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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
A choice night for ‘Idol’s final three
Life’s all about choices.
Sometimes we make the right call and are rewarded. Other times, not so much.
No pressure, right?
That’s what the three remaining “American Idol” hopefuls were up against Tuesday night. Their five-month journey culminates next week, when we’ll crown this season’s winner. But only two of them will get that far. One heads home Wednesday.
So the choices this time around were more important than ever. The right song. The right dance moves. The right clothes. The right hair. The right … everything.
How’d they do? Here’s what we thought, in order of appearance:
Round 1: Judges’ picks
David Archuleta: “And So It Goes,” Billy Joel. Paula picked this one, and she didn’t do David any favors. It was way too slow and pageanty — two of the traps he’s repeatedly fallen into this season. But this one was even worse than usual. It felt like we were listening to a lullaby. Throw in some warm milk, a Teddy bear and some comfortable jammies and you’ve got the makings of a great night’s sleep. Maybe he’s hoping to snag an endorsement deal with Lunesta. Randy: “Paula chose a dope song for you.” Paula: “It was a pure and stunning performance.” Simon: “It was very good. No surprises. A bit predictable.” Our grade: C-
Syesha Mercado: “If I Ain’t Got You,” Alicia Keys. Randy selects a song by Syesha’s favorite singer. Sounds like a big break, right? But there’s a risk associated with singing something current. Comparisons to the original artist are inevitable. Sure, she did a great job, but Syesha’s no Alicia Keys. Randy: “You did an amazing job on it.” Paula: “I’m very proud that you’re the last lady standing there.” Simon: “You sang that very well, Syesha.” Our grade: A-
David Cook: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Roberta Flack. Simon said up front that this was a tough one for David. And he was (partially) right. A case of puberty voice near the top made us feel like we were sitting in a high-school assembly, listening to some pimply faced choir kid. Thankfully things got better. The finish was pretty spectacular. Shots of his mom, standing alone in the audience, clutching her heart, were a sweet touch, too. And so very manipulative. Kudos to you, showrunners. Randy: “I wish Simon would have picked something that wasn’t as predictable.” Paula: “That is one of my favorite songs, and now you’re my second favorite person who sings it.” Simon: “I thought it was actually one of your best performances to date.” Our grade: B+
Round 2: Contestants’ picks
David Archuleta: “With You,” Chris Brown. What a freakin’ joke! This one had us laughing — and for all the wrong reasons. When we think of a suave ladies’ man, David isn’t the guy who pops into our head. Instead, he’s the exact opposite — the good kid fathers want their daughters to date. So, yeah, this totally didn’t work. But he sure gets credit for trying. Randy: “I’m not sure that was the right song.” Paula: “I really think you should be singing songs like this.” Simon: “It was a little bit like a chihuahua trying to be a tiger. … It’s not really you.” Our grade: B-
Syesha Mercado: “Fever,” Peggy Lee. We can’t see you, Syesha! The guy running the lights needs to start looking for a new job. Shadows obscured her beautiful face for most of this one. We were, thankfully, able to hear her just fine though. That was a treat, as always. Does sex sell on “Idol”? She sure seems to think so, with all that slinking around the stage and the oh-so-risque … chair. We’ll get our answer Wednesday night. Randy: “You sang it amazingly well.” Paula: “I’m surprised you picked this one.” Simon: “I think you will probably regret that decision tomorrow.” Our grade: B+
David Cook: “Dare You to Move,” Switchfoot. Once again, David went way, way too deep at the beginning and ended up sounding like a stuffed-up patient waiting to see an ear, nose and throat doctor. We don’t want to hear that. Ever. He quickly recovered though. Isn’t modern medicine great? And did anyone see the woman in the audience holding up the “Cougars for Cook” sign? Gag. Randy: “It wasn’t your best tonight.” Paula: “I wanted more.” Simon: “I don’t think it’s the most melodic song in the world.” Our grade: B
Round 3: Producers’ picks
David Archuleta: “Longer,” Dan Fogelberg. Yet another David A. special: the kind of song our ballad-loving boy adores, even if it’s a not-so-wise choice for someone trying to appeal to hordes of screaming teenage girls. Maybe it’d work if, as Simon pointed out, a bunch of 90-year-olds were doing all the voting. We will give him credit for making an attempt to make more eye contact with the crowd, a piece of advice tossed his way a few weeks back. Randy: “You could sing the phonebook.” Paula: “It was a lovely performance.” Simon: “I thought the song and the lyrics were absolutely horrible.” Our grade: B
Syesha Mercado: “Hit Me Up,” Gia Farrell. No, no, no! You want to go out on a memorable note … and that’s not what we got. Not even close. Just when we thought Syesha had found her way, she appears to have taken a sharp turn off course. A turn that likely cost her a spot in the finals next week. Randy: “It was just OK for me.” Paula: “I don’t know if it’s the type of song that defines you as Syesha the artist.” Simon: “It’s a little bit forgettable.” Our grade: C-
David Cook: “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” Aerosmith. Dude, stop doing that with your voice. It doesn’t sound good — and it certainly can’t feel good. Right about now we’re picturing bloody, ulcerated vocal cords. Not a pleasant image. There were things — shock!!! —- we actually liked. For instance, we were digging the interesting arrangement that mixed rock with violins. Let’s just say David’s a smart guy with an all-but-guaranteed spot in the finals. Nice way to end the show. Randy: “It was OK for me. Very predictable.” Paula: “See ya in the finals.” Simon: “David Cook wins the night.” Our grade: A-
Our pick to get the boot: Syesha. Duh.
Let us know what you think, dear “Idol” fans. And be sure to vote in our handy dandy poll. Until Wednesday night …
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