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
Top 20: The Top 10 Girls
Perform Classic Songs From the
70s
Air date: Tuesday, February
27, 2008
Carly Smithson: Carly Smithson's version of Heart's "Crazy on You"
was a good song for her voice, and she delivered the lyrics with conviction.
The middle section was a little rough, bad it wasn't too bad. We just wish
she'd brought something new to it. Performance-wise, Carly had good stage
presence. Tips for success: When you have a voice similar in tone to
the original artist, changing the arrangement helps make the song your own.
Syesha Mercado: Syesha Mercado's version of "Mr. Jones" was delivered
with a decent vocal, but it wasn't unique or spectacular, and we were bored.
The song was arranged in a very Telethon way, and it just wasn't memorable.
Tips for success: When you have a less than spectacular song, your
delivery of it has to be show-stopping, A-list spectacular in order for the
performance to be memorable.
Brooke White: Brooke White's version of Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"
had really nice vocal phrasing, and it was an excellent song choice for her.
Performance-wise, she needed more confidence in a couple of moments, but she
was fun to watch and could definitely record and release a country version
of this song. Tips for success: Confidence. If you don't
believe it, we won't believe it.
Ramiele Malubay: Ramiele Malubay's version of the disco classic "Don't
Leave Me This Way" had a fairly good vocal (really good on the first verse)
although she lost it on the chorus a bit. We like her voice and look a lot,
but the song selection was all wrong, because it comes off like Disco Night
on a cruise ship. Tips for success: Developing vocal consistency is a
must, along with finding the right song.
Kristy Lee Cook: Kristy Lee Cook's version of "Baby You're No Good"
was decent, and had really nice power in the vocal, as well as OK stage
presence. We would have liked to hear her do some variations in the chorus,
though, because as a song selection it can get boring to hear the chorus
repeated over and over on the same notes. Tips for success: Be
careful of repetition in choruses. Be memorable.
Amanda Overmeyer: Amanda Overmeyer is so much better than her version of
the Kansas classic, which did nothing to showcase her vocal talent. She has
power and range in abundance, but isn't demonstrating it due to her really
poor song choices. It was all wrong for her voice and range, and
lyrically the song doesn't work for a female singer (the Ronstadt version of
"Baby You're No Good" would have been much better). And while we respect a
performer's right to be an individual, her look was really wrong for her,
didn't photograph well on TV, and made her look 20 years older than she is.
Amanda is so much more talented than she's showing. Tips for success:
Better song selection and understanding what works for her while maintaining
her individuality is key if she's to have success, but we think Amanda might
be going home after this one. As for the look, stark contrast of black and
white hair and makeup doesn't read well on camera and looks more scary than
cool. But there is a way to do high contrast that works: using
easier-reading colors, such as dark brown instead of black, with a blonde
that's less bright-white, will produce the desired effect while being less
aging.
Alaina Whitaker: Alaina Whitaker's version of Olivia Newton-John's
"Hopelessly Devoted to You" seemed really dated and boring, and she was a
little screechy on a few notes. At least she did change the arrangement a
little, but as a song selection, it was boring. Performance-wise, we're with
Simon: she looked pageanty, which isn't a good thing. Tips for success:
Finding a song that works for her voice, and getting a look that's more
current will go a long way.
Alexandrea Lushington: Alexandrea Lushington's version of
Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now" was sung with a beautiful voice for
the most part, except for the variations at the end, which were way off. But
the song is sooooo boring, who cares? Tips for success: No matter how
good your voice is choosing a song that captivates the audience is a must.
Kady Malloy: Kady Malloy's version of "Magic Man" was boring, and it
wasn't a good song for her voice. She's an opera singer, but she's not using
her pipes? What's with that? Tips for success: Choosing songs that
highlight your vocal strengths is key. If you've got power, use it.
Asiah Epperson: Asiah Epperson's version of the Celine Dion arrangement
of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself" was a really poor choice for her voice,
because it highlighted what her voice could not do. Had she stuck
with the Eric Carmen arrangement, it probably would have worked. Tips for
success: Stepping outside yourself and learning what doesn't work for
you is as important as knowing what does, Developing that critical eye and
ear is vital to being a successful artist.
Most signable: Based on tonight's performances, there's no one we
feel is ready. But we're watching the progress of Kristy Lee Cook, Brooke
White, and Ramiele Malubay.
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 |
