Idol Chatter

American Idol: Season Seven; Top 8 Boys and Girls

March 4, 2008—-The final eight men are standing. It's the last cut before the bigger stage, the bigger audience, and bigger controversy to up ratings. And it's '80s night on "Idol!" Aren't you all excited?

Luke Menard starts the show and I immediately predict this is going to be a disaster. It's not that Menard is a bad singer, because he's not. He just doesn't stand up well to the other contestants like the three Davids or Danny Noriega. There's a severe lack of personality with this one, which will ultimately be the end for him. He sings Wham's, "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," and I shudder because George Michael is one of my all-time favorites. I just know he's going to murder it. And, what do you know? He does. His vocal is all over the place, pitchy and he really just has a cheesy stage presence throughout the entire number. I'm over him, and America will be too, come Thursday night.

Next it's David Archuleta seated at a piano. This can only mean another sappy ballad, and it does. He chooses Phil Collins', "Another Day in Paradise," which is fine, but the whole execution of the number seems really contrived. It's almost as if he thought to himself, "I totally won America over with my rendition of 'Imagine,' so I think I'll do another ballad to make sure I get into the Top 12. Oh, and I'll make it sappier, too!" David has a beautiful voice, and he's proven this to us with all of his past performances. But it would've been nice to see him choose something a little more age-appropriate (This kid is only 17), and that wasn't about depression or homelessness. He'll sail right through, without a doubt. But for Archuleta, he's going to have to start showing his upbeat side before we all want to kill ourselves with his ballads.

Danny Noriega, one of my favorites, chooses "Tainted Love," which is a
song that many are familiar with. He prowls like a mountain lion a little too much for my taste, but delivers a decent vocal. Every time Noriega performs, I become envious of his ability to completely let go and be himself. I only wish to have done the same. Performing on "Idol," I remember being scared shitless about what people would think of me, how high my speaking voice was, making sure my wrists were not at all limp—basically hoping that no one would figure out I was gay. With Noriega, he's completely 100-percent himself, and I admire that. He's part of what makes watching this show so much fun because you can't wait to hear what he'll say next and how much sass he'll deliver the line with. I hope he makes it into the Top 12, but after watching a video clip about him from a few years ago saying something like, "I hope Santa Claus rapes your f*&%$#@ mother," I'm not so sure. I hope America forgives his punk past, because he's really talented.

David Hernandez, another victim of the Idol Controversy, chooses Celine Dion's, "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." It's an interesting song choice for him, but it's one that works. His powerhouse vocals really suit the song quite well. This is the best performance of the night, and the judges agree. Whether or not he used to be a stripper and perform lap dances completely nude, he's incredibly talented. It should be about the vocal ability, not someone's past issues. If everyone's shortcomings and mistakes were publicized, we'd all be reminded that we're human. Hernandez is no exception. We're completely unaware of his situation, why he chose to strip and if he actually did. I say we let the past stay in the past and enjoy him and his talent on "Idol." He absolutely deserves to be where is, and to be placed in the Top 5.

Michael Johns, whom I don't normally care for because of his awkward stage presence and hopping, chooses, "Don't You Forget About Me," and I'm completely taken by the performance. It's ballsy, it's got some range to it, and he does a very solid job. He still has that awkward presence about him, but it doesn't bother me as much this time. This just might be the performance that guarantees him a spot in the Top 12.

David Cook, the resident rocker of the season, chooses a Lionel Richie song, "Hello," but makes it completely his own by playing his electric
guitar and turning it into a rock ballad--not something entirely different than what Daughtry would've done had he chosen this song. His vocal is flawless, and seems incredibly relaxed on the stage. You can tell by the way he carries himself that he's not about anything else other than the music, which also leads to him coming off as a seasoned veteran when it comes to performing. Cook's ridiculously talented, and is definitely Top 12 material.

The "guy with the dreadlocks," Jason Castro, follows Cook and chooses, "Hallelujah." A song that Jeff Buckley made popular, Castro takes it in a very stripped down, acoustic direction. I'm semi-familiar with the song, but I like his voice in this because it's completely naked. I still can't picture anything other than Jason Mraz when I think of Castro, but there's still a market out there for artists like that, so Castro's definitely worthy of his place. The judges eat his performance up, including Simon, so this makes me think they want Castro to do very well. The more I listen to him, the more he grows on me, and the more I enjoy him.

Finally, we have Chikezie, who sings a song that both Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross made popular in the '80s. He's pretty solid at first, but starts to lose his sense of pitch towards the middle and into the end of the song. I love his tone, and voice, but he's one of those performers who are a little forgettable. When you've got David Archuleta, David Cook and David Hernandez, along with Danny Noriega, you almost forget about Chikezie because we don't really know enough about him to be able to relate to him. His personality is almost never shown or captured and is just this guy who can sing. Unfortunately, that hurts you in the end...

...March 5, 2008—-I decided to watch "Idol" from a friend's house tonight, not only to switch things up, but also to see if watching "American Idol" in HD makes any difference. If you're wondering, it really doesn't.

Asia'h Epperson starts walking down the stairs, singing "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," by Whitney Houston. She sounds great, but her outfit is all wrong. It's this strange pink top that's missing a Hello Kitty sticker, paired with these lavender pants that don't make any sense whatsoever. It's as if the stylist was trying to make her appear like she was ten-years-old. It just didn't work, and quite frankly didn't help her performance whatsoever. Regardless of the wardrobe malfunction, she pulls the song together nicely, and still remains one of my picks for the Top 12. Just never wear that outfit again.

Kady Malloy follows, and I notice a vast improvement in both her makeup application as well as hair styling. She seems to carry herself a lot different as well, as in previous episodes; she's come off cold, and bitchy. She comes off warmer tonight; almost approachable as she sings a Queen number that I'm not familiar with. Although she looked more put-together than usual, the performance didn't quite do anything for me. The judges noticed an improvement over last week, but I don't think it was enough of one for her to get through to the Top 12. This may be her final performance.

Amanda Overmyer is next, and I'm hoping she redeems herself from last week's dreadful performance. Joan Jett's, "I Hate Myself For Loving You," is her song of choice, and the song is perfect for her. She dresses a lot more comfortably, the hair is toned down, and the vocal really sits well on this song. My only critique is that she tries to not sing towards the ground so much, as if she's looking for a quarter she dropped on the floor. She almost never looks into the camera, and it would be nice if she tried to sell the audience (America) on her song. Other than that, this just might be the performance that saves her, and cements her place in the Top 12.

Carly Smithson, one of my favorites, chooses, "I Drove All Night," and it's flawless. The thing I love most about Smithson is that when she gets up to perform, you know you're in for some huge notes, and a sing-your-ass-off vocal. She never half-asses it, and she's become such a force to be reckoned with in this competition. She is by far the best vocalist out of anyone this year, but her attitude never shows that, and it's so refreshing. Another great thing about her is that she's starting to morph into a very polished, beautiful girl that you can imagine being a successful recording artist. She's consistently solid and will make it into the final two of this competition. Trust.

America's favorite horse whisperer, Kristy Lee Cook, chooses Journey's, "Faithfully," and doesn't quite win me over tonight. After she finishes and waits for her critique from the judges, I notice Paula in Simon's lap for some reason, and then tells Kristy, "I have nothing but positivity to say." Yes, she said, "positivity,"--Oh, Paula, I love you.--In Lee Cook's case, she's somewhat similar to Chikezie, the forgettable male contestant. When you put Lee Cook up against Ramiele Mulabay, Epperson, or Smithson, she pales in comparison, and may be eliminated this week.

Brooke White, who's still never seen a rated R movie, chose Pat Benatar's, "Love Is a Battlefield." She, like other contestants, chooses to deliver an acoustic performance of the song, and to my surprise, does it nicely. Again this, in my opinion, is another contestant who I feel pales in comparison to some of the others. Yet she really shines in her element. This is a girl who clearly knows her limits, and sticks to what she knows she does best. If everyone played the game like White does, they'd go as far as they wanted to in the competition. White is the female equivalent to Castro, where they may not have the best voices, but are still both just as deserving of their places.

Finally, to close the show, Syesha Mercado sings Whitney Houston's, "Saving All My Love For You." Another difficult song to sing, but Mercado does not disappoint. She's completely flawless on every single last note of this song, but as she draws to a close, I'm left feeling under-whelmed. It's almost as if you wanted Mercado to do a different take on a song that's been so done to death, just to be able to appreciate the song, and her artistry. One could also argue that you shouldn't choose this song unless you can sing it without flaw, which she did. Regardless, Mercado delivered an amazing vocal performance tonight, and deserves to be in the Top 12.

Regardless of everything, this is by far the most talented season of "Idol" I've seen. My Female Picks for Elimination: Kady Malloy and Kristy Lee Cook. My Male Picks for Elimination: Luke Menard and Chikezie.