American Idol Recap: Who Gave Us Movie Magic?
The final four. Three of these American Idol contestants win a victorious trip home, ticker tape, and a bust of Randy Jackson from the mayor, while one retreats to a life of inevitable obesity. Is there any stopping the judges' call of a Bowersox-DeWyze final two? Or are we in for a surprise tomorrow night? We're breaking it down fairly, ranking "Songs from the Cinema" night's performances (including the duets) from worst to best. Videos included! Spoiler: Die, Randy.
6. Lee DeWyze, "Kiss From a Rose"
But you're never going to surv-i-ive unlessss you get a little crazy, Lee! Ol' Blue Balls here picked the most popular song of the bunch, and I couldn't remember his choice for a full minute just now. And I never forget anything about Batman Forever, sisterfriend. (Love to my girl Debi Mazar.) With Lee, though he's had bright weeks where he zips his quiver-lip and and emanates confidence, he choked on a big song that requires a distinct voice to be memorable. This Seal was more busted than the one on a toddler's Handisnack. Not delicious.
Before I forget: The "tone" of Lee's voice that I'm supposed to be obsessed with? Uh, undercooked, Megan Corkrey-rough, and tuneless sometimes? Like he's seconds away from ralphing into Alex Lambert's favorite pail? I was tired of the Lee pimpage early on, but now I'm torqued to watch him leave before the final two. Here's hoping.
5. Michael Lynche, "Will You Be There"
Simon was the worst judge on the panel tonight, no doubt about it. With his un-witty non-criticisms about The Graduate and Free Willy, I thought Ryan was going to pelt him with Leonard Maltin compendiums and spout sh*t like, "Girl, it's over! You're over! Shut it down!" But to give Simon some credit, who the hell picks this song? This is the hallmark of Michael Jackson's "I Turn My Apparent Traumas Into Mortifying Anthems Now" era. And even in theory, it's totally bland for the Idol stage. In Mike's underwhelming Idol career, this is the first performance that is best described as nondescript. He omitted the hurtful falsettos, which I appreciated, but he also wanted this song's alleged specialness to do more work for him than it did. After that performance, Willy's swimming back into the cage now. He has seen freedom and has decided its not for him.
Lastly: Let's not forget Mike's big announcement prior to his performance! That blithe admission that he set a goal "to be in the Top 3" last year? So, um: That's telling. Let me get this straight, B.M.: You want a hometown parade in your honor, and you think you're more talented than all of America (or at least fourth-place finisher Allison Iraheta -- if this magic dream indeed occurred last year). How delusional and smug! On second thought, Lee can stay another week. Let's jettison the arrogant blubberer with the California Raisin moves and, for once, commend Ellen DeGeneres on her observation that he should want to win the competition -- not the adulation.
4. Casey James and Michael Lynche, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?"
I didn't care for the duets, and I bet you didn't either. Both seemed chemistry-deprived from where I was sitting, but the weaker performance was cerrrrrtainly Casey and Michael's. Their cautious eye-to-eye moments filled my intestines with Alien puppetry, and their song choice was for losers. I admit they harmonized fine, guitar-ed all correctly, and even seemed like they inhabited the same stage sometimes -- but this was an unsteady, vocally passable effort from beginning to end. More like, "Have You Ever Really Tried Singing with a Bored Stranger?"
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As usual, Crystal Bowersox killed it. We love you MammaSox!
Lou
http://www.anonymous-posting.us.tc
I don't get why the judges are under praising Crystal and Casey and constantly overpraising Lee and to an extent Mike. It baffles the mind. Crystal is seriously not capable of sounding bad, she also has the ability to make everything she sings sound like an original song, she schools everyone on how to make something truly your own. The duets, well Casey and Mike did so much better than Crystal and Lee.
The final four – and just a couple of episodes left – to decide a winner. Last night’s performances were far from cinematic, but they at least helped give us two somewhat stirring duets. Will it be Michael or Casey that goes home tonight? I think it’s safe to say Lee and Crystal will make it through to the end – or will there be an upset? http://thesmogger.com/2010/05/12/idol-hangover-the-final-four-perfourm/
Please don't make predictions about my feelings on the performances, especially when they're as wrong as "I didn’t care for the duets, and I bet you didn’t either.".
"Falling Slowly" was for me a serious contender for best performance of the season, and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman", while not up to that level, was still far better than either of their solo attempts (who would ever have thought a great song like "Mrs. Robinson" could be so boring?)
I think part of what made the duets unsuccessful (for me) is that they're 1:30 long. That's barely enough for a solo Idol performance -- and for a duet, it gave the contestants so little time to build chemistry on stage.
I think youa re right about Crystal doing the best solo, but I think her duet with Lee was better than her solo song.
However, Lee's solo song was horrible.
Let me know what you think of my recap:
http://iamnoahjames.com/2010/05/12/idolspec-top-4-performance-show-%e2%80%93-5112010/
Well, at this point I'm feeling...disgusted I guess is the word, and have to get it out somewhere other than at my husband (who has never watched the show and rolls his eyes when I kvetch about it). Sorry fans, but I find neither Crystal's busking, Lee's gravel, Mike's melisma nor Casey's bleating entertaining. I've only watched S9 at the request of my 10-year old, who chose it over endless reruns on Disney/Nickelodeon, for the dearth of talent has killed my interest altogether. Thankfully, the weather is nice now and she plays outside instead. Mr. Virtel, I truly commend your ability to find anything to write about this abysmal season. And thank you - I can count on your recaps at this point to save me from watching the "performances" of the "top" four!
Thank you! I think the most depressing part of the season is that voters have been wronger than ever. If the top five had been Crystal, Siobhan, Didi, Lilly Scott, and a developing talent like Alex Lambert, this season could've been sophisticated.
If the top 5 had been Crystal, Siobhan as she was before the Top 10, Didi as she was before the Top 11, and Lilly and Alex as they magically fail to falter under the stress of performing week after week and keep up how they managed to perform for 1 or 2 weeks in the semis, it WOULD have been a sophisticated season.
You're replacing reality with your imagination of the best possible performances from those singers, while ignoring their low points.
Ooh! Your reality sounds judge-influenced. Didi's only middling performance (to me) was her final one -- and that was because it was too sped up for her. Their criticism that she was trying to be something she wasn't didn't make sense. There's a wonderful rendition of "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" by Joan Osborne, who's not so stylistically removed from Didi's realm. If Didi had sat on a stool and sang, Kara would've been fooled into believing it was a "singer-songwriter" performance.
I thought Lilly's final performance was wonderful, and I think Siobhan's vocal gimmicks and penchant for conventional balladry were inoffensive. I'd rather hear people with dramatic highs and occasional failures than these plateaued below-par performers.