Oh, yeah, Idol Gives Back week has returned. I guess the AI team feels that the economy has recovered enough that they don’t feel bad about asking people to donate. Of course, with Haiti and all the other earthquakes which have happened already this year, this money could do some good. With an Idol Gives Back week also comes “inspirational” musical selections. Hopefully I’m inspired, as well…to write really snarky reviews!
Alicia Keys is this week’s mentor. I do’t know any of her music, but she has 12 Grammys, I guess she must have some talent. That hasn’t helped Idol contestants in the past, though, so why would that change now?
Casey James, performing “Don’t Stop (Believing About Tomorrow)” – This is a typical song that the FM radio stations play because it’s so generic. So far, Casey’s performance doesn’t seem much different. He’s not bad, but there’s nothing that I’m going to remember about this performance, especially since Casey’s up first. I’m worried for Casey.
Lee DeWyze, performing “The Boxer” – So, Lee’s a former paint salesmen, which means watching Lee really is like watching paint dry. Apparently, Lee didn’t get the memo that this song is about as inspirational as, well, an earthquake hitting Haiti. Lee’s voice also doesn’t match this song at all. Neither does the contemporary arrangement that Lee used to try and make the song his own. If the judges like this, they are all idiots. And they are.
Tim Urban, performing “Better Days” – Not sure why Tim starts so low. His voice doesn’t have that range. What’s scary is that he sounded better when he was too low. Tim’s out of tune and shouts when he gets to the main part of the song. This hurts my ears. Color me not inspired expect in hoping that Tim goes home. I can’t see Tim surviving after that performance unless Casey really is forgotten.
Aaron Kelly, performing “I Believe I Can Fly” – Remember a couple weeks ago when I was mad about Andrew singing a Chris Brown song? R. Kelly’s on my list, too. Unfortunately, A. Kelly joined that list with that performance. Wow, his voice is all over the place like a race car on a slick track. Really, people, all you’re inspiring me to do is cry, not fly.
Siobhan Magnus, performing “If You Believe” – I guess if you’re performing a song done by both Whitney and Mariah, you HAVE to go over the top. Siobhan, even in the low register, is just pouring out the emotion like molasses. This, however, was a very good performance, maybe the only truly good performance of the night so far. Siobhan only had a moment where she overdid it, but, for the most part, that was the strongest technical performance from Siobhan since the beginning of the season. The judges, however, made it very clear that they’re done with Siobhan, once again proving they have no musical talent whatsoever.
Michael Lynche, performing “Hero” – This is a song better suited for Casey James, with that grunge gravelly voice vocal. Michael’s performance is good, but this really isn’t the best song for him. You need that Nickelback/Dave Mathews growl to really get the point across, especially since this song is really about not waiting for a hero to save you. I consider this the second best performance of the night, which means that the judges, yet again, are idiots.
Crystal Bowersox, performing “People Get Ready” – I have Eva Cassidy’s rendition of this song and love it. I get the feeling Crystal’s heard it, too, because this has the same soul. I’m a little surprised at how overwhelmed she got at the end, but, once again, Crystal hits one out of the park.
Top Performers:
Crystal Bowersox
Siobhan Magnus
Michael Lynche
Bottom Three:
Aaron Kelly
Tim Urban
Casey James/Lee DeWyze