Category: Idol: Season 12
Season 12 – where are they now?
Candice Glover –Reportedly worth over three million dollars, Candice will have her second album out this summer. Among other things, there will be a duet with Amber Holcomb.
Kree Harrison Mostly dormant since her Idol runner-up finish, Kree just released the song below, “This Old Thing.” It seems to be getting rave reviews.
Angela Miller – She put out an album that reached #1 on the Heat seeker chart in 2014, and she toured Asia and the United Kingdom. There is another pop singer using the name Angie Miller, so she changed her stage name to Zealyn early in 2016. She has released two singles under her new name, and an album will be out later in the year.
Amber Holcomb – Amber had a baby shortly after her Idol run – she announced the pregnancy during the Idol summer tour – who is now two years old. Candice Glover recorded a duet with Amber that will appear on her next album, and Amber is making noises on Facebook that she will release some new music soon. She is 22 now, living in Texas. As far as I can tell she hasn’t posted any video longer than about seven seconds since Idol ended, so I don’t have anything to embed here at the moment.
Janelle Arthur – Parking Break Girl recently opened a couple of shows for a friend’s album release, and she is on the verge of her own album release. She lives in Nashville, and she is active on Facebook and Twitter.
Lazaro Arbos – He made a video a few months ago, updating his status (embedded below). In a nutshell, he is performing regularly but he is struggling to put together an album project.
Burnell Taylor – So far he seems to be going down the local hero road, performing around his hometown.
Devin Velez – He’s staying busy, cultivating contacts, taking on all opportunities to perform, and staying in touch with his fellow Idols. He’s the guy playing the piano and singing on this video, shot last fall.
Paul Jolley – Paul is also mostly doing hometown stuff. Here’s a video of a radio interview and performance (f you want to skip the talk-talk, the music begins at the 4:45 mark).
Curtis Finch, Jr. – His website’s dead, and he doesn’t appear to have released any new video recordings since his Idol appearance. He does have an active Twitter feed, mostly affirmations about his religion. He has 16,700 followers.
Aubrey Cleland – Aubrey, on the other hand, seems to be living an interesting life. Her boyfriend of two years is Nash Overstreet, the lead guitar player for Hot Chelle Rae, Tommy Overstreet’s son, and Chord Overstreet’s brother. Aubrey is singing and putting shows together – either alone or with her boyfriend – but mostly she is modeling. Her social media pages are full of Instagram bombardments showing Aubrey in summer dresses and bikinis, some of it pretty racy. The video below is one of her musical collaborations, with Candice Glover and Casey Abrams (on the piano).
Power Rankings – season 12
Finals – season 12
Semifinals – season 12
Hollywood – season 12
Auditions – season 12
Awards show
With season twelve in the can, it’s time to hand out some awards. Apparently SAG doesn’t do awards shows pro bono, so I have to hand them out myself.
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Public Awards
Based on the results from the public voting, from the semifinals to the Nokia. Sponsored by a half off coupon from Pizza Rita.
- Idol: Candice Glover
- Top Male: Lazaro Arbos
- Top Female: Candice Glover
Tour roster:
- Candice Glover
- Kree Harrison
- Angie Miller
- Amber Holcomb
- Janelle Arthur
- Lazaro Arbos
- Burnell Taylor
- Devin Velez
- Paul Jolley
- Curtis Finch
- Aubrey Cleland
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Private Awards
Based on my own personal opinion, they are occasionally logical but mostly capricious and arbitrary. Sponsored by that weird little paper clip that keeps popping up to tell me how to spell can’t when I’m typing something about Nicki.
Most valuable contestant: Angie Miller
It’s close between the final three singers. I chose Angie because, while Candice was always considered the best singer, Angie was the one who generated the most buzz about her performances, her look, her off stage persona and most importantly – what she was going to do next. Candice, and to a lesser extent Kree, generated a lot of enjoyment, probably more than Angie. Angie, in my opinion, generated more interest.
Past winners:
- Season 7- David Archuleta
- Season 8- Adam Lambert
- Season 9- Crystal Bowersox
- Season 10- Scotty McCreery
- Season 11- Jessica Sanchez
Most controversial contestant: Charlie Askew
Coming soon to a playground near you; just make sure he stays five hundred feet away. Honorable mention to Zoanette Johnson, who is batshit crazy.
- Season 7- Carly Smithson
- Season 8- Adam Lambert
- Season 9- Siobhan Magnus
- Season 10- Lauren Alaina
- Season 11- Jermaine Jones
Most polarizing contestant– Lazaro Arbos
The man could sweat like a polar bear in a blast furnace, but the controversy was mostly over whether he was a savant or a mediocre talent who was pretending to be inexperienced.
- Season 7- Jason Castro
- Season 8- Danny Gokey
- Season 9- Tim Urban
- Season 10- Lauren Alaina
- Season 11- Phillip Phillips
Aside: truthfully most of the controversy this year came from the judging table. I don’t think it was coincidental that the viewers started tuning out in droves about halfway through the season. The show’s focus needs to be on the stage, not in front of it.
Best looking contestant (male)- Lazaro Arbos
There had to some reason why he lasted as long as he did, right?
- Season 7- Jason Castro
- Season 8- Kris Allen
- Season 9- Casey James
- Season 10- Scotty McCreery
- Season 11- Phillip Phillips
Best looking contestant (female)– Angie Miller
Lets skip this minefield and move the hell on. They are all beautiful. Leave me alone.
- Season 7- Brooke White
- Season 8- Kristen McNamara
- Season 9- Didi Benami
- Season 10- Pia Toscano
- Season 11- Baylie Brown
Best pure voice (male)- Adam Sanders
He looked like a less masculine Chaz Bono, he acted like a Bravo housewife and he probably smelled like deep fried petroleum jelly, but the man’s voice was the closest thing to Adam Lambert we’ve seen since the original; even more so than JD.
- Season 7- David Archuleta
- Season 8- Adam Lambert
- Season 9- Lee Dewyze
- Season 10- James Durbin
- Season 11- Joshua Ledet
Best pure voice (female)- Amber Holcomb
It might take her some time to fully harness it, but even Candice isn’t on her level of pure, raw talent. In most other years Candice would win in a walk, though. You would have to go back to Jordin Sparks to find a better tone among female singers.
- Season 7- Carly Smithson
- Season 8- Lil Rounds
- Season 9- Crystal Bowersox
- Season 10- Pia Toscano
- Season 11- Skylar Laine
Most entertaining also-ran (male)– Charlie Askew
Hey, sociopaths are entertaining as hell. Is he a sociodork, or a dorkiopath?
Most entertaining also-ran (female)- Zoanette Johnson
She doesn’t need a reality show, she IS a reality show. Zoanette might have as much natural vocal talent as Amber. Talent is only a small part of the battle, though. Not being batshit crazy is a big part of the equation.
Survivor Award– Kree Harrison
I don’t think anyone had her making the finale before about the final five or six. I had her barely surviving each week until just a few weeks ago, because she always seemed so distracted and nervous.
Aside: In a way Candice is the ultimate survivor, having been rejected three years in a row before making the live shows this year. It shows just how subjective music is, doesn’t it? A singer good enough to win the entire show, good enough to become the Next American Idol, wasn’t impressive enough to even make the top fifty three years running. Last year she was dumped in Vegas despite singing every bit as well as she sang this year. The difference, literally the only difference, was that her weaknesses (being too tall, too thick and too black) last year weren’t considered weaknesses this year. While Candice obviously worked her personal woodshed down to the baseboards, what really changed wasn’t Candice; what changed was the perspective of her judges; her measurers.
An argument can be made that nothing can be objectively measured without establishing perspective; that perspective itself is an element of measurement. For artistic measurements like singing, dancing, painting, writing, etc.; perspective is frequently a larger variable than what is being measured. Because of this, it’s not just possible for someone as talented and accomplished as Candice to be rejected; it’s almost automatic if she doesn’t fit the perspective of her measurer(s). If the measurer doesn’t give any credit to her style of singing, it’s not going to matter how well she sings.
Candice’s voice, surrounded by other good voices, struggled to stand out. Her body, as a tall, dark skinned, thick bodied and mature looking woman in an ocean of young, short, thin, nubile young women, was never going to be an asset when the perspective of the “measurer” was predisposed towards young, short, thin and nubile women. Her Vegas performance last year (and subsequent rejection) caused an outcry among Idol’s internet followers, and finally got her the kind of attention she needed to stand out from the crowd. Once noticed last year, she took it to the house this year. Good for her.
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Performance Awards
Sponsored by whoever invented Youtube – and made it free.
Most creative– Candice Glover
She doesn’t get a lot of credit for it, mostly because they had her keep singing recycled songs, but she was extremely creative with her arrangements. She was able to make most of the old, tired standards sound new, and in many cases she exceeded the original Idol performances. “I (Who Have Nothing)” was an overdone boring piece of crap before Candice turned it into something special, for example, and her version of “Straight Up” was a nice hybrid of Paula Abdul’s original version and Andrew Garcia’s Idol reinvention.
- Season 7- David Cook
- Season 8- Adam Lambert
- Season 9- Siobhan Magnus
- Season 10- Casey Abrams
- Season 11- Phil Phillips
Most thrilling early peak– Angie Miller
No obvious pick this year; there were no surprising flameouts or shocking eliminations once the live shows began other than Big Ugly, who ruined his own dinner. Angie gets the nod because she was the front runner for several weeks, but she didn’t really flame out. She just got lost in a numbers game, with three strong contenders for the finale. One of them had to lose.
- Season 7- Chekeze Eze
- Season 8- Lil Rounds
- Season 9- Siobhan Magnus
- Season 10- Pia Toscano
- Season 11- Slylar Laine
Most consistent- Candice Glover
In a way Burnell was the most consistent, in that he was always the same – no matter what he sang.
- Season 7- David Archuleta
- Season 8- Adam Lambert
- Season 9- Crystal Bowersox
- Season 10- Scotty McCreery
- Season 11- Jessica Sanchez
Most entertaining live performer (male)- Charlie Askew
Charlie was easily the most interesting male performer all year. He wasn’t my favorite (Burnell was), but he was the one who I most anticipated seeing, to see which version of Ted Bundy was going to show up. We’ll see him down the road, in Dorkapolooza or maybe Celebrity Rehab. Lets hope it’s not on the six o’clock news.
- Season 7- David Cook
- Season 8- Adam Lambert
- Season 9- Casey James
- Season 10- James Durbin
- Season 11- Phil Phillips
Most entertaining live performer (female)- Candice Glover
The top five were all entertaining (when they were given decent material to sing), but Candice was the most creative performer and the best singer. Who else would I choose?
- Season 7- Carly Smithson
- Season 8- Allison Iraheta
- Season 9- Crystal Bowersox
- Season 10- Haley Reinhart
- Season 11- Skylar Laine
Flameout award (male)- Adam Sanders
The best male voice in the entire pool finished just outside the top 40, because he was too immature. He’s a weird combination; sort of a project runway reject who degenerated into a fat, sloppy dorkfish; but also a lazy, sloppy manchild whose mother needs to clamp down on and make him clean his room, clip his toenails and for chrissakes take a shower. My advice to him, if he asked me, would be to get serious about diet and hygiene first, then get a vocal coach who can clean up his vocal chops.
- Season 7- David Hernandez
- Season 8- Jorge Nunez
- Season 9- Andrew Garcia
- Season 10- Robbie Rosen
- Season 11- Adam Brock
Flameout award (female)- Shubha Vedula
She is so young, only sixteen, that she should be forgiven her mistakes, but she was perfect all season until halfway through her final 40 song, when she suddenly forgot how to sing. It ain’t easy to sing in front of millions of people like that. Only a rule against it ( she was top 40, but didn’t make the live shows) would keep her from coming back next year, and she should handle the pressure a lot better with some experience under her belt. She could certainly make the tour next year, or even contend for the win. She is a special talent.
- Season 7- Amanda Overmeyer
- Season 8- Lil Rounds
- Season 9- Ashley Rodriguez
- Season 10-Paris Tassin
- Season 11- Baylie Brown
Best audition (male)- Sanni M’Mairura
He didn’t go deep this year, but I ain’t worried yet. He is a special talent, and only sixteen years old. We will see him again, assuming he wants to try Idol again (and Idol is still on the air after next year).
- Season 7- David Archuleta
- Season 8- Danny Gokey
- Season 9- Andrew Garcia
- Season 10- Casey Abrams
- Season 11- Jairon Jackson
Best audition (female)- Megan Miller
Did they dump her in favor of Angie Miller, like they gave the back of the hand to the “wrong” Lauren a couple of years ago? Megan was the Miss something (Baton Rouge?) who showed up for her audition on crutches, told Ryan “I got this” and sang like Carrie Underwood. I was shocked that she didn’t make the final 40. Honorable mention to Candice, ship sinking jazz smurf Jesaiah Baer (skip to about 2:20 or so) and the not so shrinking violet haired Stephanie Sanson.
- Season 7- Kristy Leigh Cook
- Season 8- Lil Rounds
- Season 9- Didi Benami
- Season 10-Paris Tassin
- Season 11- Ashley Robles
Best Hollywood performer (male): Curtis Finch
He looked like he was going to contend for the win, playing with his melodies like an old pro amongst his amateur friends. Unfortunately for him, his amateur friends got better while he kept playing around, and he got his happy butt dumped. Check out the list below… Gokey was the only one who made the top five, and a couple of them didn’t even make the tour. It ain’t always good to get the pimping early; by the live shows everyone is sick of you.
- Season 7- David Hernandez
- Season 8- Danny Gokey
- Season 9- Andrew Garcia
- Season 10- Casey Abrams
- Season 11- Reed Grimm
Best Hollywood performer (female)- Candice Glover
It was either Candice, Angie or Kree unless you liked Zoanette’s impression of Reed Grimm gone off his meds.
- Season 7- Carly Smithson
- Season 8- Lil Rounds
- Season 9- Lilly Scott
- Season 10- Lauren Turner
- Season 11- Skylar Laine
Best live performance (male)- Burnell Taylor, “My Cheri Amour”
Best of a bad lot more than a moment, but genuinely entertaining.
- Season 7- David Cook, “Billy Jean”
- Season 8- Adam Lambert, “Born to be Wild”
- Season 9- Casey James “Jealous Guy”
- Season 10- James Durbin, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”
- Season 11- Phil Phillips, “We’ve Got Tonight”
Best live show single performance (female)- Candice Glover, “I (who have nothing)”
She did it twice; the internet said she won the competition with her second performance (linked above), but I preferred her first one because it was so unexpected. I had never liked the song, and Candice made me love it like she wrote it.
- Season 7- Carly Smithson “Jesus Christ Superstar”
- Season 8- Allison Iraheta “Someone to watch over me”
- Season 9- Crystal Bowersox “Up to the Mountain”
- Season 10- Haley Reinhart, “House of the Rising Sun”
- Season 11- Jessica Sanchez, “You Are So Beautiful”
Best Judge- Keith Urban
Nicki started out like she was going to be a force, and she was a force. She was the single largest factor in Idol’s loss of audience share this year, specifically because she was such a force. Lost in all the horse manure coming from Nicki’s self promotion death-laser machine was that Keith Urban gave succinct, accurate feedback with a good sense of humor as well as a good sense of moment. He hasn’t committed to leaving yet so there is hope, but I don’t expect him back. Who would want to go through it again after spending a year with Nicki? Nobody signs up to get a root canal if he just had one.
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TERRY’S BIG FIVE AWARDS
Enough preamble; it’s time to give out my five major awards for Idol’s twelfth season: The Chekeze, the Casey, the Allie, the Adam and the Carrie. I’ll talk about them as if they are important, mainstream awards; but I’m just making them up. Some day, if they catch on, you read it here first.
The Chekeze
The Chekeze award is for the single most electrifying live show performance before the tour roster is set. Past winners:
- Season 7- Chekeze Eze, “She’s a Woman”
- Season 8- Adam Lambert- “Satisfaction”
- Season 9- Siobhan Magnus- “Paint it Black”
- Season 10- Pia Toscano, “All in Love is Fair”
- Season 11- Skylar Laine, “Stay With Me”
Drum roll……. the season twelve Chekeze Award goes to……..
Amber Holcomb for “My Funny Valentine”, Top 40 Sudden Death Round
Idol didn’t air a single note of Amber singing until this performance; saving her like they saved Pia in season ten, Siobhan in season nine, or Jessica Sanchez last year. As great as those three were, Amber’s debut was the best of the bunch. There have been lots of singers more polished than Amber on Idol over the years, but I humbly submit that Amber has the most lively voice the show has ever heard.
The Casey
Loosely defined, the “Casey” is for the best all around musician of the season. I picked Casey as the title for obvious reasons, as you will see when you look at the list of winners.
- Season 7- Brooke White
- Season 8- Matt Giraud
- Season 9- Casey James
- Season 10- Casey Abrams
- Season 11- Reed Grimm
Drum Roll…. the season twelve Casey Award goes to……
Angie Miller
Her piano work is legitimately impressive, and she became the first Idol contestant ever to compete by singing a song she wrote herself.
The Allie
I didn’t specifically define it until season eleven, but I think of the Allie as a female contestant and the previous winners had all been female; so the Allie Award is officially a female award. Basically, the “Allie” goes to my favorite girl who makes the finals. Past winners:
- Season 7- Brooke White
- Season 8- Allison Iraheta
- Season 9- Siobhan Magnus
- Season 10- Haley Reinhart
- Season 11- Hollie Cavanagh
Drum roll….. the season twelve Allie award goes to……
Amber Holcomb
I don’t imagine that was a surprise. Honestly, though, I could have seen any of the final five being a worthy “Allie”, as well as many or most of the rest of the final twenty girls. Had the guys been eligible, Burnell would have also been worthy.
The Adam
The Adam award is for the “moment-maker” of the season. Think of it as the “entertainer of the year” equivalent. Past winners:
- Season 7- David Cook
- Season 8- Adam Lambert
- Season 9- Crystal Bowersox
- Season 10- Haley Reinhart
- Season 11- Joshua Ledet
Drum roll….. the season twelve Adam award goes to……
Candice Glover
Angie could have won in some years, but I think Candice was the obvious choice.
The Carrie
I think of it as the “most likely to succeed” award. Past winners:
- Season 7- David Cook
- Season 8- Adam Lambert
- Season 9- Crystal Bowersox
- Season 10- Scotty McCreery
- Season 11- Phil Phillips
Drum roll… the season twelve award goes to…..
Candice Glover
If Idol was still a 30 million viewer show I might choose Kree, or maybe even Amber, but it’s about half that now. Candice shouldn’t be compared to Lee Dewyze, who was a questionable winner, but with the declining viewership none of these singers can be considered strong candidates to sell tons of albums.
I thought about doing one more article, recapping the year and talking about next year, but instead I’ll just add my two cents here at the bottom of the awards show post. Five things I think about American Idol, in no particular order:
1: Nicki Minaj was a good idea in a vacuum, but in hindsight the worst thing the show could have done. She started out well, providing interest in the show and giving some indication that she would care about the contestants and the show’s future during the auditions. As the show moved on, though, she turned into the same narcissistic autocrat she’s always been; half gangster wannabe ghetto whore, half thorazined disney princess, the entire package made completely out of plastic. While I respect her for her success, and the hard work she put in to get where she is – there is nothing about her talent, her personality or her background that makes her qualified to judge a singing competition. Idol needed a new engineer – and they hired a trainwreck. If they do it again, it could kill the show.
2: America’s pool of singing talent is a constantly restocked, renewable resource, not a dry well as some critics like to claim. Idol’s own pool of Hollywood rejects each year could fill the cast of any singing competition, without a noticeable drop-off in talent. The raw talent is actually increasing, not decreasing. Go back a few years and watch some video, and it will be obvious to you.
3: The days of thirty million viewers are over. Network TV as a whole is bleeding audience share like a stuck pig, accentuating Idol’s ratings decline. Idol needs to find a comfort zone at a lower level, like other cultural monoliths like SNL did. Idol is roughly where Saturday Night Live was around 1986. At that point it wasn’t a sure thing that SNL would become an institution, and at this point it’s far from sure that Idol will continue to be America’s singing contest.
4. “The Voice” is not going to replace Idol. I like “The Voice”, but where are the former Voice contestants in the mainstream? Idol will lord over Voice until Voice produces a transcendent star. With viewership dropping like a rock for network TV in general, finding that star will be harder and harder. The Voice tends to spotlight its judges a little too much, I think, to give their contestants the kind of public push they need to go viral after the show ends. Idol’s largest mistake has been that they have copied this, getting away from the real stars of reality shows – the contestants.
5: If Idol is going to survive, they need to get the attention back on the stage, and off the judging table. It’s hard enough to create buzz for unknown, amateur singers. Giving airtime every week to J-Lo or Mariah, or for chrissakes Nicki, will create buzz for – J-Lo or Mariah, or for chrissakes Nicki. The amateur singers get lost in the shuffle.
I advocated bringing back former contestants like Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson a couple of weeks ago. If the rumors are correct, Idol is going to do this. J-Hud is reportedly negotiating to join the judging table. If this is true, it’s a huge step forward for multiple reasons.
First, I can’t imagine that Mariah will want to come back with Jen there. Second, the closed door behind Nicki will be locked. Idol has already announced that they are going back to three judges, which would be brilliant if it wasn’t so obvious. Nigel’s head is on the block, and it should be. He means well, but his idea of rock and roll is Elvis and Frank Sinatra. Idol desperately needs to get fresher, if not actually younger. While I think classic rock and pop are viable themes, there has to be someone out there who can take over managing the show without putting bow ties on everyone and making them sing a bunch of old torch songs.
Congratulations Candice, good luck to all of the contestants as they make their way in their post-Idolyptic worlds, and see you next year.
Amber walks the plank
Amber, “Power of Love” (Celine Dion)
Her voice was amazing, as usual. Her looks were amazing, as usual. Her professionalism was impressive for a kid, green for an adult – as usual. I heard rumblings that Amber is supposedly the chosen one. I don’t buy the rumors; Amber’s head is going to be on the block tomorrow night even if she is amazing tonight. Only a comparatively weak night from Candice, her first bad night of the entire year, might save her. The judges might love her, I might love her – but the voters love Candice, Kree and Angie more. I kinda like them, too. It’s a tough year. A-
Amber- “McArthur Park” (Donna Summer by way of that rat bastard Richard Harris)
Shoot the guy who picked this song. He might have taken Amber out of the competition. F. Ok, that’s not fair. Amber sang it fine. Emeril cooking a turd and syphilis sandwich would be about the same thing. I don’t care who sings that song. It’s going to be an epic plunge into the cleavage of Medusa’s Hairdresser.
Candice- “Find your Love” (Drake)
She was pitchy here and there, a little sloppy. Other than that, she sounded like vintage Candice. It was a good song choice, or it would have been on a night when she didn’t back it up with another ballad she didn’t pull off as well. A for her voice, B for the performance.
Candice, “Emotions” (Bee Gees/Samantha Sang)
Close your eyes and listen to Candice, and eventually you will hear Dionne Warwick in there a little. I didn’t like her version of the song (boring and a dumb song choice), but I doubt that more than maybe five percent of the audience had ever heard it before – so that shouldn’t be a problem. It still kind of sucked, though. If they were going to make her sing it, they should have shown her where the melody is. B-
Kree, “It Hurts so Bad” (Linda Ronstadt)
Kree isn’t some greenhorn who came to Idol out of the sticks like Amber did. She’s been at it in Nashville for a few years. In a way, this allows Kree to get more out of the Idol experience than some other singers might. She ain’t ever going to crap out Etta James’ licks, or even Linda Ronstadt’s licks, but her attempts at singing the blues on Idol will give some color to her later performances on the Grand Ole Opry. She tries, anyway. In a vacuum I’d give her a B-, but it’s Kree. B+
Kree. “Whiter Shade of Pale” (Procol Harem)
A lamb walks into a bar…. Kree sounded fine, terrific even (exit stage le-eft), but it’s been a couple of weeks since she’s sang a song in her element. B
Angie, “Who You Are” (Jessie J)
Whoever engineered the original track by Jessie J deserves a Grammy; her voice comes out so perfectly that they should teach that track in Track Engineering School. Angie’s version was surprisingly good, considering that Angie struggles with tightly wound rhythms. She did struggle with it at times, but only a hardcore fan of the song would have a problem with her interpretation. A-
Angie- “Cry me a River” (Julie London)
If you can listen to Julie London’s version and not be moved, get in a box because you are dead. Angie was to Julie London as McArthur Park is to music, but she hit the notes. B+
Amber/Kree- “Rumor Has It” (Adele)
If you ask me, this might have been Amber’s shiniest moment of the year. She stood next to Kree, who is going to be standing under the confetti in a couple of weeks, trying to hug the entire population of Los Angeles all at once while she waters the stage with tears of joy. Amber stood next to the likely Next American Idol, and blew her off the stage. It wasn’t that Kree sounded bad, either; Kree was terrific. Amber was just that much stronger. Kree is still going to win, though.
Candice/Angie- “Stay” (Rhianna and some guy)
It was weirdly like listening to a duet between Lil Rounds (out of tune) and Lauren Alaina (way too dramatic). Angie blew the doors off the song; singing the harmony and hitting her notes while Candice was wildly out of tune way too often.
Safe to in Danger-
Safe:
- Kree
- Angie
In Danger:
- Candice
- Amber
Amber was supposed to go tomorrow night, so I understand Jimmy’s Angst. I would be surprised, but not shocked, if either of the white girls landed in the bottom two.
Final five perform
Candice- “Straight Up (Paula Abdul)
Candice looks a little like Queen Latifa, doesn’t she? There were some serious, moment-worthy performances elsewhere on the show tonight (see Amber), but this tight, sweet, funky performance was my favorite. As much as Candice has been pimped all year, I don’t think even Idol realizes how good she is. The garbage can lid was a nice touch. A+, moment.
Candice- “When You Believe” (Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston)
It’s probably a good thing she was otherworldly good on her other song, because she was otherworldly mediocre on this one. I blame the band. She started out like she always does, like she was going to tear the roof off the song, but when the song kicked in the band was faster than she expected, and she never got comfortable. She handled the tempo change ok once she felt it, but she kept singing sharp. It means literally nothing. By the time Candice is at risk, at the Nokia in May, nobody is going to remember that she was a little sharp on April 17th. B-
Janelle- “Nobody Answers” (Vince Gill/Patty Loveless)
She has to be careful; she keeps taking more and more chances with the melody, and she isn’t good enough to get away with that for very long. If she tries one of these vocal triple axles without her feet set, she’s going to land on her butt. She hit it tonight, so all I can complain about is that the song choice wasn’t the best. B
Janelle- “Dumb Blonde” (Dolly Parton)
I had to go listen to Dolly’s version, I’d never heard of the song before… Dolly’s version came out in 1967, and it sounded like a vintage Tammy Wynette song. Janelle re-worked it, making it sound like something Janie Fricke or Reba McIntyre would have done in the 1980s. Her arrangement was outstanding, very creative, so Janelle has that going for her (which is nice…). Her best attribute at this point might be her creativity; she is the weakest link left vocally. She missed a ton of notes, trying too hard to compete with the four true divas she is competing against. A for the arrangement, B- for the execution, B+ overall.
Angie and Janelle both have about half an octave of range in the middle where they sound terrific, but outside of that their voices are fairly threadbare.
Kree- “She Talks to Angels (Black Crowes)
She made it her own, I guess, like someone doing an old school country cover of the song. I can’t see her song choice as a good idea, considering what the song is about, but I won’t kill her for it, either. C for the idea, A for the execution so a B for the overall performance, with a bump up because it’s Kree singing it. I can’t speak for everyone, but it always bugs me when a singer turns a blues scale into a major scale. It sounds, for lack of a better description, really white. B+
Kree- “Have You Ever Been in Love” (Celine Dion)
Give Kree fifteen years and she’s going to be hosting “Nashville Now”, or whatever passes for that show in fifteen years. For her sake, let’s hope they quit making the host talk to puppets by then. I think I might have overestimated her voice a little, but I underestimated her personality a lot. She is going to be really famous as a person, not just as a voice. B+
Angie- “I’ll Stand by You” (Pretenders)
Pia Toscano blew the doors off this song in season ten, but I think Angie did it even better than Pia did. Pia is much the better singer, but Angie brought more emotion to the song, and commanded the song like a master. I can do without the constant camera hunting and the cheesy “this is for my hometown” glory grab, but she knocked it out of the park. A
Angie- “Halo” (Beyonce Knowles)
Her vocal was strong, but I couldn’t help feeling like it was sort of “Debbie Boone does hip/hop”. A vocal, C+ feel, B+ overall.
Amber- “Without You” (Mariah Carey)
Nicki tried to say something I was thinking; Amber ain’t Mariah Carey (who is?), so she wasn’t going to sound great with Mariah sitting right there, watching her. As good as she was, and she was very good, the song is just too famous. Amber made no mistakes, but the comparison was too obvious. Actually, the largest mistake was Mariah saying Harry Nillson wrote the song. Not to be anal, but Mariah sang the song, made the song famous to an entire generation. She should know who wrote it. A-
Amber- “What are you doing the rest of your life” (Barbra Streisand)
Billy Holiday lives. Not perfect, but it didn’t have to be. A+, moment.
Safe to in danger:
Safe-
- Kree
- Candice
- Angie
Sweating to the end-
- Amber
- Janelle
Both Amber and Janelle still have a slight chance of winning, but the likeliest result is that they will be the next two gone. I don’t know if they are still going to use the save; if they are, nobody is going home this week.
