Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Counting Down to the Top 12...


I think Katie Stevens is going home. She's singing Breakaway and it's just not working. The judges can say that this is a singing competition until they are blue in the face, but that's not completely true. Sure, you need to be able to sing, but you also need a personality and Katie is void of a personality.

Siobhan Magnus still reminds me of Ally Sheedy's character in The Breakfast Club, but she's not as dark (but definitely as strange). I like her a cappella start; she sings House of the Rising Sun beautifully. The first three judges like her performance, but Simon thinks she's too weird. Really, Simon? Ya, think? She is bizarre, but unlike Katie Stevens, she has a personality. And as a result, she'll make it to the Top 12.

Lacey Brown has The Story to tell. She sounds quite good, but at times her voice reminds me of Minnie Mouse. I wonder what Lacey looks like without all that make up? I used to have a friend in college who looked a bit like Lacey. She always wore thick, black eyeliner and one night I saw her without the makeup and I didn't recognize her, I had no idea who she was. I bet the same thing is true of Lacey: if she took off her makeup and toned down the fushia hair and let it dry naturally, I bet we wouldn't be able to pick her out of a line-up. But I digress, after tonight's song, I'm guessing that Lacey has secured a spot in the Top 12.

Katelyn Epperly has no business in the Top 12 after this performance, but I think her good looks and personality will carry her. She's singing Carol King's I Feel the Earth Move and she is not making it her own. She's standing behind a keyboard, but I'm not sure she's actually playing it. She hasn't glanced down at the keys once. I don't know what's worse, the song choice or the actual performance.

(I hate when the contestants hold up their fingers when Ryan is telling us the phone number to call. It bugs the crap out of me. Not as much as Randy bugs the crap out of me, but still, it's up there on my list of AI annoyances.)

Didi Benami is singing Rihannon and I'm digging her. My husband says she sounds like me (my husband is being nice). My daughter is telling me to stop singing (my daughter is being mean). Randy is doing that awkward laugh of his (my least-favorite judge is on my last nerve). I know Ellen is with me when she says, "Yes indeedy, Didi!" Kara and Simon agree - it's one of Didi's best performances and she will be back next week, for sure. (I'm still singing the song and getting nasty looks from my daughter).

But I betcha she wishes I was still singing instead of Paige Miles. Whoa. She's singing Smile and I want to cry. Seriously, what is up with Randy and that stupid laugh of his? When he starts his "critique" with that laugh, you know it's not going to be good. (As if Randy knows good. Or bad for that matter.) But in this case, he's right. This is the worst performance of the evening. When Kara asks her if she knows it isn't good, Paige alludes to the fact that there is a backstory, that this song is especially emotional for her to sing. Best line of the night is when Simon tells her that it sounds like something that would have been sung in 1974 at a Holiday Inn. And when Ryan tries to get the backstory, he comes up empty-handed. Because there is no backstory. There isn't a reason why Paige gets emotional when she sings Smile. The bottom line is that it's a horrible arrangement and she sang it horribly. End of story. And unfortunately, she's going to go home as a result.

You know what? I'm almost over Crystal Bowersox. I know she's good and I know she knows who she is and I know she's got confidence. And yes, Simon is right to say that he is one million, billion percent certain that she will be in the Top 12. But, I don't know, dawg, she's not my favorite.

But Lilly Scott is definitely one of my favorites. I loved her version of Patsy Cline's Fall to Pieces. I've always loved this song and Kara is right, Lilly makes it sound current and hip. Other than Lilly's very weird facial expressions and knitted earring, I like her quirky performance and hope to see more of her.

Tomorrow night...it's the boys' turn to wow us.

2 comments:

Lynn M said...

I really like Crystal's voice and I do think she's technically the best performer of both the guys and the girls. But there is just something about her I can't manage to like. Almost as if she gives off a constant vibe that she is so much too good for this show and is really slumming to be there. Maybe it was that first week interview when she admitted she's doing AI for the bigger paycheck. I don't know. I want to like her but I just can't get over the smugness.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry Lilly didn't make it.