American Idol, Top 12!

You guys, I'm really excited about American Idol this season. There are about 10 contestants remaining that I actually like! In the last three or four seasons, I'd say that I have actively disliked at least half of each group. This year's crop for the most part seem to have what I like in an Idolestant: Vocal chops! Personality! Musical taste! The ones I don't like, well, they're pretty much of the season 9 mould (excluding Crystal Bowersox, who is AWESOME): Vocally unsteady. Overly confident. Not ready for primetime. I think, and you may disagree with me on this, that Whitney Houston/Stevie Wonder night was among one of the best openings to the finals that I can remember, and obviously with the Whitney juggernaut looming, it could have been a disaster. Going into it, I would have described last week's theme as the Hunger Games arena of theme weeks: only one or two will be left standing. Thankfully, that was not the case. I can't remember liking so many performances in one performance show since season 7. Let's just hope the contestants can build on previous performances and get creative with their songs from here on out. I'd love to have a crazy combination of vocal powerhouse Idol and song arrangement Idol smacking us in the face each week for once. Here's to early season hope!

Here's my list of favorites in descending order:

12. Jermaine Jones: Ugh, this guy. I know his initial pre-top 24 elimination was "emotional" for the judges, but they should have trusted their initial instinct about him. His voice is certainly interesting, but not necessarily in a good way. His performance last week was all over the place, and if I'm being honest, I don't like the sound of his voice anyway. Plus, his stank, entitled attitude during the elimination episode, coupled with Ryan's constant description of him as a "Gentle Giant" (do we need one of those?) have solidified his standing at the bottom of this season's talent.

11. Shannon Magrane: Poor, tall Shannon. Kid's just out of her league. She seems like a sweet girl, and I like the personality she's shown in the non-singing portions of the program, but her ill-advised attempt at "I Have Nothing" last week showed all her flaws. It was also a little troubling when she told the cameras backstage that apart from the one note, it was a good vocal. Mmm, girl: it was not.

10. Joshua Ledet: I think this is controversial. I can't deny that Joshua's voice is awesome. It's objectively great, in fact. Something about him, though, is not connecting for me. For one, I'm not crazy about his song choices, but at this point in the competition, that's not totally fair. In the Hollywood rounds, I was still suffering from PJLSD (you know, Post Jacob Lusk Stress Disorder), and it seemed like Joshua, as a gospel singer with an ability to go way over the top with his vocals, might be reviving horrible Lusky memories. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case either. I'm optimistic about Joshua, but for right now, I'm going to need something more to draw me in.

9. Deandre Brackensick: He seems like such a sweetie! It was nice to finally see him come out of his shell a little bit when Ryan questioned him about his cry-reaction to making the finals, and it seems like he's finally gaining some confidence. I really liked his performance last week, even though I would never be able to tell you without cheating 1) the name of the song he performed; or 2) any of the words from it. I also liked that he put his hair back for the performance: a subtle, but significant styling choice that made all the difference. Like with Joshua, what could potentially push Deandre over the edge for me is song choice. I'm a fan, though!

8. Heejun Han: Ha! What a goober! I love this guy's personality and think he actually has a shockingly beautiful voice. I don't think it's as strong as Joshua's or Deandre's, but when he's in his pocket, it's lovely. My fear for Heejun is that he'll survive in this competition too long, at the expense of some people who are a bit more versatile as vocalists. Until he sings something up-tempo or even something that reflects his personality, Heejun is going to be a question mark. Love him, though!

7. Hollie Cavanagh: The adorable little woodland creature! Hollie is so good when she's confident. Of all the contestants on this show, I think she's got the greatest shot at having a true "Idol journey this season, and if she keeps singing solidly, revealing a little bit more personality (and her fantastically bizarro hybrid accent!), she's got a legitimate shot at the title this year. I'd love to see something like that!

6. Colton Dixon: Loved, loved, loved his performance of "Lately" last week. He David Cooked it a little bit with the arrangement, while managing to maintain the integrity of the melody. His vocal wasn't perfect, but the changes in that song are brutal and I thought he did an admirable job. If Colton could fix his hair, I'd probably consider myself a fangirl. I really like the way he sings. I think he's extremely radio-friendly right now.

5. Jessica Sanchez: Her vocal on the Whitney Houston (ahem, Dolly Parton) Beast last week was undeniable. Wowsers. I think that song requires more of a build than 90 seconds can give it, but no one has ever sung it that well on Idol before, and previous seasons are littered with the eliminations of those who have tried. My favorite part of the performance occurs in this video at about the 1:30 mark. In spite of how well she had sung up to that point, I was nervous about the final "And I-ee-I-ee-I..." bit. At that point in the song, however, she got this little smirk on her face that alerted us to the fact that she was in control of what she was doing. I've heard that she's been criticized for being too robotic/unemotional when she sings, but I'm not too bothered by that when she delivers a vocal like last week.

4. Elise Testone: I'm so sad she got turned into a punching bag this week. How quickly we forget that she was the Katniss in the Adele semi-final arena two weeks ago (y'all, I'm really excited for Hunger Games next week. NEXT WEEK! SQUEEEEEE!!!). Her vocal was still solid on the song she didn't choose to sing, but almost resulted in her elimination nonetheless. Last week, Elise had Carly Smithson syndrome: she tried to please, when she should have stayed true to her instincts. I think she'll win back voters, but I'm so sad that one of the most interesting vocalists in the competition almost got voted off in week one.

3. Phillip Phillips: What can I say about Phillip? That his voice sends me into a frenzy every week? That I find his spazzy performance antics adorable and I love them? You've heard all that before. I think I'm liking Phillip right now because of how much he seems to love the music that he plays, and the way it spills out of him in every performance. So glad he's doing well on this show, but I want the winner this year to be a lady, so I'll enjoy him in the meantime.

2. Skylar Laine: Skylar's the real deal. J-Lo's made the apt Reba comparison a few times, but I think Miranda Lambert needs to be thrown in there as well. There's something very un-Idol about a country girl singing with authenticity. I liked Lauren Alaina last year, but I didn't think she was ready to be a country star, and Skylar's performances show exactly why not. Country music is at its best when singers tell a story and you can believe that they're telling the truth. Skylar gets that in a way that neither Scotty (ugh) or Lauren did last season. To take Whitney Houston's "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and to turn it into what sounded like an actual country song was genius. I believed the story she was telling. Actual vocal chops to go along with the whole package certainly help matters, as well!

1. Erika van Pelt: EVP! I'm such a fan! The restraint she shows every single time she sings is so refreshing on this show. I love her vocal power, but I love that she knows how to harness it for what the songs need. Her performance of "I Believe in You and Me" was my favorite of a very good night because of the vocal choices she made with it. Rather than the nervous fumbling that often characterizes Idolestants early in the season, I felt like I was watching a pro. She's fantastic! Now, if we could just get the Idol stylists to quit hating on her....

Idol Pre-Season Wishlist

Tonight the real season of American Idol begins. With the first half (plus one. Why Idol?) of the Top 25 performing for votes, we get to hear complete (albeit pared down to 90 seconds) performances by the Idolestants, and the chance to finally see how these kids fare on the big stage! I love the semi-finals! The potential for break-out stars and exciting new performers is just too enticing to turn truly cynical about the ageing Idol formula.

Going into the season, I wasn't totally sure how I was going to feel about this season of Idol, given the reality singing competition overload we as a collective viewing public have been smacked with this past year. I wasn't sure if X-Factor's awfulness would have left a permanently bitter taste in my mouth. After the Vegas episode, though, I realized that I'm invested. This year's top 24 - umm - 25, is (dare I say it?) one of the most exciting in recent memory. Wowsers, this could be a cool season!***

So, before the season officially gets kicked off later, I wanted to provide my own little pre-season Idol cover wishlist. I've always had a wishlist; I've just never shared it before. In the past, only a few contestants have sung my wishlist songs, but whenever they have, it's been awesome (Crystal Bowersox singing "Up to the Mountain" springs to mind).**** Two of my all-time favs have already been covered this season ("Dedicated to the One I Love" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?"), so I'm optimistic that anything awesome could happen. If any of the Idolestants sing any of these songs this season without sucking, they get major points from me (btw, the artists listed are not always the original artists. I'm not a musical history moron ;)):

"Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Mama Cass
"My Man" from Funny Girl (it would have to be a theme night)
"In My Life" by the Beatles
"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor (but closer to this version)
"Droplets" by Colbie Caillat
"All I Wanted" by Paramore
"Truth No. 2" by the Dixie Chicks
"Long Ride Home" by Patty Griffin
"Sweet Baby James" by James Taylor
"I Know" by Fiona Apple (it could be a moment for someone!) (also, this is a wishful thinking list at parts)
"I'm Movin' On" by Rascal Flatts
"Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)" by Garth Brooks
"Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" by Lauryn Hill
"Young Blood" by the Naked and Famous
"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" by the Platters
"Somewhere" from West Side Story
"Breakin' Up" by Rilo Kiley
"Be My Baby" by the Ronettes
"Very Last Country Song" by Sugarland

If anyone covers these songs this season, we all lose:
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins (kiss of death song)
"Alone" by Heart (Carrie owns it, and she lent it to Allison Iraheta, but no one else is allowed to partake. Sorry)
"I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston (even singing the Dolly version will invite comparisons that should be best left alone)
"Up to the Mountain" by Patty (nope. It began with Kelly and ended with Crystal)
"Daydream Believer" by the Monkees (we all have Shrek to thank for killing that one)
"Fallin'" by Alicia Keys
"I'll Be" by Edwin McCain
"I Feel the Earth Move" by Carole King (song that never seems to go the way the Idolestant thinks it will)
"(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" by Martha and the Vandellas
"I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith (I just can't stand this song any more)
""Ain't Goin' Down ('Til The Sun Comes Up)" by Garth Brooks (kiss of death song. Avoid)
"Imagine" by John Lennon (I don't think the Idolestants really get this song when they sing it. They should just not sing it anyway)
"Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley (Done. To. Death.)

***The only elimination I was truly upset by was Lauren Gray's. I still don't really understand why they gave her the axe, and the whole post-top-8-Lauren-Alaina (e.g., lacking in self confidence) edit they gave her felt extremely forced. I'll probably pout about her for a little while this season. She may have been my favorite going into this round.

****With one exception: Ramiele Malubay maimed my all time favorite song here.

'American Idol' Season 10, Top Five Performances

Well, kids, this season of Idol sure has been a crazy ride. Just a few months ago, we were like hopeful amnesiacs, awaiting a new dawn in our favourite singing competition. There were so many things to be excited about: Steven Tyler had opinions! J-Lo gracefully stepped down from her pedestal of super-stardom (in 8-inch heels, nonetheless) to offer caring, but pointed criticisms to our green little Idolestants! We witnessed amazing auditions and Hollywood week performances from the likes of Casey Abrams, Paul McDonald and Kendra Chantelle, John Wayne Shultz (yes, I'm still bitter about that one), Molly DeWolf Swenson (remember the White House intern who Randy punched in the face?), and even the undeniably naturally talented Lauren Alaina (even if she was pimped from the get-go)! We had a really promising and talented top 24! They told us original songs might happen! Even the wild card round was a thing of beauty for once!

Not to say that the show went downhill from there, but the show kind of went downhill from there. The judging situation has been addressed ad nauseum; we lost a lot of great talent in Hollywood week with nary a word of goodbye, or in the abrupt, one-week semifinal round (I'm thinking of you, Tim Halperin, and I love your single "The Last Song" [which is available as a free and legal download on Noisetrade.com]); we ended up with waaay too many teenagers in the finals; we never saw those promised original songs post-airplane hanger; and, in spite of this performance, we lost Kendra Chantelle in that Wild Card round. Additionally, the stankness and schticky performances of certain contestants (named James and Scotty) during Hollywood week never came back to bite them, which was a strange and unwelcome turnaround from previous seasons. To be fair, though, we got awesomesauce folks like Naima, Paul, Casey, early Stefano (he fizzled a bit), and future breakout star Haley in the mix, but it was an uneven group, certainly more talented than last year's group, but uneven nonetheless.

So, to end my American Idol, season 10 moaning on a positive note, I give you my top 5 favourite performances of the season (from the semi-finals onward -- great auditions and Hollywood weeks performances are categories for another day when I'm bored):

1. (WITH A BULLET!) Haley Reinhart, "The House of Rising Sun", Top 5 Week: For the record, an early draft of this list was four Haley solo songs (this one and "I (Who Have Nothing)", "Bennie and the Jets", "You and I", with "What is and What Should Never Be" and "Beautiful" as honourable mentions) and the Naima song below, but I decided to spread the love a little bit, since this show is (or, rather, should be) all about musical journeys. When she performed this song, there was no doubt that Haley was the best on the show and perhaps of the season, even though she didn't start out that way. "The House of Rising Sun" represented the height of her evolution as an artist on this show, and probably now stands as one of the ten best Idol performances ever. Oh my gosh, how great was that strung out, angry a capella intro, and that vocal restraint in the build?! The anger that she was feeling post-judges comments for her earlier (AMAZING) performance of "You and I" worked to fuel her performance. All in all, it was sheer Idol brilliance. Ugh, get it, girl!

2. Naima Adedapo, "For All We Know", Wild Card Performance: It's true that Kendra Chantelle's "Georgia on My Mind" and Stefano Langone's "I Need You Now" were the more obvious standouts of that particular round, but I've got to make a case for Naima's lovely, restrained vocal on "For All We Know", a song recorded by one of Elliott Yamin's favorite influences Donnie Hathaway. Singing with all the emotion James felt during his "Without You" performance, but couldn't restrain in his vocals, Naima managed to make every note an expression of what she was feeling in that moment, and she didn't embellish it in the same way a lot of people tend to do for "sing for your life" performances.

3. Haley Reinhart and Casey Abrams, "Moanin'", Top 8 Results Night: This number made me sit up and listen to Haley. I reluctantly loved her "Bennie and the Jets" performance two weeks before, and while her "Piece of My Heart" cover was pretty good, "Call Me" was a disaster. I wasn't on the Haley train until this duet, wherein she and Casey showed their ridiculous amounts of musical chemistry. Like everyone else, I don't think I realized that Haley could sound so lovely and jazzy. The harmonies, the scatting, the performance itself -- it all just worked. It was a turning point for the season.

4. Casey Abrams, "Nature Boy", Top 8: I loved that Casey went against Jimmy's advice that week to pull off a restrained and thoroughly enjoyable jazz combo number. I don't think Casey was ever one of the best vocalists on the show this season, but when he chose to be, he was a good musician. Everything from the song choice, to the instrumental bit in the middle, to the jazzy vocal itself worked. It was so nice to see something this off the beaten path on the Idol stage.

5. Paul McDonald, "Maggie Mae", Semi-finals: This is where a lot of us fell for Paul. His lilting, whispery vocals combined with his kind of silly, kind of drunken performance antics to create a truly enjoyable breakout performance. This fantastic/wacky performance proves that confidence is the most attractive quality in a person. Love Paul's vocals; love Paul's charisma.

'American Idol' Finale Post-Mortem

I complain, I moan, and I cry conspiracy all season, but I am always a fan of Idol finales. Those folks know how to put on a good show, and they get amazing talent in there. Even last season’s uneven finale (seriously, Lee performing a “duet” with the band Chicago because he auditioned in Chicago? Seriously?) still had some great moments (Alanis Morisette and Crystal Bowersox FTW!). This year’s show was fantastic, in spite of an uninspiring final two. Here are a few notes about the Idol finale in no particular order:

Carrie Underwood is a class act, yo. We’ve seen what Carrie can do on that finale stage, and frankly every time she (or Kelly Clarkson) appears on the show, she legitimises it more than just a little bit. So I think it’s pretty admirable how much she dialed it back for Lauren’s sake in their performance of "Before He Cheats" (Carrie's first real breakout song). Even the last several bars, when Carrie is prone to inhabiting pure awesomeness in her vocals and performances, she let Lauren have some great riffs and glory notes. Classy. Same for Tim McGraw. I enjoyed both of those duets, which, you will recall, can sometimes lean toward the awkward (remember this little gem? It's like they were singing two different songs. I still feel uncomfortable).

HALEY AND TONY BENNETT, RIGHT?! Seeing Haley’s level of confidence during that performance (and in her other performances that night, for that matter) was wonderful. If anyone had a true “Idol journey” this season, it was Haley. In her first few performances this season, I was really put off by her performance mannerisms and an unlikability (not a real word) that I can only classify as stankness (also not a real word). But when she performed “Bennie and the Jets”, something clicked for her. She had a hilariously awkward “scootch” off the piano halfway through the performance (about :44 in) and a manic arm-swing going on throughout, but it just worked for her. As she came into her own this season, it was fun to see her gradually gain confidence in her performance style and her vocals. Do I even need to mention her victory march during her last three weeks on the show? That’s the stuff of Idol legends. Haley Reinhart, I salute you.

That was definitely Handsome Mark of SYTYCD fame dry-humping Lady Gaga atop the Aggro Crag, yes?

I thought just about every time Casey performed or commented, he was hilarious. OTT yes, but hilarious and fun. Honorable mention to Pia for skit-chastising James and Casey in their little bit about being the “most shocking”. That was cute.

[SIDENOTE: Where was Pia’s duet in the finale? Shocking omission.]

I loved the Beyonce medley for the female contestants (who were strangely sans Lauren). I think that was the best Karen and Thia ever sounded, and when Haley and Ashthon sang on “If I Were a Boy”, I suddenly felt a little sad that Ashthon never got the chance to show us that side of her during the finals. They all sounded amazing.

Beyonce can saaang…even though I’m not mad about her new single.

On that note, the Lady Gaga performance was pure Gaga and pure fun, but way too risqué for the Idol stage. If I had kids, I would change the channel when Gaga performs. So that’s why I was a little shocked to hear Beyonce sing the lyric, “Make love to me”, over and over again, mere minutes after Gaga's simulated sex scene on a large, fake cliff. Those two performances definitely took a usually pretty TV-PG kind of family hour, and turned it into at least a TV-14 kind of hour, in spite of the fact that the finalists were probably the most G-rated finalists we’ve ever had. Wow. Careful there Idol: never underestimate the “family show” audience’s predisposition to boycotting. #producermiscalculation

Oh, how bad was that U2-Spiderman fiasco? Wow.

Obviously, I’m not a Scotty fan, but I liked his show of emotion at the end. I don’t buy his calculated image, generally, so it was nice to see an honest overflow of tears and gratitude coming from the kid when he won. I also liked that his hair was all mussed. When he matures a little bit as a musician (read: stops imitating other country singers and understands that singing is actually a craft) and releases a fun, pop country hit, I’ll probably download it. I hated David Archuletta during his season (even though I recognized that he could sing really, really well) because I saw him as a tool of producer manipulation and an indirect source of Simon Cowell’s vitriol toward Carly Smithson and sometimes David Cook, but when he released “Crush”, I had to admit that I liked the kid and his undeniably catchy song. I hope the same could be true with Scotty.

Sooo, it may be unnecessarily creepy to speculate about the “relationship status” of a couple of teenagers, but the question has been begged: Lauren + Scotty = showmance?

Idol's Judging Problem, and the Rise of Haley Reinhart

We have an issue that needs to be addressed: the judging situation, and we're at the point now when it is a "situation". At the beginning of the season, it looked like Steven was going to offer pointed, interesting criticism, while the shockingly beautiful J-Lo would give a “We love you” comment couched in some kind of helpful tip for improvement. It seemed like Randy was trying to make himself into the new Simon...unsuccessfully.

Now two weeks from the finale, it turns out only the thing about Randy is true, except he’s not “the new Simon”. That would imply that he’s giving honest, meaningful critiques that tend toward the mean side until a contestant really does something to impress. Rather, he’s become a little bit of a d-bag on that panel. Case in point, his little shouting match with Haley last week, followed shortly thereafter by declaring a three-way tie for the best between three of the four contestants not named Haley.

Classy, yes?

Now lest you think I loved Haley's performance of "Earth Song", think again. The song choice was indeed not fantastic, as it's the kind of song that requires more than 90 seconds to build. But I can't fault the performance in the same way Randy did. It was pitch-perfect throughout, something that cannot be said for James' and Scotty's performances, which were all given A+++ marks from our "beloved" panel of "judges". Last week was the first time in weeks Steven's "you're beautiful and wonderful and I have no real opinion" comments sounded like a needed defense of a performance that didn't deserve the level of criticism it received.

It’s SHOCKING to me that James could come out and give a surprisingly low-energy, off-pitch version of the most covered song in the history of karaoke, and Randy and J-Lo could claim that he “set the bar”, while Haley delivers a vocally solid performance and gets specific criticism about not reaching her high notes. W. T. H?! Some message board comments I’ve seen about this week’s episodes have mentioned Haley’s “stank” attitude about the judges’ comments (I myself thought her attitude tended toward the stank at the beginning of the season. I’ve since changed my mind), but the kinds of comments she got for that performance of “Earth Song” and for last week’s truly excellent “You and I” were egregious, especially in comparison with the "criticisms" given to her fellow “chosen one” contestants. Even Jacob Lusk's truly painful "No Air" performance last week was given the "you're amazing!" gloss by the judges. I love a good Idol conspiracy as much as the next girl, but even if you don’t, you’ve got to admit that, man, Haley’s really been getting the short end of the producers’ stick.

The bright side, however, is after getting hit in the face a few times for her first performance of the night the last two weeks in a row, she came out for those second performances and KILLED THEM. Seriously, "The House of Rising Sun" and "I (Who Have Nothing)" are the stuff of Idol legends, partly fueled by the ridiculousness of the judges choosing Haley as the only one to criticize each week, but mostly as a result of an emotional and theatrical depth that has been missing from the stage for most of this season. Those two performances were pure magic. Haley is certainly benefiting from the judges/producers backlash vote right now, but she's actually delivering the best performances of the season. Go. Figure.

Which brings me to her competitors, Lauren and Scotty. I genuinely like Lauren. Her voice sounds great on my ipod, she's got an adorable personality, and, in spite of the out-of-nowhere "Lauren's lacking confidence" narrative the producers tried to thrust upon her this season, she's a pretty confident performer ("Flat on the Floor" last week was fantastic!). I think it's a shame, though, that they let her on the show this season, and not two seasons from now, because all of her performances could benefit from some emotional maturity. She's so talented, but she usually comes across as overly concerned with pleasing people (Jimmy, the judges, Lady Gaga, America...). This week's performance of "Anyway" was, I think, a glimpse of what she can do when she connects to a song. She really nailed it. It seems to me like that connection issue is the one thing missing from her "package", but if we're talking about a Scotty-Lauren finale (which it seems like we are, kids), I'd be more than happy for Lauren to inherit the crown that has also graced the head of Dame Kelly, Carrie, David Cook, and Kris Allen (to name my favs).

Scotty, however, drives me insane, and not in a teenage girl kind of way. I need to clarify something here: I am a Christian, a proud American, and a massive country fan (I didn't need Scotty to tell me who Josh Turner is. I saw Josh Turner in concert before Scotty was out of elementary school! I digress), but Scotty singing “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” was the worst kind of manipulation. Whether he really is inspired by that song or whether he was just singing it because he knew it would get a lot of votes and make him immune to criticism (as if the judges have EVER really criticized him anyway), I call foul. That was icky. Not since Kristy Lee Cook’s “God Bless the USA” has a performance bummed me out on an emotional manipulation level like that. The thing that troubles me the most is it seems to be working in his case. Grrr. Voter fail.

I want to make it clear that my beef with Scotty is not the quality and texture of his voice. When he sings smoothly, avoiding the repetitive dips and "flourishes" that he feels compelled (and at this point, it is out of sheer compulsion, not thoughtful attention to vocal detail) to add to every phrase, he can sound lovely. Most of his "You've Got a Friend" performance was fantastic, but you could even see him fighting the urge to slip into old habits as throughout the performance. My main problem with Scotty is that I still find him inauthentic, as if he's imitating the adult country stars he admires. Forget what he says in his interview packages: he's a good boy trying to make people think he's a bad boy in performance. "You've Got a Friend" was the closest thing we've seen to vocal purity from him since his pre-semifinal performance of "Long Black Train". Smooth, flourish-free vocals are what could actually turn him into a beautiful singer.

Like Lauren, he probably could have used a few years to mature before coming on this show, but here we are. I'm pretty sure he's going to win this season, but that doesn't mean I can't moan about it a little bit. I'm team Haley all the way, and if Haley gets eliminated after her sure-to-be shoddy hometown visit edit next week, I'm cheering for Lauren to the bitter end. Please, America, break the "cute boy" Idol winner streak!

Best Examples of Idolestants Making the Most of Unlikely Theme Weeks: Why Creativity Should Reign Supreme

I have to apologize. When I started this post (yesterday, as a break from real work), I meant for it to be a top 5 kind of situation, but I got overly excited while looking up performances on YouTube, so it became a longer retrospective on the previous nine seasons of American Idol, and the potentially wonky theme nights that instead turned into what my sister calls Idol "magic". My point is that I think it's lame when Idolestants do the same thing each week instead of letting the theme week exhibit their creative strengths. Quick note: where available, I've found YouTube clips of said performances and attached them to the song titles, so you can see for yourself what I'm talking about. Without further ado, then, here are some talented Idolestants who made weird theme weeks work for them (and for us!):

Kelly Clarkson, “Stuff Like That There” (Big Band Night, Season 1): Big Band nights and Great American Songbook nights have been disasters for some Idolestants. It forces them to work in a genre that is (and I like this kind of music) dated and (usually) tied to a certain kind of voice. So what did Kelly do? She played to the strengths of the genre. Donned in an adorable 1940s-style polka dotted dress, she showed how confident a performer she could be, hitting all of her notes and maneuvering perfectly around the tongue-twisting lyrics. There's a reason she's the most successful winner ever, y'all! I know this is kind of sad, but every time I see Kelly in concert, I secretly hope she’ll sing this one (like she did at this Baltimore, MD concert in 2008. Dirty Baltimore. That's pretty much the greatest concert clip ever, yes?). I'm calling it: best wonky theme night performance ever.

John Stevens, “King of the Road” (Country Night, Season 3): This kid took some serious, Sanjaya-level missteps during his hijacked run on the big stage against the likes of Fantasia, but even when he briefly forgot the lyrics (Hilarious. About 1:20 into the clip), he made the Roger Miller classic work for his (too) distinct voice. He was never going to win the show, but I include him on this list to show why lesser Idolestants can't blame the theme night for their performances.

Carrie Underwood, “Alone” (Billboard Number Ones Night, Season 4): Okay, so maybe “Billboard Number Ones” isn’t the most unlikely theme, but what made this performance special was that no one in their right mind expected countrified Carrie Underwood to sing (and I mean, saaaang) a song made famous by Heart when the contestants had the entire history of Billboard number one hits at their fingertips. From the beginning of her season, Carrie had a good sense of where she wanted to go with her music, but she still took risks, which made her more than just another gorgeous set of pipes and camera-ready face. This performance was the moment she left her nerves backstage and started to win the show.

Chris Daughtry, “I Walk the Line” (the 1950s, Season 5): I've got to admit that Chris was never my favorite contestant, but I liked what he did with his songs. "I Walk the Line" was an unlikely choice for him, but he didn't change the song in a weird enough way to make it unrecognizable from the original (like Adam Lambert did to "Ring of Fire" in season 8. Most awkward mentoring session since Gwen Stefani and Sanjaya, btw) and it seemed like he was paying attention to the lyrics. I usually give Blake Lewis and David Cook credit for turning the show into "Survival of the Best Song Arranger", but Chris got the ball rolling with performances like this.

Elliott Yamin, “If I Can Dream” (Elvis Presley songs, Season 5): Elliott made this song seem really contemporary, and even five years later, it’s really nice to listen to. Elliott was a classic R&B-type of Idolestant. His musical hero was Donny Hathaway, and he really hit his stride with songs like Hathaway's "A Song for You" (great performance, right??), so for him to make an Elvis song work so well was a treat.

Jordin Sparks, “I (Who Have Nothing)” (British Invasion Night, Season 6): The thing about this performance is that no one saw it coming! Jordin Sparks had been singing consistently well, but the story of the season thus far had (rightfully so) been Melinda Doolittle’s out-of-nowhere-ness, and the juxtaposition of her mammoth voice and her humility. While many of Jordin’s fellow Idolestants sang more obvious British Invasion tunes by the Zombies, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks on British Invasion night, though, Jordin chose a Shirley Bassey song that would seemingly require her to age about 15 years to nail. As it turns out, though, no one except Simon was really bothered by the seventeen year-old’s lovely (and mature) performance of the song. It was the breakthrough performance for Jordin that all other teenage Idolestants have struggled to live up to since.

Blake Lewis, “You Give Love a Bad Name” (Bon Jovi Night, Season 6): As I scanned through all the theme nights for season 6, I was reminded that there wasn’t even one week that stood out as a particularly well-suited theme for Blake. It would be interesting, indeed, if Idol ever decided to do an electronic or hip-hop night, but thus far Blake’s musical style has been marginalized at best. He is perhaps, therefore, the best example of the point I’m trying to make with this post: that it doesn’t matter which theme night the contestants are stuck with because a truly talented artist will make it work. Case in point: Blake’s awesome and highly original version of “You Give Love a Bad Name” that I’ve re-watched on YouTube many times over the years. Who would think to do that with a “classic” karaoke tune from 1986? But it worked so well! I think the reason Blake’s career didn’t explode (in a good way) post-Idol is because he’s so much more fun to watch rather than listen to, even though the exciting audio component that accompanies the visuals is pure vocal talent. If you didn’t think his voice was up to par during the season with such powerhouse voices as Jordin Sparks, Melinda Doolittle, LaKisha Jones, and even the underrated Gina Glocksen, you have to admit that Blake brought something exhilarating to the stage each week, and I think this performance was the best example.

Jason Castro, “Daydream” (the 1960s, Season 7): This was the perfect song choice for Jason Castro, who in this early semifinal round we didn’t even know yet. It suited his “chill” persona and his perfectly imperfect voice, and best of all, no other Idolestants that I can remember had ever covered a Lovin’ Spoonful tune (a band that my generation really should know better, in my opinion). Win.

David Cook, “Billie Jean” (Songs From the Year You Were Born, Season 7): Worst recurring theme night. Of. All. Time. But this is the best anyone's ever done with it, and it's pretty darn good.

David Cook, “Always Be My Baby” (Mariah Carey Night, Season 7): This could have been a single for him. David Cook and Blake Lewis (and arguably Crystal Bowersox) are probably Idol’s best examples of artists that were talented enough to make anything work. It shouldn’t have surprised anyone that David was able to take one of the catchiest pop songs ever written (yeah, I said it) and turn it into a heartfelt goodbye song, while retaining its original melody. Seriously, Mariah Carey night ended up being one of the best theme weeks ever because of the way David raised everybody else’s game. Who would’ve put those two artists together on paper?

Carly Smithson, “Here You Come Again” (Dolly Parton Night, Season 7): You didn’t think I would get through this list without mentioning one of my top 3 favorite female Idolestants of all time, did you? (You read that right, “Top 3”. Hint: the other two have already been mentioned and are the most obvious). Here’s a sad factoid about Idol: female contestants never get credit for song arrangements. Never. Crystal Bowersox got about halfway through the competition before they gave her any credit for her fantastic, personalized arrangements. Song arrangement credit in season 7 always went to the inimitable David Cook, but I would argue that Carly’s beautiful, heartbreaking “Here You Come Again” was one of the best performances of the best Idol season ever. All you have to do is listen to an original version of the song to realize what Carly did with it. She changed the tempo and stripped away any of the musical excess that would take away from those sad, beautiful lyrics. Poor Carly never got the respect she deserved, and it turned out that Dolly Parton night, of all nights, was one of her best. (Note: Dolly Parton is AMAZING.)

Anoop Desai, “Always on My Mind” (Grand Ole Opry Night, Season 8): I like that Anoop Desai’s best performance came on Grand Ole Opry Night. It further proves my point about unlikely musical pairings. The song was written by Willie Nelson and was made most famous by Elvis, but Anoop’s performance worked because he didn’t try to do a weird copycat of either of those artists. He let the lyrics direct the performance, which is the key to besting an unlikely theme night.

Allison Iraheta, “Papa was a Rollin’ Stone” (Motown Night, Season 8): Motown is usually a great performance night for Idolestants because so many of them fit into the wannabe R&B category vocally, but a less talented rocker could have royally struggled with Motown. Allison, on the other hand, rightfully goes in the Jordin Sparks Hall of Fame for Teen Idolestants with this performance...and with such a weird song, too. It gave her the opportunity to flex her vocal muscles with crazy-awesome phrasing and those perfectly raspy high notes, not to mention the emergence of some stage confidence we hadn’t yet seen from her. LOVED IT!

Kris Allen, “She Works Hard for the Money” (Disco Night, Season 8): I used to wholeheartedly believe that all disco-themed Idol nights were doomed to be disasters of “Jive Talkin’” proportions, but leave it to Kris Allen to re-write the Idol theme night rulebook. If you didn’t know that song and you didn’t know what the theme was, you might have assumed it was a contemporary song by what Kris brought to it. I think Kris’s win over the embarrassingly talented Adam Lambert that season was a big surprise to most people. When you look over his performances that season, though, it turns out that he earned every bit of that title.

Crystal Bowersox, “No One Needs to Know” (Shania Twain Night, Season 9): Controversal. This performance got mixed reviews from judges and critics, but it’s still in rotation on my iPod. I was a sold out Mamasox fan all season, so I would defend even her worst performances (let’s be fair, Crystals “worst” performances weren’t anywhere close to some other contestants’ “best” performances that season. That was an unfortunate season, really), but “No One Needs to Know” was cute and light, but not overly so, and full of that fun tongue-in-cheekness with which Shania infuses all of her upbeat songs. In short, I think Crystal “got” the artist-sponsored theme that week better than anyone else.

Crystal Bowersox, “Summer Wind” (Frank Sinatra Night, Season 9): Another controversial Mamasox performance. The main criticism for her performance that week was that she stripped it down too much, and for a song that is so familiar to people as a big band, Rat Pack hit, it didn’t work to do that to the song. Fair enough, I guess, but what we have here is a lyrics versus song feeling debate, and it seems to me like Crystal is a lyrics girl. The opening verses to the song are kind of sad and reminiscent, and as the song builds, you get a sense of the scars and repressed passion that were left by the other person. In short, I think what Crystal did with the song fit the lyrics. Underrated performance, but kind of brill in retrospect.

There you have it. Anyone have any performances they'd like to add to the list?