Here we are again, boys and girls. Tonight's theme is hits from the year the contestants were born––which probably means I won't recognize very many of the songs. Thank goodness for the Internet where I get a bit of help on the titles before my post goes up.
First, gotta tell you that the 3/18/11 issue of Entertainment Weekly had a pretty good article on the 13 finalists and their odds of winning. Of course, they didn't start off well. They got last week's ousted contestant wrong. They had Ashthon going out at #10 with Stefano at #11, Haley at #12, and Naima at #13.
Here are EW's odds for the top five: Casey at #1 (3-1 odds); Lauren at #2 (4-1); Scotty at #3 (6-1); Jacob at #4 (8-1); and Pia at #5 (10-1). It'll be interesting to see how close they come over the next two months.
In case you read this before you see the show, sales on iTunes of tonight's performances will send the proceeds to the Red Cross's Japan relief effort. They will also take donations tomorrow night during the results show.
And here we go:
Naima (What's Love Got to Do With It): Hmm. Naima is not Tina Turner. Off-key at least as often as it was on-key. She was as colorful as ever, but I was not impressed at all. Steven was the only judge who liked it. The other two called her on the pitchy-ness. Good for them. I'm gonna be tough. She gets a 2.7 out of 5.
Paul (I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues): Paul's always a bit gravelly and breathy sounding, but he sounded like he had a sore throat. Gracious, he has the most unique, quirky stage moves. Although this performance didn't wow me, it wasn't terrible. (Jennifer made a point of saying every performer has to fight colds and sinus problems.) He's getting a 3.4.
Thia (Colors of the Wind): Hey, three songs in a row that I've known. I'm not as old as I thought. Ha! This girl has such a lovely voice. So much more mature than her real age. The judges seemed to think she was playing it safe and she's sung too many ballads in a row. Raspberry!! I liked it. Okay, maybe it won't stand out, but it was pretty. She's getting a 4.1 from me.
James (I'll Be There for You): Not a great performance from James tonight. Pitchy. A lot. Started that way. Ended that way. The audience seemed to love it. The judges loved it but also called him on the pitchy parts. Best I can give him is a 3.9.
Haley (I'm Your Baby Tonight): Good grief. It just isn't a very stellar night so far. I thought Haley was all over the map with this song, and not much of it was good. I'm not even sure what score to give it. Was it better than Naima? Maybe just a tiny, tiny bit. Guess I'll give her a 2.9.
Stefano (If You Don't Know Me by Now): Best performance of the night so far. Stefano came out fighting this week, outshining a few favorites that performed before him. Not completely perfect but really good. 4.8.
Pia (Where Do Broken Hearts Go): I was not completely fond of the arrangement but Pia really sang it. Totally different from songs she's done before, and I liked it a lot. I do think I liked Stefano just a tad more, so she's getting a 4.7.
Scotty (Can I Trust You With My Heart): Okay, so you all know by now that I love country music. Love me a little boot stompin' and broken hearts and tears in my beer. Love this song for Scotty too, though it wasn't my favorite performance of his. I'll give him a 4.5.
Karen (Love Will Lead You Back): Ick. Who did her hair? Am I watching an old episode of Star Trek? Anyway... The performance itself was another so-so one with some good places and some bad ones. She missed some notes and she hit some others. Best I can give her is a 3.6.
Casey (Smells Like Teen Spirit): Nirvana isn't my thing. Didn't like the song. But I loved Casey's performance of it. I wouldn't have thought I would. He gets a 4.5.
Lauren (I'm the Only One): Lauren's another one with the flu, but she pushes through. Great job, young lady. Even with a cold, you were more in key than quite a few of your competitors who weren't sick. You wind up with a 4.4.
Jacob (Alone): Jacob closes the show. Uh. No. This wasn't working. Screaming rather than singing. Vibrato seemed weird at the start. Sounded off-key a lot. Ack! Not did not work at all. Judges heard something different from what I heard. 2.9.
And BTW, I ended the night knowing ten of the twelve songs performed. I was surprised.
My top picks for the night:
In danger of elimination tomorrow:
Wow. We agree so much. There are some slight differences, but a lot of that I ascribe to our different tastes in music. Like you, I don't get Jacob at all. And I, too, wonder what the judges are listening to. I didn't like Pia as much as you did. I think she's good, but that song didn't do it for me. Song choices are, once again, turning out to be pivotal in the competition. Stefano knocked it out of the park last night. I seriously had goose bumps and was almost in tears, and he has never been a favorite of mine. Thanks for your comment on my blog. See you tonight!
Posted by: Jeff Bickley | Thursday, March 17, 2011 at 05:27 AM