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 Eleven
Tuesday, March 29, 2005: The Top 10 Sing
Bo Bice: Bo Bice's version of "Remedy" was probably
his weakest performance to date, as it lacked power, and we agree with Simon
in that it suffered from a bad arrangement by the Bland Band. Even so, Bo
blows most of the other contestants away when it comes to stage presence, so
we're still rooting for him. Just please kill the hat. Tips for success:
Stronger songs that leave more of an emotional impact are key for Bo
Bice to win...and he should tell Paula to keep the hat, because it blocked
eye contact with the camera and audience--key to connecting with the
audience.
Jessica Sierra: Jessica Sierra's "On The Side Of Angels" wasn't the
best song choice because the melody wasn't memorable. But she pulled it off
for the most part and recovered well when she and the band seemed to lose
each other and she temporarily went off-pitch. Tips for success:
Jessica Sierra has the artistry to beat Carrie Underwood, but in order to do
so, she'll need to choose songs with strong melodies, continue to improve
her vocal confidence, and give consistently excellent performances every
week...which she can do, if she believes in herself and her voice.
Anwar Robinson: Anwar Robinson's choice of "I Believe I Can Fly"
wasn't the best choice because it's R. Kelly's signature song, and as an
artist you should never put yourself in a position to be compared to
someone's signature version of anything. It was pitchy in places, and we
weren't impressed with the vocal. But, Anwar's looks and star quality make
him interesting, so we continue to watch and hope he puts it all together.
Tips for success: Hard work with a new vocal coach who gets rid of
the shaky notes, as much rest as possible under the AI circumstances, and
song selection that doesn't leave the audience comparing him to the original
artist.
Nadia Turner: Nadia Turner's "I'm the Only One" was an excellent
choice, because the musical power of rock and roll is a good match for her
powerful presence. She sang it excellently, and her imaging was great, too.
Tips for success: Consistency in song choice will be key here. Also,
we'd still like to hear what Nadia Turner would sound like after some
intense work with a rock vocal coach who can bring out more of the growl in
her voice.
Constantine Maroulis: Constantine Maroulis's choice of "I Can't Make
You Love Me" was an OK song choice, and he sang it well, but the whole thing
came off a bit cheesy and very "Star Search". Would we want to buy a CD of
it or pay money to see him perform this? (Our personal litmus test.) No, but
the girls in his fanbase might. To us, he sometimes seems more like someone
who wants to be famous, as opposed to someone who wants to be a famous
musician, and something in there doesn't always translate as genuine. We
like that he's dropping some of the musical theatre sound from his voice,
though, and he's sounding better. Tips for success: Finding himself
as an artist and choosing songs that fit who he truly is as a person might
make him more believable as an artist to us. Image-wise, we'd like to see
him neaten up the stubble a bit.
Nikko Smith: Nikko Smith's "Can We Talk" had great energy, and he
performed it well. Nikko's stage presence continues to improve week after
week, and it's nice to see him grow as an artist. The song wasn't our cup of
tea, but with continued improvement, there's a niche in the industry for his
style. Tips for success: Nikko Smith is on the right path image and
performance wise and should keep working at it. If he's looking for
commercial success, songs with stronger melody lines will be important. As
for the interview segment...while it's cool that Nikko had fond memories of
when his Dad retired from baseball, the spotlight is supposed to be on
Nikko, not his dad, so he should focus a little more on anecdotes about
himself. He seems to have a balanced enough ego to make it work.
Anthony Fedorov: Anthony Fedorov's vocals on "Something About the Way
You Look Tonight" had some really nice notes, but as we've said many times
before, an Elton John song performed by anyone but Elton usually lacks
something major due to the unusual vocal phrasing and Elton's signature
piano sound. Anthony sang it about as well as anyone could given those
circumstances, but it came off a little "Star Search"-ey. We love the
no-specs look, though. Tips for success: Song selection, song
selection, song selection. Given the right song, Anthony Fedorov is capable
of magic, and it's time to step up. Image-wise, with eyes like those, he
should definitely keep the no-specs look.
Carrie Underwood: Carrie Underwood's star power came out on
"Independence Day," and she delivered an excellent vocal. As should be the
case with a great contestant, we felt more like we were watching an
established artist performing on another television show. Tips for
success: Consistency has been Carrie's nemesis. If she maintains her
consistency and continues to work hard, she can win.
Scott Savol: "One Last Cry" seemed like a good song choice for Scott
Savol's range and style, but his voice wasn't there tonight...and the lyrics
may prove to be prophetic. We like watching him grow as an artist, though.
Tips for success: Scott has a really nice quality to his voice, and
we'd like to see him continue with excellent vocal coaches and get more live
performance experience. If he can read music and enjoys studio work, he may
be able to carve out a lucrative career in session work, because he has a
"timeless" quality to his voice.
Vonzell Solomon: Vonzell Solomon's choice of "I Have Nothing" was a
risk we probably wouldn't have taken, because Whitney Houston is one of the
"kiss of death" artists whose songs one should never attempt in a talent
completion. (Others include Elton John, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey.) It
was pitchy on the high notes of the chorus, but came off OK. Her energy and
look were great as always, but she still sometimes comes off a bit
pageant-ey, and not as memorable as her vocal talent would indicate. Tips
for success: Song selection, developing her own style, and projecting a
bit more are what it will take for Vonzell Solomon to be in the running. The
vocal talent and looks are there; it's just a matter of developing her own
sound.
We voted for: Bo Bice, because until tonight, he's been the most
consistent in vocals, song selection, image, and presence. We trust him to
deliver 99% of the time, so we voted to keep him. 2nd Choice: Tie:
Carrie Underwood and Nadia Turner.
Seacrest Smart Quip of the Night: None tonight, but after hearing the
back-story of his and Simon Cowell's current friction on Seacrest's morning
radio show, watching he and Simon Cowell bothering each other was amusing.
(Seacrest played a practical joke on Simon over Easter vacation, and it went
awry...Pun intended.)
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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