Tuesday night was essential for the remaining American Idol
contestants. As the show is approaching its end, the three competitors had to
give their best and impress the voters before the grand finale. But I’m not
sure they did…Or actually, at least they weren’t as bad as the song choices.
Each contestant had three opportunities to convince the
voters. They sang three songs: one they chose, one chosen by the judges, and
one the producers chose. It was no surprise to see that the judges liked the
songs they had chosen the best and were dissatisfied with the contestants’
choices.
Obviously, all the judges tried to make sure Syesha Mercado
would be voted out, so that the passage would be cleared for the two Davids, as
expected by everyone. Even usually mild and encouraging Paula had something bad
to say about Syesha last night, while both Davids were applauded and praised
until they probably felt like Goliaths.
Syesha continues to surprise everybody, appearing more and
more confident toward the end of the show. She has had a very confident
attitude and has revealed her dancing skills in the last shows. Unfortunately,
the judges keep saying she is more of an entertainer than a spectacular voice.
But who can trust the tastes of a trio who are all excited about a 17-year-old
David who sings corny wedding songs all the time?
For the first round, Randy gave Syesha the occasion to
perform a song by one of her favorite artists: Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got
You.” At the end of the song, which she
performed in a glamorous golden dress, Syesha mostly received compliments about
the way she looked. Randy said he was glad he had chosen that song, while Paula
and Simon described her as “gorgeous” and, respectively, “stunning.”
Seacrest asked Syesha whether she had been keeping her
skills hidden until now, so she could amaze everybody in the end. A smiling and
happy-looking Syesha answered she was more open and felt more comfortable now.
While singing her second song, “Fever,” Syesha sounded sexy
and warm, and the little tricks she worked with a chair on the stage helped her
a lot as well. But the judges were determined to crush her tonight, so, except
for Randy, who called her performance “great” and “amazing,” the other two
didn’t encourage the poor girl too much. Paula said the song did not reveal
Syesha as an artist. She could have found a better argument, really. Simon
reminded Syesha she was doomed, telling her she would probably regret her
“quite lame cabaret performance” the next day.
As for the third song, “Hit Me Up,” well, even Paula said:
“I don't know if it's going to be good enough to get into the finals of American Idol.” And, if Paula, not
Simon, is the one to say that, you’re certainly doomed!
David Cook pretty much spoiled his rocker image on Tuesday’s
show. It was not only his fault, still.
Simon picked for him “The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face,”
by Roberta Flack, saying it was a very, very, very tough song that gave David C. the
opportunity to be original. Say what?! Well, David C. was original indeed, if
originality involves changing one’s energetic style with a boring and cheesy
one…
“I’ve been a David Cook fan since day one,” Randy said,
perfectly crossing both t’s in the situation, “but I wish Simon would have
picked something that wasn’t as predictable as this, because I want you to rock,
baby! ‘Cause you’re a rocker!”
When the audience started booing, Randy quickly added: “I
love him!”
Paula declared David C. as her second favorite person who
sang the song, while Simon described the performance as one of the best. Hey, it
was his song pick, right?
Faced with the opportunity of choosing a song that could
have saved his rocker image, David C. did not take advantage of that, choosing
to sing Switchfoot’s “Dare You to Move.” The producers’ choice, Aerosmith’s “I
Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” didn’t help David either…He sang all the songs
conventionally, while the judges pretended they heard an improvised and
spontaneous rendition.
Ok, should I waste everybody’s time by describing David Archuleta’s
performances? The three songs, “And So It Goes,” “With You” and “Longer,” were
called all the good adjectives, from “pure” to “amazing” and “stunning.” Randy almost suggested the kid could sing the
weather forecast and make it sound wonderful.
I’d rather say it was a pretty boring “And So It Goes Longer
With You,” David!
If this kid doesn’t win Idol, he could surely build a career
singing Disney movie soundtracks. Especially with that fan club of his, made
of 13-year-old girls…
