Mar 12 2008
It was a big night for American Idol. Here are some of the biggest moments from the first Top 12 performance show of season seven.
Bigger (and Better?) Set
The show's new "bigger and better" set was unveiled. The band is elevated, there's a mosh pit, the lights can do cool things. It's awesome if you love that big show feel. But if you're a fan of the old, cozier set, it may take a while to grow on you.Big Risks
At the start of the show, Paula Abdul mentions that taking risks with this week's songs (which were from The Lennon/McCartney catalog) could pay off for some and backfire for others. Boy, was she right. Chikeze's down-home spin on the song "She's A Woman" blew the judges away. It was a fun, energetic performance that we weren't expecting from Chikeze. As Randy said, "Chikeze smashed it!"Then there was David Cook, who added his rock flavor to the song "Eleanor Rigby." Simon thought it was brilliant, Paula called him the competition's dark horse and a thoroughbred, and Randy summed it up when he remarked that David proves you can rock out on Idol and rock out on the Beatles.
But the big risks didn't always pay off last night. Kristy Lee Cook thought it would be a good idea to put a unique country spin on the song "Eight Days A Week." Even if you hadn't heard the song "Eight Days a Week" in your life, you could immediately tell that she was slaughtering the song thanks to a horrible arrangement. When Paula Abdul comes out and says "I didn't enjoy it" and "I didn't get it," you know it was bad. Simon said she sounded like Dolly Parton on helium and it was like being at a ghastly country fair. "To change that song like that was just wrong," he said.
Big Talent
Chikeze and David Cook weren't the only ones who "smashed it" last night. Watching the performances, we couldn't help thinking this is the best group of finalists we've ever seen on American Idol. Sanjaya Malakar wouldn't last a week with these performers.Though Jason Castro didn't completely win over the judges, his performance of "If I Fell" made us fall for him even more. As Paula said, he has a way about him that makes you "feel his heart" when he's performing.
Carly Smithson's performance of "Come Together" was memorable. Her vocals were excellent, as always. But this week, more than any other week, she looked like she was really feeling the song up there. Randy called her performance stellar, Paula felt like she was watching a star, and Simon said he loved it.
The studio came alive when Amanda Overmyer performed. Her energy was unmatched as she sang "You Can't Do That." Randy said she took the song and brought it to some cool southern bar or club. Paula, who gave her a standing ovation, called her a star and was inspired to say that it was the best season of talent so far. Simon said it wasn't as good as last week, but called her a breath of fresh air in the competition.
The praise wasn't as big for Syesha Mercardo, who had been the first to perform. Randy said her performance of "Gotta Get You Into My Life" was just alright. Paula said it was pitchy in the beginning, but was good from the midway point to the end. Simon thought it was better than alright, but said she looked nervous.
Brooke White showed off her piano-playing skills while performing "Let It Be." Randy said she gave a heartfelt performance. Paula remarked she knows how to pick songs that make people fall in love with her. Simon thought it was one of the best performances of the night.
Big Let Downs
We already mentioned the Kristy Lee Cook disaster, but the judges were also let down by Ramiele Malubay, Michael Johns, David Hernandez, and David Archuleta.Ramiele Malubay's performance of "My Life," which she dedicated to her friends who had left the show, failed to move Randy, Paula, and Simon. Randy called it "pretty boring." Paula said it was too safe and felt she was holding back. Simon said he was "bored to tears."
While Ramiele was criticized for not giving enough, David Hernandez was slammed for giving too much. After his energetic performance of "I Saw Her Standing There," Randy said it was a bit overdone and there was too much going on during the performance. Paula felt he overdid it a bit and should have scaled back. Simon said it was "corny verging on desperate" and a bit of "rabbit-in-the-headlights."
Meanwhile, Michael Johns's performance of "Across the Universe" was criticized as being "sleepy" by Randy. Simon told him he failed to do something brilliant with the song. However, Paula thought his performance was brilliant.
As for crowd favorite David Archuleta, all of the judges agreed that it wasn't his best week. He forgot some of his words to "We Can Work It Out" and seemed nervous and uncomfortable on stage. "This week was not on point," Randy said. "This wasn't your best week, but you're a frontrunner," Paula said. "That was a mess," Simon told the high school junior.
