing. I never thought I’d see anything that entertaining this season. It literally made me get up off the couch and jump up and down. It was pretty freaking great.
Unfortunately, it was the extended “Iron Man 2” trailer that ran in the middle of — and served as a welcome respite from — the main event; The “Idol” guys were pretty much as lame as you’d expect. I mean, okay … there was a lot of improvement, but still: Does anybody really stand out in this crowd? Do you honestly think that any of these lunks has a chance to beat any of the slightly more talented female contestants? Would any of them still be here at this point in any other season you can remember?
Okay, maybe Michael Lynche, who seems to be the real deal. Lynche aside, I don’t understand all of the accolades for these performances from judges, viewers and the press. I seem to be the odd man out.
Let’s get to it:
“Fireflies”
Lee really changed this song up in an interesting way. Unfortunately, he’s still having trouble hitting the right notes. That appealing, raspy quality in his voice is only going to carry him so far when all you can concentrate on is the way he misses every third note.
What the judges said:
“You made it work, man,” Randy
“I like that you made it a little rock,” Ellen
“You actually made the song a better song,” Kara
“There’s nothing to rave about after that,” Simon
My grade: C
“Trouble”
Oh, “Idol” judges, you’re doing it again — building up false hopes. You know there’s no way this kid is going to win, but there you are, Kara, telling him the only thing standing between him and winning is himself. He’s certainly gotten better, but there’s no way he’s going to beat these guys, not to mention the superior (but still mostly lackluster) girls. I understand that this year’s field is so weak that y’all tend to go overboard with enthusiasm whenever you catch a tiny glimpse of originality or talent but, really … think before you gush.
What the judges said:
“I felt like you could have done a little more with it,” Randy
“You’re becoming a mushy banana; you’re ripening so fast,” Ellen
“You’re not in it; you’re not letting go up there,” Kara
“We’ve never ever seen you relaxed or having a good time,” Simon
My grade: C+
“Hallelujah”
Ellen: please read my Alex Lambert critique, above. Jumping over the judges’ table and running up onto the stage to give Greg Brady a hug? Sigh. “Hallelujah” is a song title, Ellen, not a stage direction. It was certainly Tim’s best performance, but that’s not saying much. And, seriously, if I never hear that song again, I will be a happy man.
What the judges said:
“I think you did a pretty good job, Tim,” Randy
“That was fantastic; you sounded so good,” Ellen
“I actually think you’re kind of in it,” Kara
“Very, very smart with that song,” Simon
My grade: B-
“Genie In A Bottle”
Ew. Who pulled the cork? Was it Kara? It was, wasn’t it? Her constant reminiscing about that Paula Abdul song you did in Hollywood week pushed you over the edge and forced you to try and make lightning strike twice. I guess it doesn’t matter whose fault it is as long as you get back in that bottle. That was just desperate and weird. Seriously — you’re now giving Siobhan Magnus a run for the weird money, and that’s really saying something.
What the judges said:
“You made it feel like the whole song was three notes,” Randy
“The genie came out of the bottle too late,” Ellen
“You’re in a hard position because you peaked so early,” Kara
“It was a little bit desperate, I thought,” Simon
My grade: C-
“You’ll Think Of Me”
There was nothing really wrong with this, but it was boring and forgettable. I’m already having trouble remembering it. At least we were spared the lusty theatrics between Casey and Kara. I don’t think I heard the word “cougar” once.
What the judges said:
“I think it was a little bit of a safe choice,” Randy
“I thought it was great; I really liked it,” Ellen
“This was better than last week; it was honest,” Kara
“I think it made you sincere,” Simon
My grade: C+
“I’m Already There”
I know Simon looks younger, but he’s pushing 60, right? I’m just wondering if he’s starting to show symptoms of dementia, because after weeks of scolding the younger contestants for singing songs that are way too old for them, he totally attacked Kara for telling Aaron that this song was way too old for him. Isn’t anybody ever going to call Simon out on this crap? Anybody except Seacrest, I mean — he tries but, honestly, that’s about as effective as Colmes tackling Hannity. Huh? Aaron? Oh, right … Kara called it. this was a ridiculous song choice.
What the judges said:
“Job well done,” Randy
“I really thought that was a tough song for you,” Ellen
“That song — you’re 16 years old. How can you feel a connection to it?” Kara
“It wasn’t a great vocal, but it had emotion,” Simon
My grade: D
“Somebody To Love”
Okay, Todrick’s got a big, theatrical voice, so this should have been a great song choice for him. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite have the chops to back it up. Todrick’s in a tough position, because the judges keep telling the contestants to be themselves, but they don’t like the kind of showtuney singers Todrick represents. I think that’s why he held back so much. It was good, but not great. I think these guys need to remember that America is making the call now, not a quarter of contradictory and confused judges. Forget about them, Todrick … just entertain us. You can do it.
What the judges said:
“Todrick is back!” Randy
“You are a brave, brave young man,” Ellen
“There were moments where I didn’t know to laugh at it or to love it,” Kara
“You’re a Broadway singer,” Simon
My grade: C+
“This Woman’s Work”
I totally understand Kara bursting into tears at the end of this number; I was crying, too. They might have been tears of joy that Ellen stayed in her chair and didn’t jump on Lynch’s back, challenging Simon and Kara (who were all over each other all night anyway) to a chicken fight. Perhaps they were tears of relief that the night was finally over. Whatever. That was clearly the best performance of the night, but there’s no way it should have brought anybody to tears. Anyway, Kara, Didi Benami’s already got dibs on the crying thing this season.
What the judges said:
“It was dope; it was unbelievable,” Randy
“Oh my God, that was so beautiful. You are the one to beat now,” Ellen
“As a woman who doesn’t have a child I can relate to it so much. It brought me to tears,” Kara
“You 100 percent nailed it. It was the best performance we’ve had of all these live shows so far,” Simon
My grade: A
Should go: Todrick Hall, Andrew Garcia
Will go: Todrick Hall, Aaron Kelly
Agree? Disagree? Sound off!
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: American Idol, Entertainment, Random thoughts, Review
Comments
When commenting, we ask that you keep things civil and abide by our Visitor Agreement. To report comment abuse, click here.