Wednesday, February 24, 2010

American Idol Recap: Top 12 Females

OK, this is how my recaps are going to work this season:

After the night(s) that the contestants perform, I'm going to review the performances in order and provide my personal thoughts. On the day after the results show each week, I'm going to post a quick recap of that show as well as a overall Weekly Power Ranking (that will be more performance/judges' comments/popularity based than my own opinions - which ALWAYS seem to be in conflict with the reality of the show).

I can't wait to hear your thoughts and opinions and, yes, I can easily be paid off.

The ladies kicked off season nine last night and here's how it went:


Paige MilesAll Right Now (Free)
Was her performance good or bad? I watched it three times and still can’t tell. I agreed with Simon in that her voice seemed pretty solid but the song felt kinda generic for her – and to be fair, I really like that song.

Ashley RodriguezHappy (Leona Lewis)
I know most people are picking A-Rod as an early front runner, but that was pretty rough to sit through. My biggest problem with her after Hollywood week was that she comes off as bland and generic and this less than stellar performance only confirmed that for me.

Janelle WheelerWhat About Love (Heart)
I’m pretty sure I saw the exact same performance at my local sports bar on karaoke night last week (only the sports bar performance was way better).

Lilly ScottFixing a Hole (The Beatles)
Just because of the uniqueness of her voice, I liked her the best of the first four contestants so far, but something still felt a little off. I would love to see a little more of her though and hope Denver voted strong because I think she could be just starting to come into her own if given another chance.

Katelyn EpperlyOh! Darling (The Beatles)
FINALLY! I was beginning to doubt my ears or the quality of the contestants but Katelyn reminded me what a legit contender can sound like. Loved the bluesy rasp to her voice and she came off as an original. Solid performance overall.

Haley VaughnI Wanna Hold Your Hand (The Beatles)
I was tough on Colorado native coming out of Hollywood and I’m a little conflicted after this performance. On one hand, I really liked the arrangement of the song but I really don’t like her voice – especially the way she pronounces the lyrics. I could see her sticking around and people getting behind her but I think she might lose me due to my fixation on her pronunciation.

Lacey BrownLandslide (Fleetwood Mac)
One of my favorite contestants doing one of my favorite songs of all time. No chance she sticks around after last night because I enjoyed it way too much. I loved it and that’s always bad news for any contestant. Sorry Lacey.

Michelle DelamorFallin (Alicia Keys)
I liked Michelle coming out of Hollywood week but was nervous when Ryan said she would be doing such a recognizable song from such a recognizable artist but somehow she delivered. For the first time tonight, I actually have to agree with Ellen in that the performance felt safe. Simon also nailed it in that there wasn’t a “wow” moment but the good news is that she didn’t screw it up – and that’s saying a lot for that song.

Didi BenamiThe Way I Am (Ingrid Michaelson)
Probably the most perfect song choice of the evening. Like I said after Hollywood week, if she can keep it all together she might the best of the bunch. Definitely agree with the judges in that we’re lacking the star quality from the contestants so far; it feels like everyone is just doing really good impressions up until now.

Siobhan MagnusWicked Game (Chris Isaak)
The Bull said it best: “Was that a dude or a chick?” Any time you have to ask that question, it’s not a good start to your American Idol run. She did a good job staying in control of her vocals on the chorus but she just started so low that it was too distracting. At the end of the day (and this is all it really comes down to), is there ANY chance she is still standing at the season finale as Ryan announces the winner? None.

Crystal BowersoxHand in My Pocket (Alanis Morissette)
I now feel like I can completely get behind Crystal. It was another great song choice that suited the performer perfectly. Make some room because I’m officially on the Bowersox bandwagon!

Katie StevensFeeling Good (Michael Bublé)
I got a lot of heat for listing her as my number one female after Hollywood week, but I have to stand by it ONLY because she is the only one singing with a big voice so far. It might not be the “best” voice but in a contest with a lot of soft, indie singers she will stick around just because she is an alternative to everyone else.

MY TOP 3 OF THE NIGHT: Lacey Brown was my absolute favorite but since I know she's going home, I'm going to go with (1) Bowersox, (2) Epperly, and (3) Stevens

MY BOTTOM 3 OF THE NIGHT: (1) Magnus, (2) Vaughn, and (3) Wheeler

Who were your favorites? Who were your least favorites? Feel free to comment below!

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