Idol Top 5 Vs. Paula

Talk about stepping into the twilight zone this evening. Where do we even start? Ryan tells us all that the glare of exposure has already caused some to lose their cool (Brooke White), and wonders what might happen tonight. Who knew that the only one to flip out under the pressure would be Paula, but we’ll explore that scary place a little later. For anyone who wondered like me, if Idol was scripted, Paula sure answered that for all of us. Ryan reminds us to vote for our favorites because Carly is watching from home. After wasting a good five minutes, Ryan tells us that we have a tight show with two performances from each singer. Neil Diamond’s credits are run, and Neil tells us that he is glad for the chance to encourage the artists, and that they are all good and all bring something different. I am sure that he means it and that he isn’t just here to promote his new CD. Ryan says we will wait to critique everyone after they perform their second song. Let’s break it down:
Jason Castro- "Forever in Blue Jeans"
Neil isn’t given much time to comment on Jason, which annoys me. I can tell already I am NOT going to enjoy this hurried pace. Why not an hour and a half? It’s not like Idol has ever minded wasting time. I digress. Jason starts off low and then jumps an octave. It is a nice touch, and he gives a sweet performance that is on key, but I am missing the "Over the Rainbow" and "Hallelujah" days. I can’t put my finger on it, because I do love his voice and his charm. All and all I think he gives a nice performance, but not necessarily one that will stay with you. He is in the dreaded number one spot.
At the end of all 5 songs, Ryan switches it up and asks the judges to quickly run down the critiques with all of the idol hopefuls standing there. Randy thought Jason was just all right. Paula became extremely confused as she read her notes and said in the first song she liked how he started in the lower register, but on the second song she thought he had lost some of his charm and it didn’t seem like he was fighting to be there. At this point no one quite knows what to do. Randy says, "hey, uh, we are just judging the first song"(duh) and Ryan says "Paula you are reading the future". Paula looks at them all baffled and says, "I thought you sang twice". Thank God for Simon who takes the attention off of her and tells Jason that is was forgettable.
David Cook "I’m Alive"
Neil Diamond gets goose bumps from David. This song is unfamiliar to me, but David definitely captures the Neil vibe while still making the song sound like his own. He gives a pretty decent performance. He plays the electric guitar and there are some really cool lights. I am not sure that he did anything different than he normally does to push himself to the next level, but overall I enjoy it. I just don’t have goose bumps. Randy thought he was on fire. Paula never got to finish her critiques due to the time crunch and the amount of time it took her to realize we weren’t in dress rehearsal anymore. Simon thought it was just above average.
Brooke White "I’m a Believer"
Neil finds Brooke to be very genuine. She comes out with the guitar and looks beautiful in blue and with her hair all curly. She gets through the piece without starting over, and she seems to have fun, but why? Why the Smash Mouth version of an already overplayed song? How in the world did she think she was going to make that unique and her own? I am glad she seemed to get some of her confidence back as she performed, but the whole thing was so corny and awkward that I could hardly stand to watch. Randy said it was just ok. Again, we were blessedly spared Paula’s thoughts. Simon thought it was nightmarish and karaoke.
David Archuleta "Sweet Caroline"
Neil thinks of David as a kind of prodigy. My friend Lynda predicted that he would sing this song. He has a perfect vocal, and he managed, as he always does, to put that David A. spin on it. For the first time, however, I am kind of tired of his schtick. I think it sounds like a number in the Six Flags Palace Show, and for me it is forgettable. I guess I am a "Sweet Caroline" purist. I have this feeling that this is all we are going to get for the next four weeks. Then I guess David will put out a recording of twelve songs where he makes the exact same vocal decisions with every melody, and I will never buy it. I still think he has mad skills; I am just becoming bored with the same outfit, same performance and same vocal week after week. Randy thought it was the bomb. Paula stared confusedly ahead. Simon thought it was amateurish.
Syesha Mercado- "Hello Again"
Neil Diamond thought Syesha was wonderful. He actually asked her for a hug. Syesha looks gorgeous in a powder blue dress with her hair straightened. She starts singing, sitting on the steps. All I can see are the idiotic paid extras waving frantically and completely ahead of the beat. Syesha’s vocal is really nice, but in a KEZK-(for the out-of-towner’s-read easy listening) kind of way. It feels like Lionel Ritchie’s "Hello"-but the way he sang it before David Cook made it hip. Don’t get me wrong, I thought based on talent she did great. It just is not a song I really liked when Neil himself sang it. Randy thought it was good. Paula again, left speechless by her enormous gaffe, stared at her notes. Simon said it was old-fashioned.
After the embarrassment of the first half of the show, we come back from commercial break and catch a glimpse of Paula looking extremely stressed out and uncomfortable. Hmm. Is it because she doesn’t know what she should say after Jason’s real performance? And how will the negative comments based on the dress rehearsal affect his actual live performance?
Jason Castro- "September Morn"
I have to say, having heard the comments before the performance, I am simply waiting for him to tank. Paula never says anything negative, so I am figuring it has to be bad. Jason looks for the first time, to be completely out of sorts and like he doesn’t have a clue what he is doing on this show. The song is sung in key, but it is not the right kind of song for him, and I feel like we all kind of got cheated-Jason included. Randy says it was just ok. Paula looks sheepish and says that he took the same liberties with both songs and he needs to fight. Simon said he doesn’t recognize him these last two weeks and that he didn’t make either song his own. While they are commenting they are pushing Jason out of the way and rushing David Cook on stage. It is extremely annoying.
David Cook "All I Really Need is you"
This is a great fit for David. I don’t even recognize it as a Neil Diamond song, it sounds like David wrote it himself. He is passionate, professional and actually brings a little tenderness to the song before rocking it out in the middle. It feels like he reached much farther with this performance and I absolutely love it. After both of David’s appearances tonight, he has forged ahead of the other four by a pretty large margin. Randy says he is a huge fan and that he rocked the house, it was blazing. Paula was so proud of him and feels like he already is the idol. Simon thought it was brilliant.
Brooke White "I Am I Said"
Brooke starts this song at the piano and actually has a very heartfelt performance. This is a great song choice for Brooke, and her vocal, while not perfect, reminds me of why I liked her several weeks ago. I am not sure if I can see Brooke going much farther, but I am glad that she was able to come back from the embarrassment of last week and have a solid performance. I do think the girl has a future in music, but I am not sure how much longer she will survive in this type of competition. Randy thought she did a nice job. Paula thought she showed vulnerability and when she does that it works. Simon hated the first song, but said that this was the Brooke he liked. It was not incredible, but a million times better than the last song.
David Archuleta "America"
David pulls one of the smartest numbers out of the hat, and delivers an almost perfect vocal with a song that makes everyone think of fireworks and the fourth of July. I enjoy it, but am still feeling like I really want to see David stretch and do something unpredictable and amazing. This wasn’t it for me, but I did enjoy his take on the song. I know all you crazy David A. fans are going to diss me and and send me irate emails. Go ahead. David is fading into the woodwork, and he needs to find something to make him a little younger and quick! Randy said it was another great performance. Paula said it was a perfect song and his voice is on point. She also said "I love you" and "have fun". What the f ? Maybe it was the tranquilizer they gave Paula after the first half of the show taking effect. Simon says it was a smart choice, it was clever and that David checked all of his boxes.
Syesha Mercado- "Thank the Lord for the Nighttime"
Syesha pulls out all the stops on this performance. She is able to showcase her musical theatre side as she dances and claps along with her backup singers. It is a lot of fun, and it is pretty good vocal. Again, this is not the type of performance that I would expect at a pop concert, but I would pay to see her if she was in a Broadway play. Randy says nice job, and he loves when she does this musical theatre side. Paula calls her Brooke (the valium is talking) and then tells her she loved her texture from the first song and that she thought she sounded a little like Corinne Bailey. Simon said that she demonstrated that she is strongest as an actress/singer, but that he thinks she will be in trouble this week.
Quite honestly, I haven’t picked right in the last four weeks, so I am not sure how this week will play out. I definitely think that it is Jason’s time to go home, but usually when Idol goes this far out of their way to eliminate a contestant, it backfires. The kids who support Jason, who may feel he was at an unfair advantage, may jump to his defense in the way the Brooke fans did last week. They are all very different and talented singers, but if I am looking at superstar potential I can only see David Cook after tonight’s performances. I think the top 3 were the David’s and Syesha. I think America may send Syesha or Brooke home. As Simon said, this was the strangest night on Idol to date, and I am mildly apathetic about the outcome. Maybe they need to start getting younger mentors when we are to the point where the contestants are singing two songs. Surely somebody in their 20’s or 30’s has a CD they are trying to promote?