| Well, I forced myself to go to bed to forget the heart-breaking results of last night's show. When I woke up this morning, I was just humming along, when suddenly, it hit me: MANDISA WAS GONE! I'm still upset, of course, but I'm nowhere near as devastated as I was 24 hours ago.
So, in respect and admiration for a great female vocalist, a wonderful personality, a wry sense of humor (remember the dog jaw joke), and just a beautiful person, here are a few memories from my reviews of MANDISA!
Week 1 – Semifinals - Never by Heart
Kudos to you for opening the show with a bang. (I remember the producer Nigel Lythgoe saying that they tried to start and end the show with memorable performances, and they did.) She was awesome, her voice is unbelievable, and she exudes a confidence that I only saw in about three other people tonight. I’m sure that she was nervous, but you can immediately identify the people who are accustomed to performing before an audience. You made me a believer, Mandisa – SISTAHS CAN ROCK! (Oh, and by the way, AI producers, you can stop already with Simon’s weight remarks. It’s over, he apologized, Mandisa forgave him, and we’re moving on).
Week 2 – Semifinals - Cry by Faith Hill
She got a little off-key in the middle of the song, but overall it was good. She a superb singer, but she, along with everyone else, seemed a tad bit reserved tonight. BRING IT, people! By the way, I LOVED that dog-jaw joke. Did you see that guy spill his coffee? Ha ha! I’m gonna have to try that one! Mandisa, see you next week!
Week 3 – Semifinals - I’m Every Woman by Chaka Khan
Woo-hoo-hoo! Yeah!! That’s my girl! That vocal was AWESOME! She’s funny, too! That thumb-sucking bit was a little too much info (and I’m almost certain she got a call from Mama), but I laughed because she should absolutely have horrible teeth. 24 years old?? Whoo! Anyway, Mandisa’s level of confidence is really what draws me to her. Simon was right, not only will I be rewinding this over and over and over, I will also record the mp3 at least five times in a row, along with the prior performances by Chris and Elliott. Girl, you are LOCKED into my top 3!
Week 4 – Finals – Stevie Wonder Week - Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing
Nice moisturized ankles and bare feet. ‘Nuff said. I think the beautiful thing about being a great artist is that you can sing anything. Stevie, you took the words right out of my mouth. Mandisa is the one contestant that I was most excited about hearing tonight because I knew that I would enjoy her. Sure enough, she did extremely well. I positively enjoy her “power voice.” With Mandisa’s song, the better singers seemed to step up to the plate. This is what I like to see. I’m looking forward to her performance next week.
Week 5 – Finals - 50s Week - I Don't Hurt Anymore by Dinah Washington
Did she give me goose bumps, or what? Mandisa knew exactly what she wanted to do, how she wanted to do it, and she opened this show with a bang! Loved it. She sounded absolutely wonderful. There were those words of praise again - she can sing anything. Or, in the words of the great Barry Manilow, "she has no range." Mandisa brought that feel-good, gospel, bluesy feel to this song. This performance was miles better than last week (and even then she was good). Such a powerful voice, such a great performance, such a winner in my book! Awesome job!
Week 6 – Finals – 21st Century Songs Week - Wanna Praise You (Shackles) by Mary Mary
Mandisa has a great voice, there’s no doubt about that, and Mary Mary just happens to be a favorite group of mine. Kudos to her for falling back to the genre where she got her start and rocking it out. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with singing a gospel song on the show. Case in point - Nadia Turner rocked the house with “The Power of Love” last season. But sometimes, the problem lies in the chance that you really can’t connect with the audience, especially if they are not familiar with the song. All that aside, the vocal was extremely good, and I have come to expect that from her every time.
Week 7 – Finals – Country Week - Any Man of Mine by Shania Twain
I have never worried about Mandisa being hampered by the different types of music that are covered each week. She is very flexible vocally. I loved the fact that Kenny Rogers (who has aged extremely well) acknowledged Mandisa's ability to simply sing, regardless of the song. That being said, I feel this way - to sing Country and Western music does not mean that you have to lose yourself. That goes for any style of music. Mandisa's performance was, in fact, a bit safe. I got the feeling that she was holding back, not because she felt that she has come on too strong in the past, but because she could not seem to fit her vocal style to this particular song. Yes, Paula, I think that she can sing the phone book. She's just that good. But, I'm missing her earlier performances. This was not her best, but it was still nice.
I'm confident that Mandisa will be back - some day, some way, some how. And, I will always be a huge fan. Wishing you the best, Mandisa!!! | |
by America, but Mandisa will be blessed with a successful career despite not making the top 3 in this show.