American Idol Review – Top 7 – To Own The Stage Or Not

Posted on 18. Apr, 2008 by Per Bristow in American Idol, Performance, Singing

This week the 7 remaining contestants of American Idol got to sing Mariah Carey songs. They are being thrown from one genre to another and have to pick a good song that fits them and stil be able to make it their own – in one week mind you. With that in mind we can appreciate what they are going through. People have asked if my kids watch American Idol. You can read the answer at the end of the post. Now let’s look at what we can learn from this week’s performances…

David Archuleta – When You Believe

Excellent. Once again, he was deeply involved in the song and did his thing with comfort. Then it’s a matter of personal taste whether we like it or not.

Carly Smithson – Without You

Delightful beginning. Knowing her history of pushing hard I was afraid of the moment when the song goes into the higher octave. But she did it alright. As a matter of fact it felt she was constraining the sound. The song didn’t become as big and powerful as the song is known for, and her sound became quite compressed – lacking the depth and richness she has in the lower register. I disagree with Randy who didn’t like the beginning. I thought the beginning was the best part. It’s the depth and richness of her voice that is her strength.

Now I am going to do something that may not seem nice to Carly, but it would in fact be extremely helpful and perhaps transfoming if she read and watched this – This video below shows Carly and Leona Lewis sing the same song. Watch the difference between physical effort/force and true passion/power (Then it’s a matter of preference)

Syesha Mercado – Vanishing

Another wonderful performance from Syesha. I don’t recall how Mariah sung this song, so I have no comparison. This is good (as I wrote about in the last blog). Due to her song choices in the past we haven’t really gotten to know her. The more we get to identify with who she, the more we will like her. She has grown so much in the last month. I love the richness, power and dynamics of her voice and how she really genuinely connects.

Brooke White – Hero

A folk song works well with just an acoustic instrument, but a power ballad…???

Hmmm. This came across as a high school recital to me. Not that a high school recital is bad, but there is a difference between reciting a piece of music and performing to engage a worldwide audience. I felt she was in a hurry. She was rushing the song and the phrasing, and her piano accompaniment felt very simple. Then again, this is not really her kind of music. Even so, I think a bigger accompaniment would have helped her with this song. Anyway, Brooke is genuine, authentic and likeable.

Kristy Lee Cook – Forever

Her singing was alright, but I didn’t think the accompaniment did much to help her. I’m glad to see that her confidence seems to have grown tremendously in the last weeks. Once she let’s her charming personality that we see in the interviews come through on stage, she will take yet another leap.

David Cook – Always Be My Baby

Okay let’s talk. David isn’t afraid of surprising and he can make songs his own. He already has a great career in the making and I’ve hailed him in the past. But, although the judges were blown away, I am going to be tough on him this time. As daring and unique his vocal arrangement of the song was, his performance was anything but daring and unique. In addition, David is sometimes “pitchy” (to use Randy’s favorite expression) in the lower register (which is a prime example of the fact that singing on key is far more a muscle issue than an ear issue).

However, the main critique I have is that David does the same thing every single time. Let’s put it this ways: If you went to a concert and the singer stood glued behind the mic stand every single song, you’d be bored stiff. This is what David does every single week. A couple of weeks ago, he for once ventured into the audience but it didn’t work that time. He has since retrieved back to the old mic stand comfort. This isn’t spontaneity or an artistic choice to make the song better. He’s ordering the mic stand there because he feels uncomfortable without it, just like Michael Johns used to do until he broke free with his final goodbye performance. It is a fear-based decision. Among the previous American Idol rock singers, neither Chris Daughtry or Bo Bice had this habit. And you certainly don’t see it among the successful rock singers out there. (Imagine Mick Jagger or Bono clasping a mic stand for ten songs in a row). David is excellent in making genuine contact with the audience – but only from a distance it seems. He has yet to show that he can get up close and personal to really engage us all. Once he does, the audience will truly melt and he will elevate to the league of great performers. Any day now…

Jason Castro – Don’t Wanna Cry

Randy said it best. A nice beach hang-out with some pleasant music in the background. Jason has also become accustomed to hanging out from a distance – on a bar stool or behind a guitar. It’s cool and laidback a couple of times but after a while it gets old. When he sang the song Michelle a couple of weeks ago, he apparently felt a little self-conscious and was called on it by the judges. Since then he’s been sitting on a stool. I thought his performance with “Michelle” was a step in the right direction that could have become very interesting. He allowed himself to play and be a little goody – just the way he is. Since he is so genuinely charming and fun spirited with his song choices, it would be nice to seem him be the host of the party and get us all going.

To recap: David Archuleta has such an easy time standing out for the sole reason that he uses the stage. That’s more a reflection of the other singers than on him. I don’t feel any of the singers own the stage the way they could. I sense fear – getting trapped in their comfort zones. There’s no wonder they experience fear – wouldn’t we all. One bad choice and they’re out. They are being judged constantly. Music and art should really not be judged or made into competitions. I’ve been asked whether I let my young kids watch American Idol. The truth is that they don’t watch it, nor would I encourage them to do so. No way am I going to promote the idea of judging others to young children. The more you judge others, the more you judge yourself and vice versa. Art and music and life is to be enjoyed and experienced without judgment.

What you and I are doing here is to watch and learn from it which indeed can be very valuable.

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33 Responses to “American Idol Review – Top 7 – To Own The Stage Or Not”

turkeyfan

18. Apr, 2008

While I was watching Idol this week I had the same general feeling myself. I would certainly be afraid to jump out of my comfort zone, especially if there was so much riding on the line like a multi-million dollar record deal. Yikes.
Kudos to them for putting it all out there.
lauren

18. Apr, 2008

I didn’t like the choice of theme this week–I think Randy says it to one of guys, “Guys singing girl songs?” not to mention everyone being compared to Mariah Carey? Ugh.

But I agree with your assessments–I love David Cook and wish he would engage the audience more!
Bill

18. Apr, 2008

David Cook needs to go. Between his stealing arrangements, his constantly going flat, and his smug attitude, there is nothing salvageable. I don’t understand why the judges love him so much.
Samantha

18. Apr, 2008

Wow what a difference between Carly and Leona. They can both sing no doubt but Leona brought something else. I didn’t know about her until now as I don’t watch the UK version and as I started to watch her I immediately compared her to Carly thinking that I like Carly’s voice better until I continued watching and listening to her…..man something just happened. To be honest, for me, it’s not something specific I see or hear as my logical mind is looking and judging, but this feeling……I was moved….now that’s bringing it!!
xmasnoodle

18. Apr, 2008

I agree with the majority of your comments. Carly is inconsistent and either pushes too hard or holds herself back. I’d love to hear her do something she’s truly comfortable with. She has the greatest potential of all the singers currently on Idol but seems the most afraid to break out.
David A. is technically proficient but bland, in my opinion. It worries me that he once lost his voice for a period of time and now has a “breathy” speaking voice but a powerful singing voice. I think he’s straining his voice one way or another.
Syesha is also technically proficient but bland. She sings mostly power ballads but has no emotion behind them. The current singer I’d compare her to would be Whitney Houston. They both have a habit of singing songs about emotional topics but everything comes off as cold. In my opinion, a good example of how a power ballad should come off is Annie Lenox when she did “Many Rivers To Cross.” Her emotions were clearly visible and whether they were false or not, they were moving.
PJ Griffith

18. Apr, 2008

It is very hard to do Mariah’s songs. It is like when they have done whitney houston’s songs in the past. The audience can’t get their minds around it. Its hard. They have a lot of guts.
mischa

18. Apr, 2008

I have appreciated your comments for a while, but this one to compare Leona Lewis & Carly was so interesting. I hade never heard the UK girl before and thought she did a good job. When I saw Carly live I thought it was OK, but now after watching them side by side Carly did nothing for me. American Idol is starting to get a little boring now – they are expected to do so much though, trying to bring out a star in no-time.
Musical Week could be a killer- in both a bad and a good way.
SKN

18. Apr, 2008

I just can’t get into Jason Castro’s style. It’s too hippy for me. Plus, every time I close my eyes when he sings, it sounds like Enrique Iglesias.
Beki

18. Apr, 2008

I really think that a Mariah Carey song would be hard to sing. Considering that I think that all contestants did well.
Cookie

18. Apr, 2008

I think David Cook has been doing a fabulous job. In my opinion, he’s the one that should win this competition.
lectersmeal

18. Apr, 2008

I’ve never been a fan of these musician mentors. It seems like the all the artists that come on have lost most of their popularity, and this is a way to gain an edge. Then again, this is all that is American Idol – an hour of marketing.

Also, I just want to say – that it really bothers me how hard they are being on Carly. Personally, I think she is the most talented female (and all-round singer) that is on the show.
merrell denison

18. Apr, 2008

I listen to these contestants, then listen to the radio while I’m driving – these kids are better than 90% of the pros!
(Not judging performance of children at school I believe is an error. The world they will be performing in eventually, in whatever capacity, is judgemental. That is not cruel, it is just life. But the judgement should be towards the effort they put in, not just the results.)
Celina G

18. Apr, 2008

I love Carly and she did a fair job of the song, but agree that she didn’t use the dynamics she’s capable of. She couyld have done much better.
CherryPie

18. Apr, 2008

I know just what you mean about Carly forcing her songs. As much as I love her power voice, she always seems to be straining, and it comes off as forced, not natural. This is very distracting, and I’d put her in the bottom 3 along with Jason and Brooke at this point. Although Brooke is a train wreck. She has no business making it this far in American Idol. She is just not talented enough. I loved Kristy Lee Cook’s personality and her vocals were really strong in her last 3 weeks.
metalmama

19. Apr, 2008

I hated David Archuleta’s preformance this week. Why does he always do predictable average preformances? Its getting very boring. I loved David Cook’s and Jason’s proformances this week, every week they make the hard songs their own and make me want to buy them.
Sam

19. Apr, 2008

It was a good overall performance, I was sorry to see anyone leave. Can’t wait until next week!
Tiffany

19. Apr, 2008

I did not enjoy the Mariah Carey night all of the song choices were predictable. I was waiting for someone to perform an upbeat song,but instead they all decided to sing a slow ballad. I think this shows that the talent this season is not the best. Out of all of my friends I am the only one still watching AI this season.
Katie

20. Apr, 2008

I can’t believe that they chose Mariah Carey songs as a theme! It was horrible! I especially felt bad for the guys. Her songs would even be hard for Christina Aguilera to perform! The producers of the show really messed up this time!
Bonnie

20. Apr, 2008

I’m not very fond of these theme nights and Mariah Carey hasn’t been one of my favorites since she changed her vocal style.

The performances were good, but it is hard to connect with an audience when you have less than two minutes to perform songs that are not in your niche.

David Cook, however, is such a unique performer with true star quality. When his album is released and I’m sure it will be, we will see even more powerful artistry from him. I believe some of the others will do well, but David has true staying power. He will be a star, no matter what the outcome of this Idol season.
sydney

20. Apr, 2008

I am so frustrate with this show! First Dolly Parton Songs, two week s of Beatles songs, and now Mariah songs. It is so hard for anyone to pull off songs form and artist’s catalogue for one good reason – because the majority of Americans don’t go to concerts and would rather hear the songs “canned,” than reinvented in a live performance. Furthermore, Mariah Carey’s repertoire is mediocre, full of vocal acrobatics and irritating ostinatos. She is not a likable star regardless of her accomplishments as a pop vocalist. All of the contestants struggled, and AI should reconsider the framework of the first two seasons – challenge the singers to perform different styles of vocal music. i agree with your summations, but you can’t get milk from a chicken! Asking singers to perform from mediocre pop songbooks while lauding over stars who are definitively style -obsolete is like watching 6 year olds play t-ball for a diehard baseball fan.
Tiffany

20. Apr, 2008

I think out of all the contestants David Cook has been by far the most consistent, and the most entertaining (which is what the show is all about of course). He’s my personal favorite, and win or lose, I think he’s got the best chance out of all of them of having a great career.
Evan Leitch

20. Apr, 2008

it was a great and funny show
PJ

20. Apr, 2008

I really don’t like Mariah Carey so this was a hard week to watch. I think Brooke and Kristy Lee were the two best, but it was obviously time for Kristy Lee to go. Of the guys, David Cook is the best but he may not get the votes of the teen girls who are keeping Archuleta and Jason safe no matter what they sing. Anyway, it is a fun show to watch every week and I like all of the top 10 finalists.
Norina B

20. Apr, 2008

I think the guys did a really great job doing the Mariah Carey songs. I’m getting bored with Brooke but David A is so cute and has a great voice. I do keeping thinking that David would be great on the Disney Channel.
Austin Long

20. Apr, 2008

Great advice for David. He’s a hometown hero (well Murray, Utah is 25 miles away but we still all support him) and we wish him the best too. But this is true about his connection with the audience and I think that’s wise feedback.

He’s still a kid and may never have had his first kiss. I hope he can keep the good things while he grows up!
Lisa

21. Apr, 2008

While I agree that David Cook tends to “hide” behind the mic stand, I have to say that his singing blows me away 9 times out of 10. I think he has the potential to go all the way. The girls are holding their own but I think this year it might be a Man’s game.
Ronda

21. Apr, 2008

Though David A. has a beautiful voice I find him boring and predictable. Ballads and slow songs seem to be all he can sing.
David C. is by far my favorite. I don’t buy that he is stealing other peoples songs , I think it is more the judges not being aware of these different versions. They are introduced as so and so’s version of a particular song before he sings them.
Carly is extremely talented , just seems to be trying to hard.
The others to me are all about equal.
Mrs. Mucsician

21. Apr, 2008

Leona version on the song was so much better. The rest of the girls were ok, I really didnt like the guys singing MC
auctionmaven

22. Apr, 2008

I actually like David Cook a lot; I sense a certain reserve in him that I felt was a reaction to what must seem like the utter unreality of the situation, but I feel that he’s a very honest performer and enjoy him a great deal. Not very fond of Jason Castro as he seems quite bland to me, and something about David A. just doesn’t seem to ring right, but I can’t put my finger on it.
Robin F

22. Apr, 2008

David A and Syesha are boooring, even thought they both are technically good singers. Jason is definitely not the best singer, but he’s just so likable and charming he pulls it off every time. Brooke and Kristy both got old with me very quick. Carly can sing too but sometimes she screams instead of sings. She looks scary sometimes. David C is the whole package. Has he had a a single bad performance really?
Daniel S.

23. Apr, 2008

David Cook–I agree that “As daring and unique his vocal arrangement of the song was, his performance was anything but daring and unique.” which ties into your further comments that he needs to get out from behind the mic and engage the audience. Of course he isn’t Mick Jaggar but if you compare performances between the two, it is obvious that David has a lot of growing to do. His voice and what my wife calls “sexy eyes” are only going to take him so far.