Photo: Micelotta/FOX
Maybe it’s the recession talking, but American Idol is more fixated on marketability and singers’ business potential than ever this season. In the wake of a few commercially underperforming Idols, the judges — particularly newcomer Kara DioGuardi — seem to be focusing their commentary less on the strength of the vocal takes and more on the possibility of profitability. If the show is looking for instant marketing data, they’ve got it: iTunes will sell all the semifinalistists’ performances the day after they sing. So who will stick around? Last night’s first live semifinal show lasered in on a few Idol truths: he who receives little screen time during auditions and Hollywood Week episodes is screwed (see Braddy, Ricky) and she who has the potential to drive up ratings with nuttiness is encouraged to remain insane (see Del Toro, Tatiana). And let us not forget the sponsor who pays the most money will receive a bright-red couch on which the singers and their loved ones will conduct some of the most awkward interviews in televised history.
Twelve hopefuls performed hits from the Hot 100 since the chart’s inception. Here’s a quick rundown:
Ones to Watch:
• Alexis Grace: the skinny white girl with Christina Aguilera’s taste in lipstick slays Aretha Franklin’s “Never Loved a Man.” “The genie is out of the bottle with you,” says Kara, no doubt hypnotized by Grace’s makeup.
• Screw the haters, Anoop Desai, your cover of Monica’s “Angel of Mine” was sweet! “My goal is to sing songs that I have wanted people to sing while I’ve been watching at home,” he says. Anoop, we anxiously await your cover of “No Scrubs.”
• Danny Gokey’s Mariah Carey song (”Hero”) was the judges’ (and probably the headline writers’) clear favorite. David Cook won their favor on Mariah night last season. Is Mimi the new go-to singer for lightly bearded male contestants?
• Ricky Braddy’s awesome vocal on Leon Russell’s “A Song for You” may be enough to compensate for his lack of visibility during earlier episodes. Please, America: don’t make this man go back to serving chicken fingers.
• Let’s just admit it: Tatiana Del Toro dared to sing Whitney and lived to tell the tale. But rather than focus on her performance, the judges humiliated themselves by begging her to be crazy. (”We miss the crazy,” says Paula Abdul in a moment of irony that could smash the heavens and the earth together.)
Meh:
• Jackie Tohn and her Jazzercise legwear kind of sang her way into our hearts with a pumped-up “A Little More Conversation.” She practically rocked her way into Randy’s pants, too: “I like the trousers,” he offers. “The trousers like you, sir,” Tohn responds.
• Roughneck Michael Sarver’s Gavin DeGraw cover was okay; Simon’s post-song commentary was obnoxiously transparent: “You’re a good honest guy, hardworking, who needs a break.”
• Brent Keith went country to show America what kind of music he’d record and Simon still gave him shit for it by invoking the name of one Bucky Covington. Low blow, Cowell.
Ones to Wipe From Your Memory With Bleach:
• Stevie Wright’s take on Taylor Swift’s “You Belong to Me” was so off, Simon taught us a new phrase to describe it: “out of your debt.” Wait, is that another recession reference?
• Poor Casey Carlson — what’s worse, being told you’re an asshole for attempting a poor karaoke cover of the Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” or having your well-meaning mom humiliate you on national television directly afterward?
• Stephen Fowler’s “Rock With You” was low energy and tee-hee free. Randy called it “not good” and Simon described it as “corny.”
Thanks for the Memories:
• As Ryan Seacrest kindly pointed out with a smile, Ann Marie Boskovich provided her own punchline by plopping down the Coke couch after her iffy Aretha cover and proclaiming, “I just sat on the hard part.”
Share
Email
Stumble
AIM
Del.icio.us
DiggThis
Fark It!
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.
Get RS Mobile
RSS