Ignore Idol’s way too easy to please judges.
That was an Idol episode without a moment.
Blame the song choices, because some of the fault certainly lies there.
Blame the contestants for not doing more with the songs, because a little of the fault lies there.
But, in the end, the evening did very little to prove who’s deserving of being in the finals and who isn’t.
If anything, if might have muddled the picture a wee bit.
The recap:
Jessica Sanchez: She had the worst song choices of the night. She seemed to be straining to hit the notes in Mariah Carey’s “My All.” I’m not sure what she was supposed to make of the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There,” but the huge glory note at the end was the only glorious thing about that performance. Steven Tyler said she made Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” better than the original. But it was far from her best performance. I think maybe, just maybe, Jessica had the weakest night of the top 3.
Idol should be ashamed: It’s one of the most important shows of the season. And Idol allows the song reveals to be turned into a commercial for some sort of cell phone music gadget that I won’t name because it already got way too much screen time on tonight’s show. Are you kidding me? You want your singing show to have credibility, Nigel? More credibility than The Voice or Duets or The X Factor? Don’t pull stupid, stupid stunts like that.
Joshua Ledet: Vocally, Joshua’s capable of so much, he sometimes does too much. That was certainly the case Wednesday in the middle of his first song (“I’d Rather Go Blind”) and his last, a very afflicted performance of “No More Drama” that the judges praised and that I didn’t like one little bit. He seemed off rhythm in the middle of the song and went a wee bit too wild at the end. In between, he performed a more controlled version of “Imagine,” a song that’s been done better on American Idol before. It was a night when Joshua had a chance to prove he was clearly the best of the final three, and failed to capitalize.
FOX should be ashamed: A dating show called The Choice. With four hot guys in twirling chairs forced to decide whether they’d want a date with a girl based on her “voice.” As she tempts them with offers to show them tattoos in hidden spots on her body. Wow, does that look like one horrendous show. But I’m hoping NBC responds with a spoof of the Idol judges. Because spoofing them wouldn’t be difficult. And it might be downright hilarious for the first 10-15 minutes. Which I imagine will be about the lifespan for “The Choice.”
Phillip Phillips: I was actually feeling Phillip Wednesday night. Certainly when he performed “Beggin'” as his judge-selected number. Definitely when he performed Matchbox 20’s “Disease” as his song choice. The judges thought it was too subdued. Ah, yes, these would be the same judges who praised a subdued performance of “Volcano” from Phillip. Go figure. Anyway, I liked everything Phillip did Wednesday until Jimmy had him sing a Bob Seger ballad to close the show. Anyone who heard it knows it proved one thing. Phillip doesn’t sing as well as Joshua or Jessica. But taking all three performances together, Phillip held his own.
Grading Jimmy Iovine: I really looked forward to the last third of the show, figuring who better to pick great songs for the contestants than Jimmy Iovine, the guy who’d been helping mentor them all season. His song choice for Joshua was fine. But a 40-year-old song for Jessica? A song Michael Jackson sang when he was like 12? I know you want Jessica to act her age, Jimmy. But that might have been going too young. And having Phillip sit behind a mike, minus his guitar and sing a ballad was not playing to his strengths. Not at all. Song choice grade: C-
Baffled by the judges: Yeah, I was baffled by them most of the night. They didn’t like Phillip’s Matchbox 20 song, and I thought it was one of the best of the night. They loved watching Joshua stomp around the stage and take off his jacket, apparently mistaking enthusiasm for a standout performance. And they thought Phillip had a moment with “We’ve Got Tonight.” Which tells me they had decided it was going to be special before Phillip murdered it in all the wrong ways.
What should happen Thursday: Forget Wednesday’s show. It solved nothing. It’s best off ignored. The best two singers all season have been Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet. They deserve to square off in the finale, with Phillip Phillips bowing out Thursday night. That said, I thought Phillip narrowed the gap a wee bit with his first two performances on Wednesday.
What will happen Thursday: Did you watch those hometown visits closely? It appeared the crowds were much larger for Jessica and Phillip than for Joshua. And Joshua trails them badly on social media sites. Those are votes, folks. And those are obstacles I don’t think Joshua is going to be able to overcome. So I expect him to be eliminated Thursday night, leaving us with a finale that pits Phillip against Jessica.
If you missed the song-by-song blog, head here. For convenience sake, I’ve listed all the grades below.
And check in tomorrow. I’ll post a photo blog of tonight’s performances and track down predictions from other Idol followers around the web.
The grades …
Phillip Phillips: “Disease” — B+
Phillip Phillips: “Beggin'” — B+
Joshua Ledet: “I’d Rather Be Blind” — B
Joshua Ledet: “Imagine” — B
Jessica Sanchez: “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing” — B
Jessica Sanchez: “My All” — B-
Jessica Sanchez: “I’ll Be There” — C+
Joshua Ledet: “No More Drama” — C-
Phillip Phillips: “We’ve Got Tonight” — C-
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6 Comments
I am a Phillip Phillips fan. I traveled to Leesburg, GA for his homecoming. It’s not a white guy with guitars attraction for me. First I will say that yes, Joshua and Jessica sing very well. I was splitting votes until I saw Phillip perform live. He was so at ease when he performed. He is so humble also. He just loves doing it. I believe he would be just as happy performing for a small crowd that he could interact with as an auditorium full of people. His homecoming was fantastic and he didn’t stand up there and just sing. He jammed…he laughed…he sang…he joked….he had fun. He is also proving that he can endure the pressure of being an artist. He has been consistant throughout in his own fashion, even fighting the pain of kidney stones. One very noticeable thing for me; when he smiles that smile, you know he is in his element, which is having fun doing what he loves.
The best Imagine has been sung was by David Archuleta….that was a big mistake singing that since David A. blew it out of the water. Joshua goes over the top on every song he sings. I just do not like his voice. Jessica has a beautiful voice but, sometimes too perfect…. Philip is just a doll that the girls goes crazy over and I think the guys like him too but they don’t vote much. I am an older lady and I think he is just adorable and has an unusual voice that I think will sell on the radio. Out of the 3 he is the only one I would buy a cd from. I love his voice and he has a great look and personality that people love. He was so humble when he went home…not a conceited bone in his body, so had my vote from last night. He was amazing last night.
It takes guts to to Imagine but when almost everyone agrees that David Archuleta had the best moment in idol history with his interpretation it should not be attempted.
Joshua’s homecoming was huge, not sure what you were watching.
Also, Phillips sang very well on “We Got Tonight”. Not sure what you were hearing, but his voice had subtleties throughout the whole song. He even sounded like Cocker in moments.
That’s my opinion.
Otherwise, I agree with most of what you had written.
to american idol . . .do not be bias and give phillips better songs to sing than jessica . . . i won’t be surprised if phillips will win . . .after all i think american idol is not about choosing the best singer. . .it is a popularity contest or rather a beauty pageant . . .