British Invasion Week

Haley Scarnato
Ok, her performances are growing on me. This week I didn’t mind her. However, she sounded out of breath and unable to support some of her notes on the chorus while she was moving (gyrating?) around the stage and floor. (I still don’t like her choice in outfits – looked like Gap linen shorts and a gold lame halter that was double-stick-taped to her back.)

Chris Richardson
I like Chris’ versatility. He showed a more vulnerable side to his performing. I don’t typically like slower songs, but I appreciated seeing “the softer side” of Chris. I agreed with the judges that he showed a lot control and was less pitchy with this style of arrangement. I hope he tries one performance without his nasal tone. I’m curious what it would sound like.

Stephanie Edwards
I think she is the undiscovered talent of the show. Stephanie has an incredible voice and stage presence, but hasn’t had a breakout performance yet… She looked a little nervous this week (hence, the judges said she didn’t look like she had fun). Her notes were a little sharp (pitchy) this week.

Blake Lewis
A fun, redeeming performance from Blake over last week. I liked hearing the original melody line of the song mixed with a modern sound. (I typed that before Simon said it, btw!) I liked having the beatbox ‘sound’ in the background as he was singing. It tied his style into the music without him having to change it too much. His voice was a great fit compared to the original artist, don’t you think?

Lakisha Jones
Lakisha is such a pro at performing, although she seemed a little disconnected this week. Nerves, maybe? Her ending showcased the incredible power and timbre in her voice. And who wouldn’t love to be wearing $1M in diamonds?!?

Phil Stacey
Probably his best performance thus far. Poor guy, it doesn’t sound like Simon likes him too much. I don’t consider Phil to be an American Idol, but I still think he is a talented singer. He was much better with his final vocal run this week.

Jordin Sparks
“That was so empowering and I don’t even have a boyfriend.” How cute is she? I got goose bumps as she sang. Wow! Her vocal master classes are really shaping her voice and assisting her vocal stylizing. I always look forward to hearing her sing each week!

Sanjaya Malakar
It was nice to finally see an upbeat performance from Sanjaya (not that I personally liked it any better). The singing (using that term loosely here) was not Top 10 material though… VFTW sure knows how to pick them. (Yes, that was dripping with sarcasm)

What was up with continuously showing the young pigtailed girl crying??? I guess it made for a great sarcastic Simon comment and sappy camera moment.

Gina Glocksen
I love Gina. She is the awesome rocker chick I always wanted to be in high school. Needs a little work on annunciation still, but still enjoyable. Rock on, Gina!

Chris Sligh
His voice sounded perfect for this song. I loved how his voice “floats” in this range. The chorus sounded a little rushed (just slightly). It was a little distracting seeing some of the audience as he walked through (they were clapping way offbeat, hello!). Once Chris was back on stage, I liked his performance much better.

Melinda Doolittle
For being “out of her comfort zone” (her words), Melinda knows how to pull off a polished and well-sung performance. I would love to see her in the finale.

Who was your favorite performance of the night? Who do you think is “the most improved” so far? Who should go home??? Who do you think will actually go home???

By TVJunkie Jenn | Comments Off
Filed under: American Idol, Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Gina Glocksen, Haley Scarnato, Jordin Sparks, Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar, Stephanie Edwards

This week’s intro piece divulged a little known secret about each contestant.

Blake Lewis (Alter-persona comedian)
I enjoy Blake’s sense of style and confidence as a performer. I love that we have a contestant with more of a hiphop edge. He’s original and I always expect a good performance from him. I was surprised Randy and Paula had not heard the song… I’m quite sure I have. That was odd.

Sanjaya Malakar (with straight hair and a hula fetish)
Agreed with Simon that there was improvement over the past week. Vocally, I thought his voice had a great tone and warmness, but his song choices are “safe” to me. Then again, I see him as a ballad singer, so singing something different might not fit him. This week’s piece allowed him to show more of his range and strength, but was still “a-ight”. He’s got the cute kid vote from America.

Sundance Head (The Man with the Fat Suit)
I always think of Meatloaf when I see and hear Sundance sing. I enjoyed his rendition of Pearl Jam, although I never really thought of them as “singers”. He is this week’s pick for VFTW.

Chris Richardson (Less 40)
Boy, you still looked good in your “chunky” football days. Nice to see a non-bouncy performance from Chris. Found this article on the hometown boy and his very own fan forum.

Jared Cotter
Fun song choice and challenging, too. The chorus was a little rough, but the verse and bridge sounded smooth and on-key. Having been on this side of the screen, I didn’t “feel” that Jared was yelling. It sounded full and powerful. His movement on the stage flows, but still pushes the border into over-performing.

Brandon Rogers (The classic pianist – awesome!)
I enjoyed his energy and choice of song. I still think he can do so much more and hope he’ll make it back to show his stuff.

Phil Stacey (the self-imposed bald guy)
Tough song. I looked for the trax to sing it for a performance once and decided the range was too broad (for my non-Idol voice LOL). You have to have a strong upper and lower register to really make this song float and sound natural.

Chris Sligh (Curly Sue Sligh)
Loved the song choice (although the judges didn’t). Chris has a full, rich sounding voice – I thought this song

By TVJunkie Jenn | Comments Off
Filed under: American Idol, Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar