AMERICAN IDOL, TOP 7: MEN MARCH TO ELIMINATION
Photo Credit, FOX
The American Idol ‘March to Elimination’ for the guys, continues again tonight. It will take some huge performances from both Burnell Taylor and Lazaro Arbos to remain in the competition. The girls have really separated themselves from the guys and for the 4th week in a row. I expect one of the guys to go home. While Burnell is easily the better singer and performer, Lazaro has the feel good story, the good looks, and the fan base to keep him in the competition.
Tonight’s theme will be “Classic Rock, No Ballads.” Sounds like a perfect fit for Candace Glover and Kree Harrison, but could be a real challenge for both Burnell Taylor and Lazaro Arbos. I don’t see either of these guys as classic rock singers. Let’s see how they did!!!
Burnell Taylor: sang a boring version of the Bon Jovi rock classic “You Give Love a Bad Name.” He looked uncomfortable and had no connection to the song. What can I say, Burnell is struggling and tonight’s rock theme didn’t do anything to help his cause. This wasn’t the start that Burnell had imagined and this performance should guarantee him a spot in the “Bottom 2.”
Kree Harrison: sang the great Janice Joplin song “Piece of My Heart.” It was a great song choice and the judges loved the performance and so did I. Randy said, “Now it feels like the show really started.” Nicki Minaj said, “If I was tuning in and you were on my idol app, you would get all of my votes. For the 4th week in a row Kree gave a “Top 3”, type performance.
Janelle Arthur: sang Billy’ Joel’s, “You May Be Right.” This is one of my all time favorite Billy Joel songs. While she was good, it was definitely a step down from her performances of the last two weeks. She looked beautiful and had great stage presence, but I just couldn’t connect with the song. While the judges seemed to like the performance, most of their comments focused on the outfit she wore and the cool cowboy boots. That is a definite sign that something was missing from her performance. Janelle is in no danger of going home, but this performance definitely hurt the momentum that she has built over the last few weeks. Unfortunately the competition is really tough this year and if she wants to make it to the final three she is going to have to pick it up next week.
Lazaro Arbos: gave a better than expected performance of Queen’s, “We are the Champions”, and the judges all seemed to like the performance. In fact, Nicki said, “she loved it.” I will be honest with you I have lowered my expectations of Lazaro considerably. While his performance was easily better, it is still way below the caliber of the girls. I have called for Lazaro to be in the “Bottom 2”, the last few weeks and in each case the voting public disagreed. From past results, it is obvious that Lazaro has a huge fan base and that will probably save him from elimination for another week.
Candace Glover: in a perfect song choice, Candace sings the Rolling Stone’s classic “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” While it wasn’t her best performance of the competition, it was still very good. Mariah Carey said, “Every one of your performances brings a different part of you to the stage,” and I agree. Over the course of the competition Candace has proven that she can sing just about anything. Another good night for Candace!!!
Amber Holcomb: took a huge risk and sang Heart’s, “What About Love.” Looking every bit of a rock star, Amber absolutely nailed it. For the second week in a row Amber delivered a “Top 3,” performance. The judges all loved her performance and Randy said “you looked and sounded amazing.” Don’t overlook Amber, she is getting better each week and if she continues to improve she can still win this!!!
Angie Miller: tonight is a big night for Angie. Last week the judges were really critical of her performance. I thought she sang well and the problem was the song choice not the performance. It doesn’t matter who is right, either way, she can’t afford a second bad judging week in a row. Looking beautiful behind the piano, Angie sang an absolutely perfect version of Evanescence’s, “Bring Me to Life.” I thought it was the best performance of the night and the perfect way to end the show. The first and last performance slots of the night are always the most important and Angie took advantage of that opportunity with a great performance. This performance clearly puts Angie back in the “Top 3” in the overall competition.
As usual the girls dominated the competition for another week. In my opinion the “Top 3” singers were Angie Miller, Amber Holcomb and Kree Harrison. To no one’s surprise the “Bottom 2” singers (all guys) were Burnell Taylor and Lazaro Arbos. While I would have no problem with either one going home I thought Burnell’s performance was the worst of the evening and based on Lazaro’s strong fan base Burnell’s journey will most likely come to an end this week.
American Idol Odds and Ends
• Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood will perform her new single, “See You Again.”
• Season 9 finalist and heart throb, Casey James will also appear and sing his song, “The Good Life.”
