MBADC American Idol
Armchair Quarterback 2005
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.
Week Ten
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 and
Wednesday March 23, 2005 (Graphics Mishap Voting Do-Over Week):
Anthony Fedorov: Anthony Fedorov had great energy during his
performance of "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me" and looked more comfortable
onstage than he has in recent weeks, but the vocals were pitchy, and the
song didn't have the emotional impact we'd like to see. The song itself
wasn't the greatest selection...As one MBADC staffer put it, "Of all the
number one songs, that's the one he chose?" Tips for Success:
Continuing to gain more confidence onstage will be key to Anthony Fedorov's
success in the remainder of the competition. Re-thinking his song selections
to create dramatic, emotional impact is key as well.
Carrie Underwood: Carrie Underwood's version of "Alone" was an
excellent vocal, and the power notes were especially good. Image-wise, we
weren't crazy about the over-the-top hair in combination with the jacket,
however...Put together, the clothes, hair, and song came off a little like
an 80's review, as opposed to a current artist doing a song that happened to
be from the 80's. Tips for Success: Carrie Underwood has what it
takes to be the next American Idol, but sometimes she seems to try too hard
to make an artistic statement. Her country voice makes its own statement, so
focusing on great songs and creating an image that works for her
individuality (as opposed to imaging for that particular night's song
selection) will get her to the top.
Scott Savol: Scott Savol delivered an impassioned version of "Against All Odds", which worked really well for his range and style. After a shaky
start it had some really nice moments, and he sang it with the heart and
desperation the lyrics called for. Tips for Success: If Scott Savol
continues to build on the improvements he makes from week to
week--particularly with stage presence--his confidence will improve, which
will make his vocals even better. Watching him grow as an artist is fun.
Bo Bice: Despite the judges' initial reaction, we felt Bo Bice's
choice of "Time in a Bottle" was an excellent song selection because it
showed off soft tones of his voice that we hadn't heard before. Combined
with his excellent use of the stage, the effect was spellbinding at times.
Bo's vocal control and timing--never easy on that particular song--were also
excellent. Tips for Success: Bo Bice has it down and should just keep
doing what he's doing...hair and imaging included.
Nikko Smith: Nikko Smith's "Incomplete", although well-received by
the judges, wasn't our favorite performance of the night, because the vocals
were too on the edge of the pitch and came dangerously close to veering off
at times. His energy and stage presence is much improved over previous
performances, though, and we give him kudos for the improvement. Tips for
Success: Song selection will be key in how well Nikko Smith fares in the
rest of the competition. He's on a better track, though, and is beginning to
find himself as an artist.
Vonzell Solomon: Vonzell Solomon's "Best of My Love" was better than
her previous performances, but although her vocals are respectable and she
looks great onstage, she still isn't memorable as an artist and comes off a
bit "pageant-y" at times. After the auditions we expected more from her,
because the ability is there. She has great energy, though. Tips for
Success: Continuing to find ways to be memorable in her performances and
improving her stage presence will serve Vonzell Solomon well in her quest
for music industry success...But since she sparkles in the interview
sections and while waiting for Ryan to give the numbers, we think she'd be a
good TV host or correspondent, should she decide to pursue that avenue of
the entertainment industry.
Constantine Maroulis: Constantine Maroulis's "I Think I Love You" was
an interesting song choice, and we wondered if perhaps it was a nod to Ryan
Seacrest's morning radio show (Seacrest often ends calls and celebrity
interviews with the phrase, "I think I love you"). Constantine pulled it off
in an odd way, but as with many of his performances, it seemed contrived and
overly theatrical. Despite his stage presence, he often strikes us as
someone who's acting like a rock artist, instead of being a rock artist. It
was an improvement over previous weeks, though, and whatever he's doing to
improve his vocals is working.
Tips for Success: Constantine Maroulis has excellent charisma. The
problem is, he's starting to act like an artist who believes his own press
and is getting cocky about it...and it's starting to make us dislike him as
an artist. Toning down the attitude a bit will go a long way. Vocally,
continuing to take out the "Broadway" from his vocals will help him on his
course.
Nadia Turner: Nadia Turner has what it takes to be the next American
Idol, but "Time After Time" was one of our least favorite performances. As
with Carrie Underwood, the combination of song, hair, and clothes came off
more like a bad 80's review than a performance by a current artist of a song
that happened to be from the 80's. It was all just too much, and it took
away from what makes Nadia special. We were disappointed, because she's
capable of so much more. Tips for Success: Sacrificing your own style
and throwing out what works to "pay tribute" to a former contestant who quit
the competition is a stupid move if you're trying to win. Would any top
artist have done this? No, and since that's who the next American Idol will
be up against in CD and ticket sales, neither should Nadia Turner.
Mikalah Gordon: Mikalah Gordon's "Love Will Lead You Back" was the
right song choice, but the arrangement was too slow for her vocal style, and
the result was dismal as she tried in vain to control her voice and hear
herself. We liked her in the auditions and love her showmanship,
though...And if she can just find the right material and figure out who she
is as an artist, Mikalah has a lot of what it takes to be a star. We like
her, so we're rooting for her to get it together. Tips for Success: A
new vocal coach and song selection that takes Mikalah's nerves into
consideration would help greatly. Regardless of what happens on Idol,
we think Mikalah can go very far given time, hard work on the vocals with a
new coach, and a good manager and producers skilled in development.
Anwar Robinson: Anwar Robinson's "Ain't Nobody" had great energy, and
his stage presence is improving with each passing week. Nice vocals, and the
clothes and imaging were excellent as well. Tips for Success: The
song was a bit too well-known as a signature song, as Randy said, so we
wouldn't recommend doing a signature again, but Anwar Robinson is on the
right track in terms of tempo and energy. Continuing to strive for
excellence in song selection will be key, because Anwar Robinson already
looks like a star. Now he has to perform like one, consistently.
Jessica Sierra: Jessica Sierra's "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
suffered from a bad arrangement and too-fast tempo in order to fit the time
restrictions of tonight's performances, but she pulled it off with a great
performance and excellent stage presence. (Given a better arrangement, she
could record a successful country version.) We weren't crazy about the
wardrobe, though. Tips for Success: Continuing to choose excellent
material can make Jessica Sierra one of the Top 3 to be reckoned with. Some
work on the wardrobe (the blouse) will help get her there as well. Sound
like nitpicking? With four very strong contestants, everything matters.
We voted for: Bo Bice, because his vocals, song selection, image, and
stage presence all make for one star-quality package...and as we stated last
week, an American Idol win for Bo Bice could bring sweeping change to
the music industry. 2nd Choice: None this week, because Bo Bice was
the only contestant who got it all right this week.
Ryan Seacrest Smart Quip of the Night: None that translate well in
print, but funny moments nonetheless.
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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