It was a less than impressive night as the final 7 took the stage on American Idol last night. While these are arguably some of the best top contestants ever seen on Idol, last night’s performances weren’t the greatest of the season. The theme this week was Inspirational Songs. While many of the contestants had a good song choice, a few seemed to miss the memo, or at least could have chosen more wisely. Here’s a quick re-cap of how it all went down.
Casey James: Casey is doing consistently well week after week, but it seems like the audience isn’t really getting anything different. Last night he sang, “Don’t Stop (Yesterday’s Gone)” by Fleetwood Mac. Although he claimed to pick the song because it’s one of his favorites, it wasn’t the best song choice for him considering the roster of inspirational songs that exist. Overall, it was a good performance, but not great. His vocals were strong, but his overall performance needed a little something more. Although it’ll be no surprise if he makes it to the final three come season end, he needs a little more than his charming looks and a pretty smile to keep him going in the competition.
Lee DeWyze: It’s probably safe to say that if Lee isn’t going to be this year’s American Idol, he’ll definitely be runner up. The man can sing and puts on an incredible performance each and every week. With the judge’s utmost approval and compliments the past few weeks, Lee will no doubt become a rock star no matter what the outcome on Idol is. Last night he sang, “The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkel and gave one of his best Idol performances to date. His vocals were flawless and performance was full of emotion. He made an old song contemporary and spoke to the audience. Watching Lee perform one forgets they are watching a singing competition. Definitely the top performance of the night.
Tim Urban: Although Tim’s performance last night wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great either. He keeps falling in that middle line week after week. Singing, “Better Days” by the Goo Goo Dolls, the arrangement of the song and his performance was both un-lively and somewhat predictable. He really didn’t do anything to the song to make it his own or make him stand out, and really didn’t give the song the credit it deserves as a great song. Perhaps it was another example of poor song choice for last night’s theme combined with Tim needing take his performances up a notch in order to further in the competition.
Aaron Kelly: It is no doubt that Aaron has a powerful voice for a 17 year old and it’s that strong voice that has gotten him this far in the competition. Last night however, he seemed to have missed the mark. Singing “I believe I Can Fly” by R. Kelly, he definitely showcased his ability to hit those high notes and he clearly was into the performance, but it wasn’t his greatest. His usually stable voice seemed a bit pitchy at times. Although it was a favourite song of his and one that Aaron has been singing since he was a toddler, it was perhaps too big of a song to take on.
Siobhan Magnus: Her ability to hit those high notes and eclectic personal style is what sets Siobhan apart from the rest of the Idol contestants, so it was no surprise for her to take on a huge song for this week’s Inspirational Songs theme. Singing “When You Believe” by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, is not an easy task for any singer, no matter how good you are. Being compared to two of the world’s greatest artists of all time is also a risk. But Siobhan took her confidence and gave it a shot anyway. Unfortunately, her performance lacked that wow factor she usually delivers and the arrangement of the song was a bit flat and boring. She does deserve credit for being the only Idol contestant to continuously back herself up with her song choices, but in the end words won’t cut it, its who’s the best singer and performer that takes the title. Maybe she’s a little too different for America?
Michael Lynche: Big Mike as he’s always referred to on Idol delivered big vocals as always last night on Idol. Singing “Hero” by Chad Kroeger, Mike gave a solid performance and always seems to put his own spin on every song he performs. Those two qualities alone are what keeps him going in the competition and will likely keep him going for awhile longer. Although last night’s performance was strong, it wasn’t his best, especially compared to the outstanding performance he gave last week. His only downfall this week was in song choice. It’s not a top choice for the Inspirational Songs theme and not really an inspirational song at all. He likely could have done better with a different song.
Crystal Bowersox: What is left to say about Crystal that hasn’t already been said over and over again-the woman is incredible, a natural performer, and has a fantastic vocal range. She really is on a league of her own in this competition and has been from day one. To say she’ll take the American Idol title for 2010 may be pre-mature, but it definitely won’t be a surprise. With flawless vocals, Crystal took on “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield. This is yet again a fantastic song choice by Crystal. She always seems to pick a song, often one unfamiliar to most Idol viewers and make it her own, always delivering above and beyond. Her raw emotion at the end of last night’s performance demonstrated how genuine she is as a person. For the few minutes Crystal sings each and every week, audiences are taken away to a true performance rather than just another competition.
Rosanna Bonura - Rosanna Bonura is a member of the Professional Writers Association of Canada. She is a freelance writer for various publications ...
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