Idol top 12...my thoughts

[brianwspencer]

I found myself disagreeing with the judges much more this week than I had in many weeks prior, so it’s a very obviously competitive bunch here.

Brandon
Not impressed. A very run-of-the-mill performance. He managed to be the first of many to forget the words, most likely because he was too busy trying to throw in smarmy, amateur dance moves in the middle. Really wouldn’t mind never seeing him again.

Final Score: 6.5 phone-in votes

Melinda
She was the one to beat coming into tonight’s performance, and she didn’t do much to shake my confidence tonight. She’s unbelievable in everything she does and she is just so genuine in all of her vocals. Seems like she’s right at the head of a very exclusive group at the top.

Final Score: 9.5 phone-in votes

Chris S.
He was one of the top two guys through most of the weeks, and he decided to do a sort of weird, but interesting version of Ms. Ross’s song. He got panned by the judges. I liked him better than the judges did tonight, but not really that much in the big picture. He’s a perfect example of why the guys are up against it here. He’s one of the top two guys, and he still only ranks higher than maybe one of the girls.

Final Score: 7.0 phone-in votes

Gina
I’ve sort of given her a rough shake lately. I thought tonight was awesome. I enjoyed it and I thought it was the perfect song for her to choose. The judges once again had less-than-kind words for her. I felt slightly guilty loving it, but I really really enjoyed tonight’s performance from her. I still think she’s striking a delicate balance on the bubble of this competition, but in her favor -- she has this section of the market cornered against some very talented, but very soulful girls. They may be more talented but she’s all by herself on the edgy side.

Final Score: 8.5 phone-in votes

Sanjaya
There is just nothing there. Not sure how many times we have to say it. He’ll be gone in relatively short order, as this fascination with the awful teenager can’t last forever. He had Randy laughing and unable to comment for a good while. Simon always overuses the comparison to a high school talent show, but oh man, it is just so poetically apt here. Every single week. The gay train is running out of gas in a hurry.

Final Score: 4.0 phone-in votes

Haley
Oh, she's still here? What on earth was that? Bored. Unimpressed. At least I have time to go grab another drink before the next person comes onstage.

Final Score: 6.0 phone-in votes

Phil
Another case of me getting mad for my prowess. Through the entire performance I kept turning to my partner-in-crime and saying, “It’s just so shouty. Why can’t he stop shouting, and actually sing?” Then Simon calls him out for shouting. Great. I really just can’t get into him, as hard as I’ve tried. Won’t be shedding any tears when he’s gone

Final Score: 6.5 phone-in votes

Lakisha
At first, I wasn’t impressed with the song choice. Vocally, it was one of the best, but I get the feeling that she’s going to have to create an identity in order to win this competition. There have been big voices on Idol in the past, and they are impressive every time, but they never win. It’s all about creating a persona, and copying soulful classics with a huge voice just doesn’t separate you from the pack. Don’t get me wrong, I think her vocals are stunning, but past Idol results have told us in no uncertain terms, that a big voice won’t be enough.

Final Score: 9.0 phone-in votes

Blake
The judges were less than impressed with his version of “Keep Me Hanging On” tonight. I was at odds with the judges. I thought that his vocal was less than impressive compared to other weeks we’ve seen him, but I loved the arrangement. I love that he brings something totally new and totally fresh to the Idol table. He has the exact opposite problem as Lakisha, as he’s got the identity and we all love it. He just needs to make sure that the vocals are there and that they’re spot-on every week from here out. He’ll coast into the top 5 without much effort, but when push comes to shove, America is going to vote for the whole package, and he’s got to remind us that he’s got it, because he does.

Final Score: 8.5 phone-in votes

Stephanie
I’ve knocked her lately for being too much of a copycat in all of her performances or as Randy puts it “being Beyoncé lite.” I think that I give her a tough time, admitting that she’s a good singer but never really being taken by her whole package. With that said, it was without a doubt, for me -- the performance of the night. I was surprisingly just completely blown away

Final Score: 9.5 phone-in votes

White Trash Chris
I found it entertaining that for a few seconds, he was pointing to the exit sign during her performance. Please. Go there. It’s not so much that he’s horrible, or that I just find him increasingly trashy and scummy every week -- I just don’t like him. The sad thing, is that he’s hovering in a tie for second best guy left….which should tell you a lot here. I think his vocals are all just a bit whiny for me. I don’t mean to pan his vocal performances every week….I just don’t like it.

Final Score: 7.5 phone-in votes

Jordin
I still love her. It’s hard to be objective every week because during the auditions I saw her and I said, “That’s my girl.” I try to keep things objective despite my serious adoration for her, but tonight spoke for itself. She was flawless. I’ve been waiting for her to really showcase that combination of presence/believability/raw vocal power. I thought last week’s rock choice was great for her, and this was a phenomenal choice to follow it up with. I think she did a great job in closing the gap between herself and the obvious top two in here.

Final Score: 9.5 phone-in votes