Ok, so we're finally here. After a ton of auditions that I am sure lead to Simon taking stock in Excedrin, Paula to take stock of Johnnie Walker, and Randy to take stock of...well, who in the world knows with him...we have finally made it to Studio Week 1.
The first is the guys. Here's my breakdown of their performances:
Rudy--I thought it was an excellent opening, it took a lot of guts to be as high-energy and so enthusiastic. Simon was a little tough on him, in my opinion. I think his voice is unique and pure; Randy's comments were just....dumb.
Brandon--There are definitely not enough oooooooooooooo's in smooooooth for him, but it was a drab song. He needed to come out and wow the crowd to set himself apart, not just be known as the "backup" who is now in the lead role. I believe the commentary from the judges was dead on.
Sundance--a train wreck. Plain and simple. Nerves, off key, and no confidence in his voice. Simon again was rough on him, but he took it like a champ. His performance in Hollywood was already extremely shaky, this could have doomed him.
Paul--What's up with all of the ballads suddenly? I still can't believe that voice comes from him, but he has strength and character to him, and tackling a song like "Careless Whisper" is not an easy one. He really tripped on the falsetto but I think overall it was decent. Out of all of the judges, I actually thought Randy was actually the most "beneficial".
Chris--Well, it's a mystery where Chris got his rhythm, as his parents can't stay on beat..It's pure comedy. The song was actually with his range, and he did a decent job with it, not anything that was HUGE, but a good performance overall. As Simon said, another "safe" showing.
Nick--Yet another ballad, good grief!! I thought he was a little "pitchy", as Randy says at least 15 times an hour, but it was a breathy rendition that was.....ok. Did anyone notice how Paula immediately flipped on her comments when Simon liked it? Talk about flaky.....
Blake--I like this guy simply because he is one of the most unique I've seen and his musical talents are amazing. He has the "boy band" persona that should carry him decently far. As far as the song selection, it kind of took away from the energy I think most people will expect from him. What's the deal with him oversinging his "O's"? Could have been better, it reminded me of Robert Smith of the Cure more than anything--he still should be ok.
Sanjaya--Despite the fact that my wife hates that this guy smiles nonstop with John Elway teeth, I have thought his voice has been something of value since his audition. His "Knocks Me off my Feet" was nothing compared to Elliot's from last year, which may hurt him. Personally, I think the song was too big. But his performance overall wasn't awful except for the last note--ouch. The judges were extremely hard on him, I don't think it was warranted, but I think the fact that it was another ballad may be a bad thing because of how many there had already been.
Chris--I love this guy, his personality is enough to carry him through, the fact that his voice is really good makes him that more lovable. The song choice was good, but his energy that was awesome at the beginning faded quickly during the middle of the song, it looked like he was really struggling to get to the end of it! Still, a better than average performance that should definitely bring him to the next round. (Ryan could be getting in some hot water for his repeated homophobic comments.)
Jared--uggh, the ballads are getting annoying. The fact that "America does not know him" could really be a detriment especially early. His performance was not good at all. Not even a good last note could save it. Paula's commentary was nothing short of...well, normal, but a waste of time. The judges, to me, were way too nice.
AJ--thank goodness for an upbeat song. However, AJ didn't do such a great job with it--to me, it was boring and uninspired--and off pitch much of the time. The judges were pretty sympathetic.
Phil--The nerves really showed at first. When he started to "rock out", it reminded me of Daughtry. At first, I thought it may have been an ill-timed song, but it ended up being pretty good, in my opinion. The judges were pretty clear and concise.
All in all, it was a letdown--I have a lot of faith that the guys are far better than the girls, and their performances were underachieved. They need to turn it up to the potential that they showed in Hollywood.
The Ryan and Simon feud is getting quite old, and Ryan is outgunned much of the time when it comes to the verbal sparring. Ryan may get in one-liners, but it's a waste of everyone's time, to be honest with you.
My choice whom will be voted off: Sundance and either AJ or Jared. I think it may be AJ based on the fact that the judges were more supportive of Jared.
Everyone take care!
GooseyLabels: American Idol, American-Idol, Cowell, Fox, Idol, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, reality TV, reality-television, Ryan Seacrest, Simon, Simon-Cowell, SimonCowell, singing, television, tv |
