Well this week’s theme wasn’t really much of a theme. Apparently, our Idol contestants can choose any song, as long as it’s a popular download from iTunes. Last night, Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen got my vote, but here’s a quick recap of how the others did:
Anoop Desai – Caught Up by Usher
I’m loving the hair and the Michael Jackson jacket. It was a pretty decent performance with some slight pitch problems, but it definitely wasn’t among Anoop’s best. Simon thought it was kind of a mess though, and said that Anoop’s stage performance needs more work.
Megan Joy Corkrey – Turn Your Light’s Down Low by Lauren Hill
I thought Megan was a knockout tonight – her updo was gorgeous- but performance-wise, she’s still kind of a mess. Though her performance was better this week, she’s no Lauryn Hill. I agree with the judges – just because you like a song, doesn’t mean you can sing it well. I think Megan might be in danger of leaving the show.
Danny Gokey – What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts
Danny told Ryan that he was gonna sing his heart out tonight, and that’s exactly what he did. But the real question is – did he sing it well? My answer – I don’t know if his voice was tired, but he sounded like he was forcing the high notes to come out. There was a lot of emotion, yes, but emotion does not equate to a good performance.
Allison Iraheta – Don’t Speak by No Doubt
Oh. My. God. There are no words to describe how AMAZING Allison was last night. She had crazy pink hair, she totally rocked out on her guitar – I absolutely loved it. Every song choice she made has been great so far. Simon wasn’t too crazy about her outfit and spent some time being nitpicky, but who cares?! She stands out, she sounds great, what more do you want?
Scott MacIntyre – Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel
After such an energetic performance, Scott MacIntyre was pretty anticlimactic. Song choice was a bit boring and he was a little pitchy in some parts. Still, this was one of his better performances. He actually sounds better without the band backing him up.
Matt Giraud – You Found Me by The Fray
I’m not the biggest fan of The Fray – I think all their songs sound the same. And Matt didn’t bring anything new to the song. In fact, he went off-key several times and sounded a bit nervous. The judges slammed him tonight and like Megan, I think we won’t be seeing Matt on the show for very long.
Lil Rounds – Surrender by celine Dion
I don’t know what I did to deserve being screamed at, but whatever it is Lil – I’m sorry!!! Of all the artists out there, I don’t know why she had to pick Celine Dion. It was the wrong song choice to make, and it shows in her pitchy, almost desperate performance.
Adam Lambert – Play that Funky Music by Wild Cherry
Adam is always a delight to watch, and after his amazing performance last week, I was looking forward to his turn. What he wanted to do was try to make an old song current and while his performance was great to watch, he didn’t add anything new to the song. This is the kind of karaoke performance Simon would hate, and he did end up picking on Adam for it.
Kris Allen – Ain’t No Sunshine
Now THIS is how you make an old song sound new. I haven’t really paid much attention to Kris in the show but tonight, he had me on the edge of my seat. He was on the piano with string players backing him up, and he was amazing. Beautiful arrangement, perfect pitch and intonation, his best performance to date.
