American Idol Week Round-up
I missed a few days of this, so some of my comments already have answers:
Performance show April 8 2008
The inspirational songs produced a mixed bag of thoughts for me.
I really didn’t like Michael Johns performance of the Aerosmith song Dream On. It really came off as an imitation of the original, not adding anything new to it.
Carly Smithson took on a tough challenge in the Queen song Show Must Go On. The last time we heard it from Idol competitors was Princess P a few years ago. Like Elvis, Freddy Mercury is tough to cover; his voice was so distinctive.
I’m still not sure if the contestants really understand the reasons for it as inspirational: when he performed it, Freddy was dying of AIDS. In fact, he died less than a year after the album with this song came out. I’ve always seen it as his farewell song, and this meaning is a reason why it’s one of my theme songs.
Sayesha Mercado again took on a ballad from a very difficult diva to follow, and didn’t really bring anything new to it. She just hasn’t given us an idea of the kind of performer she’d be.
Brooke White performing a Carly Simon song was a perfect choice for her. I see her very much as our generation’s version of her.
Idol Gives Back, April 9, 2008
Based on last year, I prepared myself to break down in tears most of the show. I surprised myself by being more sturdy this year.
Seeing the drama and tragedy in Africa was still heartbreaking though. When Annie Lennox broke down, I felt it as well. Forest Whitaker and his wife did on a film the next night. That showed a lot of strength on their part.
There were some amazing performances on the show. Annie Wilson proved that she still has it when she sang Barracuda. Likewise the above-mentioned Annie Lennox, who brought the house down. Sheila E. is still one of the best drummers around.
One song that did get to me: the Idols performance of Seasons of Love from RENT. That song has always been one that gets me very emotional.
The comedians proved a mixed bag. Jimmy Kimmel’s Roast on Simon Cowell was superb.
His girlfriend Sarah Silverman had some great zingers as well. One who really failed here though: Robin Williams. A communist era Russian was almost 20 years out of date. Also, his “Meal or No Meal” joke was in very poor taste with the starvation in Africa.
One thing I was glad that they didn’t do this year: they didn’t have an appearance by George Bush. New Orleans devastation was in major part due to his lack of attention to the situation. Showing his face at all last year was offensive.
Results Show April 10, 2008
The three performances that seemed off two nights ago were all in the bottom three: Carly, Michael and Sayesha.
What surprised me a bit was Michael being eliminated so soon. My theory of him being the ringer this year like Melinda Doolittle was before is now shot!
