MBADC American Idol
Armchair Quarterback 2007
American Idol from
the perspective of someone who's booked artists at the national-level: who we like in the
competition, what works, what doesn't work, what contestants can do to improve
their chances of success, and advice you can apply to your own performances.
Season 6: The Top 3 Perform
Three Songs (Judges' Choice, Producers' Choice, and Contestants' Choice)
Air date: Tuesday,
May 15, 2007
Jordin Sparks
Judges' Choice (Simon Cowell) "Wishing on a Star" by Rose Royce:
This was an excellent song choice for Jordin's range and power. She had
great control, did a great job, and looked great too. But one MBADC
staff member felt the over-the-top signing while Ryan was giving out her
numbers ("call me", "text me") was "obnoxious" and voted for someone else
instead.
Producers' Choice "She Works Hard for the Money" by Donna Summer:
This is a fun song, but this version lacked a lot of the power she could
have brought to it, and it didn't have an impact 'til the end. We mostly
blame the weak arrangement and weak performance by the Bland Band for this,
but her inexperience made it a bit difficult for Jordin to overcome. She
could have wowed us with the whole song, instead of just the ending, but she
didn't. Image-wise, Jordin's wardrobe was particularly good on this one.
Contestant's Choice "I Who Have Nothing": Jordin had good
control, good power, good timing, and good emotion on this one. There were a
couple off-notes at the end, but her vocal control was so excellent up to
that point, we can overlook it.
Tips for success: Learning how to control and use your
energy is key. Jordin had an overabundance of it when she didn't need it
(when Ryan was giving her numbers during the first song), and not enough
when it could have worked to her advantage (on "She Works Hard for the
Money").
Blake Lewis
Judges' Choice (Paula Abdul) "Roxanne" by The Police: This was a
great song for Blake's voice, but the Bland Band really wasn't up to it.
(As an example, put bluntly, the background vocals were bloody awful.) Blake
did fine with it despite their performance, although we agree with Simon in
that it's a hard song to do without imitating Sting. Given that, we
probably would have chosen a different song for Blake.
Producers' Choice "This Love" by Maroon 5: Oh, Lord, the
blandness of the Bland Band...Blake saved it though, and did a great job
despite their really hokey arrangement. He made it his own, sang it well,
and had great stage presence. We also really like that he has his look down.
Blake's a total package.
Contestant's Choice "When I Get You Alone" by Robin Thicke: Not
being fans of Robin Thicke, we thought the song itself was just OK. But
Blake did an excellent job with it, and we were entertained: really good
vocal, excellent stage presence, and a great look. We love that Blake knows
who he is as an artist and is true to it, from his vocals, to his stage
movements, to his clothing and hair.
Tips for success: Song choice, and having band members who can
perform up to the level of Blake's arrangements are the main issues he'll
have to deal with as he moves forward in his career.
Melinda Doolittle
Judges' Choice (Randy Jackson) "I Believe in You and Me" by Whitney
Houston: This was a great song for Melinda's voice, and we love
that her voice found the joy in it. Some of the low notes and one run were a
little rough, but Melinda's in another league and sang it well overall. Her
wardrobe continues to be a problem, though: the print of her dress didn't
photograph well on TV, and the style of it was very high school. An elegant
voice like Melinda's needs the best.
Producers' Choice "Nutbush City Limits" by Ike and Tina Turner:
Great vocal and stage presence...As we said, that's in another league. But
the wardrobe makes her look like it's amateur night.
Contestant's Choice "I'm a Woman": Although Melinda sang it
well, we were disappointed by this performance. The jacket trick was too
affected and cheesy, and it was a lot of show without much substance, so it
looked like she phoned it in. Again, the color and cut of the wardrobe was
wrong: as one of our staff members said, how can you mess up a three-piece
suit? (We're thinking black pinstripe in a more elegant cut would work a lot
better.)
Tips for success: When you have a seasoned, elegant voice,
your clothes have to live up to it. Otherwise, something seems off.
Additional notes: This was tough. The best voice is Melinda, but
her wardrobe is so distracting, it kills the magic of the performance for
us. We feel she should have it together by now. And if she wins, what would
she do on an album, and would she draw an audience of concert goers? Then we
have Jordin, who also has a great voice but is still learning about
stage presence and isn't always fun to watch onstage (sometimes we're
bored). She'd do fine recording, and she's a great ballad singer. But is
that enough, and would people pay to see her live? Finally we have Blake,
who in the traditional sense isn't as good a vocalist as Melinda or Jordin,
but knows exactly how to use his voice as a unique instrument and is the
most talented in terms of arrangement and creativity. (Melinda and Jordin
are singers. Blake's an artist.) Blake also has the whole package and is the
most marketable and fun to watch, which makes him the most complete as an
artist.
We voted for: Although all three have their strong points, we voted
for Blake, because he's the one we'd sign. (If just being a good singer was
enough, we'd all be into opera.) If we're basing it on only tonight's
performances and not the overall career package, we'd go with Jordin.
Ryan Seacrest Smart Quip of the Night: Nothing in particular,
but Ryan was especially silly tonight, prompting Simon to remark,
"Are you drunk?" Leave him alone, Simon; we like Seacrest.
American Idol
Armchair Quarterback
The MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback is intended as commentary and
is not affiliated with Fox Television, American Idol, or its producers or
judges in any way. Tips should be taken as a suggestion only and are not
intended as a substitute for qualified vocal coaching or artist management.
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