Tonight, 10 of the Top 20 contestants from American Idol Season 18 return, vying for one spot in the Season 19 Top 10.
And this folks SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
Idol says it’s including the comeback twist in Season 19 because the Season 18 cast was robbed of the true Idol experience, preparing with the Idol band on a big stage with a live audience.
Because of the pandemic, Season 18 was forced to go virtual from the Top 20 on, leaving contestants performing from their homes, their garages, their back porches, etc.
I don’t disagree that the Season 18 cast was shortchanged. I wrote at the time that they “deserved a better showcase for their talent.”
But this — foisting them into Season 19 at the Top 10 level and forcing out one of the talented Season 19 cast members to make room — just isn’t fair.
Especially not when the returning singers include Louis Knight, who finished Top 7 last spring, and Arthur Gunn, who FOR CRYING OUT LOUD finished second.
It’d be a little like Idol saying, “Sorry, you got gipped out of that Season 8 title, Adam Lambert. How about coming back for Season 9? We’ll let all the other singers fight and fight and fight for a spot in the Top 10. Then we’ll axe one of them and let you fill the spot.”
Here’s what Idol should have done …
* Extend the Idol eligibility for anyone who didn’t make the Top 10. Let them return for a future season, audition again and advance as far as their talent and popularity take them.
* Allow singers who made the Top 10 to return, but not in a competitive setting. Give them a guest spot to perform a new song they’ve released. This week, Lionel Richie and Harry Connick Jr. will perform on Idol. Again, I do not tune into singing shows to see celebrities perform. I’d be far more interested in hearing Arthur Gunn or Louis Knight perform something I’d never heard before.
That’s what Idol should have done. Instead, we have tonight’s Comeback episode. And, as usual, I’ll dole out song by song grades.
Cyniah Elise: “Edge of Midnight” (Miley Cyrus feat. Stevie Nicks) — Interesting song choice for Cyniah. For those who don’t remember, she was a belter in the class of an Alyssa Wray or Grace Kinstler in last year’s early rounds. And it’s not totally working. For one thing, I don’t like this arrangement. Grade: C+
Nick Merico: “City Lights” (Nick Merico) — I love the fact that Idol allows contestants to do originals. In Nick’s case he’s singing a single he released earlier this year. And Nick certainly cut lose on stage. Lots of energy in this performance. It wasn’t pitch perfect, but it was impressive. Grade: B
Aliana Jester: “I’ll Never Love Again” (Lady Gaga) — Aliana delivered the best vocal we’ve heard so far tonight. And she certainly was emotionally connected to the song. She has the judges on their feet. I’d say she’s a long-shot to advance, but she certainly stated her case with that performance. Grade: B+
Franklin Boone: “Meant to Live” (Switchfoot) — Is American Idol trying to bring rock back? We have Casey Bishop in the Top 9. Cyniah rocked to open the night. And now Franklin is rocking out. Not sure, however, this was the best song choice for him. He was mostly a singer-songwriter on Season 18. He’s delivering energy, but the vocal is a little rough around the edges. Grade: C+
Faith Becnel: “Cry Baby” (Janis Joplin) — This is the same song Faith sang during last season’s Hawaii showcase. Not as well as she thought she could have or should have. Love ther soulful sound from this Louisiana lass. She’s another longshot among this group of 10. But you know what, the long shots are the ones delivering the best performances so far. Grade: B
Arthur Gunn: “Iris” (Goo Goo Dolls) — Arthur should be doing a guest performance, not competing on Idol again. Sorry, one season’s runner-up should not be the next season’s champ. Arthur, however, has one of those instantly recognizable voices and he’s reminding us of it in this performance. No doubt about it, that was one of tonight’s best so far. Grade: B+
DeWayne Crocker Jr.: “Voice of God” (Dante Bowe feat. Steffany Gretzinger & Chandler Moore) — DeWayne sees himself as a gospel singer, so he’s going in that direction with this song choice. Dang, I don’t remember DeWayne sounding this good last year. The vocal when he was sitting at the piano was great. It went a bit off kilter vocally when he strayed from the piano, but was still a solid performance. Grade: B–
Makayla Phillips: “Anyone” (Demi Lovato) — Makayla was one of my favorites last year, and she’s reminding me why right now. A great vocal combined with an emotional delivery will do it every time. She’s showing off her vocal firepower too. And choking up with emotion as the song ends. That was fabulous. Easily the best of the night so far. Grade: A
Olivia Ximines: “Say Yes” (Michelle Williams feat. Beyoncé & Kelly Rowland) — Her Hawaii showcase performance last year was prety special. She’s showing off her youthful vibe and her stage presence here. But the vocal isn’t going to match up well against the others we’ve heard tonight. That was fun, but also all sorts of pitchy. Grade: C–
Louis Knight: “Maybe That” (Louis Knight) — So the pimp spot goes to a guy who finished Top 7 last year. Not fair, Idol. Like Nick, Louis is performing a single he recently released. Wise use of the Idol spotlight. Nice original and nice performance by Louis. Tonight, he outperformed everyone but Makayla Phillips. Grade: A–
2 Comments
My prediction:
A finale of Arthur Gunn and a cute WGWG.
Ava August left a big void in the talent line up. One of the more shocking eliminations I’ve seen. I was mesmerized by her performances and it just feels like a huge mistake and a turn off.