Article 1: American Idol Results - Down Two
It's a Twofer!
This new strategy worked well in some regards, but in others, well not so much.. Lauren and Scotty did a fine country duet singing "I Told you So". Their voices meshed well together and it was a sweet opening act. Then we had Jacob and Naima, who were given a lackluster song "Solid" by Ashford and Simpson, which they both valiantly tried to put some life into but failed.
A trio of girls, Haley, Pia and Thia sang Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream". Oh boy, I thought, here was a chance to see Thia and Pia come out a little and show their pop sensibilities to the audience! (As we are so well-versed in their masterful handling of ballads.) But no no no. Pia can't relax her voice enough to have fun with a fun song, and over sang it, and as for poor Thia? Well she was regulated to being a background singer for the whole song. Not really fair. Neither was the poor song choice for Jacob and Naima. It makes you wonder, just a tad, if the producers are in some contestants corners more than others.
Then we had our garage band boys led -- in every sense of the word -- by James. James made it clear why he is a crowd favorite when he out-shone and out-sang a weakly sounding Paul, a so-so Casey and a decent Stefano in their presentation of Paul McCartney's "Band on the Run". While Stefano did good enough, only James did the song justice and Casey was surprisingly unimpressive. As for Paul, his whispy vocal style was painfully bad, especially in stark comparison to the other band members. Also, Haley and Casey -- just because you CAN growl/sing, doesn't mean you have to in every song.
Season 3's winner, Fantatsia came back to sing her new single "Collard Greens & Cornbread" the third single of her album Back to Me. it was a kind of a eclectic song, mixing old style singing and Fantasia's unique style of singing. Clearly she has grown as an artist with a masterful command over her voice.
On the other end of the spectrum were guest stars Jamie Foxx and will.i.am performing "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party)", from the new Pixar movie Rio.
Although it was an extravaganza type of performance, what with girls dressed in parrot-inspired garb, acrobats and drummers filling the stage, it was somewhat lackluster. Foxx and will.i.am really didn't sing well for one, and there just seemed to be a general lack of energy.
In the end, Thia, Naima and Paul found themselves in the bottom three. And since Casey was saved last week, this week was a twofer.
Paul managed to squeak by the two more vibrant ladies to sing another day.
ARTICLE 2: SOURCE:
"American Idol" results: Do women prefer to vote for men?
(CBS) The "American Idol" producers couldn't maintain the drama of last week, when ERs all over America had to call in additional defibrillators and spiritual counselors. Instead, in last night's results show, they split the contestants up into small groups, asked them to sing together and then revealed which was eligible for the axe. The little groups were a splendidly cruel and honest means of showing who could really sing, who could really dance and who could really do neither terribly well.
Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia are eliminated on "American Idol," Thursday, March 31, 2011.
(Credit: FOX) Pictures: "American Idol" Season 10
Special section: "American Idol"
Lauren Alaina showed that, even sitting down, her voice has all the power of a Range Rover, while Scotty McCreery, seductive as he is to some, has the range of a power drill.
Jacob Lusk needed little effort to reveal that when it comes to performance and entertainment, he needs only voice, not gimmicks, while Naima Adedapo looked like she knew she was singing at her own wake.
Indeed, she was immediately told she was in the bottom three.
Lusk was an excellent warm-up for "Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino, who showed what it means to perform with your heart and soul, not merely with your mouth, arms and legs.
Next, it was a curiosity to see Pia Toscano sing something that had a beat beyond the foxtrot, as she attempted to re-create, um, Charlie's Angels or something, with Thia Megia and Haley Reinhart.
Pia really took a risk--she wore trousers. But it was all a little soft. As was Megia's performance of "Daniel" the night before, one that landed her in the bottom three.
Then we had the interlude, in which we were allowed to see even more nosey footage of Casey Abrams losing his mental equilibrium after the judges had last week used their save to keep him in America's eye.
But before we could be too appalled at this prurience, there was Abrams, guitar in hand, in a band that featured Paul McDonald, James Durbin and Stefano Langone. They managed a slightly wingless version of Paul McCartney's "Band on the Run," finishing rather better than they started.
Steven Tyler offered them a gig to open for Aerosmith. While we wondered just how serious he might not have been, we were suddenly overwhelmed by a lot of drum-bangers.
And behind them sat Jamie Foxx and will.i.am. What they lack in vocal range (a lot), they make up for in bravado (a helluva lot). Their song was launching a movie called "Rio" (produced and distributed by the same Fox that brings you "American Idol," of course). It was about partying and samba. It needed a little Brazilian.
As soon as we returned from the commercials, Lauren Alaina was crying. Presumably she didn't want to lose a friend, or two, which she did. McDonald was told that he was safe, and Megia and Adedapo had to take the long walk to probable obscurity.
In truth, McDonald was fortunate to survive, after his dull, complacent performance of "Rocket Man."
Some might suggest that his survival - and, this week, that of Durbin - might simply be down to the fact that the voters are predominantly female. Could it be that girls prefer to vote for boys, while the older ladies prefer to vote for someone talented, but conservative, like Pia Toscano?
Last year, the first three to be voted off in the finals were women. Now the pattern is being repeated. The first four to be voted off this year have all been women. Last year, moreover, Crystal Bowersox was the lone female representative in the Top 5.
But it might just be that the voters, though predominantly women, still enjoy an amusing objectivity. They won't put up with flat singing, wobbly dancing or smug acting - not unless the guy is really, really hot. (Does anyone remember Jason Castro?)
Adedapo and Megia, for different reasons, really weren't good enough. The same, however, might be said of perhaps half of the remaining nine.
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