There’s always that one song that complements a good movie. The seven remaining American Idol contestants brought some of those songs back to life Tuesday night with this week’s theme of choosing hit soundtrack tunes straight from the big screen.
Some of the Idol performances were good, not great, some were just average and some could mean trouble for those struggling to push through another week. In all fairness, every Idol performer this season is extremely talented and very brave having to sing on live television before millions across the country and beyond each week. They all deserve kudos.
Legendary filmmaker and director Quentin Tarantino was the guest on the show this week giving advice and direction to the Idol singers. Tarantino, a huge Idol fan, was quite animated and over-the-top at times but seemed excited to be on the show. He did come off a little goofy and too invested at times, leaving viewers to wonder if his advice really helped much at all.
So here is my recap of the Idol performances last night. First, I will present my top three, those who I think will be safe for yet another week. Then, I will choose my bottom three, and, of course, predict which one of these will be singing his/her last song this week.
Allison Iraheta sang Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from the movie Armageddon. Iraheta continues to awe audiences with her raspy and soulful rocker edge vocals. Although her singing this week lacked energy and vocal consistency, she pulled through and gave a good performance. Iraheta is one of two remaining women on the show. She is the youngest contestant, but brings a spicy and fiery attitude each week. Her song choice this week was questionable, but I think she will be safe for yet another week.
Anoop Desai sang Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Anoop-dog chose another good song and continues to be consistent. His vocals were nicely controlled, soft and tender, and he made a good emotional connection with the love ballad. He’s playing it smart, and it’s really working for him.
Adam Lambert sang “Born to Be Wild” from Easy Rider. Lambert continues to shock audiences with his out-of-this-world vocal range. His high-pitched singing chords erupted throughout the song, and he made the tune cry with wild emotion. I think he was a little to musical theater at times and sounded as if he were singing in the show Jesus Christ Superstar. But overall Lambert gave a good performance. He continues to be the one to beat this season.
Here are my bottom three performances.
Matt Giraud playing the piano sang “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman,” another Bryan Adams song from the film Don Juan Demarco. Giraud reminds me of John Legend, which is good, but he lacked originality and came off pitchy at times. The performance had a bad middle with a good ending. Overall, he was just okay, and his performance was not his best. He should stick to more soulful tunes that complement his voice and steer away from rock songs.
Kris Allen sang “Falling Slowly” from the movie Once. His voice was delicate and sweet, but his overall performance lacked vocal range. Allen was on the verge of sounding a bit boring. One of the judges said he “wasn’t feeling it” while another said it was his “best performance.” I think he needs to step up his game. Allen, however is very charming. We’ll see. He might just make it into next week.
Lil Rounds sang Bette Midler’s ballad “The Rose.” Rounds’ continues to pick bad songs. The lyrics were beautiful, but she failed to highlight her skills with the song once again. Rounds’ has a nice gospel voice, but her choice this week was just too soft and too slow. She needs more fire in her performances. Maybe the judges have high expectations for her, and she just can’t execute. I hope Rounds can pull it together and make it through the next round, but she needs to really rock the audience next week if she’s going to survive. Good luck.
Finally, Danny Gokey sang Lionel Richie’s “Endless Love” from the Brooke Shields movie of the same title. For me, Gokey remains in limbo. He could end up in the bottom three this week. His presentation was a little dull and forgettable. The harp on stage accompanying him was a nice touch, but Gokey lacked vocal diversity this week. Overall, Gokey was disappointing despite his personal and emotional connection to the song.
So now we come to the end. Of this week’s bottom three, I have a bad feeling that Lil Rounds may be singing her last song this week. It’s a tough call, and I hope her fan base comes through and helps her win another shot on stage. She continues to get bad feedback from the judges, however. If Rounds gets by, then Giraud is my next prediction of who will not be joining the final six next week.
Although Giraud, Allen, Rounds and Gokey did not impress me much Tuesday night they all could be in the bottom this week. But it will be exciting to see what voters nationwide have to say. Stay tuned.
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