Ladies' Choice

The Idol ladies are taking the stage tonight, but first, the introduction. This is the first time this year I think I’ve heard Ryan say “this is..aMERican Idol!”. One thing that’s been held over from last year is the judges taking the stage first, and holy GUACAMOLE Jennifer Lopez is looking smoking fine. I’m not a fan of the thigh boots, but good Lord her hair is working it tonight. Stop it, Jennifer. I don’t have a crush on you. I don’t.

All of the judges give the usual speech about how you have to bring it tonight, with a little added emphasis on this being their only shot at the top 10. Steven notes he’s addicted to adrenaline, and tells the contestants they need to leave it ALL on stage tonight, to sing if it was an encore. And again, I cannot say enough how much better AI works that the judges are all performers in their own right.

Like last night (I think I failed to mention this in last night’s blog), the ladies can sing whatever they want. This is both a blessing and a curse. It’s great because you are not limited to a genre/body of work that may or may not work well with your singing style. It’s a curse because, as 9 years have proven, some of these poor things are just a mess when they have too many choices.

First up is Ta-Tynisa Wilson. Really? I wonder if she added the hyphen in Hollywood. She claimed in her audition to have been a Beyonce impersonator. And. Okay. She’s taking on, I believe this is Katy Perry, The Only Girl in the World. It would appear my bad mood may be holding over from last night. She’s more about performing than singing, and both of them are falling rather flat. I feel like she’s yelling at me on some points, and this whole thing just isn’t working for me. Steven says she sang the song beautifully…what? Jennifer says she liked her groove, but that it started off shaky. She goes onto say that she bought it home. Randy disagrees (okay, so Randy is going to be the judge with sense this season). Oh, Randy points out that it’s Rihanna (oops), and that her version was pale and her notes were sharp. In short, he didn’t like it. Jennifer says that being a performer is all about moving the crowd and that she did that. Randy said she didn’t move him. And my love for the Dawg grew three sizes just then.

Next up is Naima Adedapo. Ryan likes her dress, but I wonder what the hell she’s wearing. She’s taking on Summertime and even with the touchy feely introduction, she better KILL this. This song has too many memories with AI. Okay, to her credit, she’s changed up the arrangement completely, and her version jumps a little more like it did in Porgy and Bess. I can’t figure out what it is about her that keeps me from loving her out and out – she has a great backstory and she seems so doggone likable. I do like what she’s doing tonight, though. She’s got a Leila Hathaway/Oleta Adams vibe happening and it works for me. I don’t’ know if I’d say she KILLED it, but she did a good job. Jennifer compares her to an exotic flower in a rose garden (Jennifer, it’s that ridiculous frock she’s wearing. Glad I could clear that up for you). Randy says it’s a little lounge act for him, and I agree, but good lounge act. Not Love Boat. Randy does bring up Fantasia, and even though she didn’t KILL it (his words), admits that she made it her own (19 Entertainment? I’m still available to judge, even though the Feds have decided to figure out a way to keep me employed for 2 more weeks…but that’s another rant). Steven Tyler loves her. He has loved her since he saw her and that hasn’t changed. He compares her to Ella Fitzgerald, which is HIGH praise in my book.

Kendra Chantelle is singing some song I don’t know, but she sounds great. She won me over singing Blackbird in Las Vegas. Wait – is she singing some version of Aretha Franklin’s Ain’t No Way? Okay, I need to rewind this, I’ve spent so much time trying to figure out what this tune is that I’ve only halfway listening. Okay, I still don’t know what this song is, but I liked it – she sounds great, and looks beautiful. That last note was kind of wonky to me, but did you SEE Steven Tyler looking at her like he wanted to have a Kendra Sandwich? Okay, Randy clears up the mystery somewhat – it’s Christina Aguilera. Randy loved it, saying he felt connected to her and compares her to Lauryn Hill. He said that she had a few notes that didn’t work for him, but overall, nice job. Steven Tyler (not surprising to anyone who was watching his face while she was singing) said that she sounds and looks hot and says she’s the whole package. Jennifer says she has heart. She notes she fought her way into the Top 12 and that she belongs there, but that she thinks that performance just scratched the surface. Nicely done, Kendra.

Random? I kind of want to see this movie Beastly.

Rachel Zevita is going all out burlesque tonight. Oh, the throwing off the cape may not work for her in this crowd. Oh wait! This is Fiona Apple. What the hell has she done with this song? So I’ll say this – I LOVE her dress, and my inner lounge singer loves this. She works the stage and she’s a true vamp. BUT, I don’t know how this is going to go over with the judges. It was totally Broadway, and to my everlasting chagrin, they always say that like it’s a bad thing. Steven loves her swagger but says – I defacate you not – that “it’s a little too Broadway for him. Not that it’s a bad thing, I thinks it could be your niche”. And OH MY GOD GET OUT OF MY HEAD STEVEN TYLER. Rachel says she’s never done Broadway before, and Steven just lets that comment sit there (one more reason to love these judges). Jennifer says it’s obvious she belongs on a stage, and she needs to decide how she wants the audience to see her, and she wishes she could have seen more of the talent that landed her into the top twelve. Randy, obviously wanting his fellow judges to lay a little more smackdown pipe, says point blank that it wasn’t great, he didn’t like it, he didn’t get it, and that he didn’t even recognize the song.

Karen Rodriguez is singing Hero and my goodness, she’s channeling Jennifer Lopez in Selena for me. Maybe it’s how often she changes her hair up. She looks lovely and oh my gosh – she just started singing in Spanish and I love her. I love this. This is very understated and maybe she’s getting an extra boost from Rachel just being a lively mess on stage, but this is so refreshing – her gown, her voice. I’m loving this performance. And she just said “I love you Mom” which put a lump in my throat. Very nice. Jennifer keeps saying “wow”. And of course, because she’s seeing herself on stage. Jennifer compliments her on going effortlessly from English to Spanish, Randy says he loves that she was herself up there. Steven says that she needs to record that song with Jacob. In short, we all loved it.

Next up? Lauren Turner is singing yet another song that I don’t know. She’s kinda got a vamp vibe happening too, but unlike for Rachel, it’s working for her. Maybe it’s the song, but I think it’s because her vocals aren’t lost in her performance. She can really sing – she’s got this raspy thing that works and even though she kinda yelled the last note at me, I thought this was very good. Randy says “that’s how you do it”. He compares her to Amy Whinehouse (okay, I can get that), he loves her bluesy soul vibe. Me too. Steven calls her spectacular, and even though he wasn’t sure in the beginning, by the end he loved it. Jennifer says she loved it, but says she’s gotta bring it more. More tips on performing, which is awesome for these kids, but says she thought it was great.

Back from break that kid whose name I think I’m trying not to learn further because I don’t like him (the Adam Lambert knockoff) irritates me by standing next to Ryan and making a nonverbal height joke. And really? I can tell that Ryan is IRRITATED. And so am I. Know your role, kid. How rude.

Anyhoo, Ashthon Jones with the pretty eyes is singing, I think this is Monica. The song is Love All Over Me, and this is only okay for me. I don’t hear much difference from when I hear it on the radio, except maybe her notes aren’t as strong as they are on the radio. But I do like her and hope she gets to stick around past this week. On the whole, I think the ladies are stronger this season. As you can see I’ve kind of moved on from this performance – that’s how mediocre it was for me. Steven calls her Jonesy…which I like. He says she goes places with her voices and that they’ve found one. One what? I don't know...that's just what he said. Jennifer says she’s got the makings of a diva, the confidence, the big hair, the composure, and Ashthon says she gets it from her (Jennifer). And it was a sweet moment, not a cheesy one, even with the neck roll. It leads to a great exchange where Ashthon does a little Jennifer imitation, and I think Jennifer is flattered. Randy agrees with them, but says he didn’t love the song choice. In fact, none of them commented on her song, just her. Translation – we didn’t love that but we love you and want you to stick around.

Julie Zorilla is singing Breakaway. Always a risk when you sing one of the former Idols, in my opinion. In could work in a “gee-I-really-want-this” kind of way, or it could fall flat in a “wannabe” way. And while Julie looks lovely, I feel like this is falling flat for me. Maybe it’s because she’s not doing anything all that different from Kelly’s version, or maybe it’s because I really love this song and she needed to wow me. Whatever the reason, I like her, but didn’t like this. Jennifer didn’t love it – saying she didn’t know if it was completely believable. Randy says she didn’t bring anything different or new to the song (I know, it’s so sad how much they copy me), but further that she didn’t sing it as well as Kelly did. Steven says it was the wrong song for her, that perhaps if it had been a couple of keys higher it would have showcased her voice more (reference my last blog about how the judges are so much more constructive this year).

Haley Reinhart is singing Fallen, the song that got her to Hollywood. And I was about to slam her for that, but she may have known what she was doing on this one because it sounds AWESOME. She’s got one heck of a voice. Okay, I have to pause satellite here for this –

At this point, she’s singing and Jennifer’s watching, and you see Jennifer say “Come On!”, like you’ve got this girl, let it go. That might be my single favorite moment so far this season. Jennifer GETS it.

- okay, back to Haley…she can SING. Her performance is actually a little wonky for me (memo to Haley – next time get a standing mic – it’ll force you to stand still). Still, I’ll take bad movements and a great voice anyday. Oh my goodness – she worked that out. Still though, she’s going to have to sing something different to earn my total love, but that was AWESOME! Randy didn’t love it, saying it felt karaoke to him. That he loved the Joplin in her voice but that it was gone. Steven says that he thought it was the right amount of sass and sexy and if he agreed with Randy, “they’d both be wrong”. And. BWAHAHAHAHAHA. Jennifer said she loved it but that she needs to get out of her head, that she seemed like she was thinking too much about her movements. Anyhoo, she should SAIL into the top 10 based on that performance.

Thia Megia is singing one of my all time favorite songs – Out Here On My Own from the movie Fame (and I’m not just saying that because I sang it one summer at camp and even though if I were to hear the tape now I’d think it sucked, I was really feeling it in 1985). Oh, the spotlight and the a capella…nice. She’s one of the teenagers, right? I love this. I love her. She looks beautiful and I can’t believe she’s this composed on this big stage. Some might say this was a little TOO understated, but I really think it worked. Of course, I could be biased. She’s FIFTEEN. Steven comments on her perfect pitch, and that it was beautiful. Jennifer loves the quiet moment in the middle of all of these big performances. And. Word. She said it was special. Randy says that the mark of a great singer is the quality of the tone, and that her tone reminds him of Michael Jackson and that’s he loves her. Ryan says that he’s going to need proof that she’s only 15. She was remarkably composed. I really liked that. I’m glad the judges did too.

Lauren Alaina has straightened her hair and is working some Reba McEntire. She’s good, and another one that I don’t believe is only 16. I think the band may have overpowered her a bit, but all in all, that was very good. Jennifer loves it. Randy says he likes it, but there’s so much more in there for her, and he compares her of a cross between Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, and that he wonders if she knows how good she is. Steven says it was good, but she doesn’t need to power sing every time, that he misses it when she doesn’t sing understated. Lauren calls Ryan “Peaches” because they are both from Georgia…and I kinda love it.

Pia Toscano closes out the night with the Pretenders’ I’ll Stand By You, and I love it. I love the beginning of this. She looks so beautiful…and she’s slaying this. Her vocals are lovely, and she’s got power in all the right places – very nice. You can see by Randy’s face that he loves this. Oh, she got the standing ovation from the judges. Yeah, it was that good. Randy says yo about 15 times and then he says she put herself in the top with such amazing vocals. Steven says “After Monday and Tuesday, even a week says WTF”. I think that’s his way of saying that she rocked it (and that Paula’s cup isn’t gone). Jennifer says she was a little tricky, that as good as they knew she was, she was saving that performance for when it counted. It was awesome. Congrats, Pia.

All in all, I think tonight was stronger than last night – I would probably keep more of the girls than the boys, that whole five and five thing sucks. But it would not surprise me if the judge’s picks are all women.



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