Idol Chatter & Voice Views

What makes Season 11 of American Idol so special?

It’s simple.  This is as evenly matched a final five as we’ve seen on the show.

Honestly.  Tell me one year in the past where you couldn’t predict with near certainty at least one of the contestants who would make the finals?

This year?  I have no idea what will happen.

But I’ve sorted out what I think should happen after a very fine Wednesday night episode of American Idol.

The best of the night:   Joshua Ledet, for the second straight week.  Steven Tyler’s proclamation that he’s one of the best two Idol contestants ever might be a bit of an overstatement, but Joshua has found his groove.  He entertained us with “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” in the 1960s portion of the show; he mezmerized us with a brilliant vocal on “Love Somebody” to close the show.  I was worried he’d go too far over the top with the latter number.  But he was in control throughout the early part, then showed us just how special a singer he is by Joshua-izing the ending.  One word:  Wow.  “Love Somebody” was the performance of the night.

Runner-up:   I wonder if people take Jessica Sanchez for granted at this point.  I say that because she has been the most consistent of the Idol contestants since the season started.  Throw her something old, she handles it well.  Throw her a current song, ditto.  Throw her something upbeat, no problem. Ask her to slow it down, magic often happens.  Magic nearly happened with her sitting version of “You Are So Beautiful” in the second half of Wednesday’s show.  And her first-half rendition of “Proud Mary” was her best dance/sing number of the competition.

Please keep her:   Entering Wednesday’s show, I pretty much discounted Hollie Cavanagh.  Bottom three in four of the last five weeks … clearly it’s her turn to go home.  Think again.  Hollie bounced back strong last week.  If anything, she was stronger Wednesday night.  She tackled what Randy would classify as “a beast” of a song in the second half, and did just fine on “Bleeding Love.”  More impressive was her show-opening “River Deep, Mountain High,” where she pranced around the stage like a pro, wagging her fingers at the crowd, looking like she’d been doing it all her life.  Truth?  Just four or five weeks ago, she looked incredibly uncomfortable doing the same thing.

Baffled by the judges:   Skylar Laine continues to get fabulous feedback from the judges.  And she is a heck of a performer.  She can stomp across the Idol stage with the best of them.  But when she goes for the big notes, she sounds like she’s shouting more than singing.  At least to my ears.  And I don’t have the same response when Jessica or Hollie or Joshua turn up the volume.  It might be a matter of taste, but I don’t put Skylar quite in their league vocally.

Worst of the night:  Phillip Phillips, and it wasn’t even close, folks.   He tried to change up “The Letter,” stripping it of its melody, and it just didn’t work.  I’m not convinced anyone other than a die-hard Phillip Phillips fan would buy that version of the classic hit.  Then he turned in an OK, laid-back version of “Time of the Season.”  The judges congratulated him.  Hmm.  I was waiting for someone to deliver the truth:  That performance, at this stage of the competition, just isn’t good enough.  Where was the passion?  Where was the desire to win this thing?  It was pretty evident from the other contestants Wednesday night.  It was lacking in both of Phillip’s performances.

What’s he saying?:   Sometimes, the wisdom Randy Jackson delivers after 11 years on Idol amazes me.  To Phillip Phillips and Joshua Ledet, after a pretty tepid duet:  “You all two can sing anything if you be who you are.”  Say what?  And to Joshua, after his show-closing performance.  “You have to be born to do that.”  Or anything else, Randy.  Or anything else.

What should happen Wednesday:   Hollie will land in the bottom three because she always does.  Skylar will land in the bottom three because I don’t think she has the cross-over appeal of last year’s country darling, Lauren Alaina.  And Phillip Phillips will land in the bottom three for the first time because he deserves to.   And then he will go home.

What will happen Wednesday:  Phillip Phillips will be eliminated.  Or maybe Skylar.  And maybe that’s all wishful thinking.  All I know is that there’s no way Joshua, Jessica or Hollie deserve to go home after the way they performed Wednesday night.  All three were fantastic.

Go here for the song-by-song blog.  And check back tomorrow for a photo gallery from tonight’s show.

Meanwhile, here are the grades …

Joshua Ledet: “Love Somebody” — A
Joshua Ledet: “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” — A-
Hollie Cavanagh: “Bleeding Love” — A-
Jessica Sanchez: “Proud Mary” — B+
Jessica Sanchez: “You Are So Beautiful” — B+
Hollie Cavanagh: “River Deep, Mountain High” — B
Skylar Laine: “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” — B-
Phillip Phillips: “The Letter” — C
Skylar Laine: “Fortunate Son” — C
Phillip Phillips: “Time of the Season” — C