MBADC American Idol
Armchair Quarterback 2008, Season 7
American Idol, from
the perspective of a former national-level talent booker, demo screener, and
performance coach: who we like in the
competition, what works and what doesn't, what contestants can do to improve
their chances of success, and advice you can apply to your own career.
Editor's Note: Much has been made in the media about some of this year's
contestants having had label deals in the past. After much discussion, we at
MBADC made a conscious decision not to use this as a factor when rating each
contestant's performance in the MBADC American Idol Armchair Quarterback
column...including the new "most signable" section.
Season 7: The Top 12 Sing
Lennon McCartney Songs
Air date: Tuesday,
March 11, 2008
Syesha Mercado: Syesha Mercado's version of "Got to Get You Into My
Life" was a bad song choice for her voice, and she was pitchy in
places--especially on the first verse. Syesha looks great on camera, but we
were bored. She's not a bad singer, but she sings like an actress who
happens to sing, as opposed to someone who's truly passionate about music.
Tips for success: We'd prefer to see Syesha hosting a music
show, where she could probably be successful, rather than singing on one.
Chikezie: Chikezie's version of "She's a Woman" was excellent, and we
were entertained. It had a great arrangement, a really good vocal, it was a
great style of music for him to do, he had great energy, and he was fun to
watch. Definitely his best performance. Tips for success: Continuing
with that style of music, and playing with the arrangements as he did here,
is key to highlighting Chikezie's talents and highlighting what's unique
about him.
Ramiele Malubay: Ramiele Malubay's version of "In My Life" had a
pretty vocal, but it was very Telethon, and we were bored. Performance-wise
she was dwarfed by the huge stage because she didn't take ownership of it,
and the performance just wasn't memorable. We kept waiting for the special
moment that never came. Tips for success: Song selection, song
selection, song selection. A pretty voice isn't enough. You have to sell it.
Jason Castro: Jason Castro's version of "If I Fell"
was a poor song selection...or at the very least, the arrangement of it was
a poor choice. It was boring, because it was reminiscent of how a Beatle
might do it in a quiet moment...but with a weaker vocal, which is not what
you want to accomplish. It was good, but not great, so it didn't leave an
impact. Tips for
success: At this stage pf the competition, good or OK isn't good enough.
They're now professionals, so it has to be great.
Carly Smithson: Carly Smithson's version of "Come Together" wasn't
bad at all; her vocal was excellent. But it would have been far more
interesting done acoustically with that killer vocal, rather than
with the Beatles' arrangement, so she could make it her own. This version
made it come off more like someone singing a Beatles tribute at an award
show, instead of being something that could be recordable for herself. Tips for success: Song selection, and
intriguing arrangements to wow the audience are what's needed here. Vocals
aren't enough.
David Cook: David Cook's version of "Eleanor Rigby" had really cool
vocal styling, and a decent arrangement. It didn't blow us away as much as
last week, but we really liked it. Another good example of making a song
your own. Vocally and musically, David Cook is light-years above the rest of
the contestants. And the band wasn't bad either. Tips for success:
Continuing to make smart choices in songs and arrangements is key.
Brooke White: Brooke White's version of "Let it Be" started off great
for us at first, because we liked the country twang in her voice. But
halfway through it she started channeling the original, and it lost all
sense of uniqueness. When that happened, she lost us an audience. Had she
maintained the country flavor, we probably would have liked it. Tips for
success: When singing one of your favorites, keep the vocals unique and
different, instead of note-for-noting the version you grew up on. You never
want to lose what's unique about you.
David Hernandez: David Hernandez's version of "Since I Saw Her
Standing There" was a reeeeeeally bad song choice. On the plus side, the
vocal did hit the notes. But it didn't matter, because on the minus side, it
came off like a bad Telethon or karaoke night and was corny and cheesy... as
opposed to a professional, star-making performance. Tips for
success: Beware the iconic song. An iconic song has already made
someone a star, and it's highly unlikely to ever happen again. Finding
another song that's not so iconic, that you can potentially make
famous, is key.
Amanda Overmeyer: Amanda Overmeyer's country fried version of "You
Can't Do That" was a good song choice for her, and she sang it well. Her
stage presence was better this week, too. But the Bland Band was just bloody
awful, and we were distracted by it. A country fried band to go with
Amanda's performance could have the potential of making it a stellar
performance. (The band from CBS's Rock Star would have been perfect.)
Tips for success:
Continuing to choose good songs and arrangements for her style, continuing
to work on her stage presence is key. The chops are there; she's just
gotta know how to use 'em.
Michael Johns: Michael Johns' version of "Across the Universe" had a
good vocal, and it wasn't bad. But it was really predictable, and we
were expecting something more unique. Michael's vocals are excellent, but we
keep hoping for a spellbinding performance that hasn't shown up yet. As our
Webmaster said, "He sings it, but he doesn't become one with the song." We
agree: he sings it, but for lack of a better term, he doesn't sing the hell
out of it. Tips for success: Putting extra oomph in his performances
is the difference between success and triumph. It's one thing to hit the
ball; it's another thing to hit it out of the park and keep running.
Kristy Lee Cook: Kristy Lee Cook's version of "Eight Days a Week" had
the right idea, but didn't quite make it. We liked the idea to countrify it,
and she sang the notes well. But the band's tempo was too fast, and
her vocal speed didn't keep up, so it was a rushed mess. Had she slowed down
the band's tempo, instead of speeding it up, it would have actually worked.
Tips for success: We give Kristy props for taking a risk here,
and encourage her to continue to experiment. She almost had it this time,
and we'd like to see her record it countrified at the right tempo.
David Archuleta: David Archuleta's version of
"We Can Work it Out" was his weakest performance thus far, and we weren't
impressed. The arrangement wasn't good for him, and forgetting Beatles
lyrics is a cri-yi-yi-yi-ime. Tips for
success: Song selection, and getting the kid an education in Beatles
101.
He needs a Cousin Phil.
Most signable:
David Cook, because he sounds like a star and is the most adept at
making the songs his own.
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.
American Idol
Armchair Quarterback |
