Ranking the ‘Idol’ Top 9
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- April
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Tonight, we return to the celebrity mentor format of “American Idol” with the one and only Dolly Parton. Even if you’re not a huge country music fan—and I’d include myself in that group —it’s almost impossible to dislike Parton, who’s talented, charming and self-effacing.
Why “Idol” has strayed from the celebrity mentor format this year is beyond me. If the celebrity is good (Bono, Gladys Knight, Bon Jovi), it’s great TV. If the celebrity status is negotiable (Peter Noone, Lulu), it’s even better TV. Plus, it genuinely is a fun music history lesson for viewers of all ages. Younger viewers can learn about the greatness of Tony Bennett, while older viewers can get some insight about why Gwen Stefani is so popular these days.
Onto the rankings. Remember, these rankings are posted the morning before the performances.
1. David Cook—Lots of writers and fans have been weighing in on the latest David Cook controversy, about which I am torn.
Con: As impressive as his performance of “Billie Jean” was, I agree he shouldn’t have been allowed to sing Chris Cornell’s 2007 moody rock arrangement of the 1982 Michael Jackson the week that contestants were asked to sing songs from their birth year.
Pro: That said, he nailed the song. And who wouldn’t sing their preferred versions of songs if producers gave them permission? Plus, I don’t buy that it’s not fair for Cook to sing other people’s arrangements; not only has Ryan Seacrest credited the artists who covered each song, but everyone on the show has the same opportunity to take such liberties.
Con: For better or worse, Blake Lewis was probably the only contestant did truly original arrangements. So I don’t want to hear how original Cook is.
Pro: For all this complaining, I don’t think there’s another contestant who’s been as captivating over the last three weeks. So I’ll award him the top spot.
2. Carly Smithson—Thankfully, “Idol” voters ignored Randy Jackson’s unnecessarily harsh criticism of Smithson’s take on “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” But Simon Cowell was right in saying that she looked tense on the song. She’s got to relax and look like she belongs on the stage.
3. David Archuleta—I want to rank him lower after his decision to sing “You’re The Voice,” which warranted the “indulgent” tag that Simon Cowell so often hangs on contestants but didn’t this time around. And yet I believe it when Archuleta said he (as opposed to, perhaps, his father) picked the song. For someone unfamiliar with Beatles hits (sacrilege for an “Idol” finalist!), it makes sense that he would instead listen to obscure adult contemporary songs. He’s an eclectic, old soul for someone who’s 17. And in some ways that works against him.
4. Syesha Mercado—I don’t remember what she sang last week. For someone with such a good voice, that’s not a good sign.
5. Brooke White—From a critical standpoint, she’s fading fast after clunkers “Here Comes The Sun” and “Every Breath You Take.” From a popularity perspective, she’s still likely to be the woman who advances the furthest this season.
6. Michael Johns—The good news: “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions” was his best song since he performed another Queen song—“Bohemian Rhapsody”—during Hollywood Week. The bad news: Now what?
7. Jason Castro—“Fragile” and its alternate Spanish choruses were decent, but except for “Daydream” and “Hallelujah,” Castro seems to spew lyrics without giving much thought to their meaning.
8. Kristy Lee Cook—Her decision last week to sing “God Bless the U.S.A.” was both genius and pure pandering. But as much as I bristled at the latter, objectively it was her best vocal performance since her initial “Amazing Grace” audition. With country icon Dolly Parton as mentor this week, KLC’s almost guaranteed to make it into the Top 8.
9. Ramiele Malubay—Made the atrocious decision to sing “Alone,” which had been aced by previous “Idol” champ Carrie Underwood. And Malubay did a terrible job with it to boot. Yet she still hasn’t been on the Bottom 3. Enough, America!
(Photo by Frank Micelotta/FOX)
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 11:45 am by Chris Serico.
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