[IMG:L]Below are my assessments of Tuesday night’s standards-themed performances on American Idol, followed by a sure-to-be-dead-wrong prediction of Wednesday night’s bottom three and elimination.
Kris Allen: “The Way You Look Tonight”
Kris admitted that he wasn’t going to blow anyone away with his vocals, which certainly held true. But that’s always been the case for him; his strengths lie instead in the performance itself. Tuesday night’s performance wasn’t as top-notch as in recent weeks, and it was perhaps overly polished, but once again he crooned his way to success by (cliché alert!) making the audience feel the song.
Grade: B
Allison Iraheta: “Someone to watch Over Me”
“The only chick left in the competition” didn’t help her already slim chances at survival (she was in last week’s bottom three) with that pre-performance anecdote — but then she sung! The newly 17-year-old shocked us all (or at least yours truly) by seamlessly pulling off a ballad when her comfort zone clearly lies within the rock genre — and she even managed to keep that rocker sensibility intact. Even so, Allison is probably the safest bet to be eliminated this week.
Grade: B+
Matt Giraud: “My Funny Valentine”
Matt did much better on Tuesday night than he did in that jazz class he took in college. He was on key, decidedly un-pitchy (take that, Randy!), and sounded downright amazing in some spots. A great performance and much more genuine than his usual, but still, was it enough to sway viewers/voters who’ve had a beef with him for much of the competition? I’d say no, but luckily for him Allison might stand in his way elimination-wise.
Grade: B+
Danny Gokey: “Come Rain or Come Shine”
Something about Danny has always put me off, but try as I might, there’s no denying his natural, silky-smooth voice — as evidenced by the audience shrieking from the second he opened his mouth. And as always, Danny elevated his performance to an entirely different level midway through, probably more so than ever before. The result? In my opinion, his best performance yet.
Grade: A
Adam Lambert: “Feeling Good”
Ever notice how Idol producers essentially acknowledge Adam’s ratings prowess by saving him for last or next-to-last, lest viewers “change that dial” if he were to perform early on? Adam proved for the umpteenth straight week why he’s worth the wait until the end of the show, and in a word that reason is “excitement.” It wasn’t his best — and every now and then would it kill him to NOT end a song by trying to hold the world’s longest, loudest note? — but it was far from a letdown. Here’s hoping next week’s performance is less indulgent and more in the vein of “Mad World.”
Grade: B+
PREDICTIONS
Bottom Three: Matt Giraud, Allison Iraheta, Kris Allen
Eliminated: Allison Iraheta
LAST WEEK’S RECAP: Disco Night!
