MBADC American Idol
Armchair Quarterback 2006
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 career.
Week Eight:
The Top 12 Sing the Songs of Stevie Wonder
Monday,
March 14, 2006
Ace Young: Ace Young’s
version of “Do I Do” was pitchy, and the song was not well-suited for his
voice. Ace has a nice presence, but a Justin Timberlake solo R&B style
doesn’t work for him. Ace is a talented artist in search of a style and
direction, and this doesn’t do his talent justice. Tips for success:
Some inner reflection about what you’re passionate about, such as working
through a book like What Color is Your Parachute , is a great thing for any artist. Then you can apply
your passion toward musical genres that really work for your vocal range and
style.
Kellie Pickler:
“Blame it On the Sun” was not a good song choice for Kellie
Pickler’s voice, and her nerves were really showing. It was pitchy, and she
was actually boring to watch. The over sophisticated styling didn’t fit her,
either and made her look more like a frightened Barbie doll than like the
down to earth performer we’ve enjoyed watching grow from week to week.
Tips for success: Knowing what your voice does when you’re nervous and
choosing songs appropriately is key. Image-wise, if your onstage persona is
essentially down to earth, don’t go over the top with styling, because you
won’t be comfortable, and it will always look fake.
Elliott Yamin:
“Knocks Me Off My Feet” was a great song choice for Elliott
Yamin, because it brought out a really nice tone in his voice. It lost
energy in the middle, though, and we were sad to see that happen, because
musically his choice was right on. Tips for success: To hold the
audience’s attention, you have to maintain the energy and feeling of a song
all the way through. A break in the energy breaks the mood—and spell—of the
moment you’re creating.
Mandisa:
Mandisa’s version of “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing” wasn’t her best
performance, but she pulled it together at the end. The song itself seemed
well suited for her, though, and we’d like to hear her record it.
When it comes to stage presence, though, Mandisa is one of the best—a real
pro. She just needs to bring the vocals every time. Tips for success:
Stage presence is vital to selling the song, but the vocals have to be there
100% of the time, too. Never coast on stage presence.
Bucky Covington:
“Superstition” was an
excellent song choice for Bucky Covington, and we loved that even though it
was a new musical genre for him, he still sounded like himself. There was a
nice growl to his voice, and it was overall a great way to handle a cover
song. We think he should record it. On the minus side, we’d like to see
Bucky work on projecting, because sometimes he seems to have the effect of
singing to himself more than to the audience. Tips for success:
Projecting your energy outward during a performance brings the audience in.
You have to bring them in, as opposed to having them come to you. Watching
video of performers known for projecting their energy outward (Celine Dion,
Jon Bon Jovi, Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong) is a huge help.
Melissa McGhee:
Melissa McGhee’s version of “Lately” was pretty rough because
she forgot the lyrics, and there were some pitch problems. But the biggest
minus was that she didn’t “finish” the song and broke the mood by running
immediately over to the judges after she sang the last note, rather than
holding the moment. Tips for success: Always finish a song by holding
the moment—and the audience’s attention—by pausing for a couple of seconds
before breaking the mood. (One way to do this: If it’s a ballad with
a soft finish, after singing the last note, gently drop your head down. Very
effective.)
Lisa Tucker:
Lisa Tucker’s version of “Signed Sealed Delivered (I’m
Yours)” was a nice change from her usual ballads, and we preferred her
uptempo performance to previous ones. Some of the vocals didn’t work, but we
liked that she took the risk of doing some variations. We also liked her
stage presence and styling. Thus far in the evening, Lisa was the only one
who really looked like she belonged on American Idol’s bigger stage.
Tips for success: Keep working on the vocals. Presence wise, she’s
there.
Kevin Covais:
Kevin Covais’ choice of “Part Time Lovers” was sort of a
strange song choice, but he did hit all the notes and sang it well, as the
judges said. It certainly wasn’t boring, because Kevin has a likeability and
pleasant tone that does hold your attention. But as a song choice, it came
off as a bit campy and like strange karaoke. Tips for success: If
you’re doing a song that may come off as the least bit campy, play up the
camp a bit more. This way, the audience knows you’re making fun of yourself
and keeps them from uncomfortably wondering if it’s supposed to be campy or
not. If you can’t pull off camp, do something a little closer to your
comfort range.
Katharine McPhee:
Katharine McPhee’s version of “Until You Come Back to Me”
had a nice vocal, and she seems pleasant, but we just find her boring to
watch. Tips for success: Sometimes a little edge is a good thing.
That’s what makes Kelly Clarkson interesting: she’s a great performer,
but not perfect. Also: be careful of prints on TV. It photographed a little
too busy and we noticed the dress more than the person in it.
Taylor Hicks:
“Living for the City” was an excellent song choice for Taylor
Hicks, and he should definitely record it. He made it his own, and it
sounded written just for him. We didn’t like the Bland Band’s arrangement of
it at all, but Taylor’s performance of it was great. And we loved the suit.
Tips for success: This performance was an excellent example of
knowing yourself as an artist. That’s what you should always strive for when
choosing cover songs.
Paris Bennett:
Paris Bennett’s performance of “All I Do” had excellent stage
presence and a strong vocal overall, although it was pitchy in a few places.
The arrangement came off as very Telethon, though. Styling-wise, we’d like
to see her tone down some of the accessories a bit to better highlight her
face and great smile. Tips for success: If you’re wearing clothing
with a lot of detail, plus a lot of accessories, remove one item before
going onstage. Too many accessories can obscure your best features.
Chris Daughtry:
Excellent!!! Chris Daughtry’s choice of “Higher
Ground” was a great song choice, as well as a great way to handle a cover
song. It was delivered with excellent stage presence, and was like
watching a performance by an A-list artist on an award show. Compared to the
other performances tonight, this performance was in an another stratosphere
and was the only one who didn’t seem like it was on an amateur talent show.
Styling wise, we also like the cool sideburns and facial hair. Well done.
Tips for success: None. Chris just needs to keep doing what he’s doing,
only better and better. We’d also love to hear him sing
“Superstition.”
We voted for: Chris Daughtry. Close 2nd: No one even came
close.
Seacrest
Smart Quip of the Night:
Seacrest’s quick thinking when he said “…Simon’s my hell” had
us in stitches. We also love Seacrest’s ability to make fun, impromptu TV
such as when he removed Mandisa’s painful shoes. But what we really want to
know is, given the super-upbeat, slightly frenetic delivery during tonight’s
show, how much coffee did he have today?
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.
|
