All of the performances last night were good, but they were not all spectacular, as the judges seemed to convey. I couldn’t help but to wish once again last night that Simon was there to cut through the flattery and get to the heart of the matter. I’d love to know what he had to say about last night. Do you think he was watching? Can’t you just see him in his white undershirt, watching Idol at home, making his snide comments to the TV screen? Or maybe not.
Round One: Contestants’ Choice
The contestants chose their songs for this round, and Beyonce is the guest mentor. She doesn’t add much to the show, or at least, they don’t really show her coaching the kids so it’s hard to tell.
Scotty kicks off the show with Amazed. I really do like this song choice for him, and I love how it showcased his amazing vocal range. I think Scotty’s really been working on his microphone grip, trying to keep it more vertical and using only one hand so the other hand is free to wave about and make dramatic gestures. He hits a high note (for him) and holds the ending just right.
Lauren sang Wild One. Another good song choice but she did that thing again where she sings 2 lines of the verse and then jumps right into the chorus. And suddenly it was over. I felt like it ended before it even got started. Randy and Steven stuck to the same script, urging Lauren to believe that SHE WAS HAVING FUN up there. I'm not sure about that, but Lauren definitely does have fun using Ryan as a lean-to before commercial breaks. I really DO want to like Lauren. She was an early favorite but I just can’t figure out why she can’t nail a song. There is so much talent hidden under all that hair. The judges love it, so whatever.
Haley sang Zepplin and I liked it. I felt like her vocals weren’t quite spot on but I think the song was a good fit for her. And I love that they let her dad accompany her on the guitar. Steven kind of summed it up with, “She got her freak on!” Did anyone notice how she jumped onto the Classic Rock bandwagon now that James is gone? That is the first time she’s claimed Classic Rock as her genre. Clever girl. She’s definitely trying to grab his share of the votes. MVPs of this performance were definitely the stairs, which finally exacted their revenge by tripping her, if only for a moment, and her guitar-shredding dad. What a nice moment for her. The dad part, not the tripping
Round One Winner: A toss up between Haley and Scotty. I loved Scotty’s performance, but his seemed rather safe, whereas Haley took a risk. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked. And it was memorable. Of course, she sang third, so that helps.
Round Two: Jimmy Iovine’s Choice
Scotty sang Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not. I liked it - a good fit for Scotty. After being reminded of his season 10 audition, J. Lo kindly requested that Scotty re-shave his head. I still can't get behind the idea of this child as a sex symbol, but a makeover could provide for over a minute of filler for Idol, so there you go....Scotty McCreery: soon to be hairless in a Nokia Theater near you!!
Lauren sang If I Dye Young, What a depressing song for a 16-year-old girl to sing! But she did a good job with it. She missed the key change during the song, but J. Lo just chalked it up to "the honesty of what you were creating in that moment." (a diplomatic term for mistake!) Whatever - heaven forbid there is any criticism!
Haley continued the high with her Stevie Nicks impersonation, "Rhiannon", during which she had some intimate moments with a wind machine. She’s never looked better, and Randy must have been dozing off when he called the song "somber". Really?
Hard to call a winner for Round Two! The judges were split. Steven said his girl Lauren, while Jennifer (who is just way gone on Scotty) said, "Scotty, Scotty, Scotty" and Randy (who is just way gone on Jennifer) said, "Scotty, Scotty, Scotty." I think that Scotty was at his best but that Lauren was better. She not only hit the notes beautifull, but also conveyed the emotion of the song.
I fast forwarded through Beyonnce’s performance. And it’s on to Round THREE!
Round Three: Judges’ Choice
Scotty sang She Believes in Me by Kenny Rogers. So again, it was a solid performance. I just wish they had given Scotty some more challenging songs than they did. That worries me. . "We all wanted to see if you could hit that big chorus. I guess you showed us," Jennifer said afterwards, throwing him a lingering side-glance. Wait a minute. I'm pretty sure none of the judges were "wondering" if vocally consistent crooner Scotty McCreery could "hit a chorus." Give me a break.
I'm surprised none of the judges named Scotty's dad (Baby, Lock Them Doors) as the winner of the third round. Major upset.
Lauren sang I Hope You Dance. This is one of my favorite songs. I absolutely love the message, and it always gets me when it comes on the radio. It was nice to see Lauren changing up the melody a little bit to make it her own, and I thought she did a really good job with it. It was a solid performance.
Haley wrapped up the show with You Outta Know by Alannis Morisette - a strange choice. Alannis sings angry girl music and that's not the picture you get when you think of Haley!! Her voice could not handle the lower register of the verses -- "oughtn't" the judges…know that? Even Haley had to laugh it off as she bungled a few notes at the beginning, as if to say "Who cares, we all know the whole point of this angry anthem is the part where I get to yell." She killed the chorus though!!
The Round 3 winner? Steven surprised me by picking Haley rather than his beloved Lauren. Randy and Jennifer, marching in lockstep as usual, chose Lauren. I'm thinking I may have to go with Haley too - just to be different although I love Scotty and want him to WIN!!
Randy, this is the semi-finals. They are ALL in it to win it. Shut up.
Haley - I thought tonight was her night. She set the bar high. Throughout the competition, we have watched her grow and mature and gain confidence. The complaint used to be that the judges didn't know who she was. They couldn't put her in a box. But she knew who she was, and over the weeks, she's shown us. She's stood up to the judges when they were harsh on her and came back strong.
Scotty - This is the night where he needed to really bring it, and I felt like he sang three similar songs — none of which really showed off his trademark base notes, and none that really showcased his fun personality. That said, of the three that are left, he has been the most consistent throughout the season and the most confident in who he is and the type of artist he will be so I ended up voting for him about 20 times before I went to bed. I’m sure the reason James went home last week is because all the teeny-boppers are out there voting while all the adults are busy putting kids to bed.
I truly have no idea who is going home tonight. Scotty didn’t come through the way I was hoping he would. Haley took some risks and had some great moments, but she didn’t have the consistency that she should really have to make it into the top two. Lauren kind of upped the ante and she’s a crowd (and a judges’) favorite, so I think we might see Lauren and Scotty in the finals. That said, Haley has somehow managed to slip in under the wire each week, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she does it again. I really don't think (and hope not) that Scotty will be voted off tonight. That said, I didn't think James would be voted off either! So my guess for tonight is the final two will be .......
Scotty and a girl!!
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