AI7: Top 10 Gals

I thought it was a pretty rough night for the ladies last night on American Idol.  It didn't seem like anyone could totally get it together... whether it was a good vocal with a bad song choice... or vice versa... and mostly good vocals with a bad note or rough patch.

Before I begin, Idol needs to do away with "what we would be surprised to know" bumper about each contestant.  Ramiele is a Polynesian dancer?  Robbie drag races cars?   Simply shocking!   Now if they were reversed, then maybe I'd be singing (ha!) a different tune.

Ok, here's my top group:

Asia'h ("All By Myself")
Carly ("Crazy on You")
Syesha ("Me & Mr. Jones")

While she met the "loud = good" criteria that is so often the case on Idol, I was a bit surprised that Simon was so hard on Asia'h... though I think he was just trying to knock her down a peg or two.  It was definitely the "ta-da" vocal of the night, though one really quite off note before she hit the big ones in the end.  I am still not on the Carly bandwagon (that is, if there is one), but when all was said and done her take on the Heart classic did float to the top.  Syesha is the only gal who stays in my top group from last week, though I have to say her slow/quiet parts were pretty shaky... and this is another song that needs to retired from the competition (yawn!).

Middle Group
Ramiele ("Don't Leave Me This Way")
Alaina ("Hopelessly Devoted To You")
Kristy ("You're No Good")
Brooke ("You're So Vain")

I am cutting Ramiele a bit of a break this week.  While I disagreed with Randy about the song choice (it's one of my faves)... it wasn't quite working for Ramiele... but I still like her and parts of it were good... but not enough to keep her in my top group.   Alaina had a good vocal, but a questionable song choice.  Don't get me I love it, but it becomes hard to pull off in a "take me seriously as singer" way.  It was a huge improvement for Kristy this week, but even in a sexier incarnation she still comes across as pretty vanilla to me - but no quibbles with the vocals or the song choice.  And Brooke, a perfect song choice and again a good vocal... but Idol isn't the type of show that is looking to find the next Carly Simon or Carole King... not that Brooke is in that league... umm... let's say the next Colbie Callait.  Again, I like her and would enjoy her in a coffee shop... just not someone that's going to contend in the latter stages.

Bottom Group
Alexandrea ("If You Leave Me Now")
Kady ("Magic Man'")
Amanda ("Carry On My Wayward Son")

I feel bad about pretty much every girl in this group.   Parts of Alexandrea's vocals were good, but it seemed a bit all over the place... it just never found its spot and even Alexandrea seemed a bit unhappy about it... and that sign of weakness might just spell doom for her tonight.   It seems like everyone loves Kady except when she's singing on the stage.  Despite the criticism, I liked her last week... but this week was rough.  It was hard to hear her as she awkwardly made her way down the steps and while the "belting" at the end was good, it felt like it was too little, too late.  She is an ouster candidate tonight... but my gut tells me if it's not her, it'll be one of the other blondes... Kristy or (undeservedly) Alaina.

... and that leaves us with Amanda.

I've been only "awarding" pictures to the top performers of the night, but Amanda's appearance goes down in the annals of Idol hair history... alongside Carrie Underwood's similar do for "Alone" and Sanjaya's faux-hawk.

As I have said time and again, I just don't get her... so much so, that I was surprised that the judges (unanimously no less!) put her through to Hollywood in the first place.  I had a very odd reaction to her performance last night... at first I was giggling and then I found her really quite scary... not in a "this is scary awful" (well, maybe that though passed thru my mind as well)... but in a "not want to meet in a dark alley" kinda of way.

That said, I sincerely feel bad for her.  She seems very cool and I like her bumper pieces... but I haven't read around enough to see if people truly like her singing or not... but she just seems horribly out of place.  Idol is this mix of beauty pageant, high school prom, popularity contest... stuff it seems Amanda would avoid at all cost.  As the credits rolled, she spent a good amount of time standing alone as the other girls hugged/kissed/etc. until Carly (I think) came over to her.  So whether it's a good thing or not, I think she's safe tonight.  A combo of "like her," freak show entertainment factor, and sympathy... whatever your opinion, there is no doubt she was/is memorable.

UPDATE:
Here's what my American (Entertainment Journalist) Idol, EW's Michael Slezak, had to say about Amanda (warning: the last line almost made me snort coffee through my nose):

As for Amanda, well, there's no defending her rendition of Kansas' ''Carry On Wayward Son,'' which started with what sounded like a cough, quickly deteriorated into a full-blown case of musical bronchitis, and ended with the howl of a wounded animal. I wish Randy was right, that Amanda's self-immolation could be brushed away with a simple ''wasn't the right song choice,'' but I fear the diagnosis may be worse. For starters, there was the hair, which looked as if The Little Mermaid's villainess Ursula had had an unfortunate run-in with a container of bleach and a whole can of Aqua Net.

Comments

[Kenna]

Yeah, the hair was definitely scary. Love the EW quote - hadn't seen that.