So, tonight's celebrity guests were Andrea Bocelli and David Foster. Most of us may already know Andrea as that awesome Italian tenor. His voice is amazing! It gives me chills. David Foster...penned none other than Whitney Houston's breathtaking "I Have Nothing." David may have seemed a little rough, but hey, the guy knows what he's talking about!! There was definitely truth to what he said. I especially loved this: The difference between good and great can be very small or very big. You always want to try and come out on the great side. So, you see, these contestants are getting the chance of a lifetime. There was some phenomenal talent in the house tonight. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the easiest, these were some hard songs to sing. The Idol contestants had some very big shoes to fill!
KATHERINE chose to sing "I Have Nothing," by Whitney Houston. Song Difficulty = 10
The fact that Whitney Houston even sang this song makes it a very difficult one to sing. I will say this: If Whitney had not ever sung this song, then Katharine would have sounded much, much better. When someone talks about a song being "too big for you" this is what they mean. It's kind of like wearing your mother's shoes when you were a child. Your feet slide all the way to the front. You can't walk. You can't run. You're likely to fall. Katharine actually did a good job. But, the fact that she sang such a well-sung and well-known and fabulous song made her seem mediocre. She was anything but that. However, I when she finished singing, I was waiting for something more. Now, on a more positive note, she handled the modulation/key change well. But, after that, she was almost shouting trying to get the song out. If anything, you want the song to seem effortless. All in all, tonight revealed that Katharine's best style of singing is the jazzy, smoother, softer types of songs.
ELLIOTT chose to sing "A Song for You," by Donnie Hathaway. Song Difficulty = 9
Man, have I mentioned that I love David Foster?! He hit the nail on the head when he instructed Elliott to create his own licks and not imitate the style of Donnie Hathaway. That is constructive criticism. This elevates the song above what Simon Cowell likes to call "glorified karaoke." The arrangement of this song was a little tricky. I understand that they were trying to up the ante a bit and make it a little more contemporary. There is a special soulfulness to Elliott's voice that they were trying to encompass. If Paula doesn't cry at least once, then this isn't American Idol. Tonight however, she wasn't alone. Elliott Yamin - brought tears to my eyes, gave me chills, and had me rewinding my tape like a maniac. Had you seen me, you would have thought I'd lost my mind! He got ahead of the music at the very beginning, and he hit one flat note in the middle of the song. Other than that, it was perfect - so soulful, so heartfelt, such a close-your-eyes-and-feel-it rendition by Elliott. I can definitely picture him recording this type of music - this song, as a matter of fact. I'm glad he took the advice that he was given.
KELLIE chose to sing "Unchained Melody," by The Righteous Brothers. Song Difficulty = 7.5
Just a note - this is Simon Cowell's favorite song. I wished Kellie good luck before she sang it. Can I mention that Clay Aiken did awesome justice to this song? David Foster had another brilliant thought: Without passion, this song is boring - and it was! I'm not trying to be mean, but tonight, she was not good. I think that the problem Kellie ran into tonight was not being able to convey the emotion of this song to her listeners. Her eyes look flat, and her face was emotionless as she hit a falsetto note that is the highlight of the song! We are getting down to the wire here, and now is not the time to stand there and just coast along as you sing. I don't know if she was nervous or if she was uncomfortable with the song, but it was at this moment that Kellie showed that she was not in the vocal league of the other singers.
PARIS chose to sing "The Way We Were," by Barbra Streisand. Song Difficulty = 7
Today, I mentioned that Paris had a voice beyond her years. I meant that in a positive way. Her vocals are powerful, and that alone is an amazing endowment. To be able to sing that way week after week after week is a plus, because personally, I wouldn't have a speaking voice (even singing from my diaphragm). Anyway, this was an okay performance from Paris - one of my least favorite. There really wasn't anything wrong vocally, but when she sings such grown-up songs, it sounds like she's performing in a high school talent show. For this reason, I feel that she still hasn't found her vocal niche. She's so cute because she so young, but that same youth could eventually be her downfall in this competition. It hinders her ability to connect with her audience. Barbra Streisand is a sensational performer and vocalist. She always stressed, as someone likes to point out (wink, wink) that "Less is more." Paris' voice with the song was too much, and I know that she said that she doesn't know much about love, but this song is about past relationships and love. I know for a fact that with age and experience, Paris will reach superstardom. However, at this point and time, what I needed was a heartfelt performance about memories of love, but the passion wasn't evident.
TAYLOR chose to sing "Just Once" by James Ingram Song Difficulty = 6.5
Taylor was flat, nasal, and all over the place pitchwise at the beginning of this song. The strain on his voice was very apparent, and he looked out of his element. I, for one, expected great things from Taylor this week. He has the ability to pull this kind of song off, but I don't think that he knew how to channel his energy into the song. I know that he probably didn't want to overdo it, but he brought it home again at the end. I wouldn't say that this song is an overly difficult one to sing. However, it was just like Simon said, you can hear this song anywhere - elevators, grocery stores, malls, infomercials, etc. For that reason alone, the audience may be numb to the song before you even start. Then, he had the tough job of overcoming the sexy vocals of James Ingram. That's why we needed more of a "Taylor infusion" earlier in the song. But, the way he sang it had me wondering if something was wrong. Taylor probably has the biggest fan base of any of these contestants, so I really don't think he's going anywhere. However, I know he's capable of better. I want you back, Taylor - and, bring that harmonica next time.
CHRIS chose to sing "Have You Really Ever Loved a Woman" by Bryan Adams
Song Difficulty = 7.5
I tell you, one trip to the bottom two can make a much better singer. No one was probably more shocked than me to see Chris there last week. But, I'll tell you one thing, he's not going back there tomorrow night. Something else: I've done that singing on your back thing, and it's no walk in the park! Works wonders for the diaphragm. Anyway, this had to be the best song that Chris has ever sung. This must be what Simon was talking about when he told him to depart from the hard rock and find something softer. This was indeed a nice medium. I mean, I never forgot his take on Sheryl Crow's "First Cut is the Deepest" during Hollywood rounds. The guitars, the heavy raspiness in all the right places, the feeling he portrayed all fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I believed that he had indeed loved a woman. I prefer this type of music from Chris. Great job!
Far before tonight's show, I contemplated our remaining six contestants. Yes, we are down to six very talented men and women. If you're like me, auditions were like YESTERDAY! The time has moved rapidly, and tomorrow night, our top 5 will be revealed. This is a pretty memorable group of contestants, and I'm not likely to forget them anytime soon!
Yeah. He became a star last night. Hopefully, we'll see more of him. News all around today is about Kat - that dress, a wardrobe malfunction (more of a panty-peek), and Ryan's comments to her.
I know! That top looked like some of the actresses with breast implants who just smush their boobs into too small tops. Sheesh. I was surprised that Simon wasn't drooling instead of talking during her performance.
04-26-2006 03:45 PM
Now Gwen, you realize that Heck is off looking all over the internet for a pic of that! 
That top looked like some of the actresses with breast implants who just smush their boobs into too small tops. Sheesh. I was surprised that Simon wasn't drooling instead of talking during her performance.
