RerunsIdol is calling tonight's show "remix" because the contestants are performing the songs with which they originally auditioned. We're calling it "reruns," because that's what they are. Thus, this show has the potential to be bow-ring, but it also has the potential to be awesome since the songs were the contestants' original choices, thus displaying what they all initially thought would show off their skills in the best ways possible.
JLo's Dress
Ew. EW. Didn't babydoll fashion go out with the Spice Girls? She looked uncomfortable in it, too. Wasn't even raising her arms.
No Group Song
Boo. Duets instead. Maybe it'll be cool. The duets always feel like half-you-know-whatted afterthoughts.
Idol Top 8... GO!
Jessica Meuse – "Blue Eyed Lie" by Jessica Meuse
Jessica's Dad looks excited to be alive. I'm going to enjoy watching snippets of the original auditions. I was intrigued by Jessica's initial audition, but I had no idea she'd go this far. This performance was leaps and bounds better than her audition, but it's hard to compare a capella with a staged, accompanied performance. I thought this presentation was the best we've seen from Jessica. She seemed really in her element, right where she belonged. The vocal tricks sounded natural and not put-on. The shoulder business did, however, look put-on. Her supporters in the audience had pink streaks clipped into their hair. Ha.
C.J. Harris – "Soul Shine" by The Allman Brothers Band
"There was a lot of emotion in it that made me get off key." Hmmm. He must find the emotion in every performance. Casa Cobb LOVES C.J., the person. He's an over-comer, a hard worker, and a genuinely nice guy. However, we are cringing at the pitch. CRINGING. It's so off, it's almost on. However, he's such an authentic performer that you can kind of overlook the pitch issues. I just read that last sentence to Mom, and she said, "I can't." It's very rare that genuineness trumps skill, but it happens sometimes with C.J.
Jena Irene & Alex Preston – "Just Give Me A Reason" by Pink & Nate Ruess
"We share so many things in common." Profound. Sort of like, "You're closer to the finish than when you started." I'm surrounded by profundity. ... OMG. We missed the entire beginning of this song because Mom said to me, "Pink Feet? The artist is Pink Feet? The screen said, 'Pink Feet Nate Ruess,' but it was f-e-a-t feat and not capitalized." ... "Ummmm, feat. is 'featuring,' Mom." We started cry-laughing, and Mom put the cherry on top with, "I wish Mark the Hamster were here to hear this." (Side note: I had a little toy hamster sent to her this week.) OK, so the performance: I felt a lot of power from these two once I started listening to them. When they sang in unison, the power doubled. Both Jena and Alex have strong presences alone, but together they were downright potent. Tight. Poignant.
Speaking Of Power...
I hope ours doesn't go out. Thunderstorm City.
Sam Woolf – "Lego House" by Ed Sheeran
I've never seen Sam as comfortable as he is here. This theme is allowing the contestants to live it up in their own wheelhouses. Sam connected with the audience, he was easy to understand, his pitch was on target, and he seemed *gasp* relaxed. This performance was the first time I understood why all the gals love Sam. He's always seemed detached in past performances. More like this, Sam. More like this.
Jessica Meuse & Caleb Johnson – "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty
This performance was well-sung, if a little cheesy. Jessica seemed less comfortable than she did in her solo, and Caleb just phoned it in. It wasn't bad, just safe and a bit sleepy. Speaking of cheese, that ending. *eyeroll* Sheesh.
Malaya Watson – "Ain't No Way" by Aretha Franklin
Button your shirt, Mr. Watson. I don't think any contestant has matured like Malaya. She still has her free-spirited side, but she is more grounded and is taking her performing more seriously. She looks the part, she acts the part, and she sings the part. She's really using her time on Idol well. This performance was a great display of that improvement since it could be directly compared to her initial audition. Malaya's strength is in her passion, and she's controlling it well now.
Dexter Roberts – "One Mississippi" by Brett Eldredge
Perhaps this "rerun" format is not as rerunny as I thought! Each contestant is showing growth and style. Dexter is kind of pigeonholed into the "good ol' boy, singin' 'bout bars and my truck" kind of performer, so showing this poignancy displays his abilities in the best way possible. I love it. I hope America does, too. Was Allison Iraheta the harmony vocalist JLo mentioned? She was one of Ed's faves in 2009. He voted for her over 200 times one night. YES! It is her! Neat.
Dexter's Assessment of His Performance
"I've grown'd a lot." Ed's retort? "That costed him."
Malaya Watson & Sam Woolf – "Lucky" by Colbie Caillat & Jason Mraz
Yuck. I didn't like this choice of song for Malaya. Sam sounded OK, but he was masked by her awkward fumbling through the melody. Unfortunate that she followed such a great solo with that mess.
Jena Irene – "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele
I feel like every female contestant on every singing show has sung Adele, and usually this Adele. I was preparing to be bored, but I should have known better. The arrangement allowed Jena to stylize and distance herself from the original tune. Jazzy arrangements aren't usually my cup of fruit juice, but I like to watch Jena work through a jazz performance. Even the looks on her face were nailed. That sly little smile after the opening was genius.
Dexter Roberts & C.J. Harris – "Alright" by Darius Rucker
I think it's cool that these two country guys are such good buddies. Watching them have fun is... fun. However, the pitch from both of them was just bad, bad, bad. Dexter was less bad, but still bad. BAD. Once again, though, their happy vibe made me smile. The "we almost hit hands" high-five made me laugh.
Caleb Johnson – "Chain Of Fools" by Aretha Franklin
Caleb was awesome, as usual, but I thought the performance was lacking the "special something" that Caleb usually brings to the stage. If he did a concert where he sang all the songs he's performed this season, this is the one I'd forget. It wasn't bad; it just wasn't special. I still contend that Caleb is the most seasoned, experienced, and professional performer to ever compete on Idol. (Adam Lambert is a close second.)
Alex Preston – "Fairytales" by Alex Preston
It's cool that Alex was able to sing an original, but I was a little bored with it. Maybe that's because I had a higher expectation of the "About To Be Blown Away" level of the performance because it was positioned last. Caleb and Alex can get away with a little less luster, because their slightly more boring performances are still better than others' best.
Tonight's Show...
...was completely the opposite of what I thought it would be. I was expecting "been there, done that," and instead I was pleased to receive a "check out how far I've come." Good idea, Idol. Good show.
Jo's Ranking
- Jena
- Caleb
- Alex
- Jessica
- Malaya
- Sam
- Dexter
- C.J.
Jo's Prediction of America's Ranking
- Jena
- Alex
- Caleb
- Jessica
- Sam
- Malaya
- Dexter
- C.J.
What do you think? Comment on the Facebook link!
